2021 Honda CR-V Steering
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
I own a 2021 Honda CR-V with approximately 47,011 miles. I’ve noticed that when I hold the steering wheel perfectly straight, the vehicle pulls slightly to the right. This happens on flat, level roads and is most noticeable at speeds over 45 mph, especially on highways. At higher speeds, the drifting becomes more pronounced, and the car feels unstable. It seems like the vehicle is fighting against my steering input, which raises a serious safety concern, especially during long highway drives or in emergency situations. I took the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership, and they diagnosed a failing steering rack, which they say needs to be replaced. The repair estimate is $4,478. This seems unreasonable for a vehicle with under 50,000 miles and no accident history or modifications. The steering rack is a critical safety component, and its failure at this mileage suggests a potential defect. I am filing this complaint to report the issue and urge NHTSA to investigate whether this is an isolated case or part of a wider problem. If others are experiencing the same failure, I believe a safety recall may be warranted. I also request that Honda be required to assist affected customers.
Sticky steering wheel. It catches when beginning to turn(i.e. when changing lanes or turning corners). Right now, it doesn't keep me from continuing to turn, but issue is getting worse in terms of frequency of occurrence. It occurs every time I take the car out. Currently, the car has less than 14,000 miles on it. Problem has not been examined nor confirmed by dealer. There have been no warning lamps, messages, or other symtoms prior to problem occurring.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH and she was steering to make a lane change the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that it was taking more effort than normal to turn the steering wheel and it was also jerking as she turned. The contact stated that the failure occurred when she was turning either right or left. The contact stated that the failure was happening at any speed and that the failure was recurring. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
While driving vehicle at highway speeds, steering wheel feels sticky at center position. It feels unsafe while driving. The problem is not noticeable at low speeds or city driving. My vehicle has 50,000 miles and just started noticing this issue. I drove it to the Honda dealer (Rick Case Honda In Weston Fl) to report the issue, but they notified me that there is no recalls for 2021 Honda CR-V sticky steering issues. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became sticky while turning. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering gearbox was defective and was provided an estimate for the repair. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer and was informed that half of the repair cost or the full repair cost would be covered if the part was placed under recall. Upon investigation, the contact discovered and linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the recall, but the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
My vehicle (2021 Honda CRV EX-L, 47,000 miles) is currently out of factory warranty. However, issue with the steering rack has caused issues with sound and sticky steering. This is a known issue with this specific model. Honda diagnosed an issue with my vehicle as being power steering rack being faulty. A manufacture defect they added. This was after replacing a axle they suspected turned out it was not the issue. They will not honor a full replacement of this faulty part. At the moment after going back and worth, they are agreeing to take care of half the repair amount which we feel is unacceptable knowing that this issue is a manufacture defect. We are aware of a current investigation with the NHTSA that's looking into this matter but we wanted to reach out and ask if Honda should be liable for the cost of the repairs regardless of the warranty expired. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When I am driving sometimes I feel the steering wheel “sticks” and I have to apply more pressure to “break” the lock in order to steer it. I have noticed it at highway speeds and even on some curves which I believe makes it easier to accidentally over correct. It has the potential of creating an accident if on a curved road where one has to apply more pressure to break the steering wheel and accidentally over correct which could cause the vehicle to stray into an adjacent lane or barrier. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I believe the vehicle needs to be driven for a while and at highway speeds in order to recreate it. No other entity has inspected the vehicle in relation to this issue. No warning lamps, or messages were shown prior to this issue.
The steering wheel began sticking some time ago. It seemed to come and go, so I didn't pay a lot of attention to it. It mostly would stick when I steered to the left and then back to the right. It would stick coming out of a curve or after it had been driven straight for a while. Mostly it's left to right. I took it to the dealer yesterday and was told that the steering rack at a cost of $3600.00. Unfortunately, the car is no longer under warranty. Additionally, the part is on national back order and may not even be received until November. This feels like a dangerous issue and in my opinion, there should be a recall.
Sticky steering on 2021 Honda CRV. Very unsafe issue Honda and Honda has not recalled 2021 models.
Steering feels sticky and temporary requires extra force to get the wheel to turn
Steering clicking when turning while driving. Intermittent stiffness occurs while driving at various speed causing the driver to over correcting them increasing risk of accidents. Local auto shop recommends replacement of steering gear rack and pinion assembly.
The car has the sticky steering issue that has already been reported by numerous owners of Honda Civic and CRV. The dealer said the unit needs to be replaced and the car is not safe to drive. There are no parts available and the car has been at the dealership for two months. If it involves a manufacture defect, why has there been no recall by Honda.
UNKNOWN : Steering wheel feels sticky or stuck when driving around slight turns. The wheel will jerk once it is made to go straight. Dealership couldn’t find any issues but did feel it when driven.
My car began making a popping noise when I would make a slight left turn and began to straighten back out. It would also have a slight tug on the steering wheel when the popping noise would happen. It started out random and got worse and more frequent as time went on. I do feel like it was a safety concern because of the tug in the steering. I took my car to the dealership and they confirmed that it was the power steering rack and that they had had some problems with the manufacturer they were using and that the new manufacturer they were using had the part on back order. They just called me two weeks ago and replaced it on August 22nd. Since it has been replaced the steering issue and noise has not occurred again. The vehicle did not ever give me any warning indicators.
COMPONENT IS THE POWER STEERING RACK. THE STEERING BECAME HARD TO STEER AND SEEMED TO STICK WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE STEERING FAILS TO RESPONE AS EXPECTED WHEN YOU ARE TURNING THE WHEEL. DEALER HAS CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND WHEN I CONTACTED HONDA THEY VERIFIED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER MESSAGES FOR THIS PROBLEM. WHEN THE MANUFACTURE WAS UNABLE TO SUPPLY A REPLACEMENT PART DUE TO BACKORDER THE DEALER PROCURED THE PART FROM ANOTHER DEALER. AFTER THIS PART WAS INSTALLED I EXPERIANCE A GROULING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AND QUICKLY EXPERIANCED THE SAME STICKING WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL. THE DEALER IS STILL WAITING FOR ANOTHER REPLACEMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURE.
The steering is sticking. It takes effort to correct the steering. There is also a clicking sound when the wheel sticks. This can make steering the car more difficult.
Sticky steering while driving.
When turning the vehicle to the left, the electronic system freezes the steering requiring a substantial "jerk" of the wheel to come out of the turn. Obviously, having to overcorrect the steering has bad potential outcomes. The Honda dealer described it as a failed electronic steering unit. There were no warnings. The vehicle has 50,000 miles. Parts are on back order and we have no idea when it will be repaired. The local Honda dealer that has the car is Fred Anderson Honda, 330 Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC 29607 864-565-7535
Experiencing freezing/sticking of the steering wheel during driving at both slow and fast speeds. After inspection by a Honda dealer, the problem was able to be reproduced was determined that the vehicle requires a new steering gearbox. There were no warning lamps or messages that appeared to indicate this issue.
2021 CRV EX experiences sticking when steering. Vehicle was purchased used as Honda Certified and problem noted at 13,800 miles of usage. When driving at approximately 40-45 mph, the steering wheel requires additional effort to return to center position, especially noticable when turning left. There is also a noticable clicking sensation and sound coincidental to this anomaly. There are no apparent error codes and LKAS is enabled. I have not yet taken the vehicle to Honda Service
Steering sticks momentarily when turning the steering wheel. This could be a potentially fatal problem. I just called the dealership, and there are no recalls although the problem has been widely reported online. No warning lights.
The steering is sticking when turning left and not returning to center. It makes an audible clicking when it happens. It does not happen with right turns, is not speed related, and is intermittent. Seems to happen more frequently after the car has been driven for awhile or when the weather is warmer as it’s been happening for over a year.
2021 Honda CR-V EX. When making a slight steering correction, the steering wheel and car will make a slight jerking motion. This will happen when turning in either direction. The result is I am constantly steering and trying to drive a straight line - and can't -. Very disturbing. The auto only has approx. 10,000 miles. The problem only started at about 9,000 miles. The DEALER has NOT inspected the unit as of today. There is no warning or indicator - it happens constantly when driving at any speed. ( you can also feel the jerky motion when setting still and slightly putting pressure on the steering wheel.)
UNKNOWN. While driving on the highway at 60MPH for 30+ minutes, the steering wheel began to stick when making small adjustments to stay in the lane or when driving through curves. It was over 80 degrees outside during both instances of this happening. No warning lights were on, lane assist was OFF, cruise control was ON. The possibility of over-correcting into the opposite lane or off the road is high, especially in inclement weather with less traction. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The dealership is attempting to reproduce the issue.
The steering sticks and there is an increase in the steering effort. Part No. 53620-TLA-A30 was diagnosed by the dealer to need replacement. The dealer informed me that this part is out of inventory in the entire Honda organization and there is no date as to when this part will become available. Since this is my only vehicle I am currently driving a car with a known safety issue and no expectation as to when it can be repaired. I also have a copy your ODI Resume Investigation EA23003 which describes the exact same problem on other Honda CRVs and indicates that there are reported crashes and injuries.
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Quick Summary
The 2021 Honda CR-V has 54 Steering complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.