Power steering rack needs replacement. No damage cause by myself. Later models of the same vehicle have recalls on the power steering rack. The steering wheel will “stick” when driving and i’ll have to use excessive force to turn the wheel even just slightly causing the vehicle to jerk around.
2016 Honda Civic steering problems
446 complaints (41% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 39,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 446
- of this car's complaints
- 41%
- typical mileage
- 39,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Steering wheel/handle bar1
- Rack and pinion1
- Electric power assist system1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Honda Civic steering problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 Honda Civic steering
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2016 Honda Civic owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
When driving at highway speeds/long distances, steering occasionally gets stiffer to the point where it will stick and require more force to free. This leads to overcorrections and constant adjustments for the duration of the drive, as well as difficulty staying in a lane. Issue can usually only be replicated when driving longer distances on the highway, especially when driving on a straight road.
When the Honda Civic has been driven long enough for the steering to get warm, at highway speeds, the steering wheel will stick in position instead of centering itself. Manual adjustment has to be done to straighten the car.
Mostly during warm weather and driving over 45MPH the steering gets sticky. When attempting to use a little pressure to make a slight correction to keep the care centered in the lane the steering "jumps" and over steers requiring to re-correct to stay centered in the lane. I'm having to keep correcting the steering which causes me difficulty and concerned about the safety especially driving on the highway.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel jerked, and the steering wheel was sticking. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall associated with the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
My 2016 Honda Civic has developed a steering problem in which the steering feels sticky or notchy while driving. The steering wheel does not move smoothly when making small corrections and can feel like it catches or resists movement before releasing. This is especially noticeable while driving at higher speeds and makes it more difficult to make normal, smooth steering corrections and maintain the vehicle’s position in the lane. I took the vehicle to a Honda dealership for evaluation. The dealer diagnosed the problem as the steering rack and advised that the steering rack needs to be replaced. I am reporting this to the federal safety agency because this is a steering-related safety concern. The vehicle has approximately 95,000 miles, and I am concerned that this steering failure could result in loss of proper steering control or increase the risk of a crash.
Failure of my Electric Power Steering General Assembly/Steering Rack and Pinion in my 2016 Honda Civic EX sedan while driving at highway speeds. My steering wheel sticks or feels notchy at highway speeds requiring physical effort to overcome the binding. A highly reputable independent automotive shop (Gearheadz) in [XXX] has confirmed in its diagnosis that this is a dangerous defect that needs to be corrected. The odometer on my 2016 Honda Civic EX has only 70,000 mileage as of XXX. My car is in very good condition except for this manufacturing defect by Honda.. I discovered in my research that Honda has issued a massive safety recall for an identical physical safety hazard on 2022-2025 Honda Civics, but excluded the 2016-2021 model years. Hundreds of other owners have documented the exact same dangerous "sticky steering" symptoms at highway speeds in their Civics that predate the 2022-25 recall. My out-of-pocket expenses to correct this problem will exceed $2,000. The expense would more than double that amount if I let Honda repair or replace the steering rack and pinion problem. Clearly, Honda knows about this issue and yet has decided to limit its recall on the manufacturing defect that is NOT cause by the owner. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I've owned this 2016 Honda Civic since May of 2025. At first I never experienced any issue from the steering, that is when I started to notice that my steering felt like it would be sticking, like you couldn't balance yourself on highways or speeds exceeding 30+mph. I started doing my own research and discovered that other civic owners (10th and 11th gen) were experiencing similar issues. I'm hoping Honda takes notice of the reports being sent in and issues either a recall or a fix to this problem.
My 2016 Honda Civic EX-T intermittently experiences a sticky/notchy steering condition, particularly while driving at highway speeds. When making small steering corrections around the straight-ahead/center position, the steering wheel sometimes resists movement and feels as though it is sticking or binding. Additional steering effort is then required to overcome the resistance, after which the steering releases. This can cause a larger steering correction than intended and creates concern about maintaining precise directional control at highway speeds. The condition is intermittent and may not occur during a short test drive. I reported the condition to an authorized Honda dealer and requested that it be evaluated. The dealer test drove the vehicle but was unable to reproduce the condition. The dealer provided an estimate of approximately $5,887 should replacement of the EPS steering rack/gear become necessary. No EPS warning light is present. I have also opened a case with American Honda Customer Relations (Repair Diagnosis Information Request: 16569333) regarding this steering concern. I am reporting the condition to the federal safety agency because the intermittent increase in steering effort and subsequent release can potentially result in overcorrection and represents a safety concern.
Steering will feel notchy or sticky while driving, especially on the highway while trying to stay in a lane. This will cause excessive force to "unstick" the steering while will then require another steering correction. This has happening with the car since purchase (used) in 2020.
Questions about the 2016 Honda Civic steering
Does the 2016 Honda Civic have steering problems?
Owners have filed 446 complaints about the steering of the 2016 Honda Civic, 41% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2016 Honda Civic steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 39,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Honda Civic steering?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Honda Civic have bad steering?
The Honda Civic model years with the most steering complaints are 2022 (734 complaints), 2016 (446 complaints) and 2018 (316 complaints).
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Honda Civic?
Yes. Class action says Honda and Acura keyless entry makes cars easy to steal and asks for theft protection (November 12, 2026).
Other 2016 Honda Civic problems
Electrical 119Engine 100Brakes 96Visibility 67Body 48Driver assistance 40Transmission 36Fuel system 30Lights 30Airbags 28Wheels 19Acceleration 17Tires 8Suspension 6Seat belts 4Seats 4
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