What 2,082 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Honda CR-V Hybrid Hev

2018 CRV owned since 2020 has had air bag and fuel filter recalls completed but now has another known defect that requires recall/repair: steering gear box. Two months ago, the steering wheel started to "stick" requiring driver to exert additional force to the steering wheel to direct the vehicle in the desired direction. There is an audible "tick or click" when the steering "catches" and pulls to one side or the other. There was no causal incident that started the issue that began occurring during normal driving conditions. The "sticking/catching" of the steering wheel is still ongoing every time the CRV is driven. The steering does not perform properly. It is a dangerous malfunction of the steering gear box assembly that needs to be addressed by American Honda with recall repairs to all affected vehicles. My VIN number is not covered by current recalls. With CRV recalls of the steering gear box for multiple production years identifying that part as a known defect, all affected CRVs should be covered. These are bits of information that may be helpful. NTHSA campaign #18V663000 steering Recall #24V-744 Honda Service Bulletin A2411 American Honda: 1-800-999-1009 For each report here there are likely thousands who are having the same issues. I have owned Hondas since 1990 and am discouraged to find that a known defect is not covered for my newest CRV.

NHTSA ODI 11749229

My 2018 Honda CR-V began experiencing repeated battery drain and would not reliably start. Multiple warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle also would not shut off after the ignition was turned off, continuing to run/stay powered on. The vehicle was taken to an authorized repair facility for diagnosis, where it was determined that the Body Control Module (BCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The repair shop indicated that BCM failure is a common and recurring issue on this model and model year, which is consistent with numerous other owner complaints I have since found describing the same failure pattern (battery drain, warning lights, no-start condition, vehicle failing to shut off, and in some cases stalling while driving) on 2017-2019 Honda CR-V vehicles. I am filing this report to document the failure and make NHTSA aware of what appears to be a widespread defect trend affecting this component across multiple model years of this vehicle. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential safety defect, given that BCM failure can result in sudden loss of electrical function, the vehicle failing to power off, and in some reported cases, stalling while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11749269

Steering is sticky.

NHTSA ODI 11749018

AIR CONDITIONER SEAL AND COMPRESSOR PROBLEM CONFIRMED BY BOTH YES...DEALER AND INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP NO WARNING...APPROXIMATELY JUNE 10 2026 A/C COMPRESSOR HAS DIED TWICE IN 28000 MILES. ONCE AT 10200 MILES AND AGAIN 18000 MILES LATER. OUT OF WARRANTY BOTH TIMES. THERE ARE SERVICE BULLETINS ON SEAL BUT NOT COMPRESSOR. THE FAULTY SEAL EVENTUALLY DESTROYS COMPRESSOR SO THE SERVICE BULLETIN IS A HOAX. MANUFACTURES OFFERS 50% GOODWILL PRICE REDUCTION WHICH IS THEN BECOMES SAME AS ANY REPUTABLE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP SO ALSO A HOAX. THE SAFETY ISSUE BESIDES SENIOR CITIZENS WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING IN SWELTERING FLORIDA IS VISION WITHOUT DEFROST /DEFOG. AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE COMPRESSOR FOR WEEKS...BACK ORDER. VEHICLE UNUSABLE AND DANGEROUS

NHTSA ODI 11748471

Here’s the revised version with that important detail added naturally: For the past two years, my vehicle has experienced the same recurring steering problem during long highway trips. The issue consistently begins after approximately 1–2.5 hours of highway driving and always occurs during very hot or humid weather. The steering wheel starts to stick when making small corrections while driving straight, feeling as though it moves in notches instead of smoothly. Once the problem starts, it continues for the remainder of the trip, even after leaving the highway and driving at lower speeds. This has happened on multiple long trips over the last two years, typically toward the end of extended drives in hot or humid conditions. During some incidents, the steering wheel also produced a clicking noise each time it moved into a notched position. The sticking and clicking make it difficult to make small steering adjustments and create a jerky, clunky steering feel, especially on narrow or curvy roads, making the vehicle feel unsafe to drive. To rule out other causes, we replaced all four tires, but the problem continued exactly as before. There have never been any warning lights or dashboard messages associated with this issue. After researching the problem, we found information about EPS gearbox recalls affecting newer CR-V models. We discussed our symptoms with our mechanic, who agreed that the problem sounds consistent with an Electric Power Steering (EPS) issue and recommended reporting it to NHTSA. Because the problem only develops after extended highway driving in hot or humid conditions, it is difficult to reproduce during a typical short test drive. This wording makes it clear that the weather connection isn’t just a possibility—it has been a consistent pattern every time the issue occurs.

NHTSA ODI 11748648

-The steering wheel is sticking, especially at highway speeds, causing the wheel to jerk even on straight and smooth roads. -The problem has been reported online, but Honda only fixed 54 from NHTSA campaign number: 18v663000 -I am taking the vehicle in to be inspected but reviewing online complaints, this fix is thousands of dollars that I cannot afford -There have been no warning lights or messages for this

NHTSA ODI 11747888

Crown Honda diagnosed my used 2018 CR-V I purchased on 07/05/2021, with a defective gearbox, on a vehicle with only 34,400 miles. A failing steering rack is not a standard wear and tear component like tires. It is a critical vehicle safety component. The steering gearbox should last the lifetime of the vehicle. Premature mechanical binding constitutes an unreasonable safety risk. Honda explicitly recalled 1.7 million newer CR-Vs for an improperly produced steering gearbox worm wheel that swells and creates excessive internal friction. I have a 5'th generation CR-V sharing the same foundational electronic power steering (EPS) architecture, and it is experiencing the exact same "notchy/sticky"e mechanical friction failure.

NHTSA ODI 11747922

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel jerked and failed to turn in the intended direction. The failure had occurred on several occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gear box had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to partially cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

NHTSA ODI 11747909

Power steering issue with vehicle wanting to veer left and having to jerk the wheel back to keep from crossing the center line. There was a previous recall by Honda (18V663000) but my vehicle is not listed. This began at about 75K miles. For the year, this is a low mileage car and this is becoming dangerous to drive because of the steering issue.

NHTSA ODI 11747589

The transmission had a MAJOR failure after a routine trans fluid drain and fill done by Phillipsburg Easton Honda. They tried blaming me and dismissing it as an already compromised transmission. But breaking down on a very busy road and losing all control over a LOCKED up car was terrifying and dangerous. Im just glad nobody was injured. Honda has taken 0 accountability for it and claims they did nothing wrong. This car is only 8 years old. Honda brags about them lasting forever. The CVT transmissions are garbage and now im stuck paying 7k for a replacement. No goodwill offered- no warranty. These are known to be problematic.

NHTSA ODI 11747797

Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning malfunctioned. I started to drive after sitting at a red light and was driving at approximately 35 MPH. The Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning engaged, and the car suddenly braked. Luckily there wasn’t anyone directly behind me, or else I would have been rear-ended. This malfunction has happened on three separate occasions in the past 4 years. There were no warnings prior to the malfunction. The car has not been inspected yet for this malfunction.

NHTSA ODI 11747489

The steering wheel sticks in place and requires additional force to turn the steering wheel while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11747542

Driving at freeway (65 mph) speeds suddenly ALL dash lights went off and car lost power in the middle of the freeway. Has been undrivable since. There are MANY other owners of this model car (1.5l turbo engine) who have had this exact same experience. Honda refuses to fix or recall or stand by a product they know is faulty. Car has been maintained per Honda specifications.

NHTSA ODI 11747123

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticking and jerking with a clicking sound coming from the steering column. The contact stated that the issues were more noticeable while turning to the right. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed of TSB: 18-103. The contact associated the failure with the TSB; however, the vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was 126,000.

NHTSA ODI 11747245

My Honda CRV developed a sticky spot when driving down the road, I could feel a dead or sticky spot while making slight lane correction or changing lanes on the Interstate highways. I took it to my Honda dealer; they told me that my electronic steering system failed and was a hazard to drive. They said that my complete steering system needed to be replaced. They said my vin number wasn't on the recall list, but newer CRV models with the same failure had a safety recall. My CRV was out of warranty and not covered by the recall. I had to get the steering replaced and it cost me $5000.00! Why wasn't my CRV with the same steering failure covered. That's why I'm filing a complant.

NHTSA ODI 11746942

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start. After the vehicle was started, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel rail pressure was low. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 133,000.

NHTSA ODI 11746686

I am having trouble with a sticky steering. The dealer told me that the part I need was recalled on other 2018 Honda CRV‘s, but mine was not under the recall. He said I need the steering rack replaced. He also said that there are a lot of others having the same problem and yet there has been no for the recalls. My gearbox is the same as the ones that were recalled but mine wasn’t recalled. Therefore, I am having to pay a lot of money to have this replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11746509

The engine throw a P303 Code with a cylinder 3 misfire. Using coolant at a rapid rate as well. We have change the spark plugs numerous times, put in new coils and replaced the fuel injectors. This is with all Honda OEM Parts. There is an issue with the Headgasket. The car looses power and has left me sit on the side of the road. I will not drive it as this time due to safety concerns. The CRV is services at our local garage since the dealer is to expensive. This service center has been working on this CRV for the last few years. The garage is a well respected service center in our community. This issue has been going on for a month or two. All of the dashboard lights come on and then I loose power. When it does work, it will sputter when starting and then sputter at times while I am driving it. I know there has been a class action lawsuit filed because of this same issue but I am being told my VIN number does not fall into that category. I do not see how that is right when I am having the same issues with my car that is described in the lawsuit.

NHTSA ODI 11746212

Steering wheel has been “sticking” and getting worse the last six months. When I look up recalls online, it shows this specific issue for 2018 Honda CRV but not my VIN. From reading online this could be a serious issue so I’m going to have to go ahead and get the car fixed but would like to be advised if and when a recall comes out to fix the steering issue.

NHTSA ODI 11746226

My 2018 Honda CR-V has only 100,000 miles. A week ago, I noticed that my engine temperature gauge on my dashboard was spiking during low speed driving and I received several engine overheating alarms. There was no white smoke emitting from my exhaust. I checked the coolant reservoir and observed that the reservoir was almost empty. I brought my vehicle to my mechanic who found no external coolant leaks. He recommended that I bring my vehicle to a Honda service center to better diagnose the issue. The Honda service center diagnosed the issue as a head gasket failure, causing coolant to leak into my cylinders and burn off in the engine. This issue resulted in the engine overheating and could likely cause engine seizing, or in extreme cases, the engine to catch fire. This is a known issue for 2017-2022 Honda CR-Vs with the 1.5L turbocharged engine. My wife and I could have seriously been injured by this known defect. In addition, the Honda service center provided me a quote of approximately $5,000 to replace the head gasket and resurface the cylinders. A lawsuit was filed in 2025 in California documenting the same issue on many 2017-2022 Honda CR-Vs (Alcantara, et al. v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., et al., Case No. 2:25-cv-06009). A recall should immediately be issued for Honda to cover repairs for this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11745869

The 2017 to 2022 Honda CR-V are lemons in my opinion. I bought the car new in 2018 and it has 79,000 miles on it. I recently had to have my head gasket replaced at a cost of $4,000. This seems to be a big problem with these years. I am in two different Honda CR-V blogs and a lot of people are having this same problem. I am [XXX] and I was hoping this would be my last car to buy. I like the car but I am concerned that it might happen again. I understand there are a few class action law suits for the deficiencies in these engines. Please let me know what I should do. Or if there is something that you can help me with. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11746094

On March 30, 2026, a safety issue was documented regarding a 2018 Honda CR-V currently located at Crash Champions collision center. The driver-side steering wheel airbag module is entirely missing from the vehicle due to a physical loss/theft, rendering the supplemental restraint system (SRS) completely non-functional and leaving the vehicle unrepairable due to an indefinite OEM manufacturer backorder. Operating this vehicle without a primary steering wheel airbag leaves the driver completely unprotected by safety restraints in a frontal collision, posing an immediate, life-threatening hazard. This critical safety issue, along with the total lack of replacement part availability, has been officially confirmed and documented by Crash Champions, where the vehicle has been grounded for three consecutive months. Additionally, a State Farm insurance representative has physically inspected the vehicle and opened formal comprehensive repair claim #[XXX]. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the incident, as this represents a total physical loss of the component; however, the dashboard SRS/Airbag warning light is now actively illuminated due to the missing module. Widespread manufacturer supply-chain backorders on these critical safety components prevent the vehicle from being returned to a crashworthy condition, leaving it indefinitely inoperable from a safety standpoint. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11745714

power and began running rough. The check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle did not perform normally. I previously had the vehicle diagnosed and repaired at a Honda dealership for this same issue. The repair was completed less than two months ago. After only a few thousand miles since the repair, the exact same symptoms returned, including the check engine light, rough engine operation, and loss of power while driving. The recurrence of this issue raises concerns about the reliability and safety of the vehicle, particularly when operating in traffic or at highway speeds, as sudden loss of power could increase the risk of a crash. The problem appears to be the same issue that was previously repaired, but it reoccurred shortly after the repair was completed.

NHTSA ODI 11745486

At highway speeds the steering intermittently sticks at center and then releases suddenly. It feels unsafe and causes me to oversteer to correct causing chance to run off the road. This matches the known EPS rack binding issue on 2017–2019 CR‑Vs. I have had diagnostic performed at Honda of Marysville on 6/12/26 and they responded with confirmation of the problem and agreed to escalate to Honda for goodwill repair, for safety concern. Honda OF Marysville responded on 6/15/26 that Honda Corporate declined goodwill coverage. Called Honda Corporate on 6/15/26 at 415p. Talked with Alec. Explained situation. Calling to File an appeal for goodwill coverage. 1. Dealer confirmed problem 2. Dealer applied for Goodwill coverage. Declined 3. Known safety problem and is under an SB 18-103 which applies to 2017-2019 CRV vehicles 4. Had problem for 2+ years. Getting worse per last trip on highway to Michigan [XXX]. He looked up and confirmed case information. Reaching out internally. Received call from Haley at Honda Corp @6p on 6/16/26. (800) 999-1009 x88210 as assigned Case Worker. Explained situation and confirmed information she was seeing. Haley said response in 24-48 hours and would call Friday 6/19 with update worse case. On 6/19/26 I left two VM’s and one email but did not get a promised update. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11745491

1. Sometimes when my wife get in the passenger seat the airbag sensor light stays on indicating the the airbag is off. 2. Often when driving with adaptive cruise control on, the car suddenly brakes hard without cause . Sometime when a car in front of me turns right and sometimes if I pass a car parked on the street it will also brake hard for no reason.

NHTSA ODI 11745216