2018 Honda Civic
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 596 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 26 Civic model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 25 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 21 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 21, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpMay 28, 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R and HR-V, 2019-2020 Insight and 2019 Fit vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 22, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Campaign 20V314000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, owners/service/other manualNov 16, 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R vehicles. The owners guide in these vehicles may not have been included or if included, the owner's guide may not have been properly provided required information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
If the information is missing or improper, it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the owners information kit, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O3A.
Campaign 18V817000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemSep 27, 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become dislodged. During a full lock turn, the dislodged magnet may cause steering assist to be applied in the opposite direction.
The unintended steering input reduces vehicle maneuverability and increases the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gearbox assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C2N, P2O.
Campaign 18V663000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsJun 20, 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Civic vehicles. The manufacturing date area of the certification labels may have random characters which can affect the owner's ability to determine if a safety recall includes their vehicle.
If the owner is not able to verify if their vehicle is involved in safety recall, it can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is U23.
Campaign 18V421000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: steering
224 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Feb 15, 2024
The part i have narrowed down the problem to is the electric power steering rack. While driving down the highway at highway speeds, +50 mph, the steering will stick / hang up and then once the vehicle starts to sway / push out to one side or the other of its own lane, when you try and correct the steering to get the vehicle back to center in its lane, the steering will somewhat free up, but this happens all at once in a sudden surge and that is when your speed is the factor as to how violent you may swerve. This happens every time the vehicle is driven and it seems to be more prevalent once the vehicle hits the operating temperature or on days when mother nature decides to give us some +90° temperature days. Reading thru forums on the interweb, I have ran into several threads with others experiencing the same issue.
Steering, Feb 6, 2024
In the middle of driving, the power steering rack had a complete meltdown which caused the steering to lockup. Luckily my wife and kids were not hurt but according to Honda, the rack broke beyond repair out of the blue.
Steering, Feb 6, 2024
Electronic steering is intermittently becoming "notchy" or sticky when making steering corrections. This appears to be a known issue with 2016-2024 Civics. I'm concerned this could lead to a loss of steering. Honda service is aware of the issues, but currently there is no recall for this component (electronic steering rack).
Steering, Jan 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering was inoperable. The contact stated that the steering failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinon and stabilizer link. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion and the stabilizer link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Dec 4, 2023
Turning the steering wheel requires more force because there’s resistance. It’’s possible to turn the wheel to the left, let go of it and it’ll stay in that direction instead of rotating back. This causes major issues on the highway and during heavy rain. The slightest adjustment causes overcorrection. It’s also accompanied by this creaky/clicking noise.
Steering, Electrical system, Oct 16, 2023
Car has power steering issue most noticeable at highway speeds, matching the description of the EPS defect on 2018 Civics (NHTSA ID: 18V663000 ) but my VIN was not included in the recall, despite showing the exact same problem. The steering sticks and has resistance to small adjustments, especially trying to go straight in a lane, & snapping side to side or pulling in opposite direction instead of smoothly turning, intensity varies. There is an audible "clicking" or resistance sound when turning. It's getting increasingly worse overtime, and is a safety issue. Matches testimonials of many other owners of 2018 Civics online. Ive had 3 independent engineers diagnose this issue as a power steering rack problem matching the recall - I have documentation from 2 attached below, the 3rd was an in-person recommendation, document was not provided. Honda is the only diagnostic not acknowledging the EPS problem. Please help me get this replaced so I can drive safely. The contact stated after Honda giving the runaround, they did confirm that the power steering rack is faulty and needs to be replaced . However, since the VIN was not included in the recall for the 2018 Honda Civics, they will not offer me any assistance with the $4200 repair.
Steering, Sep 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticky and would independently turn to the left or the right, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure occurred increasingly while driving 40 MPH and faster speeds, and while making a turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Steering, Sep 16, 2023
The steering wheel starts sticking when going highway speed around 60-70mph causing me to overcompensate to adjust it to keep following the road, when done so, the car jerks along with the overcompensation. This is causing alot of strain on my arms due to me having to constantly force the wheels to turn to follow the road, took it to the dealership, quoted $4000+ for a steering rack replacement. I hope something gets done about this issue as I’m seeing many similar cases here.
Steering, Sep 1, 2023
Steering wheel doesn’t stays straight u have to force it almost by pulling it left and then right, it also makes a click noise on any turn or even if you turn while stationary it clicks on the slightest turn of the steering wheel
Steering, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 30, 2023
Steering- the steering wheel sticks and clicks and makes it very hard to maintain a straight path. Assisted Braking- brakes randomly has caused me to almost get rear ended on highway multiple times Dropped off to to dealer today.. acted like they have never heard of these two problems
Steering, Aug 26, 2023
Sticky steering. Happens are speeds at 45mph and above. The steering wheel sticks slightly when turning one way or another. This has been going on for about 9 or 10 months. It is available for inspection on request. It could, or would comprise my ability to navigate safely on the road. My independent service center confirms the problem, but in the beginning he didn't notice the problem. A local Honda dealer checked for the problem in the early period, but said they didn't feel the problem. It seemed to get worse over time. No warning lamps, messages have ever appeared. My service center says the problem is not in the bearing, but probably in the electronics.
Steering, Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical system, Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle at the residence, the vehicle started losing electrical power. The instrument cluster lights became dim, and the infotainment system turned off. The contact stated that she parked and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving and turning the steering wheel. Additionally, the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The "Power Steering Failure" and "Brake System Failure" messages were displayed. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering, Service brakes, Aug 24, 2023, crash
The contact owned a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while in a drive-through line with the brake applied, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The vehicle then drove over the curb, veered to the left, crashed into another vehicle, a sign, and went over four lanes of traffic. The contact was unable to control the vehicle but was able to push the ignition button to stop the vehicle. There were no reported injuries, or air bag deployments. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company and deemed a total loss.
Steering, Aug 18, 2023
Steering becomes sticky after the vehicle is warmed up. Traveling at highway speed ( 60 mph and above ) becomes challenging trying to correct for lane adjustments. The steering wheel feels or has a tighten spot from center both right or left directions. This causes an over correction while driving. Also there is a clicking sound when going though the sticky spot moving the wheel right or left. This vehicle has 30k plus. My Honda dealer denies knowing of any problems with the electronic steering in their vehicles.
Steering, Vehicle speed control, Aug 17, 2023
My steering wheel sticks after driving and the engine has a change to get warm. Once I go over 25 mph and the sticking begins I have to constantly over compensate to stay in my lane. This issue has made it nearly impossible to stay in my lane on highways and speed above 55mph.
Steering, Aug 7, 2023
Is there a service bulletin for our 2018 Civic Si for sticky steering? The longer we drive, the worse the sticky spot gets. It takes enough manual force to overcome that it overcorrects when it breaks loose. Leads to a lot of heavy handed weaving when I intend to be going straight and effortless for hundreds of miles. Recurs frequently on every long trip but seems worse in summertime. Happens at all speeds. Started around 50,000 miles and has continued to the present 133,000 miles. I worked in the aerospace industry for many years, and we had a common problem that may be relevant. Electric motors in a DC system, require a capacitive circuit to build up energy to start motor movement. Liquid filled capacitors are inherently cheaper, but they dry out over time and use which leads to failure of the capacitor and degraded motor performance (especially start up delays). Higher grade capacitors for the electric motor may have been overlooked, but may be the solution to the problem.
Steering, Aug 3, 2023
Vehicle steering wheel sticks. I have taken to the 3 different dealerships dating back to approx. summer of 2019 for this issues. They have completed a wheel alignment to correct but it does not correct the issue. This month I researched this type of problem and found many complaints. I returned to the dealership and insisted on a thorough evaluation. They have recommended a full steering replacement for approx. $4000. They do not acknowledge the extensive complaints and that I have a recorded manufacturer issue dating back to 2019. Because is is my daughters car I am forced to complete the repairs for her safety. The dealership will not guarantee that this $4000 repair will not return over time.
Steering, Jul 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel failed to respond as intended. Additionally, while pressure was applied to turn the steering wheel in the intended direction, the vehicle jerked violently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to assist with the repair. The failure mileage was 94,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Jul 25, 2023
Car steering wheel became “sticky” and “jerky” and felt like lane keeping assistance was on preventing car from turning properly. Clicking noise and scraping started. Took to dealership and was told new tires required. Aware of multiple service bulletins and March 2023 class action regarding steering. Took to different dealership who is charging $3800 to replace steering rack. Allegedly not covered under warranty or recall. Car has only 45,000 miles on it
Steering, Jul 24, 2023
Daughters steering wheel sticks and is jerky while driving down the road. I took it to my honda dealer and it got diagnosed with faulty rack and pinion. This car is a 2018 honda civic with only 27k miles...no way these parts should fail that quickly and the part is backordered (which tells me others are having same issue). Cost estimate is $4200 to replace. Ridiculous!!
Steering, Jul 6, 2023
After a visit to the Honda Dealership, my steering rack needs replaced at a cost of $4,200. The steering wheel sticks causing the vehicle to jerk and swerve causing a major safety issue. This is a known issue with my year vehicle and model. There is even a recall but am being told it doesn't cover my VIN. There is also a class action lawsuit in place against Honda because they have known about this issue since 2016 and still produce the vehicle without correction. I would like Honda to cover the cost of the replacement.
Steering, Jul 4, 2023
The car which has 46K miles on it started is now have steering issues. The symptoms are that when driving, especially at highway speeds, there is a 'sticking' point in the wheel. The sticking point tends to be when the car is moving straight down a road. When doing even moderate steering corrections on the highway, the 'sticking' takes extra force from the driver to move the wheel. Once you do apply force, there is generally a slight overcorrection that will occur as the force needed to move the wheel exceeds what is generally needed for the correction. As a result of the 'sticking', you must constantly battle the car and correct the steering in order to drive it. Upon my visit to Honda dealer I was told, after a very quick inspection (5 minutes), that the Rack was bad and with parts and labor, the cost to install the new Rack would exceed $4K. I understand that the bad rack could cause the steering to lock. Outside of Honda and mechanics I have spoken with, I have not had other independent verifications of the vehicle. There are no warning lights on the car stating this issue.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Jul 2, 2023
When the car gets hot after about 10 mins of driving in spring/summer weather the steering wheel feels like it’s sticks and the steering gets very tight. I then have to over compensate to stay in my lane and it’s constant until you stop and allow the car to cool off again.
Steering, Jun 27, 2023
The steering sticks when the car has been on the road for 45-60 min. which causes wandering and loss of steering adjustment to maintain lane control.
Steering, Jun 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH the steering vehicle becomes stiff without any warning, and after a couple of minutes, the vehicle starts operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic and that stated that no failure was found but the failure continued. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.