IllustrationRear hatch holds water inside after rain
2023 Honda Civic
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2023 Honda Civic do not stand out strongly from 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: 21 of 254 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 191 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Lane Departure. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports0 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
254 reportsWhen driving at freeway speeds and some in town speeds 40 mph and up and also when turning at those speed especially on banked turns the steering becomes stuck and takes a lot to unstick and momentarily scary. And you can hear a click or clunking noise when it unsticks. Sometimes after driving the car for a long period you can f…
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When driving at freeway speeds and some in town speeds 40 mph and up and also when turning at those speed especially on banked turns the steering becomes stuck and takes a lot to unstick and momentarily scary. And you can hear a click or clunking noise when it unsticks. Sometimes after driving the car for a long period you can feel it get stuck by just sitting still and turning the wheel to the left and holding it for a few seconds as you would be in a real turn and it will stick and clunk. I’ve even went into a bank to turn a couple times and was able to let go of the wheel and it maintained the turning angle by itself without any lane keep assist options on at all and it has done this multiple times. Also after driving for a good amount of time when you were on the freeway at speeds of 60 to 70 and maybe even faster the car will not drive straight it will click to the left or just click to the right so I basically zigzag down the lanes. It is not smooth like traditional steering. I took it to the dealer and they said they took it on a drive and it could not replicate the issue but I think they did not even take it on the freeway because there is no way it did not do that again because when I left it was still sticking. They said they checked the EPS and it passed inspection no repair necessary but it is still sticking. The Honda dealer I took it to just kept telling me this is normal driving conditions and everyone complains of the same thing and they tell them that it’s all normal. The safety risk is when you give it a hard push to unstick it sometimes it goes almost into the next lane like over correction and could possibly hit another car and cause an accident. No lights or sensors came on the dash at all this has been going on for the last I would say 10,000 miles getting progressively worse. I don’t think the dealer actually drove it long or far enoughThey seem like they wanted me out of there and I was making this up.
Sticky steering
On 12/03/2023, We were involved in serious accident. During this accident, only driver door air bag was deployed. No other air bags were deployed.My wife was on passenger side. She was seriously injured and hospitalized for several days. She is still under medical care. I think air bags on passenger side was defective. Due to d…
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On 12/03/2023, We were involved in serious accident. During this accident, only driver door air bag was deployed. No other air bags were deployed.My wife was on passenger side. She was seriously injured and hospitalized for several days. She is still under medical care. I think air bags on passenger side was defective. Due to defective air bags system, my wife had serious injury and had to go for medical treatment, pain and suffering. We like to investigate defect in air bags. My wife was wearing lap and shoulder seat belt.However, seat belt was not activated and remain loose. Due to loose seat belt, she was injured. Please help. Thank you.
I have noticed this issue sporadically when traveling at speeds usually below 50 mph. I've mostly only noticed this when traveling straight. Sometimes it will occur in small turns though. When the steering wheel is in the same position for some time (usually when traveling straight) and small corrections are needed to stay cente…
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I have noticed this issue sporadically when traveling at speeds usually below 50 mph. I've mostly only noticed this when traveling straight. Sometimes it will occur in small turns though. When the steering wheel is in the same position for some time (usually when traveling straight) and small corrections are needed to stay centered in the lane, I notice the steering wheel itself have a "sticking" type feeling. It requires more than a normal amount of force to get it out of this "sticking" feeling and resume normal control of my steering wheel. This is concerning because it affects driving safely. For being such a new car it is unacceptable.
While driving the vehicle on an interstate for 40 miles, the steering became "sticky" and the vehicle was difficult to change lanes/turn when needed. Vehicle has 2700 miles and it only happens when at highway speeds. No lights are on the dash. Vehicle has not been to a dealership yet.
While driving on a highway/straightaway, after the vehicle is warmed up for 25-30 minutes, the steering wheel feels stuck while it’s straight up and down, and then skips/jumps/slips as slight adjustments are made to remain centered in the lane. I expect it to be smooth while making these small adjustments to stay centered in the…
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While driving on a highway/straightaway, after the vehicle is warmed up for 25-30 minutes, the steering wheel feels stuck while it’s straight up and down, and then skips/jumps/slips as slight adjustments are made to remain centered in the lane. I expect it to be smooth while making these small adjustments to stay centered in the lane. Sometimes you must force the adjustment to remain centered and the skip/jump/slip is more drastic. One time, I had to use more force than normal and almost over-corrected and crossed lanes. This has been happening with this vehicle for about 7 months now. Every time it's driven, this happens. Honda service says it's that lane departure feature and it's normal. I have even experienced this a couple of times while the vehicle is stopped—if you slightly adjust the steering wheel, the steering wheel feels like it is stuck and if you force the steering wheel it releases and skips/jumps/slips. This does not happen all the time.
I had been driving for a few hours and my car suddenly became difficult to steer. This is the first time this has happened and was very scary. The steering wheel would lock up and stick while driving on the highway. The only way to unstick the wheel was to overcorrect the steering wheel by pulling it to one side, which made me s…
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I had been driving for a few hours and my car suddenly became difficult to steer. This is the first time this has happened and was very scary. The steering wheel would lock up and stick while driving on the highway. The only way to unstick the wheel was to overcorrect the steering wheel by pulling it to one side, which made me slightly swerve the vehicle. The car does not feel safe to drive anymore.
The steering “sticks” and while driving it is necessary to oversteer to keep the car in the lane. This is a problem at all speeds but is especially scary at highway speeds. The car has just started doing this and has not been to the dealer yet. We have the same model car that is one year older than the one I am reporting here. I…
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The steering “sticks” and while driving it is necessary to oversteer to keep the car in the lane. This is a problem at all speeds but is especially scary at highway speeds. The car has just started doing this and has not been to the dealer yet. We have the same model car that is one year older than the one I am reporting here. It has the same issue and the dealer agreed to replace faulty steering components but it has not yet been fixed. I have already reported the other vehicle.
Steering wheel is sticking. Took it for service at Piazza Honda in Limerick Pennsylvania and I was told that they were aware of this issue on the 11th generation Honda civics. They do not know of a fix and currently have 2 other Hondas there with the same issue. This is a major safety hazard. I do not feel safe driving this …
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Steering wheel is sticking. Took it for service at Piazza Honda in Limerick Pennsylvania and I was told that they were aware of this issue on the 11th generation Honda civics. They do not know of a fix and currently have 2 other Hondas there with the same issue. This is a major safety hazard. I do not feel safe driving this car or putting my kids in the car.
Official recalls
424V859000 · Seats:critical Fasteners
Nov 14, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
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.
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.
23V430000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module
Jun 15, 2023
Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic, Acura RDX, Acura Integra, and 2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A ball valve in the vehicle stability assist (VSA) modulator may leak brake fluid, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the brake hold feature is engaged or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are OEJ, XEK, AEY, XEX and OEW.
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.