When driving the steering is sticky, making steering corrections constantly. Happens at all speeds, but very noticeable and dangerous at highway speeds. This has been occurring for quite some time and I thought there would be a recall. This is a known issue for Honda but goes unaddressed. Dealer says the EPS needs to be replaced to the tune of about $3000, not the solution I wanted. By reading the complaints from other Honda owners this issue is on many model years. My vehicle has only 61,000 miles and this should not happen to this many model years. This puts my family and others at risk. There were no warning lamps or messages regarding this issue. Please review and take some action to help resolve this situation
2018 Honda CR-V steering complaints
Page 5 of 12: complaints 101 to 130 of 335, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The steering input on this vehicle could be described as "sticky" or "notchy". It requires higher levels of force for a moment (as if it is getting stuck or bound up on something). The steering will often times not self-center when going around a curve. The independent shop (Honda specific) shop that cares for my vehicles says that is not the power steering pump but something in the rack that has gone bad. They pointed to: the federal safety agency Recall #128844 the federal safety agency Compaign #18V663000 However my VIN is not covered by that recall. But it is definitely close to the VIN range. This "sticky" steering can make it very difficult to make the small corrections necessary to keep the car centered in it's lane and could potentially make the Lane Keep Assist dangerous. It could also potentially hamper the drivers ability to make an emergency maneuver to avoid an accident.
Summary of Problem: Steering issue with 2018 Honda CR-V – unsafe wandering and direction changes at highway speeds. Detailed Description: Approximately four months ago, the steering on my 2018 Honda CR-V began to feel unstable. Over time, the condition has progressively worsened. At highway speeds, the steering will unpredictably shift direction and “wander” within the lane without driver input. This requires constant correction to maintain lane position and creates a serious safety hazard. The condition feels especially unsafe at speeds over 55 mph because it compromises the driver’s ability to keep the vehicle centered in the lane. Due to the severity of the issue, we have stopped driving the vehicle for the past month. A Honda dealership confirmed a problem with the steering gearbox and quoted $4,800 for repair. Honda has acknowledged the defect but will only offer 10% coverage. This is unacceptable given that other 2018 CR-V vehicles have been recalled for steering box defects, and the symptoms in my vehicle match those recall descriptions. My VIN, however, is not currently included in the recall. This defect matches the federal safety agency Campaign 18V663000, which describes a torque sensor magnet in the steering gearbox that may become dislodged, causing unexpected steering behavior and increasing crash risk. Only four 2018 CR-V vehicles were officially recalled, but numerous other owners have reported identical symptoms. Public complaints from owners on forums such as r/crv and sites like [XXX] and [XXX] describe wandering steering and sticky steering at highway speeds, often resolved only after steering gearbox replacement. These issues mirror my experience exactly. The problem is systemic and not limited to the small number of VINs in the official recall. The defect significantly affects vehicle control and poses a risk of loss of steering at highway speeds. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate and consider INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering grabs and is tight then loose. Grabs on highway loose back and forth difficult to control steering back and forth always having to correct to maintain on roadway. The electronic steering box had been recalled on this vehicle but not my vin number. I had to have the vehicle repaired in order to continue to drive it safely. When repaired the vehicle had 47,199 miles and the cost for the gear box part was over 3,600 dollars and total to repair was 4,373.00 I see by your complaints I am not the only person to complain about this problem and for safety reasons had to have the vehicle repaired.
The steering requires different amounts of pressure to turn the wheels. The steering wheel is stiff in the center then breaks free making it hard to control. Mechanic says it needs a new steering gear ( rack and pinion). This car has less than 50k miles and after a google search this seems to be a common problem and some have been recalled but not mine, yet.
Sticky steering. At times, the steering wheel feels stuck, and it takes greater force to break the turn, causing a jerking motion. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When driving on long curves my steering sticks and I need to correct it by turning the wheel slightly inorder to continue on the road. It feels like it could lose control and veer off the road causing an accident. It is both frightening and dangerous to feel the steering stick and not possibly be able to be corrected. i took my car to my local Honda dealer and to diagnose the problem it would cost $224 I could not afford that and would lose it if they did not feel the sticking and if they did it would be applied to the repair. I decided to wait for what I feel is a pending recall. Now it has gotten worse and confirmed by my son who drove my car and asked what the heck is wrong with the steering. Now I feel confirmed and will have to have it repaired. There are no warning lights or messages the driver feels the steering stick and adjusts the direction to stay on the road. This is dangerous, frightening and please do a recall before someone is injured.
While driving at highway speeds, when keeping the car in the current lane or when changing lanes, the steering sticks when turning the wheel to the right.
Rack and pinion required repair/replacement. The car has less than 50,000 miles on it. Issues appeared several weeks ago. Repair was just completed because of issues with steering. Repair was done due to safety concerns.
Stick in steering while driving; slight clunking noise when steering wheel is moved and same noise heard while backing out of parking spots slightly turning the steering wheel .
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was sticking while attempting to make a turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the steering gearbox had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel failed to return to center. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gear box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a creaking sound coming from the steering column, and the steering wheel was momentary sticking while turning the steering wheel in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering gear box and steering magnet was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V663000 (STEERING). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 125,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering wheel became sticky, making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the ongoing steering problems I have been experiencing with my 2018 Honda CR-V. This has made it difficult and even dangerous to operate the vehicle at highway speeds. Specifically, the steering wheel often becomes extremely hard to turn, creating a feeling that the power steering is not working as it should. Additionally, the steering wheel frequently fails to return to its center position after making a turn, further compromising my ability to control the vehicle safely. Upon researching this issue, I discovered that other CR-V owners have experienced similar steering problems. Furthermore, a recall (18V‑663) was issued for some 2018 CR-Vs due to a potential problem with the torque sensor magnet in the electronic power steering system, which may result in unexpected steering behavior during full-lock turns.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the steering wheel was abnormally loose, and easily turned. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
"Sticky Steering" is what its being called. I have been dealing with this for several years (after the warranty was out) but over the last 2 months it has gotten worse. While at highway speeds (45+) there is more resistance when trying to straighten the steering wheel causing an over correction and veering into another lane. Problem is known to dealer but has yet to be duplicated by several garages.
Although the incident date is recent (since an alignment was done a few days prior) this issue has been happening for over a year, but is now getting to the point that we are unable to drive safely at highway speeds. Our steering wheel, especially at highway speeds, gets stuck either side of center, pulling the car to one side or the other. The steering wheel feels stuck and has to be turned with effort constantly to keep the car traveling in a straight line. Even the lane assist feature is also constantly having to correct the steering. After a wheel alignment the problem seems to have gotten worse. The steering also does not recover to the center position after making a turn at low speed.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that it felt as if the steering wheel was stuck. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with power steering rack failure. The contact was informed that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. In addition, the contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was provided with a monetary discount to assist with the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 81,418.
The steering is bad. its going to cause a crash. Hoda knows the steering part is bad, but they will not provide any help to fix it. $5000 was the quote from the Honda dealership. The recommend a replace =ment of the EPS rack.
The steering sticks making the wheel difficult to accurately control. I believe this is the same EPS problem that has been recalled in later models.
Car has developed a sticky steering problem in the last 12 - 18 months ... seems to be getting worse and is more noticeable the longer you drive at highway speeds ... not sure what is going on but believe it to be a safety issue as it is definitely not normal plus uncomfortable to the point of concern
The steering at highway speeds doesn't allow for small corrections. If you move the steering wheel slightly nothing happens , then it suddenly “grabs” causing overcorrection then , you get it back to center but then it “grabs” too much in the other direction. Taking the car to dealer tomorrow for inspection. Something wrong with the steering rack cpuld cause big problems.
When turning, the steering wheel has a very loud creak and when driving, the steering wheel sticks. The Honda maintenance dept said there’s a recall on 2018 CRV’s for this exact problem due to a faulty steering gearbox but that my VIN # is not affected. The problem on my car has been confirmed by the Honda dealer. The maintenance supervisor at our Honda location stated there is also a recall on newer model Honda’s for the steering gearbox. Honda, as well as multiple independent mechanics, have stated that this issue can cause catastrophic injury or death. However, Honda Corporate has refused to offer assistance in fixing this issue and said the out of pocket cost to me will be $4300. There have been no warning signals about this issue and it started about 1 year ago. The car currently has only 62k miles. The original owner of the vehicle was my mother-in-law who leased it directly from the Honda dealer. She only put 18k miles on the car. We both have had it serviced according to Honda’s official maintenance schedule. This is a serious, known issue with active recalls that can cause a fatal accident and Honda refuses to expand their recall for public safety.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 40 MPH, the steering wheel became sticky and failed to return to center while turning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 34,000.
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the steering wheel failed to return to center automatically. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel jerked while driving, causing the vehicle to jerk and to make sudden movements. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven. The dealer diagnosed that the EPS gear box rack assembly needed to be replaced, and an alignment, and reprogramming of the PSCM to the steering neutral position needed to be performed. The dealer related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 52,400.
The steering wheel sticks especially after being driven for a while. It is necessary to use slightly more force to move it sometimes causing overcorrection. I took it to the Honda dealer and they said eventually the gears will be worn so much that the steering mechanism will fail and potentially cause an accident. There are no warning lights for this issue, and currently no recall. I have not had it fixed because the repair cost I was quoted was $4,300. My vehicle has not even hit 100K miles, and should not have such a dangerous, costly issue already.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 45,000.
We started to have "catches" in the steering wheel when driving - from just small catches when turning the steering wheel to more noticeable occurrences. This had been ongoing for several months prior to taking it into the Hertrich Honda dealership in Easton, Md. (We had, previously, taken it into the mechanic that regularly services our cars but they could not recreate the problem), The Hertrich service tech had to drive it several times before experiencing the problem and ID'd it as an issue with the steering rack, requiring replacement. We, then contacted Honda Corporate (05/21/2025) as we saw that a recall had been issued back in September, 2018 (1 month after we purchased our CR-V) for same year and model cars as ours for "Steering : Electric power assist system" - recall# 18V663000. We explained our issue and asked if it would be covered for repairs as it appeared to be the same. We were told that since our vehicle was not included in the recall and that the repair that the dealer listed as being necessary - "replacing steering rack (53620-TLA-A13)) is not the same as the recall repair authorized, "...the steering gearbox assembly...". A follow-up call to the dealership service manager to clarify the difference resulted in being told that they are essentially the same repair, that they do not replace the steering rack without the steering gearbox assembly for that model. Calling Honda, again, for additional clarification we were told that, from their viewpoint they are separate repairs and would not authorize coverage. However, they are willing to provide a "Customer Good Will Adjustment" to the quoted dealer repair estimate of $5,020. and reduce it to $3,500. As it appears that we have no other alternative, we will be contacting Honda to accept this and arrange to schedule the service. Also, as an aside the service manager at Hertrich told us that we wouldn't believe how many of these repairs they have had to do on these Civics and CR-V's
Steering is popping and sticking when making a hard turn. It has gradually become worse. We're not comfortable taking it on long trips. A claim was filed with Honda this week. It has been 5 days and we only get voice mail when we call. Its very scary to think our steering could go out and the car only has 90,000 miles. It's going to cost $5,000 to fix. A recall for this problem was issued, but dealer says my vin is not included in the recall.
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