Steering wheel start sticking, hard to turn or maintain the vehicle straight while driving.
2022 Honda Civic
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Civic years
Owner complaints for the 2022 Honda Civic are substantially higher than the model-year median of 183.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Civic years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 50 of 881 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 731 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 71 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Lane Departure. Review the 66 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
881 reportsWhen driving on a straight section of highway, the steering gets "sticky" at top dead center requiring driver to turn past the straight ahead location of the steering wheel. The car then slightly moves in that direction and you have to turn past center the other way. You can feels the wheel binding/sticking at top dead center…
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When driving on a straight section of highway, the steering gets "sticky" at top dead center requiring driver to turn past the straight ahead location of the steering wheel. The car then slightly moves in that direction and you have to turn past center the other way. You can feels the wheel binding/sticking at top dead center. At no time can you leave the steering set to track straight. It acts like there is something that keeps the steering wheel from staying at top dead center. The dealer did an alignment, but that did not help.
The steering wheel is "sticking" when making minor adjustments to keep car straight. This initially happened at highway speeds only. The longer you drive, the worse it gets. Almost every time a minor adjustment is made, it will stick. Also, it can happen when turning a corner when the steering wheel is not completely rotated…
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The steering wheel is "sticking" when making minor adjustments to keep car straight. This initially happened at highway speeds only. The longer you drive, the worse it gets. Almost every time a minor adjustment is made, it will stick. Also, it can happen when turning a corner when the steering wheel is not completely rotated around. The safety of myself and others seems to be at risk due to an overcorrection due to sticking. While the force to move the steering wheel is not great, it is by no means smooth. Also, the safety of myself and other seems to be at risk due to unknown possibilities of deterioration of steering rack or increase in frequency. The vehicle was inspected by the local Honda dealership and the issue was noticed by a service technician. The service technician diagnosed the problem as a steering rack issue and recommended replacing the steering rack. The local Honda dealership ordered the replacement part but now states it will not ship until September 2024 which is 9 months after ordering. The sticking of the steering wheel has gotten worse as it can now by felt at slower speeds (40-50 mph). No warning lamps or messages for this issue. The car is 1.5 years old with approximately 7,000 miles.
This Incident occurs daily and poses a SEVERE risk to not only myself but other vehicles on the road, with ADAS systems off the 11th gen civics seem to have a mind of its own. When traveling above 40 Mph on a long curvy road/highway or raining, the steering wheel becomes "Notchy" and will lock in place for moments at a time. The…
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This Incident occurs daily and poses a SEVERE risk to not only myself but other vehicles on the road, with ADAS systems off the 11th gen civics seem to have a mind of its own. When traveling above 40 Mph on a long curvy road/highway or raining, the steering wheel becomes "Notchy" and will lock in place for moments at a time. The only way to gain control of the steering wheel is to apply extra force and once applied the steering wheel is released and causes the driver to overcorrect. I purchased my civic 2 months ago purely for its reliability and the safety ratings given by the NHSTA. Honda has initially released the service bulletin to address their faulty replacement racks stating "certain service part electric power steering (EPS) gearbox assemblies were not made to proper specification. " In reality this is a LIE they are trying to say the scope is less than 5% of their vehicles but the truth is that every single vehicle sold with this same rack has or will in the short future report this issue, some drivers think it is only "annoying" and some dealers are telling customers its "Normal" I am completely appalled that there has not been a Stop-sale issued for this as the main component of a car is the steering and if that is faulty than what else matters! they have managed to put the same rack in multiple vehicles in the last few years and you wont begin to experience the issue unless you drive (few 1,000MI on the car) longer than 45 minutes. Civic Type R's are less likely to experience this as that vehicle uses a different rack (Probably more $). Owners who have gotten a replacement eps system are finding the issue to reoccur after 12 months. This points to the fact that not only is this a manufacturing/Quality issue but a PURLEY FAILED Engineering design. I have an appt with a dealer but they will replace the rack with another faulty one, Honda needs to shut everything down and put the safety of their customers first before we all end up dead or kill someone.
My 2022 Civic Sport experienced the sticky steering problem. The Steering Rack and EPS motor were replaced by Honda. However, this should be documented as it was an unsafe situation. Starting at 20,000 miles I noticed some odd steering behavior. Above 42,000 miles the steering situation got increasingly worse. The steering whee…
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My 2022 Civic Sport experienced the sticky steering problem. The Steering Rack and EPS motor were replaced by Honda. However, this should be documented as it was an unsafe situation. Starting at 20,000 miles I noticed some odd steering behavior. Above 42,000 miles the steering situation got increasingly worse. The steering wheel would get stuck at a position and take an unusual amount of force to get it to change. This would occur normally at speeds above 40mph. It was most noticeable when making a minor steering adjustment after not moving the wheel for a while. This occurred turning in both directions and when driving in a straight line or "locked in" a curve. It was worst at temperatures 35-55F and once the car was driven 20 minutes or more. After 20 minutes it would progressively get worse. It did not occur at low temperatures around 10-15F and the steering was noticeably stiffer at these temperatures. It also did not occur when constantly adjusting the wheel around turns. However, as soon as the wheel was held in a position it would start sticking again. The problem occurred with the lane keep assist and lane departure safety features turned off; it appears unrelated to those systems. The steering would also feel odd when pulling in or backing into parking spots. It felt like you could feel each notch in a gear when turning the wheel. I was able to overpower the steering wheel. However, I hate to think of what this could do to an inexperienced or distracted driver. They could fail to adjust the steering or panic and put in too much force and loose control. It could also delay a drivers reaction time. This is a safety issue. I feel a recall is needed since this issue can be hard to reproduce by the dealer. There were no warning lights or messages.
The steering wheel sticks about 70% of the time I drive the car. I have to use more pressure to make minor adjustments than normal. I'm guessing it's the steering rack or something similar. It takes my focus away from other things I should be paying attention to while driving. I need this fixed ASAP.
While driving and turning the steering wheel away from the 12 o'clock position, the steering wheel (power steering) will not return by itself to the 12 o'clock position after completing the turn. There will also sometimes be a force needed to turn the steering wheel past the 1 o'clock or 11 o'clock position in situations where t…
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While driving and turning the steering wheel away from the 12 o'clock position, the steering wheel (power steering) will not return by itself to the 12 o'clock position after completing the turn. There will also sometimes be a force needed to turn the steering wheel past the 1 o'clock or 11 o'clock position in situations where the turn is sharper but does not exceed the need to turn the steering wheel past the 3 o'clock position. The steering issue only occurs during cornering situations and more frequently on banked turns. The steering issue occurs in both steering directions in the same manner as described above. The steering issue occurs with Lane Keeping Assist turned off. Lane departure notice is active. No electronic messages or indications occur during the steering situation that would indicate Lane departure safety systems were activating. Vehicle has approximately 50k miles. The issue has been noticeable for approximately the past 10k miles. I have had no repairs performed by any dealership to date for any car related issues. Honda recommended maintenance schedule has been followed to date. I have been informed by a Honda Dealership that the serial number associated with my power steering rack is not currently covered under the Manufacturer Recall Number YFW or NHTSA Recall Number 23V-704.The vehicle has recently passed State Inspections without any abnormal wear on tires noticed by the same Honda Dealership that informed me of the issue with the power steering rack.
At freeway speeds the steering becomes very sticky and hard to correct. It locks in place and requires force to overcome the steering wheel.
While driving (especially for a while) the steering wheel pulls left and then right on its own. It feels almost like it is sticking or jerking. I am literally not comfortable driving it without having both hands on the wheel. Because it has a mind of its own. It will try to jerk my wheel left and right without my assistance.
Sticky steering causing over corrections to be made between the intervals of 11 to 1 on the steering wheel. this is very unsafe and needs to be fixed asap.
Official recalls
426V332000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
May 21, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
24V744000 · Steering
Oct 3, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Acura Integra, Civic Type R, CR-V Hybrid, CR-V, HR-V, 2022-2025 Civic, Civic Hatchback, 2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S, 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV, Civic Hybrid, and Civic Hatchback Hybrid vehicles. The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Difficulty steering can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2024. Owners may contact Honda Customer Service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are SJS, MJU, QJT and VJV.
24V064000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Feb 1, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
23V704000 · Steering:rack And Pinion
Oct 19, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Civic 4-door and Civic 5-door vehicles that received a replacement power steering rack as part of a service repair. The steering rack may have been incorrectly assembled, which can allow the tire to chafe against the lower suspension or tie rod end, possibly resulting in tire damage.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged tire can fail and increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the electric power steering rack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 16, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is YFW.
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
2EA23003 · 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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