Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2018 Honda Civic submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 303 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 303, in the owner's own words
Steering catches and sticks while driving and you have to tug to get it to release to get control back. This has happened several times that has caused me to almost wreck numerous times. I do not feel safe driving it but it is my only vehicle. Dealership said it is more than likely the epf system, or the electrical steering system that is faulty.
Steering sticks when driving in straight line for extended time. Requires extra effort to make small adjustments Also becomes jerky when making adjustments
Internal failure of the gearbox as diagnosed by the Honda dealer. Repair completed July 24, 2026. Car has less than 36,000 miles. Steering was binding and sticking. Unable to steer vehicle properly.
‘Sticky’ steering has developed over the last few thousand miles driving this vehicle. It began with the car resisting turning when driving straight. More force than expected is necessary to turn the car and it is unpredictable for when it occurs, which raises a major safety concern. When I discussed this issue with Honda they said it’s likely the whole rack and pinion and they knew it was such because many other drivers of this car had the same issue. There is clearly a fault with this part in the car failing, thus causing many drivers of this car to have to get this repair. Over the past few years, this part has been on back order due to the frequency of this part failing. The fact that Honda is aware of the issue and has done countless replacements of this part indicates there is a substantial fault with a critical part of the car for safe driving. This car has been in no accidents or hit/run over anything that would warrant the rack and pinion to fail. Something like a tie rod or control arm is a more typical replacement, but the whole steering rack failing is questionable for the integrity of the part.
Steering wheel started notching after taking left turns. The wheel would not smoothly return to center and would stick which would lead me to over correcting the steering wheel to get it unstuck. This often made it extremely difficult to stay in the lane and take tight turns. The problem started when I would go above 60 mph, but it started occurring more frequently as I continued to use my car. Additionally, the notching would become more intense if I used my car multiple times a day. I took it to get diagnosed at Honda and they confirmed that there was an issue with the sensor in the gear box assembly that caused it to malfunction while I was driving. They recommended that I replace my gear box assembly and get an alignment performed. This problem seems similar to the recall posted in Service Bulletin 18-102, however, the dealership could not confirm if it was related since the part in my car did not match the effected parts included in the bulletin.
Steering wheel sticks with minor adjustments makes it dangerous when driving . Research shows it's already a recall on other years of the same model.
Steering wheel at speeds usually above 25mph causes the steering wheel to feel stuck. This is a big safety issue as this causes over correction, leading me to steer into other lanes. No warnings, ect. I just purchased the vehicle last weekend so I have not had a chance to get it into the shop just yet but after researching this seems to be a common problem. This is a road hazard that can absolutely cause accidents. From my understanding there has been a recall issued on newer models but not on the 10th gen civics. This needs addressed and a recall absolutely should be issued.
When driving my 2018 Honda Civic, the steering wheel exhibits a distinct "sticky," "notchy," or "binding" sensation, making small, incremental lane adjustments difficult. While trying to make minor steering corrections, the steering wheel feels locked or caught in place. I have to apply intentional, extra physical force to overcome this resistance and break the steering wheel free. Once it breaks free, the car will sometimes over-correct, causing a sudden jerk or weaving motion within the lane. This requires constant, stressful micro-corrections to keep the vehicle centered. This issue worsens as the vehicle warms up or during warmer ambient outdoor temperatures. The binding feeling makes it incredibly difficult to maintain a smooth, safe line of travel and creates an immediate accident hazard due to the potential for over-steering into adjacent lanes or off the road.This behavior is identical to the "sticky steering" defect described in NHTSA Campaign 24V767 for newer Civic models, so I believe the steering gearbox defect or a similar component failure spans into the 2018 model year as well.
This is a huge issue across the board with Honda vehicles regarding sticky/notchy steering when exceeding speeds of 50 mph. There should be a recall on the 10th generation Honda Civics because the steering wheel sticks and causes overcorrection to unlock the steering wheel, creating a huge safety risk for the driver, passengers, and everyone else on the roadways, which could cause serious accidents and probably already has. The Honda dealerships don't care about these problems and are trying to capitalize on thousands of dollars from consumers instead of creating a recall and fixing this very dangerous known steering issue. Please help with this safety issue as there are a lot of unsafe Hondas traveling on the roads each day.
Steering sticks requires, force to turn wheel at times. This is an ongoing problem, not a one time occurrence.
The steering get sticky when on highway speeds
After car warms up ,steering wheel is hard to turn When turning wheel at speed , it feels like it is stuck Requiring more force to turn which in turn causes over correction. Wheel does not turn smoothly. It feels like it is stuck in a notch that requires extra force to move it out of notch making it difficult to do small adjustments to stay in lane
Steering rack failed The car when driving steering wheel gets stuck and you have to turn it and it will jerk loose and the car jerks.very unsafe due to the car can lose control. Yes confirmed at Ryan Honda at monroe LA No warning. A month ago it started
When driving, initial steering input requires excessive torque to initiate direction, causing oversteer which has to be readjusted with opposite input. I consider this a safety concern.
I am experiencing an intermittent "sticky" and stiff steering sensation while driving my 2018 Honda Civic EX-T at highway speeds (between 60–70 mph). While attempting to maintain a straight line on the freeway, the steering wheel resists minor, smooth adjustments and feels briefly locked or stuck. When I apply extra physical force to override the resistance, the steering suddenly releases, which frequently causes the vehicle to over-correct and drift in the lane, creating a major safety hazard. Additionally, the steering column has recently started making an audible clanking sound during operation. A licensed mechanic performed a full visual inspection and a wheel alignment, confirming that all physical suspension, tires, and mechanical steering components are tight and structurally healthy. This is an internal electronic or mechanical defect within the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) rack assembly itself, identical to the steering defect already recalled on 2022–2025 Honda models.
My 2018 Honda Civic is experiencing dangerous steering wheel sticking/binding while driving at highway speeds, accompanied by heavy creaking at full turn. My VIN is not included in the existing electronic steering rack recall, but the vehicle is exhibiting the exact mechanical failure symptoms described in Campaign 18V663000
Steering becomes stiff and requires higher force to make minor corrections. Most notable at highway speeds. No EPS warning lights, car has been aligned, brakes and suspension checked. Vehicle has between 59,000 and 60,000 miles on odometer. Dealer diagnosed as worn out steering system, coded as internal failure.
Same exact issue as NHTSA Recall 24V-744, needs to be extended to cover this generation of Honda Civics. Steering sticks while driving, causing driver to use more than normal force to unstick wheel. This causes over corrections while driving. Occurs at all speeds. Requires constant corrections every 2-3 seconds while driving. Fatiguing to drivers and dangerous with how abrupt the sticking wheel breaks free. Taken to Honda dealer who was able to recreate issue but this model year is not covered under the recall for model years 2022-2025 for the exact same issue. So I was told that no repair would be covered. First appeared around 60,000 miles and seems to worsen in warm weather. This presents a danger to the driver and others on the road with the inconsistent steering behavior and constant input need to maintain a straight driving line.
The steering wheel sticks. When turning the steering wheel at high speeds (over 45 mph) the steering sticks and abruptly comes free causing the car to swerve.
while driving, the steering sticks and has gotten worse over the past 2 weeks. took to a Honda Dealer and they diagnosed the Electronic Power Steering Rack needs replaced/gear box, $3500-5000 estimated. Then told us if we continue to drive it we could wreck and end up in a ditch. Our teen drives this car and now we are without a car and out $22,000, which we paid 2 yrs ago for the used car. We are asking the car be covered in the recall 18-102 for repairs. Otherwise I go to the news and internet. This was inspected by a Honda Dealer, noted now in the paperwork. No other warnings present.
My steering wheel sticks. It stick's when I'm going fast and slow and turning. It pulls me to the left and right and feels like it's taking over. I have to correct it and I'm worried I'm going to wreck. I'm going to a Honda dealer To be diagnosed June 23.
The vehicle's steering wheel gets stuck in place causing jerkiness while driving at medium to fast highway speeds. The steering wheel does not return to center automatically and you have to "break" the steering wheel loose from it's stuck position. The constant stuck position of the steering wheel causes distrust in the vehicle and that it will be ultimately stuck in a position to cause an accident. It also poses a risk that the vehicle can start veering in an unwanted direction and an overcorrection can also cause an accident. The vehicle can be inspected upon request. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, it also has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance or others, but I have researched this issue with similar Honda vehicles and it seems to be a very common issue that needs to have an official recall issued for and fixed by Honda.
STEERING FEELS CATCHY
The Electronic Power Steering (EPS) gearbox assembly exhibits a severe binding, catching, and sticky sensation at highway speeds after the vehicle warms up. The steering wheel gets stuck in the center position, requiring constant physical force to break it free to maintain the lane. This results in continuous overcorrection, vehicle weaving, and an inability to track straight, which is easily mistaken for poor road or wind conditions but creates a severe lane-drift safety hazard. The issue does not trigger any warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes. Coggin Honda diagnosed the failed unit and found that Honda has revised this specific steering rack part number (53650TBAA03) three separate times (from ending in A00 to the current A03), demonstrating engineering awareness of a component defect that closely mirrors the newer 2022–2025 Honda steering recalls. Note that this vehicle's odometer reads 30,532 miles and this steering issue was felt for some time now and has gotten worse over the years. The problem was officially diagnosed on 6/3/2026.
The steering wheel is sticky when resetting position after turning left. This is a major safety issue as it requires force to get the steering out of that locked up position. This forces overcorrection and the car sways everytime. I can confirm 100s of people with civics have this issue on Reddit, YouTube and other Honda forums however the recall only applied to 2022 and above (known issue but somehow recall didn’t apply to pre 2022 cars). This is a major flaw from a reputed company that sells 100s of thousands of cars. If I can see so many complaints online, I can imagine how many common people (elderly and disabled included) that don’t report and are especially at high risk of this. I sincerely request further investigation and enforcing better safety practices in this situation. Thank you very much.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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