Sticky Steering Recall for 1.7 Million Honda and Acuras

American Honda Motor Co is recalling ~1.7 million 2023-2025 Acura Integra, Civic Type R, CR-V Hybrid, CR-V, HR-V, 2022-2025 Civic, Civic Hatchback, 2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S, 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV, Civic Hybrid, and Civic Hatchback Hybrid vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed today.

“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,” Honda said in the required NHTSA filing.

“Drivers may  notice abnormal noise and/or a momentary “sticky” feeling when the vehicle is in operation and the steering wheel is turned. Due to an insufficient annealing process and high load single unit break-in during production of the worm wheel, environmental heat and moisture may cause the worm wheel teeth to swell during use, resulting in the increase of the worm wheel teeth pressure angle. This leads to higher surface pressure and a reduction of grease film thickness, increasing the friction between the worm wheel and worm gear. In addition, the preload of the worm gear spring was set too high, increasing the gear slide load and resulting in higher friction and increased torque fluctuation when steering,” the filing said. The supplier is Hitachi Astemo America.

To reduce the friction and load between the worm wheel and worm gear, the supplier revised the worm wheel pressure angle (tooth tips) control value, the spring load specification, and the worm gear meshing area grease application process. Steering gearboxes with reduced friction and load were incorporated into vehicle production by Hitachi Astemo America as of 30 August 2024.

As of 26 September 2024, Honda received 10,328 warranty claims related to the safety defect between 9 September 2021 and 9 September 2024, and no reports of injuries or deaths in the claims.

Dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 18 November 2024. Owners may contact Honda Customer Service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda’s numbers for this recall are SJS, MJU, QJT and VJV. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to nhtsa.gov about . NHTSA 24V744 or 24V-744.