general problems of the 2020 Honda CR-V - part 1

My 2020 Honda Cr-v (approx. 51,000 miles) developed steering resistance and an intermittent creaking noise when turning in either direction, with noticeable resistance when turning the steering wheel to the left. No warning light came on. It happens at speeds under 45 mph, during lane changes, curves, and after driving for awhile. On October 12, 2026, tampa Honda (tampa, FL) road-tested the vehicle and confirmed the concern. The technician traced the noise to the electronic power steering gear assembly. With the outer tie rod ends disconnected to isolate the gear, resistance in the steering was still present. The dealer recommended replacing the electronic power steering gear assembly, estimated at $5,296. 28. American Honda declined goodwill assistance. Safety risk: resistance in the steering requires extra effort and can cause the driver to over-correct, especially at highway speed, increasing the risk of leaving the lane or a collision. The symptoms match those in Honda recall 24v-744 and NHTSA investigation ea23-003 (momentary increased steering effort from a defective eps gearbox worm wheel), which covered 2022-2025 civics and 2023-2025 Cr-vs but not the 2020 Cr-v. Honda has also replaced eps gearboxes on the same Cr-v generation for manufacturing defects (recall 18v-663, 2017-2018 Cr-v; product update 22-011, 2022 Cr-v). Many other 2020 Cr-v owners have reported similar gearbox failures to NHTSA at low mileage. I ask NHTSA to determine whether 2017-2022 Cr-v eps gearboxes share the worm wheel, spring, lubrication process or supplier involved in 24v-744, and whether the recall scope should be extended to the 2020 Cr-v.

No warning lamps. Steering is "sticky". Driving at higher speeds such as on the interstate. Steering to the left then when straightening the steering wheel, it is sticky. Dangerous especially at higher speeds. May cause the driver to over correct steering. Putting them and others around them in danger of colliding. Other Honda crv models have recalls for this issue. My vehicle is no safer with the issue and deserves to be addressed as well.

At 29,100 miles on the odometer I started noticing a little difference in the steering, especially at low speeds. There were no dashboard warning messages. I took it to a local Honda service center (vatland Honda) and they diagnosed the problem as "electric steering rack internal failure" and an estimated repair cost approaching $6,000 after taxes and fees. They said there's no way to predict if or when the power steering would completely fail, but it could be a sudden event. I left with the impression that even total steering failure was a possibility. Because of the high cost estimate, I took it to a second service center (coggin Honda) for an estimate. They checked the car and came to the same conclusion as the first service center. However, their cost of repair was lower ($5,375 including tax), and I had them repair the car yesterday (9/17/26). I had also contacted Honda America and asked if they would agree to cover this repair under warranty even though I'm beyond the warranty time period. I felt there must have been a manufacturing defect to have a failure of this type at such low mileage. They reviewed my request and agreed to pay 80% of the repair cost. I'm grateful that Honda America has covered most of the cost, but I'm filing this report because I've read on some online forums that other 2020 Honda crv owners have had a similar problem. If this is more than just an isolated event, I feel a recall may be warranted for this car part.

When turning the steering wheel would momenterily stick. Germain Honda of college hills said steering motor bad. Replaced motor ,but still was sticky,said needed steering rack also. That fixed it for a total of 7500 hundred dollars. Complained but have not receive any compansation.

Honda dealership (grainger Honda in [xxx]) replaced a steering neck on my 2020 Honda crv at approximately 87,000 miles in xxx the vehicle was brought into the dealership in xxx with symptoms of loose steering, creaks/groans during turns/curves and the steering wheel was catching during turns/corners. The recommendation by Honda was to replace the struts, which was completed at another location. The symptoms became evident again in the summer of 2026 and in xxx was advised by Honda to replace the steering neck. The dealership had to order the part and advised that this was a safety issue, and the car should not be driven until repair completed. The replacement of the steering neck resolved the steering issues with the vehicle. . My family had been driving an unsafe vehicle since 2025? no warnings from vehicle system. The 2020 Honda crv was not part of a recall; however 2023-2025 Honda crvs had a recall for the same issue with steering neck and symptoms aligned with symptoms experienced with a 2020 model. I have filed a complaint with american Honda as the repairs cost over $5,000 and failure of this critical component is outside expectations for a vehicle of this age and mileage. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

National highway and traffic safety administration August 11, 2026. Dear sir, madame, I am writing regarding a safety issue with my 2020 Honda Cr-v, purchased about one year ago. There is a serious issue with the steering column, and american Honda has declined assistance with repairs. I am seeking expedited assistance from NHTSA. This issue was first noted on the day I drove the vehicle to the Honda dealership for maintenance (xxx). My daughter has been driving this vehicle, and did not report anything abnormal. I routinely schedule maintenance for her car when I have a day off. So I noticed this "sticking" of the steering wheel during my drive, especially at higher speeds and on the highway. However, I also notice a lunge during turns at lower speed. I asked the service advisor to test drive the car to assess this (and road noise - later deemed normal). The steering wheel actually gets stuck when making even minor (fine motor) adjustments during routine (straightway) driving conditions. It is a continuous problem, not intermittent, and it is easily noticeable to me and my wife. The service advisor who test-drove the Cr-v with me and later provided the repair estimate is eric laurendeau (832). He suggested I reach out to american Honda for assistance. I reached out to Honda, who promptly declined any assistance. This Cr-v has only 54,000 miles on it and is otherwise near-new. This car has been in one minor incident; the repair shop and insurance adjuster found no structural problems. This accident was the other driver's fault (not my daughter's). The estimated repair costs total $6657. 41. I have a copy of the estimate. In my view this should be a safety recall, as it involves the steering column, and I do not feel comfortable allowing my [xxx] daughter to drive the car- and I cannot afford the repairs! is there anything the NHTSA can do to help me with this??? sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While driving at higher speeds and I turn to the left the steering wheel would stick. It would take a second to unstick to be able to move the wheel back to the right. I took it into my local Honda dealership and they said my power steering has an issue and needs to be replaced. I researched and found multiple 2020 Honda Cr-v have had this issue and Honda has issued a recall from 2022 and newer Cr-v and not for the 2020's. I have logged a complaint with Honda of America. My Honda is only 6 years old with 65,670 miles on it.

The steering rack has failed on the 2020 model and apparently I’m not alone. Other model years have noted this issue with “sticky steering” issues and newer models have recalls. Honda is failing at providing quality parts to this vehicle and causing dangerous situations on the road.

While driving at highway speeds, my steering wheel physically binds, catches and then suddenly jerks when trying to make normal adjustments. This creates an unpredictable control hazard. This is similar to NHTSA recall 24v-744 and Honda TSB 24-011. The internal steering gearbox is binding due to the same design & manufacturing tolerances.

This appears to be the exact same problem as the recall campaign 24v744000 that applies to other model years of the same Honda Cr-v. The steering rack for my car had to be replaced due to a defective gear box causing the steering wheel to be sticky.

Noticed problems with steering the vehicle. Initially the was not smooth when driving or turning and the steering would go through a very brief but light indecisive bump this problem started a week ago and has become worse. Plan to take car to dealer for diagnostics. Called Honda corporate and it looks like they may assist me with this.

Our steering rack has failed on our 2020 crv with 23,000 miles on it. There are recalls out there for earlier crv's as well as the 2023-2025 crv's. It cost us $5300 to repair it. If there is an obvious safety defect, why are the 2020's not covered in this recall. There is obviously a long standing safety issue here.

In xxx I began experiencing a sticking/notching sensation in the steering wheel. Because this involves the steering system and therefore raises an obvious safety concern, we contacted Honda customer service and opened case #xxx. Honda customer service instructed us to take the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer for evaluation. We took the vehicle to fred anderson Honda in greenville, south carolina where the steering problem was inspected, verified and documented. They determined it was a sticking gear box. During our research, we became aware of NHTSA safety recall 24v-744, which involves a steering gearbox problem on certain Honda and Acura vehicles, including certain 2023–2025 Cr-v and Cr-v hybrid vehicles. Additionally, there are reported cases with other 2020 Honda Cr-v along with previous years. The sticking/notching has gotten worse since being noticed. Which has caused oversteering that could resulting in an accident. Honda wants to charge $5,817 to install a new steering rack. We requested a full goodwill assistance to fix the issues. They offered to pay $1,620 of the amount leaving us with the balance. We believe the problem is a manufacturing defect and should be recalled. There were no warning lights or messages. Only symptom was the sticking/notching sensation. Your help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I was driving the vehicle when all of a sudden all of the lights appeared on the dashboard. I took it in to the dealership and was told it was due to po172 code.

Sticky steering wheel issue like the recent recall on newer Hondas. This 2020 has about 50k and has recently been flashing the eps / steering wheel light when it occurs. After slowing down the vehicle "behaves" normal.

After 4 4/2 years and 26,500 miles the steering became (slightly sticky ) it would take extra pressure to move the steering wheel. It also make clicking and creaking sound while turning at lower speeds 10 mph or less. The dealer said the entire steering rack needed replacement due to some part that could not be replaced. The the was fine until the steering just started getting tight.

Although this 2020 Honda Cr-v vehicle is not covered by the “sticky steering” recall we are experiencing the same symptoms reported by owners of newer model cars included in the recall. Our dealer says the only fix is to replace the entire steering box at a cost of $3,000. In addition the timeline to get and fix the problem is unknown because the part is on nationwide back order. The car has 60k miles on it. We have just had new tires and breaks installed, a front end alignment and all linkages checked. The problem unfortunately persists. Clearly there is a problem with the steering on this vehicle. We haven’t yet experienced an accident but the car pulls to the left at high speed and takes considerable force to get it corrected. The vehicle could easily veer into traffic in the other or oncoming lane on its own. The ability to recover in time to avoid an accident is questionable. I am unsure if other owners have reported similar problems with this model and year but I believe this is something the agency should be looking into and discussing with the manufacturer. Given the part is on nationwide back order is a clear indicator of a systemic problem.

The steering is binding up when turning and there is a clicking noise. I notice this a low speeds. Local mechanic inspected all suspension and drive train parts and said everything looked ok. He did not check the steering. I see this recall for later year models: the steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle. Will Honda extend this recall to cover 2020 crvs as it seems to be the same problem. This seems to be a known defect and should be covered. I look forward to your reply. Thank you.

The steering started having a sticky/pulling problem on 5/22/25. When driving and taking a left curved road at 30 mph, the steering tries to pull me back to the right. This can be felt in the steering wheel and another person confirmed this same issued that I described. I checked online and found that some 2020 Honda crvs are on a recall for an issue with the worm gear expanding causing this same problem. My VIN doesn't show up on the recall list. I purchased the car new on 4/25/20 and have kept up on all maintenance, including fluid changes.

My 2020 Cr-v has developed a problem with the steering. When turning the steering wheel even slightly, the force to turn it increases and there is a clicking sound. The dealership confirmed the steering rack and gearbox need to be replaced. There is a recall for Honda's 2022 and 2023 Cr-vs for this same issue, but there are reports of the this issue going all the way back to the 2017 model. My car only has 50,000 miles. This is a known issue that can affect safety and Honda should extend their recall to include older models with the same steering problem.

When driving at highway speeds, steering feels like it is stuck in particular position. Especially while navigating a slight left turn. Needing to use additional force to bring the steering back to center.

The steering wheel is sticking when returning to center when slightly turning left at high way speeds 65mph. There is a recall for this same issue on newer models.

Back in April 2025 my 2020 Honda crv started having an issue with the steering where it would get stuck or it felt like a grab while driving, this happened while driving around 35 mph and on the interstate going around 78 mph, it felt like it could've made me over correct but it went back to "somewhat normal". It happened several times then took it to dealer, they were able to reconstruct the problem. Ended up that I had to put $3300. 00 into replacing the steering rack assembly. No recalls on the 2020 but there are on the newer models.

Subject: recurring steering issue in Honda Cr-v – potential inclusion in recall in early 2023, we began experiencing a steering issue with our Honda Cr-v. The steering would intermittently feel sticky or resistant, particularly at higher speeds and when navigating curves or corners. Over time, this issue was accompanied by a clicking noise. We took the vehicle to our local Honda dealership; however, they were unable to replicate the problem at that time. As the issue progressed, the vehicle became increasingly unsafe to drive. Eventually, the dealership acknowledged the problem and replaced the power steering rack under the manufacturer’s warranty. Approximately 18 months later, the same symptoms have reappeared: sticky steering at higher speeds, clicking noises, and an overall unsafe steering feel. Once again, the dealership has been unable to replicate the issue and has advised us to return when the problem becomes more consistent, which is concerning and unsafe. Upon researching, we discovered that Honda issued a recall (NHTSA campaign#: 24v744000) affecting 1. 7 million vehicles, including certain 2023–2025 Cr-v models, due to a steering gearbox defect that can cause excessive internal friction and difficulty steering . While our vehicle’s model year is not currently included in this recall, the symptoms we are experiencing seem similar to those described. Request: we urge the NHTSA to investigate whether earlier model years of the Honda Cr-v may also be affected by this steering defect. The recurrence of this issue, despite previous repairs, raises significant safety concerns. We believe our vehicle may warrant inclusion in the existing recall or prompt a separate investigation into similar steering-related safety issues in earlier Cr-v models. Or at minimum help us resolve this continuous issue as we feel unsafe to drive our vehicle.

There was no crash, but it is the second time within a month the vehicle stalls on the highway. The engine keeps running gives a loud banging sound. Also, the hybrid batteries are drained quickly to 0. The first-time the car started work again as normal after 1/2-1 hour standing on the side of the highway. The second time we turned the vehicle off/on, and it started to work again. In both cases the 'check engine' light came on. Twice the dealer ship inspected the car but could find anything wrong with it. We know there is a recall on the model and year, for a full pump issue (which I think is the issue here), but not for the VIN of this vehicle. The symptoms of the recall are identical to our experience. We are afraid to drive this car again. It is scary as the car stalls, power steering stops working, so does the power breaks and the car becomes uncontrollable. Luckly in both cases we were on a straight on the highway, but what would happen if we were in a turn on a winding road? thanks.

When driving at highway speeds, the steering is sticky and can get locked into a certain position. It can be overcome with moderate effort, but will become dangerous to drive if it gets worse. There are no warning lamps or messages related to this issue. I have taken it to the dealer and they refused to accept manufacturer responsibility for this. I took it to a trusted local independent mechanic who confirmed the issue and estimated it would cost roughly $4k to replace the rack and address the issue. Note that this issue has been identified by many other 2020 crv owners, and the same issue has prompted a recall on 2023-24 Honda crv models.

I recently noted that the steering wheel “sticks”, requiring a little extra effort in order to perform any slight lane correction and consequently requiring immediate additional correction from the opposite direction. This is very disconcerting especially at high speeds. After doing some online research, I found that the later models of the crv and many other Hondas and acuras are being recalled to correct this issue. This car has only 22,000 miles on it. I feel that it should be part of the recall. This is dangerous.

-sticky steering with clicking noise and a tight pull -steering failure would cause an accident -problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a dealer; stating rack & pinion replacement -6/2025 -reported October 2024.

A warning on the dash that read, "all wheel system drive problem," came up several times during the past few days on my 2020 Honda crv with only 70,000 miles. It came without any prior warning and power was diverted from all four wheels to just the front wheels. It posed a safety risk because it came so suddenly, but I was able to drive carefully to the dealership. There is a service bulletin with Honda with the NHTSA (#23-031) located at [xxx]. This is a known problem with both Honda and the NHTSA, yet there is no active recall. The dealership charged $1260 to have this repaired, even though it's a drivetrain issue and not a common maintenance item. I would like the NHTSA to request a recall with Honda so that I can be reimbursed for this. I have attached a copy of the invoice that Honda provided for the services rendered. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Every summer, on particularly hot days—typically after driving for about 10 minutes—the steering wheel feels as if it is jammed; turning it becomes extremely stiff and difficult. However, when the weather cools down, the steering becomes perfectly smooth again, with no issues whatsoever. Since my english proficiency is limited, I visited the dealership's service department; unfortunately, because the weather happened to be cool at the time, they were unable to detect any problems during their inspection.

After warming up, the vehicle’s steering becomes a bit tight, and there's a spot where it feels sticky. At higher speeds, when I need to make slight adjustments to the steering, I notice this stickiness, which forces me to overcorrect momentarily. I'm concerned that if I have to overcorrect too much to compensate for the sticky steering, it could lead to a dangerous situation, especially on the highway.

Sticking steering wheel. Steering wheel sticks causing me to jerk wheel when turning curve. Yes, I took to Honda dealer and they ran test confirming problem. They said I need steering gearbox replaced. No warning lights occurred. About may 2024. It has gotten so bad now that I am afraid to drive it over 10 miles.

It all begins with sticky steering wheel and got worse. Took to the dealership they first diagnosed as "transmission mount". After working on the car they said "power steering rack" needs replacing. I am the single owner of this vehicle with only 28000 miles and just over 3 years of ownership. I am stunned at the cost of this repair (not covered by Honda) and the fact that this part may not be available for a long while according to dealership and it is unsafe to drive the vehicle. This is for sure a defective vehicle to lose a power steering rack at 28k miles and just over 3 years. Thank you!.

I’m not 100% sure but it seems like something to do with the power steering . When turning the steering wheel sometimes it feels stuck in place and needs a little force to free it . If making a turn you can let go and it will maintain the turn. I have tried it with lane assist on and off and it doesn’t seem to make a difference . Sometimes it drives normal without sticking. I’m taking it back to the dealer where it was purchased to have the service center see if they can pin point it. No warning lights or codes are on.

While travelling home from champaign, IL on I-72 towards springfield, IL, we had been on the road for approximately an hour, when there was a loud metallic bang & I lost all steering control. The Cr-v violently jerked to the right and exited the interstate at approximately 70mph (I was on cruise control), travelled down an embankment hitting several trees and came to a stop in trees on the edge of a farm pond. All airbags deployed, and per the tow company, the engine and transaxles departed the vehicle and were found a short distance in front of the vehicle. The car stayed upright and continued straight after departing the roadway. What component failed & is it available for inspection - steering, exact component unknown. Unknown if available for inspection, vehicle released to state farm 1/29 how was safety put at risk - caused severe crash with serious injuries. Total loss of control could have been fatal if traffic was heavier has the problem reproduced - no has the vehicle been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance etc - unknown, vehicle was released to state farm 1/29 were there any warning lamps or symptoms? - no.