The car has 2200 miles on it and the steering started to "stick" while driving at highway speeds. The steering wheel will take extra effort when trying to make adjustments to stay in a lane and you need to apply extra pressure before it feels like it gets past a bump. This is very dangerous as slight direction changes require ex…
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The car has 2200 miles on it and the steering started to "stick" while driving at highway speeds. The steering wheel will take extra effort when trying to make adjustments to stay in a lane and you need to apply extra pressure before it feels like it gets past a bump. This is very dangerous as slight direction changes require extra force, then that extra force is all of the sudden not needed, causing over steering. I have looked it up and realized this is a common issue with new civics, so want to make sure my case is documented as well.
NHTSA ODI #11553588
Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 2023
Steering
My steering wheel started to twitch on November 2, 2023. My car has a little over 9,000 miles on it. The LKAS system is not activated when the twitch occurs. I toggled between the different driving modes (Individual, Sport, Normal). I experience the twitch in every mode. I have found it difficult to move the steering wheel from…
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My steering wheel started to twitch on November 2, 2023. My car has a little over 9,000 miles on it. The LKAS system is not activated when the twitch occurs. I toggled between the different driving modes (Individual, Sport, Normal). I experience the twitch in every mode. I have found it difficult to move the steering wheel from the center position. I have to fight resistance to make steering corrections to keep the car centered in my lane. I am concerned the car will steer itself and cause an accident. I made an appointment with the dealer on November 9, 2023 to troubleshoot the situation. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. No faulty indications have been observed on the vehicle's instrument cluster.
NHTSA ODI #11553371
Mileage unknown · Oct 31, 2023
Steering
At high speeds the steering becomes stiff and sticks to one side. It's hard to make small adjustements and when you push too hard to "unstick" the steering wheel the car jerks left and right. This will become a much bigger issue with snowy roads and black ice.
NHTSA ODI #11552947
Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2023
Steering
When driving around highway speeds the steering seems to “stick” or require more effort to like minor adjustments and cause slight over correction, problem doesn’t happen at low speeds
NHTSA ODI #11552622
Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 2023
Lane DepartureSteering
Power steering is sticky at highway speeds resulting in a delayed wheel centering via suspension caster. Does not resist manual input, but makes the vehicle difficult to keep centered in lane due to constant driver inputs to overcome "sticking".
NHTSA ODI #11552315
Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 2023
Steering
At low speed and highway speed steering wheel feels like it’s sticking and won’t return back to center. I would have to make small adjustments to keep the steering wheel straight. Feels like it something with the EPS rack.
NHTSA ODI #11551957
Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 2023
Steering
The vehicles steering wheel began making a slight, motorized, clicking noise several weeks ago. I had taken it into the Honda Dealership it was purchased at and they said they could not locate the issue. The steering wheel is now having a sticky steering wheel while the vehicle is running and in motion. This creates a serious sa…
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The vehicles steering wheel began making a slight, motorized, clicking noise several weeks ago. I had taken it into the Honda Dealership it was purchased at and they said they could not locate the issue. The steering wheel is now having a sticky steering wheel while the vehicle is running and in motion. This creates a serious safety concern because I have to over correct steering to push the steering wheel past the point it is stuck at. It usually happens when driving between speeds of 30-60 MPH. This has caused me to overcorrect steering in several instances and the dealership has said they cannot fix the issue. It is a serious issue that puts myself and other drivers at risk due to the fact it is an issue with one of the most basic components of a working vehicle. This problem has been confirmed by several others who have driven my vehicle and upon looking at online blogs, it seems to be a common issue with 2022-2023 Honda Civic models. There have been no warning lights on my vehicle and I have over 19,000 miles on the car. Action absolutely must be taken on this matter because it is a pressing safety issue on one of the most popular vehicles driven in the US. It could cause accidents that would result in death due to mechanical failure of the electronic power steering system. The amount of force applied to the steering wheel to move past the stuck point is large enough to overcorrect the vehicle into oncoming traffic. This issue must be investigated.
NHTSA ODI #11551381
Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2023
Steering
Electric assist steering feels "sticky" at speed. Unusual resistance is felt when effort is made to make small corrections to keep vehicle centered in lane. Increased effort results in resistance suddenly being released and this leads to unintended swerving. This seems to be a problem with every drive if the vehicle has been dri…
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Electric assist steering feels "sticky" at speed. Unusual resistance is felt when effort is made to make small corrections to keep vehicle centered in lane. Increased effort results in resistance suddenly being released and this leads to unintended swerving. This seems to be a problem with every drive if the vehicle has been driven for more than just a short commute.
NHTSA ODI #11551253
Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2023
Steering
Car has just over 5000 miles and making minor steering adjustments suddenly requires more force than it should. The amount of force needed to "unstick" the wheel results in constant corrections and potential over-corrections due to the sticking anytime the wheel is not in motion. Issue is most noticeable at highway speeds but ev…
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Car has just over 5000 miles and making minor steering adjustments suddenly requires more force than it should. The amount of force needed to "unstick" the wheel results in constant corrections and potential over-corrections due to the sticking anytime the wheel is not in motion. Issue is most noticeable at highway speeds but even with the car stopped, the wheel has a notchy feel instead of the expected smooth rotation.
NHTSA ODI #11551031
Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2023
Steering
The steering has become sticky, or notchy, after approximately 14000 miles. It has become difficult to make small adjustments, typically at highway speeds. With the engine shut off but power on the car to disengage the steering lock, the steering wheel clicks through what feels like gears.
NHTSA ODI #11550716
Official recalls
0
No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2
EA23003 · Momentary Increased Steering Effort
Opened Nov 29, 2023 · Closed Jan 28, 2025
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Engineering Analysis (EA23003) to assess allegations of momentary increase in steering effort in model years (MY) 2022-2023 Honda Civic, 2023MY Honda CR-V, and 2023MY Acura Integra vehicles (subject vehicles). The complaints received by ODI alleged that the subject vehicles experienced a momentary increase in required steering effort (described as “sticky steering”) occurring mostly at highway speeds after driving for an extended amount of time; these complaints could not be duplicated during dealer service technicians’ quick test drives. The complaints had been received over the previous two years with most occurring with low vehicle mileage. The steering gear of these vehicles is aided by an electrical power assist unit. This power assist unit inputs force on the steering rack via a worm gear and worm wheel assembly. During PE23005, Honda stated this condition of momentary increase in steering effort occurs due to two factors within this power assist unit. First, during manufacturing, the steering worm wheel goes through annealing and component conditioning processes. These processes cause internal stress and strain within the steering worm wheel. This strain is slowly released over the first few months of the vehicle life. Over time, the released strain causes deformation of the teeth on the worm wheel, causing the worm gear to catch on the worm wheel. This catching results in the driver’s momentary increased steering effort. Second, the manufacturing process did not guarantee consistent grease application and, therefore, some subject vehicles received insufficient grease which contributed to the momentary increase in steering effort. During EA23003, ODI further analyzed the potential safety related consequences of the momentary increase in steering effort. NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) duplicated the allegations of increased steering effort. In addition, VRTC discovered the steering worm wheel and worm gear tended to push grease out of the meshing area, resulting in large amounts of grease resting on top of the worm wheel. Information Request responses collected and reviewed by ODI showed Honda had also discovered this additional root cause during NHTSA’s EA. In addition, Honda discovered the preload of the worm wheel gear spring was set too high, increasing the gear slide load and resulting in higher friction and increased torque fluctuation when steering. The number of consumer complaints made to ODI continued to increase with the expansion of scope from the PE to the EA. Additionally, during EA23003, ODI received ten complaints alleging a crash, in addition to the 13 complaints ODI had received as of the time it opened EA23003. In total, 23 crashes have been reported to ODI due to this alleged defect. On October 3, 2024, Honda filed NHTSA Recall No. 24V-744 to address this defect. The recall will provide consumers with a new steering worm wheel gear spring with a decreased load. Additionally, dealerships will add additional grease and relocate any grease sitting on top of the worm wheel back into the meshing area. The scope of this recall includes all Honda vehicles that were manufactured with this specific improperly produced steering worm wheel and spring. In view of the recall action being taken by Honda, ODI is closing EA23003. NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
PE23005 · Momentary Increased Steering Effort
Opened Mar 17, 2023 · Closed Nov 30, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
On March 17, 2023, The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE23-005) to access the alleged defect of momentary increase in steering effort in model years (MY) 2022 and 2023 Honda Civic vehicles. The complaints report that the momentary increase in steering effort (described as "sticky steering") occurs mostly at highway speeds after driving for a certain amount of time. The reports have been received over the past 2 years with most occurring with low vehicle mileage. The steering gear contains a unit that includes a worm gear and a worm wheel. Honda stated this condition of momentary increase in steering effort occurs due to two factors within this unit. During manufacturing, the worm wheel goes through annealing and component conditioning processes. These processes caused internal stress and strain within the worm wheel. This strain was slowly released over the first few months of the vehicle life. Over time, the released strain caused the deformation of the teeth on the worm wheel, causing the worm gear to catch on the worm wheel. This results in the consumer’s momentary increased in steering effort. Also, the manufacturing process did not guarantee consistent grease application and therefore, some vehicles within the scope received too little grease which contributes to the momentary increase in steering effort. Analysis of all relevant data indicates that the subject condition occurs early in the vehicle’s life primarily in winter months. Additionally, the subject vehicles need to be driven in a straight line for a period of time, possibly until the vehicle is warmed up, to recreate the condition. The condition does not illuminate a malfunction indicator light (MIL). Some complaints allege Honda dealerships are unable to recreate the condition or state this is a normal vehicle operation. However, Honda released Service Bulletin 23-037 in July of 2023 which accurately describes the condition. To address this issue, Honda directs dealerships to remove the electronic power steering (EPS) gearbox and replace with a new gearbox. Further, Honda stated that the worst case steering effort from all warranty returned parts tested was 2.4 pounds. ODI complaint traffic remains steady. ODI has received 13 crashes to date, 11 of which allege roadway departure due to not being able to overcome the momentary increased steering effort prior to their vehicle leaving the roadway. The remaining 2 incidents claim overcorrection of the steering wheel. PE23-005 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA23-003) to further assess the scope, frequency and potential safety related consequences of the momentary increase of steering effort. Further the scope has been expanded to include assessment of the Acura Integra and Honda CR-V models. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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