Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Honda CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the steering wheel became stiff without any warning, causing the contact to strike the vehicle parked next to the contact, causing damages to the front end of the contact's vehicle and damages to the rear end of the other vehicle. The contact shut down the vehicle and then restarted the vehicle and the steering wheel started operating normally. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving and making a sharp left turn, the steering wheel would vibrate and would make abnormal grinding sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM), the steering gear, the driver's side spring, the driver's side strut and other unknown parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer's technical support assisted the dealer in diagnosing that the electric steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the infotainment system would make abnormally loud beeping sounds, and the infotainment screen pad was engaging functions independently. The contact stated that the infotainment system failed to turn off upon turning off the vehicle. …
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would automatically brake with the braking warning light illuminating. The contact stated that there are no objects on the road when the failure occurred. The contact stated that there would be a shadow on the roadway or a change on the pavement. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there were no error codes and the failure was unable to be duplicated. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer stated that she would need to duplicate the failure on her own. The contact also stated that the lane departure system fails as it attempted to take oversteer turning the vehicle to the left. The contact stated that the steering assist warning was displayed. …
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to steer the vehicle, the steering wheel was unresponsive. The failure was intermittent. The contact stated that there was a delay between turning the steering wheel and the vehicle responding. There were no warning lights for the steering wheel failure; however, the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering box had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired; however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The dealer informed the contact that it was a common failure, and that the part to repair the vehicle was on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to partially assist with the repair. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. …
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel was sticking and was difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with steering gear box failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. The manufacturer informed the contact that reimbursement could be provided after the dealer had repaired the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 - 70 MPH, the steering wheel was stuck while veering towards the left or the right. While turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel jerked in the opposite direction. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with steering rack failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and found several similar recalls for the issue, but the VIN was not included. The contact learned that the failure was primarily caused by the steering gearbox failure, but the dealer had not yet determined if the steering gear needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,500.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticky. The contact stated that upon using excessive force to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel jerked while turning to the intended direction. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with steering gear box internal failure due to magnet dislodgement. The dealer determined that the steering gear box assembly needed to be replaced, and an alignment needed to be performed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,500.
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the steering wheel failed to return to center automatically. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel jerked while driving, causing the vehicle to jerk and to make sudden movements. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven. The dealer diagnosed that the EPS gear box rack assembly needed to be replaced, and an alignment, and reprogramming of the PSCM to the steering neutral position needed to be performed. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 52,400.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel began to turn left and right independently. The contact stated that the failure occurred at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure was more frequent. The contact stated that to keep the vehicle in the correct lane, continuous corrections had to be made to the steering wheel. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear box and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was turned to the left; however, the steering failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was turned to the left; however, the vehicle was instead turning to the right. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel seemed to seize and was sticking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinion steering gear box assembly. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion steering gear box assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Related recalls
Steering › Electric power assist system
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.
Remedy: 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.
Steering complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2018 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 332 complaints about the steering of the 2018 Honda CR-V, 15% of the model year's 2,160 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Honda CR-V steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-663 (electric power assist system, Sep 27, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Honda CR-V steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.