Honda recalls 1.7M vehicles for defective steering gearbox component

Honda is recalling about 1.7 million Honda and Acura vehicles in the U.S. over concerns they may have a defective steering gearbox component that could pose a safety risk. 

“American Honda is announcing this recall to encourage owners of affected vehicles to take them to an authorized dealer for repair as soon as they receive notification,” Honda said Wednesday.

The affected 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, 2023-2025 Acura Integra and 2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S vehicles might have an “improperly produced steering gearbox worm wheel,” the automaker warned.

The component, if faulty, can “swell during use, reducing the grease film thickness between the worm wheel and worm gear,” according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall report. The spring preload of the worm gear may also be too high.

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In the recalled vehicles, increased friction between those two parts could “increase steering effort and difficulty, increasing the risk of a crash or injury,” the report said.

The defective steering gearbox part and the issue it can cause have not resulted in any injuries or deaths, according to the NHTSA report. Meanwhile, the company has fielded over 10,300 warranty claims.

“Registered owners of all affected models will be contacted by mail and asked to take their vehicle to an authorized Honda or Acura dealer,” Honda said.

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Those notification letters will go out to the Honda and Acura customers with the recalled vehicles in November, the automaker said. It has already informed dealers about the issue.

The fix will involve the dealer installing an “improved” worm gear spring for free. They will also “redistribute or add grease” to the worm wheel at no charge, according to Honda.

“Owners who have paid to have these repairs completed at their own expense may be eligible for reimbursement, in accord with the recall reimbursement plan on file with the NHTSA,” the report said.

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The timeframes during which Honda built the impacted vehicles varied by model.

American Honda sold more than 1.3 million vehicles across the Honda and Acura brands in 2023. Earlier this month, it said its year-to-date sales were nearly 1.06 million, including over 105,500 in September.