2013 Honda Crosstour

Complaint Summary: Steering system failure remains unresolved after Honda warranty repair. Complete loss of electric power steering. Complaint Details: I experienced a sudden and complete loss of electric power steering on my 2013 Honda Crosstour V6. The EPS warning light illuminated, steering effort increased drastically, and vehicle control at low speeds became difficult and unsafe. The vehicle was brought to a Honda dealership, which replaced the EPS control unit under Honda’s warranty extension 19-036. However, after the repair, the power steering is still completely inoperative. The same original diagnostic trouble code (DTC 32-09) returned immediately, showing that the underlying defect was never resolved. The dealership now claims the EPS steering gearbox has failed and quoted approximately $5,000, even though the failure began before the control unit replacement and the EPS system remains non-functional after the warranty repair. This appears to be an incomplete or incorrect repair of a safety-critical steering system. The vehicle continues to have zero steering assist at all times, causing significantly increased steering effort, especially at low speeds and during parking maneuvers. This creates an ongoing safety risk to the myself and others on the road. Loss of power steering after a warranty repair suggests a potential defect trend or misdiagnosis involving the EPS system. I am requesting that NHTSA review this incident for possible safety implications affecting steering reliability.

As I was driving out of the parking garage I could not turn the wheel of my vehicle and almost hit a cement pillar. A light popped on that had a steering wheel and a exclamation mark. This message had never popped up before. I looked in my owners manual and found it was the power steering sign. I thought my vehicle needed power steering fluid but found out it was automatic. I took it to the dealership and they stated I need a steering rack.

I was arriving home and when I turned onto my road the steering got impossible to turn. The steering trouble light come on. I stopped the car. We walked home. Next day I went to car and started it. The light was off and steering was back to normal. I live off of a curvey road will this happen again? I am afraid to drive it. Has Honda got a recall out?

When driving around 30 miles per hour the vehicle would still drive but it was extremely difficult to turn. I noticed the steering warning failure indicator was flashing on the dash, I could barely pull over to left to avoid cars from hitting me from the sides and came to a complete stop. (The car was still running, no steering) . I cycled the key and waited for a couple of minutes, the power steering light was off and the steering worked but only for about 100 meters, this happened about five times before I was able to drive it home. The issue has not reoccurred yet, I'm going to the dealer tomorrow for general maintenance but I was already told that it will be hard to diagnose if the issue is not present. I don't feel safe on this car, specially for long trips or highway speeds.

In August 2021, the Crosstour was traveling at approximately 60mph over a bridge, the steering wheel locked and became nearly impossible to turn. Control of vehicle was lost. Vehicle was brought to a Honda service center and evaluated. A code was generated, and the vehicle was under warranty, and the problem was supposedly fixed. February 2022, Crosstour was traveling at approximately 30mph when the steering began to feel unsteady and tight. The steering wheel locked again. Control of vehicle was lost. Vehicle was brought to the same Honda service center. The workers said no code was generated this time.

DRIVING ON I85N AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE EPS (ELEC. POWER STEERING) LIGHT CAME ON AND STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND VEER OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT THANKFULLY DUE TO MINIMAL TURNING REQUIRED. A WEEK LATER, THE ISSUE REOCCURRED AFTER A FEW DAYS OF BEING PARKED. AT LEAST THIS TIME I WAS NOT ON A HIGHWAY... WHY DID THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION ONLY RESULT IN THE EPS ISSUE BEING COVERED FOR THE ACCORD (2 DIFFERENT TSBS) OF THE SAME YEAR BUT NOT FOR THE CROSSTOUR IF THE CROSSTOUR IS BASED ON THE ACCORD?

WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AT ABOUT 25MPH ON HARTFORD (CT) CITY STREET AFTER SEVERAL MILES OUT OF I-91, MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY WENT STIFF AND THEN AN ICON WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AND AND EXCLAMATION MARK APPEARED. I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, I HAD TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO SLOWLY ROLL OFF THE STREET TO GO STRAIGHT INTO CURBSIDE AND WAITED FOR AAA TOW TRUCK TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE AND DELIVER IT TO MY HOME FOR REPAIRING AND I WAS REQUIRED TO FIND OUT A WAY TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY SEPARATELY TO HOME DUE TO LOCAL COVID-19 RULE. I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. GLAD TO BE ALIVE AND DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. I RESTARTED MY CAR SEVERAL TIMES, THE EPS LIGHT COULD NOT GONE.

AT 92,886 MILES, CRANKED MY PARKED CAR UP TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE AND NOTICED THE EPS WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND REMAINED ON. AS I ATTEMPTED TO BACK OUT, I WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. I'VE HAD OLDER CARS WHERE YOU COULD AT LEAST MUSCLE THE STEERING WHEN LOW ON POWER STEERING FLUID... NOT SO IN THIS CASE. VERY THANKFUL I WAS NOT ALREADY ON THE HIGHWAY AS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER MISSED A SERVICE, HAS HIGH QUALITY SYNTHETIC BLEND OIL, GARAGE KEPT AND ALWAYS HAD THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE. THE CAR IS A BEAUTIFUL COMPLETELY UNUSABLE VEHICLE RIGHT NOW. I CALLED A LOCAL AUTO SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID ONLY HONDA CAN ADDRESS THIS SITUATION AND THE REPAIR STARTS AT $3000. I READ MANY COMPLAINTS FROM HONDA OWNERS OF 2013 CROSSTOURS/ACCORDS AND UNDERSTAND THERE ARE MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE OUT OF THE BLUE, SOME OF WHOM EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING.

WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPH ON I95 MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY WENT STIFF AND THEN AN ICON WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AND AND EXCLAMATION MARK APPEARED. I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, I HAD TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO SLOWLY ROLL OFF THE HIGHWAY TO GO STRAIGHT INTO A PARKING LOT OF A GROCERY STORE AND WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY WAITING FOR AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. GLAD TO BE ALIVE, THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING.

UPON DRIVING HOME I TURNED A CORNER AND IMMEDIATELY MY STEERING WENT OUT AND I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR AT ALL. THE CAR HAS ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING AND THE SYSTEM WENT OUT. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD SITUATION. I HAD I TOWED TO HONDA WHICH SAID THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL COST $3000. THE WORST PART IS THEY CAN'T SEEN TO FIX IT, THEY PUT IN A NEW SYSTEM BUT CAN'T SEEM TO GET THE COMPUTER TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THE ACCORD/CROSSTOURS WITH THIS ISSUE FROM 2013-2015 WITH THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING GOING OUT. HONDA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. TWO WEEKS LATER I STILL HAVE NO CAR. THIS WAS A PRE-OWNED CERTIFIED CAR AND I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND IT ONLY HAS 72,000 MILES.