IllustrationMy Civic SI has developed sticky steering while on the highway. When driving 70mph in a straight line I have to put increased effort into turning the steering wheel. It can cause over steer if putting to much effort into trying to turn.
2022 Honda Civic Si
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
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There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
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Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Civic Si years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 73 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 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Lane Departure. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
73 reportsmainly on highway speed. the sticky steering issue has been a wide spread. i have experienced it and it happens quite frequently. trying to keep the car align to the road can cause a bit of oversteer especially on curves trying to straighten the car after a curve it pulls too much. it becomes more dangerous on rainy days
At highway speeds when going in a straight line, the steering becomes sticky when making a slight adjustment which leads to overcorrecting and cause the vehicle to swerve back and forth. The issue seems to be worse in colder weather.
It seems as though the steering is not connected for a few seconds when on the highway at higher speeds. There is a brief disconnect where the steering wheel has to be first "unstuck" before it'll start responding again. Typically happens after about 30 mins at speeds greater than about 45 mph. It becomes incredibly scary to fee…
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It seems as though the steering is not connected for a few seconds when on the highway at higher speeds. There is a brief disconnect where the steering wheel has to be first "unstuck" before it'll start responding again. Typically happens after about 30 mins at speeds greater than about 45 mph. It becomes incredibly scary to feel as though you don't have control when on the highway. It becomes hard to keep the car in the lane because constant adjustments are needed to keep it unstuck. The dealer claims there is no issue after a 10 minute test drive, and charged me for diagnostics. There are no warning lights, and the issue seems to be getting worse each time I drive. The symptoms first started to appear around 23,000 miles.
Steering have sticky sensation while driving at high ways, get stiff when try to turn it, got fixed one time already around 1 month ago and now is giving the same problem.
Frequently the steering feels sticky or notchy. It is most noticeable when I am traveling at highway speeds (55-65 mph)
I have experienced the “sticky steering wheel” with my vehicle. Although it isn’t severe, it still is noticeable and I have adjusted my driving style to compensate. Luckily I have had no close calls yet but I constantly check to make sure it does not affect my driving.
Sticky steering. Extra effort need to change lanes on highway. Problem started off intermittently and is now constant. Dealers are claiming they are unable to replicate issue on the majority of cars who report this. The car needs a new steering rack(electric).
When traveling straight and slightly turning the wheel to adjust steering, wheel can become stiff and be difficult to move in either direction, almost like it’s sticky and needs forced out of position.
I bought this car used at around 4,000 miles. I had no issues with it for about a thousand miles and then my wife and I noticed that the steering was sticking in lower speeds. It took constant correcting to keep it in the center of the lane. After another thousand miles or so it started doing it at higher speeds. We still dr…
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I bought this car used at around 4,000 miles. I had no issues with it for about a thousand miles and then my wife and I noticed that the steering was sticking in lower speeds. It took constant correcting to keep it in the center of the lane. After another thousand miles or so it started doing it at higher speeds. We still drive it because it is what we have to drive but it takes an extreme amount of concentration to keep it from crossing lines while driving. At first it seemed like a gearing issue but found from Honda that it is an electric / electronic issue with the rack and pinion steering assembly. I certainly wouldn't let anyone else drive this vehicle until this issue is solved and as of yet we have not got any future correction for this issue from the Honda dealers. It is certainly an unsafe vehicle as it is. We love the vehicle but would like for it to be repaired.
Official recalls
0No 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
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.