IllustrationSteering wheel feels sticky when 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.
34 crash reports3 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
881 reportsI bought this car new from a Honda dealer in September of 2021. While driving the car home from the dealership I noticed it did not track straight and well on the highway - I needed to make small steering corrections frequently to keep it centered in the lane. Over the next few months I noticed the steering had small "kicking" m…
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I bought this car new from a Honda dealer in September of 2021. While driving the car home from the dealership I noticed it did not track straight and well on the highway - I needed to make small steering corrections frequently to keep it centered in the lane. Over the next few months I noticed the steering had small "kicking" motions and seemed to "stick" while driving normally. The car makes these motions at hwy speeds, low speeds, hot weather, cold weather, and sometimes when moving the wheel at rest I felt these stick or kick motions in the steering. These are subtle, mild motions but its alarming to have this happen and makes the car feel unsafe to drive. There is no pattern to when this happens - its totally random and unpredictable. I took the car in to the Honda dealer in December 21 for its first service and asked the service dept to check. I explained it was small steering motions and occurred randomly so they should drive it as long as needed to produce the problem. The dealers reported they could not find any problem with the steering. Since this service visit the steering "kicking" has continued to occur in the same random pattern since the day I bought it. I am a car enthusiest and have owned and drive literally hundreds of cars, trucks, SUV's and class I vehicles with manual steering, hydraulic power steering, and eledctric power steering. I have NEVER EVER had this symptom occur in any vehicle until experiencing in in th2022 Honda Civic. This steering prblem is NOT A NORMAL CONDITION - THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE STEERING SYSTEM THAT IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD.
My steering rack has failed twice now, I purchased the car in August of 2021 and I have had a rental for over 7 months now combined. They are quoting July for the new part, likely replacing it with the same part that will fail again. Issues include: "sticky" steering wheel. Making it difficult to drive at low speeds, it is a sa…
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My steering rack has failed twice now, I purchased the car in August of 2021 and I have had a rental for over 7 months now combined. They are quoting July for the new part, likely replacing it with the same part that will fail again. Issues include: "sticky" steering wheel. Making it difficult to drive at low speeds, it is a safety concern not being able to make micro adjustments. Sometimes it pretty much locks and takes 2-3 lbs of pressure to "break" it free. It doesn't sound like much but when you're doing 70+ on the interstate it is incredibly dangerous. The first time it failed I was below 15k miles, then second time was right around 30k miles. The dealer has acknowledged the issue both times but has failed to replace it with a non-defective part.
While driving the car, I am experiencing a sticky steering wheel. it happens a low speeds but is more noticeable at highway speeds. The wheel sticks and when slightly turning it is causing me to over correct my steering. I have to be very quick because the car wants to jump into the other lane very quick. Then then going around …
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While driving the car, I am experiencing a sticky steering wheel. it happens a low speeds but is more noticeable at highway speeds. The wheel sticks and when slightly turning it is causing me to over correct my steering. I have to be very quick because the car wants to jump into the other lane very quick. Then then going around larger curves, the steering wheel sticks and does not naturally rebound, again causing me to overcorrect. serious safety concern.
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel started drifting to the left and the right independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and had an a…
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The contact owns a 2022 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel started drifting to the left and the right independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and had an alignment completed. The contact continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering gear to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
I was driving going about 35mph and the steering wheel locked up and it crashed into a curb. There were no warning lamps. The car has been in the service center due to the part is no longer being manufactured we are waiting on the part, electronic steering rack. A mechanic has serviced and diagnosed.
Power steering is giving an error code which has disabled front radar and adaptive cruise control as well as lane keep assist. Dealership is refusing to tell me in depth what is wrong with the unit but is insisting I replace it.
The steering is locking up/sticking when driving. Tends to get worse when speed gets up to about 40mph. This problem has been going on for quite some time just not been as bad as it is now. It is now unsafe to drive. Last drove it on the highway and the wheel kept locking up and car was heading off the road. Did not wreck but do…
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The steering is locking up/sticking when driving. Tends to get worse when speed gets up to about 40mph. This problem has been going on for quite some time just not been as bad as it is now. It is now unsafe to drive. Last drove it on the highway and the wheel kept locking up and car was heading off the road. Did not wreck but do not feel safe driving it now. I have brought it to the dealer ship when it was still in warranty and the dealership said it needed an alignment which did not fix the problem. No warning lights that there was a problem. Now that the car is out of warranty the dealership says The power steering rack needs to be replaced. Problem is they are on a national back order and there is no recall out yet so I am without a car until who knows when.
So i been experiencing my steering issues since the date i purchased my vehicle. I have brought my car in multiple times and the dealer has told me there is no issue with it. But for the last time i went to go get my oil change done and i told the service advisor again about the issue and they had me drive with someone in the ca…
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So i been experiencing my steering issues since the date i purchased my vehicle. I have brought my car in multiple times and the dealer has told me there is no issue with it. But for the last time i went to go get my oil change done and i told the service advisor again about the issue and they had me drive with someone in the car and once that person drove with me he noticed the issue right away. The issue was a bad steering rack and i already put 12000 miles on the car and it’s been like this since 0 miles and it was very dangerous to drive. Well driving my steering would not go around loops or turns very well it will get stuck which almost got me in accidents multiple times. And now i am without a car for 4 months waiting for a steering rack which is really ridiculous. This is a safety issue which could have led to serious injury or death. It is ridiculous because i took my car multiple times and they did nothing until i told multiple times there is an issue with my car. My safety and other family members that drove my car could of be really in danger because of this.
“Sticky Steering Wheel”. My steering wheel locks and knocks while trying to maintain lane. Steering wheel rack replaced Feb 23,2023. As of yesterday May 30,2023 I am having the same problem again with the new replaced steering wheel rack.
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.