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, Jun 26, 2023
The steering is sticky. It feels like play in the steering wheel. Gets worse when driving over 45 or 50. You have to over compensate when coming around curves and it pulls left. The car has been aligned in March and I attributed it to bad alignment. Took it back to dealer in June when it was getting worse. Diagnosed with faulty EPS.
Steering, Jun 25, 2023
I am writing to bring to your attention a serious safety concern related to the steering system of my 2018 Honda Civic. I believe there is a significant defect in the vehicle's steering rack, resulting in hazardous driving conditions that could potentially lead to accidents and injuries. Description of the Incident: While turning the steering wheel in either direction, regardless of the speed, the steering rack becomes "sticky" and unresponsive. This issue forces the driver to exert additional force to correct the steering, leading to a sudden overcorrection once the resistance is overcome. The erratic behavior of the steering rack has put me in numerous situations where I narrowly avoided accidents. Impact and Concern: The erratic steering behavior has caused a severe safety hazard. The sudden overcorrection of the steering rack greatly compromises the stability and control of the vehicle, making it extremely difficult to maintain a steady course during turns. This defect creates an unpredictable driving experience that is highly dangerous not only for the driver but also for passengers and other road users. Attempts to Resolve the Issue: I have made an attempt to address this issue by taking my vehicle to authorized Honda dealerships. What is particularly concerning is that the dealerships have been unresponsive to admitting that this is a safety issue. Request for Investigation and Action: I kindly request the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a thorough investigation into the "sticky" steering rack issue affecting the 2018 Honda Civic. It is crucial to determine the root cause of this defect and take appropriate actions to ensure the safety of all affected vehicles. I urge you to initiate a recall if necessary, to prevent further accidents and injuries associated with this steering defect.
Steering, Jun 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the steering wheel was seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with an electronic steering gearbox failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 129,443.
Steering, Jun 13, 2023
While driving at > 40 mph, the steering wheel constantly gets stuck and is jerky. There is a recall issued by Honda for the exact same issue, however, the recall is vin locked and only includes 54 cars. Looking online, this looks to be a widespread problem. I took it to a Honda dealership for a diagnostic and the service department diagnosed it to the TSB about the recall, however, my car doesn't fall under the recall even though it is doing just that. The repair charge is listed at over $4,000. That's a pretty major system failure for such a young car.
Steering, Jun 11, 2023
At approximately 45k miles, the steering wheel started to "stick" when at highway speed. Instead of the steering being continually smooth, like it used to be, it seems like the wheel gets stuck or tight and you have to make a quick, almost jerky adjustment. It's not a one time occurrence, but happens over and over. It had been taken to the dealer and had an alignment but the problem consisted. Upon researching, this is a common problem since the 2016 Civic.
Steering, Jun 9, 2023
i have been experiencing issues with the rack for well over a year, it could be two honestly i cant remember. but unlike most reports mine isnt as noticeable at highway speeds. Mine is an issue at low speed or while parked. like the video of the guy with the 2016 civic, if you've been following the issue, mine is notchy and kind of delayed reaction to the steering input. in other words as you turn it slowly while it jerks in the direction you're turning slightly after you begin to turn the wheel. it also makes audible clunk/click noises at very low speed particularly while doing something like turning into a parking space. it also makes a noise at low speed while going straight and feels like the steering gear is hung up and then jerks past the hump from left to right or right to left; it just depends, it has a mind of its own. it is not my suspension as ive gone through it over and over. uninstalled, reinstalled, adjusted ride height etc etc, serviced my coil overs-still get the noise and jerkiness. I say this because the honda tech said "well its because your car is lowered, it sounds like the bushings or struts to me" as if we are all some kind of idiots that cant tell a tire from a brake pad and dont spend miles upon miles in our vehicles. we know when something isnt right. My car made zero noises and had zero issues until one day it did. all while having the same suspension set up for quite some time before. so no its not the suspension. also, mine is very climate sensitive. on hotter days it is extremely noisy and the jerky/notchy steering is very bad. in winter when it is much cooler, under 50F you have to try to notice it upon initial start up, if at all, until the car has been driven for a prolonged period and warms up the rack which sits right under the front pipe as im sure you all know.
Steering, Jun 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at speeds over 50 MPH, the steering wheel was ceasing while turning in either direction. While driving in a straight line the vehicle was pulling to either side and the vehicle was difficult to control. The contact stated that the failure occurred after driving for more than thirty minutes at speeds over 50 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the steering gear box was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 94,000.
Steering, Jun 9, 2023
Electrical power steering is causing the steering to "stick" when trying to maintain lane. Steering sticks and when trying to correct and straighten steering to maintain lane, the power steering suddenly overcorrects. This makes it difficult to maintain lane at highway speeds.
Steering, Jun 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH in a rain storm and while making a right turn the steering had malfunctioned and the vehicle did not properly turn causing the driver to nearly loose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure would occur while making both right and left turns and while driving straight the steering wheel was off centered. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who realigned the steering assembly. The contact indicated that the failure was temperately resolved but eventually had reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Recall Campaign number: 18V663000(steering). The failure mileage was 55,000.
Steering, Jun 1, 2023
The steering rack in my 2018 Honda Civic has failed. The steering becomes notchy after 15-30 minutes of driving in temperature's above 73 degrees. When making a turn, the steering will not auto-center. Also, when driving in a straight line the steering will initially resist any correction and will sometimes cause me to over correct the steering. This is the same exact issue that is being investigated on the 22-23 model year civics. This needs to be investigated.
Steering, May 30, 2023
Steering starts to get sticky over approximately 45 mph. Hard to stay straight and is difficult to correct without over correcting.
Steering, May 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel started jerking to the left and the right. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to correct the movement, the steering felt loosened and non-responsive. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway but observed no issues with the tires. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Steering, May 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while turning the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel would hold and pull in the opposite direction without warning. Additionally, an abnormal, clicking sound would emit from the steering wheel after driving for an extended period. The vehicle was taken to two separate independent mechanics where one found no issue with the vehicle and the other stated that there was an issue with the axle. The contact had a repair performed on the axle; however, the failure returned. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering) which he linked to his failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Steering, May 16, 2023
The steering is sticky. When this issue is happening, the car will not drive in a straight line without the driver actively trying to hold it in place but in trying to hold it in place, the steering sticks and you have to give it a slight jerk of the wheel to get it out of the correction. It's a constant battle with the steering. Any lengthy turning (on-ramps, etc) results in the steering holding itself in that position and requires the driver to make a slight jerk to release the position of the wheel. It's been happening for over a year, it started sporadically. In the past three months, it has increased in frequency and 'stickiness' to where it's now happening almost daily. Frustrated not to see a recall on this as it is difficult to replicate at a dealership during a short test drive. Currently at 51, 069 miles
Steering, May 11, 2023
When driving my steering has "sticking" issues to where it takes both of my hands to keep my steering wheel in line or straight.
Steering, May 1, 2023
This vehicle has what sounds like the "Honda Civic Sticky Steering" issue that I've read about. I thought I was imagining the problem. At times, after the vehicle is warmed up and has been driven for 30 to 60 minutes, when small corrections are made to the steering wheel the wheel resists a little and additional force must be applied to the wheel to get the car to respond. This can cause the car to jerk slightly in the direction that the force is being applied by the steering wheel. The car will travel a bit too much and require a small amount of force to be applied to the steering wheel in the opposite direction. This causes the car to jerk back and forth a small amount. All appears to be good till the next change in the direction of travel is required and the same response occurs. I read last week about a lawsuit involving 2022 and 2023 Civics for this same type of issue. Online searches over the weekend turned up numerous complaints on 2016 - 2023 Honda Civic vehicles for this type of problem. Appreciate any feedback related to this issue from a safety standpoint. In my car this has been going on for quite some time, but, I thought I was imagining it till I noticed that other people have a similar problem. No warning lamps light up in the car at this point. Once it starts happening this happens repeatedly at speeds over 30 mph.
Steering, Apr 24, 2023
Failed component/system: Some portion of the steering system. Vehicle is available for inspection. When the vehicle warms up and is driven 20 to 40 mins, power steering becomes "sticky," requiring additional effort for driver input in order to overcome, which causes excessive oversteer (in either direction). At highway speeds, while making "micro-corrections" to the vehicle's trajectory, driving becomes unsafe as the unintended oversteer can get quite pronounced and often results in oversteer both in directions, in rapid succession. This issue has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center and would require a service tech to drive the automobile for up to 40 mins to confirm. The issue has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police insurance representatives or others. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms associated with this issue have occurred. This issue occurs 100% of the time it's driven more than 20-40 minutes.
Steering, Apr 20, 2023
The contact’s daughter owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally while turning to the left or the right. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while making a left or a right turn, the steering wheel seized and required an aggressive turn of the steering wheel in the opposite direction to keep the vehicle straight. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear box assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover half the cost of the repair. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Steering, Apr 15, 2023
At highway speeds, the steering wheel sticks in the center position. When turning to the right or left, it has a 3-4 inch free travel after the initial “stickiness” is broken. Honda dealer was unable to find any issues and recommended an alignment. Nothing changed. On second trip to the dealership they determined it was a faulty EPS which would require the replacement of the entire EPS rack at a cost of $4,200. The vehicle currently has 81,000 miles. The problem first appeared around 50-60K miles.
Steering, Apr 10, 2023
Steering wheel is starting to stick at high speeds, typically while driving on the highway. When you make small adjustments to stay straight/in the lane there is momentary resistance as if the power steering isn't working. I know this has been reported on 22-23 Civics, but if you look on forums it is happening in 16-18 models, and people are being told they need a whole new steering column for $3000 since it's out of warranty.
Steering, Apr 3, 2023
While driving at high speeds (>40mph) without turns, the steering wheel sticks at the center. It then requires relatively significant force and results in a jerk and steering overcorrection. The steering overcorrections is very dangerous when on high speed roads with oncoming traffic right next to you. The problem is reproducable at these speeds. No warning signals for this has occured. This has been occuring for a ~a month now 3/1/23.
Steering, Mar 25, 2023
I currently have 29, 078 MI on the car. It's an excellent condition. About a thousand miles ago it started to have a problem where the steering starts to stick in place and requires extra effort to turn it sometimes causing overcorrection. I started to look up online to see if there was a way to reset the power steering and found several other reports that alarmed me about the pattern of this issue. I'm still trying to figure out more detailed pattern to the problem and hopeful solution without having to replace the entire steering rack. The worst incident was on the highway in dry weather in which the steering kept sticking in place and would require extra pressure to adjust the steering wheel which repeatedly was causing overcorrection and near loss of control.
Steering, Mar 23, 2023
When I attempt to make minor adjustments at highway speeds to remain within the lines on straight roads it feels like the steering wheel is sticky and resists steering adjustments. In order to make steering adjustments due to this issue, I must greatly increase the pressure that I am exerting on the steering wheel to the left or right direction. Once the steering wheel finally gives to the pressure necessary that I have to exert to turn it, the pressure ends up being so great that it causes the vehicle to jerk in the direction I am steering. I then have to overcorrect back the opposite direction. This has been happening for several months at minimum and the vehicle has less than 26000 miles on it. When I purchased the vehicle 8 months ago it only had 12500 miles on it. This also has been occurring when turning through curves lately, however instead of resisting my attempt to turn the wheel it feels as though it pulls harder into the direction that I am turning. After some research it appears as though the malfunction comes from the EPS system. No warning lights have illuminated for the duration that I have owned or driven the car. I am concerned that this problem could cause an accident due to not being able to control the car or react effectively in a defensive driving scenario. The car has not been inspected by any dealership or manufacturer.
Steering, Mar 23, 2023
At highway speeds, the steering 'sticks' - thus requiring more significant effort to make minor adjustments (sometimes leading to over-correction). The problem is difficult to reproduce for a dealer or service center as it only happens at highway speeds and seems to be most prevalent when holding a straight steering path for a period of time and then trying to make a minor adjustment.
Steering, Mar 14, 2023
Steering wheel is sticking in position. Seems to become worse as the car heats up. Happens every time the car is driven and intensifies as the car gets more miles. Potential for a dangerous situation if unable to maneuver from another object or situation. Have not yet received service to correct steering stickage. There is no visual signal stating a problem with the steering system. Started noticing slight problems around 50k miles but had definitely progressed to interfere with everyday driving.