2018 Honda Civic Steering Problems

Problem presented in April 2026 at 34,300 miles on odometer. The vehicle steering sticks or locks at the 12 o'clock position at highway speeds. A high degree of effort is required to overcome the steering stiction resistance to make small steering adjustments to maintain vehicle course. This anomaly results in overshooting the desired steering adjustment which could potentially cause a accident such as a sideswipe crash or loss of control leaving the roadway. There have been no dashboard warning indicators. The local Honda dealer inspected the car and stated that the steering gearbox needed to be replaced at an estimated cost of $4,025.

When driving in highway or street, the steering feels very stiff. It’s difficult to turn and, especially hard when driving in the highway making small adjustments. When turning left and holding corners the wheel likes to bounce. Took it in the dealership and diagnosed to be the steering rack assembly, and want to charge me 5500 for it. I just bought the vehicle not even 3 days old and I have to spend an extra 5 grand to ensure I’m safe when I’m driving and it’s not right. This is dangerous because if I can’t control the wheel I can lose control and hit someone else. There were no warnings, which was why I purchased the vehicle. The dealership at Honda confirmed my suspicions and diagnosed it as a bad steering rack assembly, and is charging a lump some of money for the fix. The car only had 47000 miles and this should not be an issue I should be dealing with. Honda needs to resolve this as it’s very dangerous to be driving like this especially on a vehicle with very low miles.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. There was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred while making a right turn. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

I have noticed a slight resistance or “sticky” feeling in the steering, especially when driving at highway speeds or while making gentle turns. The steering does not always feel smooth when making small corrections near the center or during curves. At times, the steering wheel feels like it briefly resists movement and then releases, requiring a small additional input to continue turning smoothly. This has occurred intermittently and is more noticeable during continuous driving. The vehicle remains controllable, but the steering does not always return as smoothly as expected, which can affect driving comfort and precision.

Steering wheel gets stuck, Jerky. Steering is jerky when traveling in a straight line, at different speeds. For example when traveling at 45 mph in a straight line, if you need to make a slight correction to stay in your lane the steering wheel seems to lock causing you to exert more force to turn it and then it releases causing you to over correct. I know other owners that have the same problem. This in my opinion is a safety concern and should be investigated.

The steering issue in my 2018 Honda Civic has put my safety and that of others at severe risk by causing unpredictable sticky and jerky movements at highway speeds, potentially leading to loss of control and crashes—I’ve had to fight the wheel multiple times on LA freeways just to stay in my lane, and it’s only getting worse with heat buildup. The problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, as I’m in the process of scheduling that amid Honda’s stonewalling, but it’s identical to widespread EPS failures reported in similar models. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance reps, or anyone else yet—Honda’s dodging responsibility despite knowing about these defects since 2016 per the Burgos v. Honda lawsuit. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure; it just started jerking out of nowhere during high-speed drives, first noticed today based on my best recollection. This is a blatant manufacturing flaw Honda’s covering up for older Civics while recalling newer ones for the same damn thing—force them to expand the recall before it kills someone. Approximate incident date: 03/02/2026. No crash occurred.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became firm and was sticking while driving forward. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The electric power steering gets notchy and sticks instead of smooth turning. This causes the car to drift left and right in the lane. The hotter the day and longer the drive, the worse the problem gets.

The steering wheel is very sticky/notchy at highway speeds. Makes steering difficult especially with minor adjustments. Very unsafe as it can stick and cause you to drift if you’re not on top of the steering or even overcompensate

Have the dangerous sticky steering while traveling down the road where steering wheel needs to be “broke free” to make minor corrections. Aware that there is a recall on certain years and models of the Honda’s for the electronic steering rack recall replacement, it isn’t covered on other select years. Honda has diagnosed yet another vehicle not covered by this recall (mine) and is now wanting me to pay $4500 out of pocket for a new steering rack

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving and turning the steering wheel, the steering was sticking and turned in the opposite direction, reducing the maneuverability of the vehicle. The contact was able to turn the steering wheel to the intended direction. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticky, making the vehicle difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was also informed that there was a TSB on certain model vehicles related to the same failure; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

While driving, my steering wheel sticks in position. The steering wheel will remain in that position until I break it free using more than normal force. At speed, this can often result in overcorrection once the steering finally breaks loose. It is most noticable on the highway when trying to make micro-adjustments to the steering to maintain my lane. The micro-adjustments are not possible since more force is needed to loosen the steering wheel from it's stuck position. I've tried to look this issue up online, and it appears this is a common issue experienced by owners of this generation of Honda Civic. The issue is bad enough that steering racks are on back order due to so many being replaced.

Sticky steering, very difficult to handle on highway. It lasted about 2 weeks, then went away.

My steering sticks at all speeds and is difficult to drive on the highway

The steering is sticky, the power steering does not return the wheel to center whenever I turn. It feels jerky whenever trying to remain center in the lane, especially at highway speeds. Makes slight noise when turning

The car has excessive play in the steering causing much vibrations in the seat and steering wheel while driving, the slightest movement will send you all over the road and presents itself extremely jerky and unstable handling. It should not have this much play in the steering. I see multiple complaints over the steering of this car model but oddly enough i have the opposite issue pertaining to the same components but either way it sounds like the steering system of these cars are not up to par in some way and it seems dangerous to continue driving with noticeable issues there. Im about to trade it in dispite im still paying on it and there is over 100,000 miles on it. It feels like an expensive fix that just aint that worth it to me.

Steering wheel is hard to move/ steer, makes clunking noises, can feel vibration in the steering wheel, way worse at higher speeds, definitely a safety issue if the steering locks up you can't steer the car!!! I see there are recalls on this make model and year car, but mine isn't included??, it should be and why not? This car has only 15k miles.

Steering is "sticky". It is only noticeable when turning toward the right. It is exactly like the steering gearbox recall Honda announced October 2024. [XXX] My vehicle (2018) doesn't fall under the years recall linked above but its definitely experiencing that same issue. It is dangerous and I can feel the same "stickiness" at low(and high) speeds like backing into a driveway. Especially driving 45+ MPH, going around a right-curve on the highway and immediately when I start to straighten the steering wheel, it quickly jerks. This symptom happens consistently and easily duplicated. I've noticed it about a month ago and still happening every since then. I've never had this steering issues with any of the other vehicles I've owned and driven. There people are in the same generation(2016-2021) civic forums and Facebook groups experiences the same symptoms. The recall linked above should've been at least for the 2018 civics too. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at high speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was drivable. The contact stated that the failure persisted while his wife was driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering), however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.