Honda Motor is recalling 1,693,199 vehicles in the U.S. because of potential steering problems.
The steering gearbox worm wheel, which controls steering, may have been manufactured incorrectly in affected vehicles and swell while in use, thinning out the film of grease between the worm wheel and worm gear, according to documents posted Wednesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In addition, the cars’ worm wheel spring preload — a measurement of spring compression — was set too high. As a result of the two flaws, affected vehicles may become hard to steer.
“Increased friction between the worm gear and worm wheel can increase steering effort and difficulty, increasing the risk of a crash or injury,” the recall states.
Warning signs of gearbox defects include an abnormal noise and a “sticky” feeling when attempting to turn the steering wheel while driving, the recall documents state.
The recall applies to the following U.S. models of Honda cars:
Acura
2023-2025 Acura Integra
2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S
Honda
2022-2025 Honda Civic Sedan
2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Sedan
2022-2025 Honda Civic Hatchback
2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback
2023-2025 Honda Civic Type R
2023-2025 Honda CR-V
2023-2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid
2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell
2023-2025 Honda HR-V
Honda’s U.S. unit urges owners of affected models to take their vehicle to an authorized dealer for repair as soon as they receive notification.
As a remedy, dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Nov. 18, 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 NHTSA’s safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (toll-free at 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov for further information. NHTSA’s number for the recall is 24V-744.
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