sticky steering
- NHTSA ID
- 11756166
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2024
Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 579 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2017 Honda Civic. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 579 · page 1 of 24
sticky steering
My car AC has been having issues as the driver side produces warmer air than the passenger side. Honda issued a 10 year extended warranty for two of the three AC components; the warranty covers only the compressor and condenser. My 2017 Honda Civic has roughly 64k miles on it and the AC evaporator needs to be replaced. The Honda dealership has responded that this would cost out of pocket to replace. Seeing as the extended warranty covers the other components but not the third related one I'm writing a formal complaint. My vehicle doesn't meet the minimum threshold of usage for the AC evaporator to fail having been in use for under 10 years and having about 64k miles on it.
About one month ago, I noticed that the paint on my rear quarter panel (to the right of my rear window) was peeling. It continues to peel. My insurance will not cover the paint failure, as the adjuster stated that they "will not touch my car because there are several class action lawsuits again Honda for the paint on this specific model and color of white" '. I have contacted Honda and they stated that after looking up my VIN, there are no lawsuits or recalls associated with my specific VIN. I am at a loss because the paint looks like a paint failure - not as though something hit or scratched the paint and caused it to peel. I am looking for assistance for reimbursement or how to get this covered. Because this is not an at fault event, I am unsure of next steps because the paint will continue to peel and then there is a possibility that the car will rust.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while purchasing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the A/C was inoperable. Before purchasing the vehicle, the contact asked the dealer to replace the A/C condenser, and the component was replaced. The contact stated that three years later, the A/C compressor was replaced again, but the shaft seal was not replaced. The contact stated that on June 30, the evaporator failed, causing fumes to enter the A/C and there was bacteria trapped due to oil leaks from the shaft seal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with the failure of the evaporator, causing the oil from the shaft seal to leak into the evaporator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,500.
I just purchased a 2017 Honda Civic yesterday that seems to be experiencing issues similar to the electric power steering (EPS) malfunction involved in Honda’s EPS gearbox recall, even though my VIN is not included. The steering becomes stiff and jerky when trying to turn the wheel, particularly at higher speeds (especially on the highway) and when trying to slightly move the wheel to remain in the lanes. The condition occurs consistently and has made it difficult to maintain proper control of the vehicle, which is super concerning for me. This creates a safety risk because the steering does not respond smoothly or predictably. I purchased this car yesterday at around 75k miles, and I noticed it immediately once I hit the highway. After doing some research I see that many others are experiencing the same issue, as well as it already being a widely known issue with Honda hence their initial recall. I believe this defect should be investigated and expanded to my vin because myself and other owners are experiencing the same problem outside the current recall population.
Steering is sticky feeling when driving, causing me to overcorrect left or right when making slight adjustments to keep the car in the center of the road.
The steering wheel seems to be making a clicking noise and locks up
The paint on the rear trunk area has failed and it is chipping off in large amounts. The missing paint exposes the area to corrosion and reduces structural integrity of the components. American Honda was informed about the paint defect and the car was inspected by Hendrick Honda on 5/27/26 as requested by American Honda.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop and making a left turn, the contact heard a boom, and the front driver's side airbag suddenly deployed without warning or impact. The airbag hit the contact's hand. The contact received medical attention, and a stent was placed in the contact's arm up to the elbow. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The insurance company was informed of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel suddenly became firm, causing the vehicle to pull to one side. The contact was able to continue driving until arriving to the residence, and the steering wheel became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.
When you driving at any speed but mainly when the vehicle is traveling at least 45 mph or more. When you have to abruptly stop, occasionally you will hear a bike horn sound. I have no clue what's causing it and/or where the noise is coming from.
When driving at least 55 mph the steering wheel becomes stiff and auto correct on it own. This consistently happen during the duration of the ride.
The vehicle’s HVAC/A/C system malfunctioned. The primary symptom was hot air blowing from the driver-side vents while the passenger side intermittently continued blowing cooler air. The issue appeared suddenly with no prior indication of problems. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2. I currently live in [XXX] , where extreme heat makes functioning air conditioning an important safety feature. Loss of reliable A/C creates risk of heat exhaustion, dehydration, impaired concentration, and unsafe driving conditions for both the driver and passengers, especially during long drives or heavy traffic in high temperatures. A significant risk to health and safety. 3. Yes. The issue was reproduced and confirmed during inspection by a service center/dealership. The vehicle demonstrated inconsistent cooling performance and hot air from the driver-side vents. 4. The vehicle has been inspected by a service center/dealership for diagnostic and repair purposes. 5. No warning lights, dashboard messages, or HVAC-related diagnostic codes appeared prior to the failure. Additionally, during regular maintenance visits and dealership multi-point inspections over the years, no HVAC concerns, refrigerant leaks, or preventative maintenance recommendations were identified. The issue appeared suddenly during normal vehicle operation without advance warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Fuel pump failure
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering column became stiff and over corrected the contacts steering efforts. The contact stated that on some occasions that vehicle was slowed down and pulled to the side of the road to gain control of the vehicles steering and on other occasions he continued to drive through the failure. The contact believes that the failures were associated with an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The steering wheel has started to jerk left then comes center and goes right. (Likely sticky steering). Under 100k miles and happens mostly on the highway but has started to be on slower roads. No accident as of now, but common issue with this vehicle.
While driving the car on April 19, 2026, the car started losing engine power, was unable to maintain current speed of roadway, had to drive less than 15 miles an hour to a safe location. Had the car towed to the dealership they said there was a faulty code throwing for cylinder three had the fuel injectors replaced. Pick the car up drove not even 2 miles and car was still having the same issue turned around went back to the dealership. They said the car wasn’t throwing any codes picked the car up. It drove fine for less than a week and had to repeat of the same situation, had the car towed again to the dealership all to find out there is a crack in the head gasket, unsure if the turbo was affected after researching apparently this is a very common problem for this make, and model of car.
My white 2017 Honda Civic was brand new when I bought it and has always been garage kept. At the beginning of April, when washing my car, I noticed the paint was peeling around the top of my back windshield. A couple of weeks later, while washing my car, the paint peeled off in several larger areas along the back drivers side window. When I called the dealership that I purchased my car from I was told Honda had extended the warranty 7 years but unfortunately that extension ran out in 2024. I bought touch up paint from a local Honda dealership and tried to fix it but it still looks awful and is still bubbling so bad I’m afraid to even wash it anymore.
The component or system that failed their malfunction is the evaporation system in the Honda vehicles especially after 2017 that regarding the R – 1234YF refrigerant - yes it has been confirmed by the dealership that the evaporator is leaking inside the car, but it is a known issue that warranty only covers the condenser in front of the car which also leaks. My problem is is since both equally run the same R – 1234YF refrigerant this type of refrigerant is known to cause corrosion and pinholes within the condenser and evaporated tubes leading to further issues with AC and cooling problems. There are no warning lights when it comes to these issues, which also pushes a further problem. If you were to go to any Honda dealership or ask, usual people who have condenser issues it could usually and most cases lead back to the evaporator, which also has systematic problems due to Hondas negligence and they knew about this refrigerant because they released it in 2017 to all the models that run the R – 1234YF refrigerant the main problem is the evaporator is supposed to suck out hot air from the car, but if it doesn’t do that and the car can have overheating problems, or it can cause dangerous heat inside the car, causing extreme sweating or even death in certain cases
The contact ownED a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal clicking sound, and the steering wheel locked up, causing her to lose control and crash into an electrical pole. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The yearly inspection was completed two weeks prior with no indication of an issue. The driver sustained a scratch on her leg, and medical attention was provided at the emergency room. All the air bags deployed. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto repair center. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 69,600.
The steering wheel has sticky spots and still continues to require extra effort to do small movements to remain on center. I’ve noticed this has happened to other Honda Civics. I would like my vehicle to get recalled to replace my steering. My car is under 100,000 miles and should not be having issues this early. It’s also a safety issue and needs to be recalled. I have complained about this before.
The steering wheel drifts and the power steering light comes on
The contact's father owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the A/C unit was blowing warm air while activated. Due to the failure, the defroster system failed to clear the glass as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the mechanic discovered that the A/C compressor shaft seal and the A/C evaporator were inoperable. The mechanic also discovered that flammable gas was leaking from the A/C evaporator system into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the A/C compressor shaft seal was covered under warranty; however, the A/C evaporator was not covered. The dealer submitted a Goodwill request to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer agreed to cover 75% of the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact opened a Goodwill request for assistance; however, the manufacturer denied the request. The contact was provided with a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
Steering wheel is sticky during highway driving. While making minor turns or changing lanes the steering wheel intermittently has issues driving straight.
I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2017 Honda Civic, which is experiencing a serious steering issue that appears to be consistent with a known defect currently under recall for similar vehicles. When driving at speeds above approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel becomes noticeably “sticky” or resistant, making it difficult to maintain smooth and controlled steering. This condition creates a safety concern, particularly at highway speeds, as it affects the vehicle’s responsiveness and handling. I understand that there is an existing recall related to steering issues affecting certain Honda Civic models. However, my vehicle’s VIN is not currently included in the recall population, despite exhibiting the same symptoms described in those cases. Given that this appears to be a widespread and documented issue, I believe my vehicle may also be affected by the same underlying defect. I am concerned that I have to pay out of pocket for a repair that is directly related to a known safety issue already acknowledged in other vehicles of the same make and model. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter, investigate whether the recall scope should be expanded, and take appropriate action to ensure all affected vehicles are covered. I am happy to provide additional details, including my VIN, maintenance records, or further documentation upon request. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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