Problems · by component
2021 Honda Civic steering problems
68 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Civic cite steering, 42% of all 162 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
68
42% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the steering
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“When it is warm and humid, at highway speeds and slight turns, the steering sticks and the wheel does not recenter on its own. All driver assist features are off when this occurs. It takes additional force to unstick and causes overcorrection in the steering. Symptoms are consistent with the 11th gen civic recalls, yet mine is a 2021 and no recall yet. This is very scary and dangerous at highway speeds, a crash waiting to happen. Issues started before my 3 year/36k mile warranty ran out, and was taken to a Honda dealership which claimed they could not recreate the issue (drove around the block, checked for codes and checked suspension). No repairs were made by the dealership. This issue remains at current 5 years and 60k miles and seems to be getting worse (sticking harder). Issue more consistently noticeable in humid weather. No indicator lights.”
“On September 17, 2026 at approximately 8:00 a.m. I was driving my 2021 Honda civic Lx with my children in the vehicle when multiple warning lights and system malfunction messages suddenly appeared on the dash board. The vehicle appeared to experience an electrical malfunction/ reset while still driving and I suddenly lost normal power- steering assistance. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and control while the vehicle was moving.I was able to call for assistance and when jumper cables were hooked on to battery underneath the vehicles hood the vehicle engine was able to restart, then was able to get the vehicle home without a collision or injury. The sudden loss of steering assistance created a serious safety risk to me, my children and others on the road. I photographed multiple warnings displayed on the dash panel, including Electric Parking break problem and collision mitigation system problem. This vehicle has a documented history of electrical/ mechanical concerns and prior repairs, including battery and alternator replacement. The exact cause of this most recent failure is currently UNKNOWN. American Honda motor co. has also opened a…”
“While I am driving there is a stickiness in my steering wheel and it causes me to overcorrect my steering and becomes an issue. Feels dangerous to me. This has gotten worse over time.”
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact experienced an intermittent failure, and the steering wheel became very firm and became difficult to turn. During the failure, the power steering became inoperable, causing several malfunctions, and several warning lights were simultaneously illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, and the technician diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electronic power steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.”
“Sticky steering, especially when it’s hot or humid. The issue has been going on since the car was at 60k miles, taken in multiple times and they don’t see and issue. It’s at 117k now issue still present. Same issue as the 2022-25 that got a recall”
“Steering locks up at highway speeds. This vehicle has only 36,526 miles on the odometer. This is a serious safety issue and could easily cause a high speed crash. The dealer has road tested and confirms the problem. The dealer states the electric steering box is at fault. We are having the electric steering box replaced by the dealer.”
Showing 6 of 68 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.