40 complaints reported

2021 Honda Civic Steering

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

Reports
40
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2026

Vehicle is experiencing sticky steering. Same as discovered in recall report 24V-744. A ton of 10th generation owners are experiencing the same exact problems. You have over 1,200 reports on record for the 10th generation years. Please do something about this, it would be easy to add additional years into the report and get Honda to fix these cars before more people get hurt.

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

My car has sticky steering when making turns and has a difficult time making micro adjustments. This appears to be the same issue that there is a recall for but my VIN is not recalled. This is a huge safety issue as the steering is more difficult to control on the highways, turning on and off ramps, driving straight, etc. I find myself having to pull the wheel back to center to straighten it out after a turn and when making adjustments on the highway, the wheel jerks back and forth. Honda has refused to fix the issue since I am 9k miles out of warranty. The dealer diagnosed my issue as an internal failure of Honda's part and wants to charge me $5400 to replace their faulty steering rack. They refuse to cover this because I am out of warranty even though this is a safety issue and is the result of their faulty part.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Sep 2025
Dec 2025

Steering is sticking. Honda has recalls for this exact issue for but not for 2021. The steering wheel sticks left or right and has to be forced out of the direction. Same exact symptoms as the current steering recall.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Nov 2025
Dec 2025

My steering wheel sticks while driving. It is difficult to keep the car on the highway. I feel that eventually, I will have a wreck due to this issue. It is very scary driving the vehicle. The steering wheel is sticking constantly in the center position. The car is hard to control and keep on the highway.

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

I drive on the highway everyday to get to work and my steering makes it impossible to drive in a straight line it takes every bit of effort to remain in my lane and when I make a slight adjustment it reacts too much. It is unpredictable and it becomes obvious to drivers around me and makes me look like a bad/crazy driver. It becomes so overwhelming to drive to and from work that I don't want my car anymore. Please investigate this. It is a big safety issue for me and the people on the road. I pray something is done about this problem that me and so many other civic owners are experiencing.

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

While driving at interstate speeds and turning left into a curve the steering wheel sticks and you have to forcibly pull it back to drive straight jerking the vehicle dangerously. Possibly a known steering rack issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Sep 2025
Jul 2025

The component that has failed is my electric power steering motor. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. While driving, the steering wheel should turn in a fluid motion, without requiring much force to turn the wheel. When i turn my wheel, it sometimes will get stuck mid turning. Another time when this happens is when i am driving in a straight line. Making the micro adjustments to stay straight in between the lines. The steering wheel will catch, and i will have to exert additional force to get the wheel unstuck. Obviously, this has caused safety issues, as sometimes the strength to overcome the wheel being stuck will cause me to oversteer. This has also been found to be a problem on some 2022 and 2023 year Civics. There is already a recall for this problem, but not for my year civic. It does greatly lower my safety while driving, when i should never be uncomfortable in my own car. The problem has been confirmed by my own mechanic, and by Honda. It has been inspected by my own mechanic as well. There were no indications on the dash to warn me the motor was going to fault. I do not remember the exact date it happened, but sometime last week when i took my car in to have the CV joints replaced. The problem has steadily gotten worse since then.

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

Steering has progressively become more "sticky", hitching around 12 o' clock. It gets worse at higher speeds and makes it difficult to drive in straight line, and I end up bouncing back and forth between lane lines when driving on highway.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Feb 2025
Jun 2025

Steering of the car at highway speeds is impaired. The steering becomes sticky and hard to control, both hands need to be tightly gripping the steering wheel in order to keep the car under control as it comes and goes and one cannot anticipate the reaction of the car. Steering should be smooth and not jerky, this creates an exhausting and unsafe occurrence. I have taken the car to two different Honda dealers, the one where I purchased the vehicle and a larger well known dealer an hour and a half from my home. Attached is the most recent inspection report and cost breakdown. Roush Honda offered to contact Honda directly regarding this inspection, issue and recommendation. There were no warning lamps or messages. This issue started a little over 30 days ago. It has taken some time to get it into the two different Honda locations to get an inspection.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2025
Jun 2025

STICKY STEERING LIKE THE 2022 RECALLS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Mar 2025
Jun 2025

steering sticks and requires extra effort to start movement but then moves with normal effort. there is a recall for this on ‘22 cars but not my ‘21, sadly

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Dec 2025
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the electronic power steering assist was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

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

Sticky steering due to faulty eps gearbox. Recall is for 2022-2025 but many 2021 are affected. Steering is stiff and difficult, constant corrections being made just trying to steer straight, steering wheel does not want to return to zero position after taking a curve. Steering gets worse when it's cold out or after some rain due to the moisture.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2025
May 2025

See attached document for complaint.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Feb 2025
May 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel was sticking while turning. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. There dealer was unable to replicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2024
Apr 2025

Steering Rack Needs Replaced As Per Moses Honda In West Virginia Where I Purchased It New In 2021. 3,ooo repair. It is out of warranty by 10 Months and it has only 28,500mi. Moses honda is trying to help in this matter with American Honda. No Recall on this year. the steering is becoming more difficult as i keep driving it..........

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

At higher speeds the steering wheel sticks, this make making minor corrections to stay within the lane difficult, subsequently causing the vehicle to swerve while making these adjustments.

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

At highway speeds, the steering has a hitch in it when making slight lane adjustments. This becomes more noticeable over 60mph and after driving for 20-30 minutes.

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

The contact owned a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure only occurred while making a right turn. No warning light was illuminated. An unknown dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V704000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Feb 2025
Mar 2025

The steering system in my 2021 Honda Civic appears to be malfunctioning, causing the steering wheel to feel "sticky" when making small adjustments while driving on the highway. This issue is most noticeable at speeds between 45-70 mph, where the steering momentarily resists movement before suddenly adjusting, making it difficult to maintain smooth lane control. The steering system appears to be the affected component. The Issue seems to be with the EPS not having enough grease which there is a recall for 2022-2025 models. This problem puts my safety and the safety of others at risk because it reduces my ability to make precise steering corrections, especially at highway speeds. The delayed response in the steering makes the vehicle feel unstable, increasing the potential for unintended lane deviations or overcorrections. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms before this issue began occurring.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Mar 2025
Feb 2025

after prolonged driving steering becomes "sticky", steering wheel will jerk when steering, causing over correction on straights and turns

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

Noticed steering wheel “sticks” when lightly turning to the left. I have to use significantly more force to move the steering wheel past this stick compared to the rest of its travel.

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

Similar to the recall made for Honda civics years 2022-2024 for difficulty steering due to improperly produced steering gearbox, in experiencing difficulty steering. In particular, it is felt as a sticky feeling when making left turns. When making slight left turns, the steering wheel will remain “stuck” in a turned position unless forced to realign straight. The sticky wheel and extra effort to stay aligned in lanes increased risk to crashes and accidents. Many people online have expressed issues in this generation of civics (10th gen 2016-2021) but since it is not a recall, it is costly to diagnose or fix even though a recall was made for those made after.

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

When I’m turning, the steering wheel gets sticky/stuck in place. Whenever it unlocks, it’s usually a very jerky movement:

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2025
Dec 2024

Steering is becoming sticky while on roadway. Seems like it is developing hard spots.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 HONDA CIVIC, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Dec 2024

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Honda Civic has 40 Steering complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.