What 598 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Civic Cng

The part i have narrowed down the problem to is the electric power steering rack. While driving down the highway at highway speeds, +50 mph, the steering will stick / hang up and then once the vehicle starts to sway / push out to one side or the other of its own lane, when you try and correct the steering to get the vehicle back to center in its lane, the steering will somewhat free up, but this happens all at once in a sudden surge and that is when your speed is the factor as to how violent you may swerve. This happens every time the vehicle is driven and it seems to be more prevalent once the vehicle hits the operating temperature or on days when mother nature decides to give us some +90° temperature days. Reading thru forums on the interweb, I have ran into several threads with others experiencing the same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11572244

Electronic steering is intermittently becoming "notchy" or sticky when making steering corrections. This appears to be a known issue with 2016-2024 Civics. I'm concerned this could lead to a loss of steering. Honda service is aware of the issues, but currently there is no recall for this component (electronic steering rack).

NHTSA ODI 11570212

In the middle of driving, the power steering rack had a complete meltdown which caused the steering to lockup. Luckily my wife and kids were not hurt but according to Honda, the rack broke beyond repair out of the blue.

NHTSA ODI 11570298

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering was inoperable. The contact stated that the steering failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinon and stabilizer link. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion and the stabilizer link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.

NHTSA ODI 11564151

Turning the steering wheel requires more force because there’s resistance. It’’s possible to turn the wheel to the left, let go of it and it’ll stay in that direction instead of rotating back. This causes major issues on the highway and during heavy rain. The slightest adjustment causes overcorrection. It’s also accompanied by this creaky/clicking noise.

NHTSA ODI 11558397

Car has power steering issue most noticeable at highway speeds, matching the description of the EPS defect on 2018 Civics (NHTSA ID: 18V663000 ) but my VIN was not included in the recall, despite showing the exact same problem. The steering sticks and has resistance to small adjustments, especially trying to go straight in a lane, & snapping side to side or pulling in opposite direction instead of smoothly turning, intensity varies. There is an audible "clicking" or resistance sound when turning. It's getting increasingly worse overtime, and is a safety issue. Matches testimonials of many other owners of 2018 Civics online. Ive had 3 independent engineers diagnose this issue as a power steering rack problem matching the recall - I have documentation from 2 attached below, the 3rd was an in-person recommendation, document was not provided. Honda is the only diagnostic not acknowledging the EPS problem. Please help me get this replaced so I can drive safely. The contact stated after Honda giving the runaround, they did confirm that the power steering rack is faulty and needs to be replaced . However, since the VIN was not included in the recall for the 2018 Honda Civics, they will not offer me any assistance with the $4200 repair.

NHTSA ODI 11550171

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticky and would independently turn to the left or the right, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure occurred increasingly while driving 40 MPH and faster speeds, and while making a turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11545233

The steering wheel starts sticking when going highway speed around 60-70mph causing me to overcompensate to adjust it to keep following the road, when done so, the car jerks along with the overcompensation. This is causing alot of strain on my arms due to me having to constantly force the wheels to turn to follow the road, took it to the dealership, quoted $4000+ for a steering rack replacement. I hope something gets done about this issue as I’m seeing many similar cases here.

NHTSA ODI 11544984

Steering wheel doesn’t stays straight u have to force it almost by pulling it left and then right, it also makes a click noise on any turn or even if you turn while stationary it clicks on the slightest turn of the steering wheel

NHTSA ODI 11542184

Steering- the steering wheel sticks and clicks and makes it very hard to maintain a straight path. Assisted Braking- brakes randomly has caused me to almost get rear ended on highway multiple times Dropped off to to dealer today.. acted like they have never heard of these two problems

NHTSA ODI 11541784

Sticky steering. Happens are speeds at 45mph and above. The steering wheel sticks slightly when turning one way or another. This has been going on for about 9 or 10 months. It is available for inspection on request. It could, or would comprise my ability to navigate safely on the road. My independent service center confirms the problem, but in the beginning he didn't notice the problem. A local Honda dealer checked for the problem in the early period, but said they didn't feel the problem. It seemed to get worse over time. No warning lamps, messages have ever appeared. My service center says the problem is not in the bearing, but probably in the electronics.

NHTSA ODI 11540888

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle at the residence, the vehicle started losing electrical power. The instrument cluster lights became dim, and the infotainment system turned off. The contact stated that she parked and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving and turning the steering wheel. Additionally, the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The "Power Steering Failure" and "Brake System Failure" messages were displayed. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11540739

The contact owned a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while in a drive-through line with the brake applied, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The vehicle then drove over the curb, veered to the left, crashed into another vehicle, a sign, and went over four lanes of traffic. The contact was unable to control the vehicle but was able to push the ignition button to stop the vehicle. There were no reported injuries, or air bag deployments. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company and deemed a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11540601

Steering becomes sticky after the vehicle is warmed up. Traveling at highway speed ( 60 mph and above ) becomes challenging trying to correct for lane adjustments. The steering wheel feels or has a tighten spot from center both right or left directions. This causes an over correction while driving. Also there is a clicking sound when going though the sticky spot moving the wheel right or left. This vehicle has 30k plus. My Honda dealer denies knowing of any problems with the electronic steering in their vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11539488

My steering wheel sticks after driving and the engine has a change to get warm. Once I go over 25 mph and the sticking begins I have to constantly over compensate to stay in my lane. This issue has made it nearly impossible to stay in my lane on highways and speed above 55mph.

NHTSA ODI 11539261

Is there a service bulletin for our 2018 Civic Si for sticky steering? The longer we drive, the worse the sticky spot gets. It takes enough manual force to overcome that it overcorrects when it breaks loose. Leads to a lot of heavy handed weaving when I intend to be going straight and effortless for hundreds of miles. Recurs frequently on every long trip but seems worse in summertime. Happens at all speeds. Started around 50,000 miles and has continued to the present 133,000 miles. I worked in the aerospace industry for many years, and we had a common problem that may be relevant. Electric motors in a DC system, require a capacitive circuit to build up energy to start motor movement. Liquid filled capacitors are inherently cheaper, but they dry out over time and use which leads to failure of the capacitor and degraded motor performance (especially start up delays). Higher grade capacitors for the electric motor may have been overlooked, but may be the solution to the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11536993

Vehicle steering wheel sticks. I have taken to the 3 different dealerships dating back to approx. summer of 2019 for this issues. They have completed a wheel alignment to correct but it does not correct the issue. This month I researched this type of problem and found many complaints. I returned to the dealership and insisted on a thorough evaluation. They have recommended a full steering replacement for approx. $4000. They do not acknowledge the extensive complaints and that I have a recorded manufacturer issue dating back to 2019. Because is is my daughters car I am forced to complete the repairs for her safety. The dealership will not guarantee that this $4000 repair will not return over time.

NHTSA ODI 11536276

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel failed to respond as intended. Additionally, while pressure was applied to turn the steering wheel in the intended direction, the vehicle jerked violently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to assist with the repair. The failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11534664

Car steering wheel became “sticky” and “jerky” and felt like lane keeping assistance was on preventing car from turning properly. Clicking noise and scraping started. Took to dealership and was told new tires required. Aware of multiple service bulletins and March 2023 class action regarding steering. Took to different dealership who is charging $3800 to replace steering rack. Allegedly not covered under warranty or recall. Car has only 45,000 miles on it

NHTSA ODI 11534327

Daughters steering wheel sticks and is jerky while driving down the road. I took it to my honda dealer and it got diagnosed with faulty rack and pinion. This car is a 2018 honda civic with only 27k miles...no way these parts should fail that quickly and the part is backordered (which tells me others are having same issue). Cost estimate is $4200 to replace. Ridiculous!!

NHTSA ODI 11534169

After a visit to the Honda Dealership, my steering rack needs replaced at a cost of $4,200. The steering wheel sticks causing the vehicle to jerk and swerve causing a major safety issue. This is a known issue with my year vehicle and model. There is even a recall but am being told it doesn't cover my VIN. There is also a class action lawsuit in place against Honda because they have known about this issue since 2016 and still produce the vehicle without correction. I would like Honda to cover the cost of the replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11530709

The car which has 46K miles on it started is now have steering issues. The symptoms are that when driving, especially at highway speeds, there is a 'sticking' point in the wheel. The sticking point tends to be when the car is moving straight down a road. When doing even moderate steering corrections on the highway, the 'sticking' takes extra force from the driver to move the wheel. Once you do apply force, there is generally a slight overcorrection that will occur as the force needed to move the wheel exceeds what is generally needed for the correction. As a result of the 'sticking', you must constantly battle the car and correct the steering in order to drive it. Upon my visit to Honda dealer I was told, after a very quick inspection (5 minutes), that the Rack was bad and with parts and labor, the cost to install the new Rack would exceed $4K. I understand that the bad rack could cause the steering to lock. Outside of Honda and mechanics I have spoken with, I have not had other independent verifications of the vehicle. There are no warning lights on the car stating this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11530301

When the car gets hot after about 10 mins of driving in spring/summer weather the steering wheel feels like it’s sticks and the steering gets very tight. I then have to over compensate to stay in my lane and it’s constant until you stop and allow the car to cool off again.

NHTSA ODI 11529954

The steering sticks when the car has been on the road for 45-60 min. which causes wandering and loss of steering adjustment to maintain lane control.

NHTSA ODI 11529212

The steering is sticky. It feels like play in the steering wheel. Gets worse when driving over 45 or 50. You have to over compensate when coming around curves and it pulls left. The car has been aligned in March and I attributed it to bad alignment. Took it back to dealer in June when it was getting worse. Diagnosed with faulty EPS.

NHTSA ODI 11528850