What 523 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Honda Civic Type R

At highway speeds and after longer periods of driving (>20-30 minutes) the steering becomes stuck in position until excess force is applied, leading to over-correction, and I believe this is a safety concern. This problem has been observed widely when searching online. The vehicle has not been inspected, is out of warranty, is available for inspection upon request, and no messages or other symptoms appeared. This problem first appeared in 2020 and persists when different tires and wheels are mounted.

NHTSA ODI 11513112

When trying to keep the vehicle traveling straight, the steering seems to stick and then suddenly release once more force is applied to the steering wheel. This causes an over correction in steering and requires the driver to quickly correct in the opposite direction to avoid going in to the next lane.

NHTSA ODI 11510043

On February 5th I was taking my car out to the grocery store. All of a sudden my lights turned on and as soon as I'm going up the hill, going back home the car starts to shake uncrontrollably. I check my car under the hood toes what is going on, all of my wiring had been damaged, even the battery was damaged. I later bought the new wiring and and battery and had it replaced. After a few days at the mechanic I was able to get my car back but the mechanic said that due to the fact of the material that Honda is making their wiring which is the soy bean material, animal love to eat from that it has been something that he has seen for quite some time. Anyway I thought it might've been from the location of where I parked the night before when I had to go outside of town because I always park right in front of my house and its the first time. February 17th, I was pulling out of my parking spot and noticed that my car wasn't breaking as it should be so therefore I stopped the car and opened my door and immediately when I look under the hood I knew animals had gotten into from the pile of leaves and sticks on top of of everything and afterwards the car just turned off all by itself. I am now experiencing the exact same thing which puts my life at risk because the car just stops working mid ride and I could be on a whole highway and cause a collision. If they know that this is something that animals look for to eat I think that it is not safe to use for a car cause I could have been in danger for both these events if I were to be on the highway and my car just decided to stop functioning I could've been in a different circumstances,

NHTSA ODI 11507978

Steering wheel locked up and could not steer. Vehicle hit a guard rail.

NHTSA ODI 11493452

Steering system is loose. Not as tight as it should be. The steering feels loose and requires constant correction in order to keep the vehicle in a straight line. There is no added noise. It seems worse the hotter it gets outside.

NHTSA ODI 11475788

Power steering locked up.

NHTSA ODI 11470076

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and running in the driveway, the power steering failed. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000.

NHTSA ODI 11467103

I believe the issue I'm about to explain is with the EPS Rack Assembly. I am deeply concerned for my safety and the safety of other riding in my vehicle as it is difficult sometimes to keep the vehicle on the road due to the steering sticking at random times. MANY other 2016+ Honda Civic owners are experiencing this problem as there are several forums currently viewed on the internet discussing this issue. When driving the vehicle, the steering wheel "sticks" in one spot when turning and sometimes takes a considerable force to break the steering wheel free. This issue seems to happen after the car/engine is warm (20-30 minutes into driving). This problem started out as minor and sporadic, but has become much worse in the past month or so. I will be making an appointment with my local Honda dealer for evaluation.

NHTSA ODI 11460747

The steering on this car is very dangerous. After driving for 30 or 40 minutes the wheel sticks and must be brought back to center manually or car will leave the road or change lanes. This is hard to diagnose for technician. They all say there’s no problem because it’s intermittent. There is no warning lights.The faster you go the problem gets worse , very bad on the interstate highway.

NHTSA ODI 11446635

I am reaching out regarding an issue in my 2017 Honda Civic EX-T. Over the past few months, I have noticed that the steering wheel seems to "stick" or feel "notchy" when making small adjustments from center (12 o clock) position. This is most noticeable when driving on a long, straight stretch of freeway requiring minor adjustments to keep the car centered. The steering will stick when attempting to making small corrections, requiring extra force to overcome resistance. After providing more force, the steering will suddenly give way, typically causing overcorrection in the opposite direction. As a result, I have to weave back and forth in my lane to keep the car straight. This issue is most pronounced when the ambient temperature is hot, and the car has been driven for at least 20-30 minutes. Interestingly, the issue will disappear if the weather is cooler or if the car is driven for short distances in the city. I have brought the car to a shop before, but they were unable to reproduce the issue. It is hard to reproduce because the car needs to be driven for 20-30 minutes, preferably on the highway, before the steering stiffness occurs. It appears that this is a well-known issue at this point, and I have seen multiple reports online about the issue. From what I understand, the only fix at this point is to replace the EPS steering rack (part 53650-TBC-A02). However, it seems that some people have had the issue reoccur even after replacing the rack. I believe this issue is a major safety concern. The steering becomes unpredictable when driving in a straight line. I am forced to constantly overcorrect and weave back and forth when driving on the highway at 70+ mph, thus dramatically increasing the risk of an accident. There needs to be some sort of safety recall for this issue, as it seems to be a manufacturer issue with the EPS motor that has affected several vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11445776

ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST STEERING (EPS): The EPS works fine when turning, but when going straight, especially over 40 mph, it will "stick" a bit. That is to say it will take a considerable effort to overcome the stiffness for a small correction in steering direction. This problem is found to be more critical when driving with close oncoming traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11437811

There is an issue with the steering on my 2017 Civic. I noticed it several months ago and I believe it has gotten worse. The problem is most noticeable at highway speeds when the temperature is over 75 degrees. The problem is that if the steering wheel has been in the same position for several seconds, it tends to stick in that position and requires slightly more force to turn the wheel. I have found other reports of the problem on the internet along with a video of the problem at https://www.civicforums.com/forums/319-interior/370344-2016-honda-civic-lx-steering-wheel-sticky-stiff-jerky.html A video of the problem is at https://youtu.be/w5x_CaVHXmM This has not resulted in an accident. I have not taken it to a Honda dealer for diagnosis yet. The problem is reproducible.

NHTSA ODI 11426960

When driving on highways the steering has a catch/ jerk when making any tracking movement. It causes a jerk movement anytime you try to even slightly change your position in your lane. No warning lights are showing.

NHTSA ODI 11423386

STEERING FEELS LIKE IT STICKS WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAY OR FAST CITY STREET, REQUIRING EXTRA FORCE TO CORRECT STEERING, RESULTING IN DANGEROUS OVERCORRECTIONS. NOT NOTICEABLE WHEN NAVIGATING A CURVE OR CORNER.

NHTSA ODI 11406947

MY CAR ALARM RANDOMLY STARTED GOING OFF WHILE PARKED FOR THREE DAYS, THREE DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED BACK TO BACK AT 2AM WHILE PARKED. I TRIED TURNING IT OFF WITH MY KEY FOB AND IT WOULD NOT REGISTER. I OPENED THE CAR WITH THE KEY IN THE FOB AND PUSHED THE START BUTTON, THE ENGINE STARTED AND I REMAINED PARKED. THEN I TRIED TURNING THE CAR OFF BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF, INSTEAD THE LIGHTS FLICKERED ON THE DASH AND THE CAR STAYED ON. I TRIED IT 2 MORE TIMES AND IT FINALLY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE BUT NOT THE DASH. ALL THE WARNING SIGNS CAME ON THE CAR INCLUDING A BREAK SYSTEMS ERROR AND A TIRE PRESSURE ERROR. AFTER THIS, I TOOK THE BATTERY OUT OF MY FOB AND NOW THE CAR BATTERY IS DEAD. I POWERED UP THE BATTERY TODAY BUT THE CAR WON'T START. THE DASH TURNS ON BUT THEN IT JUST FLICKERS AND GIVES ME ALL THE SAME WARNING SIGNS. I FOUND THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE ON 2016 CIVICS AND THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 2017 AND 2018 CIVIC AS WELL. MINE IS A 2017 CIVI AND IT'S HAVING ALL THESE ISSUES THAT COULD BE DEADLY IF THEY HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11397649

WE DRIVE A 2017 HONDA CIVIC HATCH AND WE HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED IT WITH RODENT ISSUE CHEWING THRU WIRE. WE NOW HAVE TO FIX IT AND REPLACE WIRE AND THE DEALERSHIP WILL PUT A TAKE TO DETERS RODENTS. WE HAVE TO PAY $500 DOLLARS TO REPLACE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND HIS POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. I CALLED HONDA AND THEY SAID WE HAVE TO PAY FOR DAMAGE BUT THEY DID SAY MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE CALLED HONDA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ISSUE. SO IT IS A KNOW ISSUE AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN DONE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE HONDA DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT. HELP

NHTSA ODI 11375235

I BOUGHT A 2017 HONDA CIVIC BACK IN DEC OF 2016 AND CURRENTLY, HAVE ABOUT 15,00 MILES ON MY CAR. THE PROBLEM STARTED A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD START BEING STICKY, STIFF AND JERKY. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT AND HAVE THIS SUBTLE MOVEMENTS, IT WOULD CAUSE RESISTANCE. THIS WAS NOT FREQUENT BUT THE PROBLEM WOULD SHOW UP OCCASIONALLY. I HAVE REPORTED THE ISSUE TO 3 DIFFERENT HONDA DEALERSHIPS WITH NO SOLUTION. I HAVE HAD 2 ALIGNMENTS ON MY CAR BUT THAT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM EITHER. THE STICK/JERK PULL WOULD START AT ABOUT 30/40 MILES INTO MY DRIVE AND TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT WOULD CAUSE ME TO PULL THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. READING CIVIC FORMS, MANY ARE SAYING CIVIC HAS THE EPS RACK SO THAT'S CAUSING THIS JERKY PULL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11331436

WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY / INTERSTATE. STEERING WILL MAKE A SUDDEN PULL/JERK TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT CAUSING TO OVERCOMPENSATE. IT FEELS AS IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS STICKING/CATCHING. IT IS NOT AS NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING IN SLOWER IN-TOWN DRIVING, BUT STILL HAPPENS. I RESEARCHED SYMPTOMS ONLINE AND FOUND THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED, BUT MY VIN SHOWS NO RECALLS. I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING WITH THIS HAPPENING. I NOTICED THAT THIS STARTED ABOUT A MONTH AGO. (MAY,2020) MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH PLUS (+). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330055

POWER TRAIN DRIVELINE DRIVESHAFT RIGHT STREERING BRAKES SUSPENSION

NHTSA ODI 11322774

WHILE IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AND EVEN AT SLOWER SPEEDS OF 25-45 MPH THE CAR WILL SWAY LEFT TO RIGHT AND I WILL OVERCOMPENSATE TO CORRECT THE SWAY. IT WILL START TO PULL RIGHT WHEN I SLOWLY TRY TO CORRECT IT BY SHIFTING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT. AS A RESULT IT WILL JERK SHARPLY CAUSING A LOOP OF CORRECTIONS LEAVING MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS FEELING UNSAFE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR MONTHS. IVE TRIED ADJUSTING THE WHEEL NUMEROUS TIMES TO SEE IF IT WAS AN ERGONOMICAL ISSUE BUT TO NO AVAIL.

NHTSA ODI 11278885

THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS AT SPEEDS OVER 45MPH AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES.

NHTSA ODI 11244251

"EPS FAULT" FAULT IN THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. STEERING IS AFFECTED WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND POWER STEERING LIGHT. CAR NOT RUNNING RIGHT. IN MOTION

NHTSA ODI 11232752

WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE FREEWAY THE STEERING STICKS WHILE MAKING SMALL CORRECTIONS TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT IN THE LANE. ITS A CATCHY FEELING CAUSING ME TO OVERCOMPENSATE AFTER IT CATCHES/STICKS. ALSO WHEN SITTING STILL WAITING FOR A STOP LIGHT THE STEERING SEEMS TO JUMP A NOTCH BY ITSELF.

NHTSA ODI 11209977

THE ISSUE I HAVE BEEN HAVING IS THE BRAKE ASSIST PROGRAM IS BREAKING WHEN THERE IS NO OBJECT AROUND CAUSING MY CAR TO BREAK FOR NO REASON THIS CAUSE QUICK USE OF THE BREAK ONE DAY ITS GONNA CAUSE SOMEONE TO REAR END ME I TOOK THIS TO HONDA THEY CANT FIND THE ISSUE THIS HAPPENS ABOUT 4 TIMES TO AND FROM WORK THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS WELL MY LANE DEPARTURE ASSIST HASNT WORK SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR TO MANY ISSUES TOOK CAR TO 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS ALL THE DEALERS SAID THEY RESET THE SYSTEM NO ISSUES FOUND HONDA DOESNT CARE ABOUT SAFETY AT ALL. THESE ISSUES HAPPEN IN MOTION BOTH ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS

NHTSA ODI 11209411

WHEN DRIVING AT OVER 50 WHEN IT'S OVER 80 DEGREES. THE STEERING ACTS UP! WHEN TRY TO ADJUST A LITTLE BIT IT RESIST AND THEN LET'S GO SLIGHTLY. IT MAKES YOU OVER STEER A BIT. IT'S NOT A COMFORTING THING WHEN IT KEEPS DOING THAT! I FOUND ONLINE THAT THERE IS SUPPOSED TO GET A RECALL FOR STEERING ASSIST. THE MAGNET HAS COME LOOSE AND OUT OF PLACE AND CAUSES THIS TO HAPPEN! PLEASE LOOK IN TO THIS PROBLEM!

NHTSA ODI 11202660