What 598 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Civic Cng

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH the steering vehicle becomes stiff without any warning, and after a couple of minutes, the vehicle starts operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic and that stated that no failure was found but the failure continued. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11528899

I am writing to bring to your attention a serious safety concern related to the steering system of my 2018 Honda Civic. I believe there is a significant defect in the vehicle's steering rack, resulting in hazardous driving conditions that could potentially lead to accidents and injuries. Description of the Incident: While turning the steering wheel in either direction, regardless of the speed, the steering rack becomes "sticky" and unresponsive. This issue forces the driver to exert additional force to correct the steering, leading to a sudden overcorrection once the resistance is overcome. The erratic behavior of the steering rack has put me in numerous situations where I narrowly avoided accidents. Impact and Concern: The erratic steering behavior has caused a severe safety hazard. The sudden overcorrection of the steering rack greatly compromises the stability and control of the vehicle, making it extremely difficult to maintain a steady course during turns. This defect creates an unpredictable driving experience that is highly dangerous not only for the driver but also for passengers and other road users. Attempts to Resolve the Issue: I have made an attempt to address this issue by taking my vehicle to authorized Honda dealerships. What is particularly concerning is that the dealerships have been unresponsive to admitting that this is a safety issue. Request for Investigation and Action: I kindly request the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a thorough investigation into the "sticky" steering rack issue affecting the 2018 Honda Civic. It is crucial to determine the root cause of this defect and take appropriate actions to ensure the safety of all affected vehicles. I urge you to initiate a recall if necessary, to prevent further accidents and injuries associated with this steering defect.

NHTSA ODI 11528755

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the steering wheel was seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with an electronic steering gearbox failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 129,443.

NHTSA ODI 11527860

While driving at > 40 mph, the steering wheel constantly gets stuck and is jerky. There is a recall issued by Honda for the exact same issue, however, the recall is vin locked and only includes 54 cars. Looking online, this looks to be a widespread problem. I took it to a Honda dealership for a diagnostic and the service department diagnosed it to the TSB about the recall, however, my car doesn't fall under the recall even though it is doing just that. The repair charge is listed at over $4,000. That's a pretty major system failure for such a young car.

NHTSA ODI 11526873

At approximately 45k miles, the steering wheel started to "stick" when at highway speed. Instead of the steering being continually smooth, like it used to be, it seems like the wheel gets stuck or tight and you have to make a quick, almost jerky adjustment. It's not a one time occurrence, but happens over and over. It had been taken to the dealer and had an alignment but the problem consisted. Upon researching, this is a common problem since the 2016 Civic.

NHTSA ODI 11526463

Electrical power steering is causing the steering to "stick" when trying to maintain lane. Steering sticks and when trying to correct and straighten steering to maintain lane, the power steering suddenly overcorrects. This makes it difficult to maintain lane at highway speeds.

NHTSA ODI 11526170

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at speeds over 50 MPH, the steering wheel was ceasing while turning in either direction. While driving in a straight line the vehicle was pulling to either side and the vehicle was difficult to control. The contact stated that the failure occurred after driving for more than thirty minutes at speeds over 50 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the steering gear box was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526215

i have been experiencing issues with the rack for well over a year, it could be two honestly i cant remember. but unlike most reports mine isnt as noticeable at highway speeds. Mine is an issue at low speed or while parked. like the video of the guy with the 2016 civic, if you've been following the issue, mine is notchy and kind of delayed reaction to the steering input. in other words as you turn it slowly while it jerks in the direction you're turning slightly after you begin to turn the wheel. it also makes audible clunk/click noises at very low speed particularly while doing something like turning into a parking space. it also makes a noise at low speed while going straight and feels like the steering gear is hung up and then jerks past the hump from left to right or right to left; it just depends, it has a mind of its own. it is not my suspension as ive gone through it over and over. uninstalled, reinstalled, adjusted ride height etc etc, serviced my coil overs-still get the noise and jerkiness. I say this because the honda tech said "well its because your car is lowered, it sounds like the bushings or struts to me" as if we are all some kind of idiots that cant tell a tire from a brake pad and dont spend miles upon miles in our vehicles. we know when something isnt right. My car made zero noises and had zero issues until one day it did. all while having the same suspension set up for quite some time before. so no its not the suspension. also, mine is very climate sensitive. on hotter days it is extremely noisy and the jerky/notchy steering is very bad. in winter when it is much cooler, under 50F you have to try to notice it upon initial start up, if at all, until the car has been driven for a prolonged period and warms up the rack which sits right under the front pipe as im sure you all know.

NHTSA ODI 11526304

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH in a rain storm and while making a right turn the steering had malfunctioned and the vehicle did not properly turn causing the driver to nearly loose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure would occur while making both right and left turns and while driving straight the steering wheel was off centered. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who realigned the steering assembly. The contact indicated that the failure was temperately resolved but eventually had reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Recall Campaign number: 18V663000(steering). The failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11525603

The steering rack in my 2018 Honda Civic has failed. The steering becomes notchy after 15-30 minutes of driving in temperature's above 73 degrees. When making a turn, the steering will not auto-center. Also, when driving in a straight line the steering will initially resist any correction and will sometimes cause me to over correct the steering. This is the same exact issue that is being investigated on the 22-23 model year civics. This needs to be investigated.

NHTSA ODI 11524870

Steering starts to get sticky over approximately 45 mph. Hard to stay straight and is difficult to correct without over correcting.

NHTSA ODI 11524556

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel started jerking to the left and the right. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to correct the movement, the steering felt loosened and non-responsive. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway but observed no issues with the tires. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11524013

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while turning the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel would hold and pull in the opposite direction without warning. Additionally, an abnormal, clicking sound would emit from the steering wheel after driving for an extended period. The vehicle was taken to two separate independent mechanics where one found no issue with the vehicle and the other stated that there was an issue with the axle. The contact had a repair performed on the axle; however, the failure returned. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering) which he linked to his failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11522513

The steering is sticky. When this issue is happening, the car will not drive in a straight line without the driver actively trying to hold it in place but in trying to hold it in place, the steering sticks and you have to give it a slight jerk of the wheel to get it out of the correction. It's a constant battle with the steering. Any lengthy turning (on-ramps, etc) results in the steering holding itself in that position and requires the driver to make a slight jerk to release the position of the wheel. It's been happening for over a year, it started sporadically. In the past three months, it has increased in frequency and 'stickiness' to where it's now happening almost daily. Frustrated not to see a recall on this as it is difficult to replicate at a dealership during a short test drive. Currently at 51, 069 miles

NHTSA ODI 11522281

When driving my steering has "sticking" issues to where it takes both of my hands to keep my steering wheel in line or straight.

NHTSA ODI 11521601

This vehicle has what sounds like the "Honda Civic Sticky Steering" issue that I've read about. I thought I was imagining the problem. At times, after the vehicle is warmed up and has been driven for 30 to 60 minutes, when small corrections are made to the steering wheel the wheel resists a little and additional force must be applied to the wheel to get the car to respond. This can cause the car to jerk slightly in the direction that the force is being applied by the steering wheel. The car will travel a bit too much and require a small amount of force to be applied to the steering wheel in the opposite direction. This causes the car to jerk back and forth a small amount. All appears to be good till the next change in the direction of travel is required and the same response occurs. I read last week about a lawsuit involving 2022 and 2023 Civics for this same type of issue. Online searches over the weekend turned up numerous complaints on 2016 - 2023 Honda Civic vehicles for this type of problem. Appreciate any feedback related to this issue from a safety standpoint. In my car this has been going on for quite some time, but, I thought I was imagining it till I noticed that other people have a similar problem. No warning lamps light up in the car at this point. Once it starts happening this happens repeatedly at speeds over 30 mph.

NHTSA ODI 11519731

Failed component/system: Some portion of the steering system. Vehicle is available for inspection. When the vehicle warms up and is driven 20 to 40 mins, power steering becomes "sticky," requiring additional effort for driver input in order to overcome, which causes excessive oversteer (in either direction). At highway speeds, while making "micro-corrections" to the vehicle's trajectory, driving becomes unsafe as the unintended oversteer can get quite pronounced and often results in oversteer both in directions, in rapid succession. This issue has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center and would require a service tech to drive the automobile for up to 40 mins to confirm. The issue has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police insurance representatives or others. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms associated with this issue have occurred. This issue occurs 100% of the time it's driven more than 20-40 minutes.

NHTSA ODI 11518663

The contact’s daughter owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally while turning to the left or the right. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while making a left or a right turn, the steering wheel seized and required an aggressive turn of the steering wheel in the opposite direction to keep the vehicle straight. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear box assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover half the cost of the repair. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11518122

At highway speeds, the steering wheel sticks in the center position. When turning to the right or left, it has a 3-4 inch free travel after the initial “stickiness” is broken. Honda dealer was unable to find any issues and recommended an alignment. Nothing changed. On second trip to the dealership they determined it was a faulty EPS which would require the replacement of the entire EPS rack at a cost of $4,200. The vehicle currently has 81,000 miles. The problem first appeared around 50-60K miles.

NHTSA ODI 11517237

Steering wheel is starting to stick at high speeds, typically while driving on the highway. When you make small adjustments to stay straight/in the lane there is momentary resistance as if the power steering isn't working. I know this has been reported on 22-23 Civics, but if you look on forums it is happening in 16-18 models, and people are being told they need a whole new steering column for $3000 since it's out of warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11516390

While driving at high speeds (>40mph) without turns, the steering wheel sticks at the center. It then requires relatively significant force and results in a jerk and steering overcorrection. The steering overcorrections is very dangerous when on high speed roads with oncoming traffic right next to you. The problem is reproducable at these speeds. No warning signals for this has occured. This has been occuring for a ~a month now 3/1/23.

NHTSA ODI 11515095

I currently have 29, 078 MI on the car. It's an excellent condition. About a thousand miles ago it started to have a problem where the steering starts to stick in place and requires extra effort to turn it sometimes causing overcorrection. I started to look up online to see if there was a way to reset the power steering and found several other reports that alarmed me about the pattern of this issue. I'm still trying to figure out more detailed pattern to the problem and hopeful solution without having to replace the entire steering rack. The worst incident was on the highway in dry weather in which the steering kept sticking in place and would require extra pressure to adjust the steering wheel which repeatedly was causing overcorrection and near loss of control.

NHTSA ODI 11513748

At highway speeds, the steering 'sticks' - thus requiring more significant effort to make minor adjustments (sometimes leading to over-correction). The problem is difficult to reproduce for a dealer or service center as it only happens at highway speeds and seems to be most prevalent when holding a straight steering path for a period of time and then trying to make a minor adjustment.

NHTSA ODI 11513421

When I attempt to make minor adjustments at highway speeds to remain within the lines on straight roads it feels like the steering wheel is sticky and resists steering adjustments. In order to make steering adjustments due to this issue, I must greatly increase the pressure that I am exerting on the steering wheel to the left or right direction. Once the steering wheel finally gives to the pressure necessary that I have to exert to turn it, the pressure ends up being so great that it causes the vehicle to jerk in the direction I am steering. I then have to overcorrect back the opposite direction. This has been happening for several months at minimum and the vehicle has less than 26000 miles on it. When I purchased the vehicle 8 months ago it only had 12500 miles on it. This also has been occurring when turning through curves lately, however instead of resisting my attempt to turn the wheel it feels as though it pulls harder into the direction that I am turning. After some research it appears as though the malfunction comes from the EPS system. No warning lights have illuminated for the duration that I have owned or driven the car. I am concerned that this problem could cause an accident due to not being able to control the car or react effectively in a defensive driving scenario. The car has not been inspected by any dealership or manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI 11513523

Steering wheel is sticking in position. Seems to become worse as the car heats up. Happens every time the car is driven and intensifies as the car gets more miles. Potential for a dangerous situation if unable to maneuver from another object or situation. Have not yet received service to correct steering stickage. There is no visual signal stating a problem with the steering system. Started noticing slight problems around 50k miles but had definitely progressed to interfere with everyday driving.

NHTSA ODI 11511768