194 complaints reported

2018 Honda Civic Steering

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
194
Crashes
5
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Dec 2025

We started having trouble keeping it on the road. Then on the highway, at about 73, I thought the car was going to go off the road. The steering felt sticky, and It's awful trying to hold it straight. You can also feel it when car is parked. Once parked and in park, keep it running and just turn the steering wheel. The steering wheel jerks either direction we turn it. We took the car over to our garage, so they can look at it. We were told it had to with the steering rack. Something regarding a magnet inside the gear box. Our mechanic stated they could not even do the work. With a look online we found a safety recall that my car matches all information, except, the VIN number. So our local dealership can fix it, but the cost is crazy at about $4200. My Civic has 49,000 miles, and to pay that amount is foolish. My VIN number had to have been overlooked. I don't know anyway to fight this, except this website. This car has become very dangerous.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2025
Nov 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving 35–40 MPH, the steering wheel was moving to the left and right and was sticking while being corrected. The steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving at higher speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000. (Steering). The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer, where there was a reading of erratic steering operation. The contact stated that the steering wheel was stiff. The cause of the failure was an inoperable EPS electronic power steering system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2021
Oct 2025

We purchased the vehicle in Jan 2025. As the weather or the car warmed the steering gets stiff and hard to maneuver, making it difficult to stay in the center of the lane. There are times when it gets so bad I think a cop could pull me over for swerving. As I researched the symptoms I found that recall SB18-102 matched the symptoms and was for the same year, make, and model; however, my car’s VIN wasn’t included. I took the vehicle to a local Honda dealership on 6/16/25 who confirmed it was a power steering box failure and gave an estimate of $3,990.46 to fix it. That same day I called Honda customer care and submitted a case to try to get the costs covered due to their being a recall out on the same year, make, and model and issue as mine. They advised me to go back to the dealership and request my car be submitted for Honda’s Goodfaith assistance. I requested this on 7/9/25 and was told on 7/10/25 it was denied with no reasoning. The car has no warning signals however the issue persists. My fear is that it will lock up or not straighten up and I or my son (whom the car was purchased for) will run off the road or cause an accident. This is obviously a known issue but Honda is not taking ownership and declined to help with the cost, which is almost a third of the cost of the vehicle we paid.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2025
Jul 2025

We have noticed a clicking noise and her steering has begun to stick. Took to Honda and they told us they have been seeing this issue and even sent video telling us they see this is an ongoing problem. Filed claim with Honda. They refused to fix the faulty part because there is not recall with my VIN even though many have been recalled. Again, multiple managers at service told us they are just waiting for Honda to recall this. Car has less than 55,000 miles. We have a video they sent us but ai have been unable to attach. It is a video Honda Service sent us stating this was an ongoing issue with Honda advice at this year and a few others. That they were seeing these parts fail.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2025
Jul 2025

At speed the steering sticks when turning.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2023
Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer and an independent mechanic were contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and then taken to an independent mechanic, where both diagnosed that the steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure Technical Service Bulletin: 18-102 (Steering Gearbox); however, the VIN was not included in the bulletin. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2020
Jul 2025

Rack and Pinion steering failure. Sticking, hard to make wheel adjustments. loss of steering control. issue confirmed but Honda Dealership. Honda Dealership contacted Honda North America and was rejected as warranty issue. repair will exceed $7500. This issue corresponded with the fuel Pump recall and failure of the AC system which were covered under warranty recall. Due the High volume of failures of R & P for these Honda civics locating replacement parts is difficult if not impossible.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2025
Jul 2025

The steering wheel becomes sticky and stiff. There is also a clicking noise when I try to center it. It is difficult to keep the car within my lane of traffic. There is presently 38,565 miles on this vehicle. I keep up with required maintenance. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the dealership. There is a Safety Recall for 2017-18 civic: steering box . My VIN number is not included on this recall. I understand repair to the steering is close to 4,000.00. No warning lights are on the dashboard.....yet. My understanding is this problem only becomes worse in time. This constant swerving and erratic steering is not only tiresome I believe it can become dangerous.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2025
Jul 2025

My complaint is similar to most of the other ones shown here. Notchy steering. I took it to the dealer. They told me that the steering rack was bad and needed to be replaced. How much? $6500! The car has under 30,000 miles on it. Got to give the service rep credit. He asked me if I wanted them to contact American Honda. I said heck yes. While they were making their decision, which took about 2 weeks, I came here and looked at all of the other similar complaints. The dealer told me that Honda would cover 100% of the replacement cost. They ordered the parts and the replacement was completed last week. Although this was resolved to my satisfaction, it's another incident for the record, and it demonstrates that the problem showed up as early as under 30,000 miles.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2025
Jul 2025

Steering wheel gets really loose and very stiff at random while driving. I get power steering failure notifications on dash. I spoke with Honda dealership and was told my vehicle doesn’t belong to the recall. I have all the symptoms of the power steering recall issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2025
Jul 2025

steering sticks while trying to stay in lane, makes driving tedious and uncomfortable Honda tech test drive found that steering sticks at 38 and 48

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2025
Jun 2025

Steering wheel sticks, creating an issue to keep vehicle driving in a straight line. Alignment is not out, having to bump the steering wheel back and forth to stay in lane. Feeling of "dropout" in the steering driving at higher rates of speed. No warning lights or other symptoms prior to the failure. Issue has continued since first noticed. Service center can recreate the issue easily and says that the steering rack needs replacing. Not wanting it to further to where the steering wheel is unable to turn.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2025
Jun 2025

The steering wheel sticks when slight turning on both sides.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2024
Jun 2025

Steering sticks and makes it difficult to correct or straighten the car. Feels jerky and hard to handle

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Mar 2025
Jun 2025

Steering wheel sticks when making slight left/right adjustments at speeds of 55+ causing you to overcorrect. Most noticeable while driving on the freeway trying to maintain a straight line.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2022
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel felt like it was sticking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed steering gearbox. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2024
Jun 2025

Sticky steering on highways. Takes effort to make micro adjustments on the wheel. Steering wheel makes a sound when trying to turn or change lanes, especially on the highway.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Nov 2024
Jun 2025

The steering wheel sticks when moving it. Can't make any subtle moves on the steering wheel because of this and have to jerk the wheel.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Mar 2024
Jun 2025

Steering is sticking causing car not to stay in lane properly...

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2025
May 2025

Steering is notchy, when making a turn at highway speeds, the steering will lock in the position of the turn. Takes force to get it to free up and allow you to straighten out the wheels. It also causes the car to wander and is notchy in the 12 O'clock position. Feels like it is sticking, then releases. The issue becomes worse the longer the drive time is.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2025
May 2025

The steering constantly sticks in warmer weather. Have reported to the dealer several times and they can not replicate or have any idea what I'm referring to (even though its very well reported to be an issue/recall). It is scary to drive at times because you are forced to jerk the wheel just to get it to respond making you almost swerve.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2025
May 2025

Steering gear box does not return to center

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2025
May 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a turn, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, and the steering wheel seemed to be sticking, requiring the steering wheel to be manually returned to center. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000. The VIN was not available.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2025
May 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly and seemed to be sticking, requiring the steering wheel be manually returned to center after making a turn. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2025
May 2025

This has been an in going issue. While driving the steering sticks as you try to make small movements to get the car straight. This is especially noticeable at highway speeds and can cause you to over correct on the sticking releases. I have seen multiple reports of this issue in several different places with most stating that Honda has been unwilling to help. There was a recall on the newer models just recently but nothing for the 2018 Honda Civic. This is a very dangerous issue making driving the car safety risk. I had my independent shop state this seems to be a steering box issue that would cost over $4000 to fix with original Honda parts.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2023

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2018 Honda Civic has 194 Steering complaints on file. 5 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.