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2016 Honda Civic: jerking or lurching

109 of the 1,083 complaints about the 2016 Honda Civic describe jerking or lurching.

owner complaints
109
of this car's complaints
10%
typical repair cost reported
$3,500
typical mileage
32,000
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 17 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Jerking or lurching by model year

What owners say

Filed Oct 14, 2026 · Steering · OH

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.

Filed Sep 2, 2026 · Steering · 1,000 miles · VA

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.

Filed Aug 3, 2026 · Steering · VA

My 2016 Honda Civic seems to have a 'sticky steering' issue. It is most noticeable when trying to stay straight in a lane, like when trying to make minor adjustments left or right, it would feel like the steering wheel will stick, causing it to jerk more in the direction I’m trying to steer, which causes slight over steering and having to correct back the other direction. It doesn’t happen all the time though. It’s random, but once it starts doing it, it stays that way till I’m done driving.

Filed Jul 31, 2026 · Steering · GA

Steering wheel sticks and is jerky. Requires constant adjustments to drive straight, especially at highway speeds. Seems like grease is no longer effective and pinion gear sticks in spots. Very dangerous in my opinion. Unsafe. Honda should offer to service this by simply injecting new OEM grease.

Filed Jul 31, 2026 · Steering · CA

At highway speeds (more than 40-50 mph) the steering wheel feels "stiff" when driving straight and requires effort to move to the left or right. This causes a jerky motion to either left or right which then requires effort to correct, which then may cause a jerky motion in the opposite direction. Reading forums and other complaints on this website, it seems like this is a known Honda issue and must be corrected via a safety recall.

Filed Jun 19, 2026 · Steering · OH

Steering becomes “sticky” when operating at high speeds, especially in the summer months. This makes intended small adjustments into large, jerky movements, creating a huge safety risk. This issue has been recalled for newer Honda Civics, but not older models, and has been an issue for years now. The issue has been brought up to Honda Dealerships, but no solution has been provided. No warning messages appear.

Filed Jun 12, 2026 · Steering · CA

While driving my 2016 Honda Civic EX at highway speeds (45–75 mph), the steering wheel becomes sticky/stiff and jerky, resisting minor directional inputs. Instead of responding smoothly, the wheel feels temporarily stuck and then jerks when force is applied to correct direction. This requires constant overcorrection to stay in my lane and is a serious safety hazard, particularly at high speeds. This is a known, widespread issue among 2016 Civic owners. The affected component is the electric power steering rack.

Filed Jun 7, 2026 · Steering · IL

Steering wheel is sticking. It’s like the wheels grip and wanders to the left when go straight. If i slightly turn wheel to the right to correct steering it jumps/jerks to the right.

Filed May 29, 2026 · Steering · MI

Steering wheel sticks after a period of driving. After 15-20 minutes of driving (especially during warm months), the steering wheel develops a sticky feeling. Instead of smooth corrective steering to maintain the desired direction of travel, the wheel sticks and jerks free only when I apply enough force, which causes the wheel to turn farther than needed, over-correcting the vehicle direction, which then needs to be corrected in the opposite direction. The jerky movement causes erratic car movement, instead of predictable, deliberate changes in direction, not to mention that it's simply distracting - bringing my focus into the car (to the steering wheel) instead of my surroundings (road and other traffic). It started at maybe 130,000 miles? No engine codes or lights on the dashboard. I haven't had a dealer visit yet because it's 45 minutes away and it's hard to justify time off work for a car that still gets me from one place to another.

Filed May 19, 2026 · Steering · GA

The steering sometimes feels stiff or sticky when driving. It will stick in a certain position driving straight and the steering wheel feels stuck and a slight jerk is needed to unstick it to maintain safe driving, and the steering wheel sticks to take a curve either right or left. I’ve researched that it could be an EPS, the electric power steering issue. It’s been happening since I purchased the car and it happens randomly, I haven’t found any rhyme or reason for what causes it. And because it’s random the Honda mechanic hasn’t been able to experience it to understand or pinpoint the problem.

Filed May 5, 2026 · Steering · TX

Honda has issued a recall for the “worm gear spring” issue on there vehicles that causes the steering of the vehicle to be sticky and jerky at high way speeds. This is an issue I have been having for over a year. I seen they put out a recall that addresses my issue but only include newer years for the car. It is completely unacceptable they are only addressing the issue for recent models when the problem exists even with older models. It’s a huge safety concern considering I can’t properly steer my vehicle.

Filed Apr 29, 2026 · Steering · OH

Steering feels lime it is catching and becomes jerky

Questions about the 2016 Honda Civic jerking

Is jerking or lurching a common problem on the 2016 Honda Civic?

109 of 1,083 owner complaints about the 2016 Honda Civic (10%) mention jerking or lurching. The model year with the most reports is 2022.

How much does it cost to fix jerking or lurching on the 2016 Honda Civic?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,500 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2016 Honda Civic?

There are 0 recalls and 17 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2016 Honda Civic

Stalling 21Check engine light 20Power steering loss 18Engine failure 16Sunroof shattered 16Brake failure 15Lane assist 15Won't start 15Loss of power 14ABS 13Adaptive cruise 13Steering lock-up 13Fuel pump 11Pulling 11Warning lights 11No deployment 10Backup camera 9Fuel smell 9Won't shift 8Grinding brakes 7Collision warning 7Tire blowout 7Hesitation 6Overheating 6Misfire 5Windshield crack 5Wipers 5

All model years of the Honda Civic

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