The steering wheel sticks/binds while driving at highway speeds (sticky steering). It feels like it gets stuck in the center position and requires extra force to move, causing sudden jerky corrections. Dealer states my 2021 Honda CR-V is not included in Recall 24V‑744/NTHSA Action Number EA23003, despite having the exact same defect and safety hazard as 2023-2025 models.
2021 Honda CR-V: jerking or lurching
27 of the 342 complaints about the 2021 Honda CR-V describe jerking or lurching.
- owner complaints
- 27
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- recalls
- 0
Jerking or lurching by model year
What owners say
While driving, the steering wheel exhibits a severe "sticky," binding, and catching sensation, particularly at highway speeds. The vehicle requires excessive physical force to break past this catching point to make minor steering adjustments. When the steering wheel finally breaks free, it causes the vehicle to suddenly jerk or overcorrect, creating an immediate crash hazard and an inability to maintain lane centering safely. The dealership (Honda of Slidell) has diagnosed the vehicle as needing a complete steering gearbox assembly replacement. This vehicle has only 41,035 original miles and has never been in an accident. This mechanical failure mode is identical to the federal safety agency Campaign 24V‑744 (Sticky Steering Manufacturing Defect), which affects adjacent model year Hondas utilizing the same supplier components. The manufacturer is currently excluding the 2021 model year from the safety recall campaign despite experiencing the exact same catastrophic supplier failure. This represents an unaddressed, widespread safety hazard on public highways that requires federal intervention and a campaign expansion.
While I was driving my kids home my 2021 Honda CRV had every warning light turn on my dash and the car started jerking and braking and nearly caused me to get in accident with my [XXX] and [XXX] in the car. My husband took the car into the shop and the shop said it was the fuel pumps. They are trying to charge us over 1000 for something that is a Honda issue. Many Honda cars have had this issue and there should have been a recall for this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
There are steering problems with our 2021 Honda CRV. My wife & I notice two issues: 1. When driving on the interstate, we notice the steering wheel seems to grab or stick when we try to slightly turn it. It causes the car to suddenly jerk. 2. When driving on the interstate, we notice that we constantly have to constantly adjust the steering wheel (either to the left or right) to keep it moving straight. If we try to hold the steering wheel straight, the car starts moving either left or right. We have not taken the car to be inspected by a mechanic, but are getting more concerned about the problem as we have been doing more interstate travel lately.
The steering wheel “sticks” near center at highway speeds, then jerks when trying to make small corrections. I reported this to a Honda dealer in July 2025, who diagnosed it as “normal”. The condition gradually worsened, and I returned to the dealership today, June 15, 2026, and was told the power steering rack is failing, and needs to be replaced. Honda has recalled these beginning in the model year 2022. Our vehicle was purchased in September 2021. This has been occurring since approximately June of 2025.
EPS steering rack locks up and causes jerking in steering wheel. This is a known recall on 2022 models but happening on older models as well. There is a clicking noise and a feeling of a stuck steering wheel. My Vehicle has less than 50k miles on it and has only been to Honda for inspections and this was missed. Dealership has even confirmed and charging a hefty repair fee. If these are not caught soon enough they will only get worse causing accidents due to locking steering wheels
Steering during cruising speed (39+ mph) exhibits "sticky" or jerking steering while driving straight or minor curves. It worsened since starting to experience this in the past few weeks.
My steering wheel sticks especially in highway driving. The steering wheel feels as if it momentarily "locks" or "sticks" in the center position while driving at highway speeds. When I try to correct it, the wheel snaps free, often causing the vehicle to jerk or overcorrect. This is a big safety concern. There is a recall, but my model year of 2021 is not included in the recall. This has been an ongoing issue not just a one-time incident.
When driving, the steering wheel sticks and I have to jerk it to correct. Sometimes it overcorrects making it dangerous. I only have 47000 miles on it. It is now doing it really frequently. Was only at high speeds, now all speeds. I took it in but dealer said they couldn't duplicate it. There is a recall but only for newer models. There needs to be one for older models also.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was hard to steer and the steering wheel jerked. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed steering gear box. The contact was informed that the steering gear box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled for diagnostic testing within the next couple of days. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
While driving on the highway with my child in the vehicle, all dashboard warning lights suddenly turned on at once. Immediately after, the vehicle began to shake, lose power, and would not accelerate properly. The vehicle was jerking and pulling back and forth, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. I took the vehicle to a mechanic, and they diagnosed a failure of the high-pressure fuel pump and all four spark plugs. The repair cost was $1,436. This failure happened unexpectedly in a 2021 Honda CR-V, which raises serious safety concerns due to sudden loss of power while driving at highway speeds.
While driving my 2021 Honda CR-V at highway speeds, the steering intermittently binds and becomes difficult to move, creating a dangerous “sticky steering” condition. The steering will momentarily resist normal input, and when I apply additional force to correct it, the wheel suddenly releases, causing the vehicle to jerk or swerve within the lane. This makes it difficult to maintain smooth, controlled steering and creates a serious safety concern, especially at higher speeds where precise steering is critical. The condition is unpredictable, unnerving, and significantly affects my confidence in safely operating the vehicle. This defect creates an especially concerning hazard because I frequently transport my two young grandchildren in this vehicle. When the steering binds and then abruptly releases, it compromises my ability to maintain stable lane control and increases the risk of losing control or being involved in a collision. This is not merely an inconvenience—it is a clear safety issue that makes the vehicle feel unsafe to drive. The symptoms my vehicle is experiencing are identical to those described in Recall 24V‑744 involving sticky steering in Honda vehicles. Although my VIN is not currently included in that recall, this same defect has been widely reported by other 2021 Honda CR-V owners. I understand the defective steering gearboxes were identified in vehicles produced beginning in February 2021, and my vehicle was manufactured in August 2021, which falls within that timeframe. Based on the identical symptoms and known defect history, I believe my vehicle is affected by the same steering gearbox issue and should be included in the investigation and recall population.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2021 Honda CR-V jerking
Is jerking or lurching a common problem on the 2021 Honda CR-V?
27 of 342 owner complaints about the 2021 Honda CR-V (8%) mention jerking or lurching. The model year with the most reports is 2018.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Honda CR-V?
There are 0 recalls and 6 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Honda CR-V
Adaptive cruise 19Loss of power 19Check engine light 18Collision warning 17Fuel pump 15Lane assist 12Warning lights 12Phantom braking 11Misfire 9Steering noise 9Sunroof shattered 9Stalling 8ABS 5Hesitation 5
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