Honda Issues Recall for Nearly 1.7 Million Vehicles Due to Steering Issue

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Honda Motor Co. are initiating a major recall impacting almost 1.7 million cars and SUVs in the United States. The recall addresses a steering issue that could enhance the risk of a crash, according to a statement from the NHTSA.

The recall affects 1,693,199 Honda vehicles from the 2022 to 2025 model years. Affected models include certain types that have yet to be fully specified by the manufacturer. The NHTSA report outlines that the recall originates from an improperly manufactured steering gearbox worm wheel. This defect leads to excessive internal friction, creating a “sticky feeling” when turning the steering wheel.

“Increased friction between the worm gear and worm wheel can increase steering effort and difficulty, raising the risk of crash or injury,” the NHTSA stated in its release.

Honda first started receiving complaints about this issue in September 2021. Subsequently, the NHTSA began a preliminary investigation in March 2023. Since the first complaints, Honda has recorded 10,328 warranty claims related to this problem.

As a corrective measure, Honda dealers will replace the worm gear spring and either redistribute or add grease as necessary, at no cost to the vehicle owners. Recall notifications are scheduled to be mailed by November 18.

Vehicle owners can reach out to Honda Customer Service for further assistance at 1-888-234-2138. The recall numbers for the affected Honda vehicles are SJS, MJU, QJT, and VJV.

For further inquiries, Max Hauptman, a trending reporter for USA TODAY, can be contacted at [email protected].