Steering Problems of Honda Civic - part 2

The electronic power steering (eps) gearbox assembly exhibits a severe binding, catching, and sticky sensation at highway speeds after the vehicle warms up. The steering wheel gets stuck in the center position, requiring constant physical force to break it free to maintain the lane. This results in continuous overcorrection, vehicle weaving, and an inability to track straight, which is easily mistaken for poor road or wind conditions but creates a severe lane-drift safety hazard. The issue does not trigger any warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes. Coggin Honda diagnosed the failed unit and found that Honda has revised this specific steering rack part number (53650tbaa03) three separate times (from ending in a00 to the current a03), demonstrating engineering awareness of a component defect that closely mirrors the newer 2022–2025 Honda steering recalls. Note that this vehicle's odometer reads 30,532 miles and this steering issue was felt for some time now and has gotten worse over the years. The problem was officially diagnosed on 6/3/2026.

See all problems of the 2018 Honda Civic 🔎.

The steering wheel is sticky when resetting position after turning left. This is a major safety issue as it requires force to get the steering out of that locked up position. This forces overcorrection and the car sways everytime. I can confirm 100s of people with Civics have this issue on reddit, youtube and other Honda forums however the recall only applied to 2022 and above (known issue but somehow recall didn’t apply to pre 2022 cars). This is a major flaw from a reputed company that sells 100s of thousands of cars. If I can see so many complaints online, I can imagine how many common people (elderly and disabled included) that don’t report and are especially at high risk of this. I sincerely request further investigation and enforcing better safety practices in this situation. Thank you very much.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel suddenly became firm, causing the vehicle to pull to one side. The contact was able to continue driving until arriving to the residence, and the steering wheel became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Honda Civic 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started sticking and was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The steering wheel was sticking while accelerating around corners. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 24v744000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with steering rack assembly failure. The vehicle was not repaired because the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.

See all problems of the 2025 Honda Civic 🔎.

Steering sticks at highway speeds, causing car not to steer properly. Police pulled me over thinking dwi. Please notify me of recall. Noticed the 2017 was recalled for that reason. . .

My steering is sticking while driving on the highway while the engine is warm and going over 45 mph. We are seniors and generally only drive locally. This is a grave safety issue and has been happening for a while. I am aware that later year Civics have this similar issue and there’s a recall for the expensive steering box but not for ours.

See all problems of the 2016 Honda Civic 🔎.

Steering wheel sticks after a period of driving. After 15-20 minutes of driving (especially during warm months), the steering wheel develops a sticky feeling. Instead of smooth corrective steering to maintain the desired direction of travel, the wheel sticks and jerks free only when I apply enough force, which causes the wheel to turn farther than needed, over-correcting the vehicle direction, which then needs to be corrected in the opposite direction. The jerky movement causes erratic car movement, instead of predictable, deliberate changes in direction, not to mention that it's simply distracting - bringing my focus into the car (to the steering wheel) instead of my surroundings (road and other traffic). It started at maybe 130,000 miles? no engine codes or lights on the dashboard. I haven't had a dealer visit yet because it's 45 minutes away and it's hard to justify time off work for a car that still gets me from one place to another.

Update:american Honda was formally notified of this steering failure on my 2025 Civic hybrid. Honda corporate has officially declined to pull the edr black box data, stating that data retrieval must be handled via the insurer. The physical vehicle is now being transferred to state farm insurance at copart (arcadia, FL) under claim [xxx]. Requesting that NHTSA investigators reference this claim and VIN [xxx] for any engineering analysis regarding the 24v-744 steering defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

During normal driving in rainy conditions, I experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of vehicle control involving steering behavior. At the time of the incident, the lane-keeping/driver-assist system was active, and I had both hands on the steering wheel while actively controlling the vehicle. Without any prior warning lights, dashboard messages, or alerts, the vehicle suddenly began to behave abnormally and unexpectedly pulled/dragged. I experienced a sudden loss of effective steering control and was unable to fully correct or regain control of the vehicle before a collision occurred. The incident happened abruptly without any gradual warning or system notification. Road conditions were wet due to rain, but there was no prior indication of mechanical or electronic malfunction before the event. Following the crash, the vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance. There are no open recalls listed for my VIN at this time. I am reporting this incident due to the sudden steering/control behavior and potential safety concern.

Hello, I am writing to formally request escalation and review of a potential vehicle safety concern involving my recent accident. I previously filed a complaint with the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA), contacted Honda, state farm, and the investigating police department regarding this incident. I am following up because I am concerned this may represent a broader public safety issue, not limited to my individual case. Given the nature of the incident and vehicle behavior involved, I respectfully request: * confirmation that my complaint has been received and assigned for review * evaluation of whether this issue may indicate a potential safety defect or recurring pattern * preservation and review of all relevant vehicle data, including event data recorder (edr), ecu/diagnostic logs, and any available telematics data * any guidance on additional information or documentation needed to support a safety investigation I am concerned that if similar incidents are occurring in other vehicles, this may present a risk to public safety. I am requesting that this matter be reviewed accordingly for potential defect or safety trend analysis. Please confirm receipt of this request and advise on the next steps in the review process. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, [xxx] report# [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2016 Honda Civic's rack and pinion needs to be replaced due to sticky, stiff steering, and dead spots when turning. The vehicle has not been any accidents and has been regularly maintained and I only have 67,000 miles on it. I searched the internet and see that it is a common problem with Honda Civics. The repair is $4,000 to fix. Replacing a rack and pinion is not a normal wear and tear type of item, especially without an accident and considering regular maintenance has been performed.

While driving the vehicle on a long straight road the steering would bind while driving straight. When moving the steering wheel to make any slight adjustments it'd stick and force me to over or understeer left or right of center making the vehicle very unsafe to drive and hold a straight course on the highway. I've only noticed this happening at highway speeds. It was very scary to drive because it'd happen every 10 to 15 seconds while trying to get it into a center position(which was impossible) on a very straight road causing the vehicle to essentially be swerving from one side of the lane to the other for the last couple of hours of a 3+ hour drive. I hope Honda does the right thing in recognizing how dangerous an issue this is and doesn't wait until too many people die or have accidents due this common vehicle issue preventing it from being able to be driven straight.

Sticky steering. Steering wheel locks up driving straight or in turns.

The vehicle has a steering issue where the steering wheel sticks and requires extra force to correct or adjust while driving. The issue occurs during normal driving at low speeds and highway speeds, and when turning left or right. The condition is present whether lane keeping assist is turned on or off. There is also noise when turning the steering wheel side to side. The symptoms were first noticed around July 7, 2025. The vehicle was later brought to an authorized Honda dealership for steering rack inspection on or around November 28, 2025. The issue continued and the vehicle was inspected again by the authorized Honda dealership on may 18, 2026. The failed component appears to be the eps steering rack / steering gearbox. The component should be available for inspection upon request. The issue creates a safety concern because the steering can stick while driving and requires additional effort to make steering corrections. This could affect the driver’s ability to maintain lane position or respond quickly during normal driving, highway driving, turning, or evasive maneuvers. The issue was confirmed by an authorized Honda dealership during the may 18, 2026 inspection. The dealership test drove the vehicle, verified the steering concern, and documented that the steering rack is binding and sticking and requires replacement. The vehicle had approximately 50,137 miles at the time of that inspection. The vehicle was also reviewed through the manufacturer’s goodwill process, and the manufacturer offered only partial goodwill assistance toward the steering rack replacement. There were no warning lamps or dashboard messages related to the steering issue. The cause of failure is unknown.

See all problems of the 2019 Honda Civic 🔎.

Steering feels sticky & I have to apply force just to keep the steering wheel centered when traveling at a high rate of speed as it feels as if the steering wheel is stuck causing me to over correct my steering. When driving through a curve, my steering wheel gets stuck and I can let go of the wheel and it will remain in place. This happens every single time I drive. I have taken my car to the dealership when the recall came out and it was "fixed" temporarily however the issue has since returned. Ive informed Honda and they state it's my alignment.

See all problems of the 2023 Honda Civic 🔎.

Steering rack failed the car when driving steering wheel gets stuck and you have to turn it and it will jerk loose and the car jerks. Very unsafe due to the car can lose control. Yes confirmed at ryan Honda at monroe la no warning. A month ago it started.

Steering randomly sticks while turning and requires some force to release. Seems to happen most just off center and while turning left.

Vehicle: 2021 Honda Civic mileage: approximately 58,000 miles over the past couple of months, I have experienced a steering issue that appears to be worsening. While driving at highway speeds, the steering wheel intermittently feels as though it “sticks” or catches near center, requiring constant small corrections to maintain a straight path. The steering does not feel smooth or normal and creates difficulty maintaining lane position comfortably. I have also noticed similar catching/resistance during sharper turns at moderate speeds. To attempt to resolve the issue, I have: * replaced a flat tire * had two separate wheel alignments performed *opened case with Honda directly neither repair corrected the issue. The symptoms appear similar to “sticky steering” complaints and steering investigations reported on newer Honda Civic models. Because this issue affects steering control and highway driving, I believe it may present a potential safety concern. The problem occurs intermittently but repeatedly during normal driving conditions and is most noticeable at higher speeds.

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Steering wheel feels sticky when making slight adjustments to the left or right, causing me to have to overcorrect to shift.

My 2018 Honda Civic is experiencing dangerous steering wheel sticking/binding while driving at highway speeds, accompanied by heavy creaking at full turn. My VIN is not included in the existing electronic steering rack recall, but the vehicle is exhibiting the exact mechanical failure symptoms described in campaign 18v663000.

The steering wheel has started to jerk left then comes center and goes right. (likely sticky steering). Under 100k miles and happens mostly on the highway but has started to be on slower roads. No accident as of now, but common issue with this vehicle.

This is a huge issue across the board with Honda vehicles regarding sticky/notchy steering when exceeding speeds of 50 mph. There should be a recall on the 10th generation Honda Civics because the steering wheel sticks and causes overcorrection to unlock the steering wheel, creating a huge safety risk for the driver, passengers, and everyone else on the roadways, which could cause serious accidents and probably already has. The Honda dealerships don't care about these problems and are trying to capitalize on thousands of dollars from consumers instead of creating a recall and fixing this very dangerous known steering issue. Please help with this safety issue as there are a lot of unsafe Hondas traveling on the roads each day.

Unknown, 2016 Honda Civic, sticky steering on the highway.

Steering sticks requires, force to turn wheel at times. This is an ongoing problem, not a one time occurrence.

The steering wheel gets stuck in lock position making the steering wheel feel sticky. Issue happens at highway speeds of around 40-60mph causing to overcorrect while driving.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the steering wheel was firm and was sticking while turning. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 18v663000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,700.

Steering wheel makes clicking noise and becomes difficult when making small adjustments . After holding the steering wheel steady for a few seconds, there is increased resistance when trying to turn from the center position. Once the resistance is overcome, the steering suddenly moves more than expected, which can cause overcorrection. In addition, there is a clicking, light ticking, or binding sound when turning the steering wheel. Down.

See all problems of the 2022 Honda Civic 🔎.

Steering feels lime it is catching and becomes jerky.

While driving, my wheel often “sticks” and I have to over correct throughout the entire drive. I’m afraid it is going to get me in an accident. It becomes more noticeable at high speeds. I have to travel often for my job and recently have not felt safe while driving my car on the highway. It seems to be a common issue with the 2016 Civic and I’m not sure why there hasn’t been a recall. I am the sole owner of this car and bought it new off the lot in 2016. I looked into getting this fixed and it looks to cost $4000-$5000. On a problem that several people have , it really should be fixed by Honda.

Steering is sticky at highway speeds, steering wheel will not move without force that can cause lane departure. This is dangerous when attempting to follow the curve of the road. Component: steering rack. Inspection availability: yes. Safety: jerky steering and lane departure reproduced: no, though it is a known issue among many Honda vehicles due to method of lubrication for the steering rack. Inspected: no, issue was recent during travel. Warning lamp: no. I plan to take this to a dealership soon as the part requires subframe removal to replace or access. Closest Honda dealership is 45 minutes of highway driving where the issue will cause problems.

My eps gearbox failed and resulted in swelling of the worm wheel when heated. This led to a steering rack assembly failure. All parts can be inspected upon request. At any point, I could've lost control of the steering of my vehicle and hurt myself or others. Honda inspected my vehicle. This problem has been confirmed to me by my Honda dealership. I started having my wheel "stick" or increase resistance to steering in April of 2026 and had it inspected in June 2026. I've been denied any warranty from Honda. According to Honda, the "eps gearbox" was repaired in November 2024. That's only 15 months from the day the incident was noticed by me in April of 2026. I strongly believe the car was assembled incorrectly by Honda and that I am entitled to the safety recall of the parts on my vehicle. No service this far has been completed on the vehicle.

The steering wheel has sticky spots and still continues to require extra effort to do small movements to remain on center. I’ve noticed this has happened to other Honda Civics. I would like my vehicle to get recalled to replace my steering. My car is under 100,000 miles and should not be having issues this early. It’s also a safety issue and needs to be recalled. I have complained about this before.

The steering wheel drifts and the power steering light comes on.

The contact owned a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 30 mph, there was an abnormal clicking sound, and the steering wheel locked up, causing her to lose control and crash into an electrical pole. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 18v663000 (steering). The yearly inspection was completed two weeks prior with no indication of an issue. The driver sustained a scratch on her leg, and medical attention was provided at the emergency room. All the air bags deployed. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto repair center. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 69,600.

When driving at speeds over 45 mph, the steering wheel gets stuck and more effort is needed to overcome creating an over correction issue. In researching the issue, apparently it is a very well documented issue. There are no warning lights on the dash.