general problems of the 2018 Honda Civic - part 1

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. There was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred while making a right turn. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

Steering wheel gets stuck, jerky. Steering is jerky when traveling in a straight line, at different speeds. For example when traveling at 45 mph in a straight line, if you need to make a slight correction to stay in your lane the steering wheel seems to lock causing you to exert more force to turn it and then it releases causing you to over correct. I know other owners that have the same problem. This in my opinion is a safety concern and should be investigated.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became firm and was sticking while driving forward. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The steering issue in my 2018 Honda Civic has put my safety and that of others at severe risk by causing unpredictable sticky and jerky movements at highway speeds, potentially leading to loss of control and crashes—I’ve had to fight the wheel multiple times on la freeways just to stay in my lane, and it’s only getting worse with heat buildup. The problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, as I’m in the process of scheduling that amid Honda’s stonewalling, but it’s identical to widespread eps failures reported in similar models. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance reps, or anyone else yet—Honda’s dodging responsibility despite knowing about these defects since 2016 per the burgos v. Honda lawsuit. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure; it just started jerking out of nowhere during high-speed drives, first noticed today based on my best recollection. This is a blatant manufacturing flaw Honda’s covering up for older Civics while recalling newer ones for the same damn thing—force them to expand the recall before it kills someone. Approximate incident date: 03/02/2026. No crash occurred.

The electric power steering gets notchy and sticks instead of smooth turning. This causes the car to drift left and right in the lane. The hotter the day and longer the drive, the worse the problem gets.

The steering wheel is very sticky/notchy at highway speeds. Makes steering difficult especially with minor adjustments. Very unsafe as it can stick and cause you to drift if you’re not on top of the steering or even overcompensate.

Have the dangerous sticky steering while traveling down the road where steering wheel needs to be “broke free” to make minor corrections. Aware that there is a recall on certain years and models of the Honda’s for the electronic steering rack recall replacement, it isn’t covered on other select years. Honda has diagnosed yet another vehicle not covered by this recall (mine) and is now wanting me to pay $4500 out of pocket for a new steering rack.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticky, making the vehicle difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA campaign number: 18v663000 (steering); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was also informed that there was a TSB on certain model vehicles related to the same failure; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

While driving, my steering wheel sticks in position. The steering wheel will remain in that position until I break it free using more than normal force. At speed, this can often result in overcorrection once the steering finally breaks loose. It is most noticable on the highway when trying to make micro-adjustments to the steering to maintain my lane. The micro-adjustments are not possible since more force is needed to loosen the steering wheel from it's stuck position. I've tried to look this issue up online, and it appears this is a common issue experienced by owners of this generation of Honda Civic. The issue is bad enough that steering racks are on back order due to so many being replaced.

Sticky steering, very difficult to handle on highway. It lasted about 2 weeks, then went away.

My steering sticks at all speeds and is difficult to drive on the highway.

The steering is sticky, the power steering does not return the wheel to center whenever I turn. It feels jerky whenever trying to remain center in the lane, especially at highway speeds. Makes slight noise when turning.

The car has excessive play in the steering causing much vibrations in the seat and steering wheel while driving, the slightest movement will send you all over the road and presents itself extremely jerky and unstable handling. It should not have this much play in the steering. I see multiple complaints over the steering of this car model but oddly enough I have the opposite issue pertaining to the same components but either way it sounds like the steering system of these cars are not up to par in some way and it seems dangerous to continue driving with noticeable issues there. Im about to trade it in dispite im still paying on it and there is over 100,000 miles on it. It feels like an expensive fix that just aint that worth it to me.

Steering wheel is hard to move/ steer, makes clunking noises, can feel vibration in the steering wheel, way worse at higher speeds, definitely a safety issue if the steering locks up you can't steer the car!!! I see there are recalls on this make model and year car, but mine isn't included??, it should be and why not? this car has only 15k miles.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at higher speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. No warning lights illuminated. The contact mentioned the vehicle was still drivable, however his wife stated when she drives at any unknown speed the failure persist.  a dealer or independent were not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnoses. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number : 18v663000(steering), however the VIN was included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and they informed him his VIN was not apart of the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Steering is "sticky". It is only noticeable when turning toward the right. It is exactly like the steering gearbox recall Honda announced October 2024. [xxx] my vehicle (2018) doesn't fall under the years recall linked above but its definitely experiencing that same issue. It is dangerous and I can feel the same "stickiness" at low(and high) speeds like backing into a driveway. Especially driving 45+ mph, going around a right-curve on the highway and immediately when I start to straighten the steering wheel, it quickly jerks. This symptom happens consistently and easily duplicated. I've noticed it about a month ago and still happening every since then. I've never had this steering issues with any of the other vehicles I've owned and driven. There people are in the same generation(2016-2021) Civic forums and facebook groups experiences the same symptoms. The recall linked above should've been at least for the 2018 Civics too. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The electric power steering (eps) system failed/malfunctioned this past week. When going over 35 mph my steering wheel would become "knotchy/jerky" and lock up and be difficult to turn. As a result, I took it to Honda to which they stated my whole rack and pinion needed total replacement. No warning signs, messages, icons, or lights came on in my car.

Rack and pinion steering failure. Sticking, hard to make wheel adjustments. Loss of steering control. Issue confirmed but Honda dealership. Honda dealership contacted Honda north America and was rejected as warranty issue. Repair will exceed $7500. This issue corresponded with the fuel pump recall and failure of the ac system which were covered under warranty recall. Due the high volume of failures of r & p for these Honda Civics locating replacement parts is difficult if not impossible.

The steering wheel has been sticky on our 2018 Honda Civic. We took it to a Honda dealership for evaluation and they said it needs a steering gearbox replacement. Other 2018 Honda Civics have had the same issue and a recall was issued but our particular VIN number is not apart of this recall. The 2018 recall states: “due to incorrect production of the steering gearbox torque sensor, the torque sensor magnet may shift from its normal position inside the gearbox. A shifted sensor magnet may cause the steering to move left or right unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash. ” because of this risk while driving, as well as it being the same issue that other cars with the same make and model were recalled, ours should also be recalled.

Steering wheel gets really loose and very stiff at random while driving. I get power steering failure notifications on dash. I spoke with Honda dealership and was told my vehicle doesn’t belong to the recall. I have all the symptoms of the power steering recall issue.

We have noticed a clicking noise and her steering has begun to stick. Took to Honda and they told us they have been seeing this issue and even sent video telling us they see this is an ongoing problem. Filed claim with Honda. They refused to fix the faulty part because there is not recall with my VIN even though many have been recalled. Again, multiple managers at service told us they are just waiting for Honda to recall this. Car has less than 55,000 miles. We have a video they sent us but ai have been unable to attach. It is a video Honda service sent us stating this was an ongoing issue with Honda advice at this year and a few others. That they were seeing these parts fail.

My complaint is similar to most of the other ones shown here. Notchy steering. I took it to the dealer. They told me that the steering rack was bad and needed to be replaced. How much? $6500! the car has under 30,000 miles on it. Got to give the service rep credit. He asked me if I wanted them to contact american Honda. I said heck yes. While they were making their decision, which took about 2 weeks, I came here and looked at all of the other similar complaints. The dealer told me that Honda would cover 100% of the replacement cost. They ordered the parts and the replacement was completed last week. Although this was resolved to my satisfaction, it's another incident for the record, and it demonstrates that the problem showed up as early as under 30,000 miles.

The steering wheel becomes sticky and stiff. There is also a clicking noise when I try to center it. It is difficult to keep the car within my lane of traffic. There is presently 38,565 miles on this vehicle. I keep up with required maintenance. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the dealership. There is a safety recall for 2017-18 Civic: steering box . My VIN number is not included on this recall. I understand repair to the steering is close to 4,000. 00. No warning lights are on the dashboard. . . . . Yet. My understanding is this problem only becomes worse in time. This constant swerving and erratic steering is not only tiresome I believe it can become dangerous.

We started having trouble keeping it on the road. Then on the highway, at about 73, I thought the car was going to go off the road. The steering felt sticky, and it's awful trying to hold it straight. You can also feel it when car is parked. Once parked and in park, keep it running and just turn the steering wheel. The steering wheel jerks either direction we turn it. We took the car over to our garage, so they can look at it. We were told it had to with the steering rack. Something regarding a magnet inside the gear box. Our mechanic stated they could not even do the work. With a look online we found a safety recall that my car matches all information, except, the VIN number. So our local dealership can fix it, but the cost is crazy at about $4200. My Civic has 49,000 miles, and to pay that amount is foolish. My VIN number had to have been overlooked. I don't know anyway to fight this, except this website. This car has become very dangerous.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly and was sticking, requiring the steering wheel to be manually returned to center after making a turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the steering rack. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Lots of play on the steering wheel (at all speeds). Car swerves driving down the road. Took it to the Honda dealership. They informed me that the rack and pinion binding need to be replaced (at a $4305. 02 estimated cost, with a $139. 05 re-alignment). Link to Honda diagnostics: [xxx] I am not sure how this is possible when my car is approximately 20,000 miles. I drive mainly to work which is under 5 miles a day. I rarely drive on a highway. I have not been in an accident. I distrust these diagnostics. My research shows that 2017-2018 are known to have steering issues: a Honda steering gearbox magnet, specifically related to the electronic power steering (eps) system, has been identified as a potential issue in certain Honda Civic and cr-v models (2017-2018). The magnet, which helps control the steering assist, may not be properly secured and could dislodge during a full lock turn, potentially causing the steering to apply assist in the opposite direction. This recall is part of a larger effort to address a steering defect in several Honda models. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was jerking to the left or the right. Additionally, the contact stated that after making a turn, the steering wheel was sticking and failed to return to center, requiring the driver to forcefully return the steering wheel to the center. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the eps gearbox control unit assembly needed to be replaced, an alignment needed to be performed, and the steering angle neutral position learning procedure needed to be performed. The vehicle was also taken to sons Honda (105 sons dr, mcdonough, GA 30253), where the same assessment was made. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 18v663000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

Steering wheel sticks, creating an issue to keep vehicle driving in a straight line. Alignment is not out, having to bump the steering wheel back and forth to stay in lane. Feeling of "dropout" in the steering driving at higher rates of speed. No warning lights or other symptoms prior to the failure. Issue has continued since first noticed. Service center can recreate the issue easily and says that the steering rack needs replacing. Not wanting it to further to where the steering wheel is unable to turn.

At first when driving highway speeds small adjustments to stay in lane steering wheel sticks. It has now progressed to any speed. When making adjustments to stay in lane steering wheel sticks causing over corrections, and repetitive correction. The vehicle has been inspected by two private shops. The first shop indicated there was a recall on the steering box. Second shop found two “soft codes” c0051-62 and uo416-68, and also suggested a recall that has been placed on other 2018 Honda Civics for a faulty magnet in the steering gearbox could be the issue and suggested connecting with Honda. Called Honda customer service who stated there is no recall on my car, therefore suggested placing report to NHTSA.

The steering constantly sticks in warmer weather. Have reported to the dealer several times and they can not replicate or have any idea what I'm referring to (even though its very well reported to be an issue/recall). It is scary to drive at times because you are forced to jerk the wheel just to get it to respond making you almost swerve.

Steering gear box does not return to center.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a turn, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, and the steering wheel seemed to be sticking, requiring the steering wheel to be manually returned to center. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly and seemed to be sticking, requiring the steering wheel be manually returned to center after making a turn. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 18v663000 (steering); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

2018 Civic ex-t has sticky steering wheel, yes it is available for inspection upon request. The sticky steering wheel which seems more severe during warmer creates severe handling problems on all roadways, especially the highway. Not sure why Honda hasn't included this year of Civic in their sticky steering recall? VIN# [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driving at moderate speeds causes steering wheel to become sticky, notchy and stiff. Gets stuck to the left or right when turning. Causes car to go out of lanes and overall hard to adjust the wheel.