Honda Motor Co. is initiating a recall of nearly 1.7 million vehicles due to a manufacturing defect that could impair steering and potentially lead to accidents.
The recall was reported by Honda last week to federal regulators, and on Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the official recall order. The NHTSA’s safety recall notice cited concerns about the steering gearbox assembly, which may have been improperly manufactured. According to the agency, this flaw could cause “excessive internal friction,” thus making the vehicles difficult to steer and increasing the risk of crashes.
The recall affects various models from the 2022 to 2025 model years, specifically certain Acura Integras, Honda Civics, Honda CR-Vs, and Honda HR-Vs.
The NHTSA began investigating this issue in March after receiving 145 complaints from Honda Civic drivers who reported that their steering could become unresponsive, requiring significant additional effort to turn the wheel. At the time of the initial announcement, the NHTSA indicated that there had been no reported crashes or injuries linked to this problem. The latest recall order also does not mention any accidents or injuries resulting from the defect.
Vehicle owners affected by the recall will be notified by mail starting November 18. They will be instructed to bring their vehicles to authorized dealers, where the worm gear spring will be replaced, and necessary grease will be reapplied, all at no cost to the owners.
For additional information, owners can contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall numbers are SJS, MJU, QJT, and VJV.