You'd be hard pressed to find an auto manufacturer without a long history of vehicle recalls, and Honda is no exception. Transmission failures, gas fume leaks, and even the dreaded Takata airbag debacle have plagued their vehicles in the past. Their troubles even continue to this day—or at least to October 3—when Honda recalled just shy of 1.7 million vehicles for a potential steering flaw that could lead to serious accidents.
What's Going on with Honda Vehicles?
According to NHTSA recall campaign #24V744000, numerous Honda and Acura models made after 2020 are affected by a problem with their steering components. In the words of the recall,
Due to an improperly produced steering gearbox worm wheel, the wheel can swell during use, reducing the grease film thickness between the worm wheel and worm gear. In addition, the worm gear spring preload was set improperly high, increasing the sliding force between the components. As a result of the reduced grease film thickness and increased sliding force, friction between the worm wheel and worm gear increases.
In a nutshell, the above means that a crucial component of the vehicle's steering assembly might warp and not fit properly, as well as having too much friction with its companion element. If that happens, steering the affected Honda could become much harder. People caught off-guard by the malfunction while driving risk crashing and being injured.
Which Honda Vehicles are Affected?
The NHTSA recall says that 1,693,199 Honda and Acura vehicles are being recalled to check for the possible steering issue outlined above. Honda estimates that only 1%, or about 16,932 vehicles, may have the defect.
Below are the specific models and year ranges mentioned in the recall:
- 2022-2025 Honda Civic (4-door)
- 2025 Civic Hybrid (4-door)
- 2022-2025 Civic Hatchback
- 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid
- 2023-2025 Civic Type R
- 2023-2025 Honda CR-V
- 2023-2025 CR-V Hybrid
- 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
- 2023-2025 Honda HR-V
- 2023-2025 Acura Integra
- 2024-2025 Integra Type S
Each model and year has a specific production window during which it rolled off the line; for some vehicles it was only a matter of months, while others were produced and distributed over several years.
What Could this Honda Defect Do?
If a worm gear swells or moves out of place and doesn't fit correctly with the worm screw, the defect as Honda described it could lead to increased friction between steering components and greater strain on the system as a whole. That extra friction could make the parts wear out faster, which increases their chance of failure. If the grease lubricating the components also thins out as part of the defect, that could let the metal parts grind against each other and receive further damage.
This issue could make the vehicle harder to steer, especially in critical situations, which could affect the driver's ability to maintain control. In severe cases, it could result in a sudden loss of steering functionality, posing a serious safety risk for the driver, passengers, and others on the road.
What Should I Do about My Recalled Honda?
Unlike some recalls where the manufacturer suggests some kind of "band-aid" interim fix, owners of potentially-affected Hondas realistically have only two options: Stop using the vehicle, or take it to a local dealership for repairs and/or replacement parts. Every trip made in such a defective vehicle increases the risk of further damage to the steering assembly, which means a greater chance of sticky steering and a subsequent crash.
If anyone is injured in such an accident, or sees their previous Honda wreck in a new light after learning about the recall, I strongly suggest keeping track of the vehicle they think is defective. Proving that an auto defect caused your accident almost always takes careful expert analysis, and that can't happen if nobody knows where the vehicle is, so find it (or hire someone who can) and have forensic experts look it over carefully. What they learn could be crucial if you hope to hold the manufacturer accountable for causing you harm.
Why Does This Honda Recall Matter?
Honda says they've only gotten warranty claims about this issue, and no related injuries or deaths have been reported. That's clearly good news, and despite talking about the potential risks of the steering defect I'm not saying there's cause for alarm. I'm just a little concerned about the idea of over a million and a half potentially-compromised vehicles entering the stream of commerce—and the lanes of traffic—over the last few years. Honda can say that only 17,000 or so of them might be defective, but there's no telling which 17,000 of the recalled vehicles are the faulty ones. That means 1.7 million drivers are rolling the dice every time they go somewhere. Hopefully no one will lose that gamble, but if someone does then Honda's recall attempts won't shield it from responsibility.