Honda CR-V steering lock-up problems

Filed Nov 7, 2026 · Steering · FL

The steering wheel sticks then breaks free with a jerk. It usually shows up at highway speed. When trying to make a small lane corrections, extra force is required and often causes overcorrection. A ticking or clunking noise also occurs when the wheel sticks or releases. I contacted a dealer and they knew of the problem but said my vehicle wasn't part of the recall. I don't understand why my vehicle can have a known problem and not be covered. I've read of people with this problem having the steering wheel lock completely and running into things. Right now I don't even feel safe driving the car to a dealer for repair.

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Steering · 8,750 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2026 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel locked up, and significant effort was needed to turn the steering wheel. There were 2 green parallel lines illuminated on the instrument panel above the odometer with the steering wheel warning light illuminated in the far-right corner during the failure. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted but was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,750.

Filed Jul 3, 2026 · Steering · TX

My 2022 Honda CR-V experiences the "sticky steering" defect that has been widely reported and is currently under the federal safety agency investigation (EA23003). While driving at highway speeds, the steering wheel intermittently locks, requiring increased effort to move the wheel. When the steering finally releases, it often results in overcorrection, creating a dangerous safety hazard. I previously assumed that the issue was lane keeping assist but after my last honda service i started getting noise when turning the wheel. It's the exact same noise that happens in the honda civic steering pinion where the wormgear rubs against the plastic with insufficient grease as shown in this video [XXX] My safety is not put at risk because i have learned to expect the steering locking and compensate for it but it will only get worse over time. The problem was confirmed by the dealer but their solution is to replace the rack and pinion but the reports online say that the issue comes back because the part itself has the defect from the factory, the same as with the other 1.7m recalled honda vehicles with the same problem. There was no warning message and there still isn't any message on the vehicle saying that the rack has failed, it just locks intermittently and makes the clicking noise because of the insufficient grease. As i previously mentioned, the locking has been happening for quite some time but only after I was told that the noise was coming from the "failed" rack i found the sticky steering issues which then got me to disable all steering assist and sure enough the steering still sticks. I tried uploading videos but it won't allow me to. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 6, 2026 · Steering · 29,000 miles · NC · crash · 2 injuries

The contact's brother owned a 2024 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while her brother was driving at approximately 54 MPH as he turned the steering wheel to the left to follow the road, the steering wheel locked up and stayed turned to the left. The contact stated that her brother crashed into the highway barrier. The contact stated that her brother had a passenger in the back seat. The contact stated that the air bags deployed, the contact stated that her brother was concussed and was taken to the hospital by ambulance along with the passenger. The contact stated that the police were on scene and wrote a report, however he was not given the report number and was not sure if the police were state troopers. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had researched online that the vehicle had an open recall the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.

Filed Feb 23, 2026 · Steering · IL · crash

On feb172026, I pulled in my driveway and car steering would not turn and hit my property.it caused extensive damage to my property police report was made and car end up in body shop. Steering wheel locked and car would not turn. Front end is completely damage.

Filed Nov 5, 2025 · Steering · MA

I have lost steering power on two separate occasions in the last week. When this happens the steering wheel locks in place. Once while I was reversing, I went to turn the wheel and the steering wheel was frozen in place. I pulled back into the spot put the car in park and then back in reverse and the wheel was still locked in place. I had to shut off the car and restart it 5 times for the wheel to unlock itself. The second incident was while I was driving. I was doing around 40 MPH and went to make a lane change and the wheel was locked in place. This lasted closed to 1.5 miles. Finally I was able to get some movement (It felt like when you have a flat tire in the front which makes it tough to steer-I did not have a flat.) Once pulled over I had to turn the car off and on for around 15 minutes until I could move the steering wheel again. I brought it to the dealership yesterday, they could not duplicate the issue and there were no codes, so there was nothing they can do. There was a previous recall of a steering gear box r, my car was not effected because it was produced after the original recall according to the dealership. When both incidents occured there were no warnings, the wheel just locked itself. Not being able to steer without warning is a huge safety risk. I have joined Honda forums and others are complaining about the same issue.

Filed Aug 25, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · GA

To Whom It May Concern: ​I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding a serious and recurring safety defect in my 2018 Honda CR-V EX, VIN# [XXX] . I have experienced at least four incidents within the last two months involving both sudden, unintended braking and intermittent steering lock-ups. These are not isolated events and pose a significant risk to the safety of myself and other motorists. ​The sudden braking issue, often referred to as "phantom braking," occurs when the vehicle's Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) activates without any obstacle or danger present. The car abruptly comes to a full stop, without warning, on a clear road. This is extremely dangerous and has nearly caused multiple rear-end collisions. ​In addition to the braking problem, the steering has also become intermittently stuck. This happens without warning and makes it difficult to turn the wheel, which could lead to a loss of control, especially at higher speeds or on curves. ​I have already reported these issues to two authorized Honda dealerships: ​Curry Honda in Atlanta, Georgia ​Honda AutoNation in Columbus, Georgia ​On each occasion, the dealerships have been unable to replicate the problem and have told me they cannot find anything wrong. Despite their inability to diagnose the issue, the problems are very real and continue to happen. ​These defects are not just an inconvenience; they are serious safety hazards that could lead to a crash. I am concerned that if this problem is happening to my vehicle, it may be affecting other 2018 Honda CR-V owners as well. I urge the federal safety agency to investigate this matter thoroughly to prevent potential accidents and injuries. ​Please contact me if you require any additional information. ​Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Mar 4, 2025 · Steering · CA

The steering wheel in my 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring is "sticking" when going around wide turns on the highway. This issue is not experienced while driving around city streets. It feels like the steering wheel gently locks into place, but can easily be dislodged by giving it a little more turning pressure. The sticking sensation feels as though it has progressively been getting more pronounced in the past few months. This would certainly become a major safety issue if the steering wheel locks up completely at highway speeds. I have contacted the Honda Service Center at my local dealership regarding this issue. No warning lamps or messages appear on the dashboard and the latest Vehicle Health Report which I receive via email every month reports no issues.

Filed Jan 31, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · NY

on [XXX] I was driving home with my wife & [XXX] baby, in what I would describe as standard wintery mix of weather - rain, but not yet cold enough to be snow. My 2019 CRV EX-L alerts me of the following message: "Some Driver Assist Systems Cannot Operate: Radar Obstructed" As I've had this car for years, I've seen this message pop before, but as I had no plans of using any Driver Assist features, i didn't think anything of it. At roughly [XXX], while driving on the highway, my Honda became 100% unresponsive to me as the driver. It locked the ability to steer the wheel or apply the brakes in any capacity. The vehicle completely usurped driving power & under its own power, began veering off the road at highway speeds. I could only look straight ahead and hope that when we crashed into the upcoming highway divider, my family wouldn't die. To confirm, i tried pumping brakes, holding down the brakes, touching - absolutely nothing worked - they were completely locked. The steering wheel locked as well, we were heading for certain death. This was going what felt for a lifetime, but after probably 5 - 10 seconds, i was able to gain steering control - and turned away from the light post we were destined to hit & was able to get us veered back on the highway. Conditions were wintery, and we swerved alongside another car lanes away. By the grace of God, my car and the other car, only slightly touched side view mirrors. We both pulled over and swapped information, but little actual damage was caused. With all of this said I want to make sure one thing is clear. Honda almost killed my entire family. They put us in danger for absolutely no reason. My Honda CRV overrode every possible human driver action - and had us on a direct path with death. If not for the grace of God - I wouldn't be able to write this message to you. We opened a case with Honda Case #[XXX] where they made me pay for a diagnostics test - however didnt properly inspect the issue imo INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (F

Filed Dec 4, 2024 · Steering · 33,100 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the steering wheel seized and the contact stated the steering wheel felt very tight with no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering became difficult to turn and also heard a clanking noise when the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gearbox failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 33,100.