2021 HONDA CIVIC reports

STEERING · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On September 17, 2026 at approximately 8:00 a.m. I was driving my 2021 Honda civic Lx with my children in the vehicle when multiple warning lights and system malfunction messages suddenly appeared on the dash board. The vehicle appeared to experience an electrical malfunction/ reset while still driving and I suddenly lost normal power- steering assistance. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and control while the vehicle was moving.I was able to call for assistance and when jumper cables were hooked on to battery underneath the vehicles hood the vehicle engine was able to restart, then was able to get the vehicle home without a collision or injury. The sudden loss of steering assistance created a serious safety risk to me, my children and others on the road. I photographed multiple warnings displayed on the dash panel, including Electric Parking break problem and collision mitigation system problem. This vehicle has a documented history of electrical/ mechanical concerns and prior repairs, including battery and alternator replacement. The exact cause of this most recent failure is currently UNKNOWN. American Honda motor co. has also opened a case #16640343 regarding this incident. I am reporting this to NHTSA due to the sudden loss of power- steering assistance occured while the vehicle was actively being driven and could have resulted in a collision.

STEERING

While I am driving there is a stickiness in my steering wheel and it causes me to overcorrect my steering and becomes an issue. Feels dangerous to me. This has gotten worse over time.

AIR BAGS

Driving down street after pulling out of parking lot and driver’s side air bag employed for unknown reason.

SUSPENSION

Struts good bad really quick

STEERING

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact experienced an intermittent failure, and the steering wheel became very firm and became difficult to turn. During the failure, the power steering became inoperable, causing several malfunctions, and several warning lights were simultaneously illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, and the technician diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electronic power steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

while driving last week with my family, doing some grocery shopping, we got on the highway which is 75mph in our 2021 Honda Civic and it had a catastrophic failure on its ADAS system out of nowhere it stopped and made my car swerve off the road and applied the breaks like it detected a car in front of us, it took us from 75 to 0 pretty darn fast fortunately no one was behind us, after the event im not able to use any features that involve the camera which includes crucial features of the car including cruise control, i can't even see what any info that is supposed to be displayed on the dash, I took it to the dealership where they said that their ADAS system doing this's a common occurrence and that most likely the camera it self will need replacement, i truly believe this to be a very dangerous feature that should be looked into and if the camera is prone to getting messed up like they said they are there should be a recall on this equipment before there's a bad accident! also yes my vehicle is and can be inspected whenever it is needed and no we didn't have any problems whatsoever with the ADAS system before it just failed

STEERING

Sticky steering, especially when it’s hot or humid. The issue has been going on since the car was at 60k miles, taken in multiple times and they don’t see and issue. It’s at 117k now issue still present. Same issue as the 2022-25 that got a recall

STEERING

Steering locks up at highway speeds. This vehicle has only 36,526 miles on the odometer. This is a serious safety issue and could easily cause a high speed crash. The dealer has road tested and confirms the problem. The dealer states the electric steering box is at fault. We are having the electric steering box replaced by the dealer.

STEERING

Vehicle: 2021 Honda Civic Hatchback Current Mileage: ~24,400 miles Component: Steering / Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Gearbox / Steering Rack Summary of Issue: Vehicle is experiencing severe "sticky steering" (mechanical binding) in the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) assembly while driving, most noticeably at highway speeds. The steering wheel feels stuck when trying to make minor lane adjustments, requiring noticeable extra force to break free, which causes the vehicle to over-correct and weave. This is an active safety hazard that interferes with normal vehicle control. The vehicle has only ~24,400 miles. A Honda dealership diagnosed the issue as a faulty steering rack/gearbox requiring full replacement at a quoted cost of $5,000. This behavior matches the known defect detailed in NHTSA Campaign 24V-744 (gearbox worm gear binding/sticky steering) affecting millions of Honda vehicles sharing this same EPS architecture for 2022-2025 models. Requesting an investigation to expand coverage to 2021 models.

STEERING

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm and was sticking while driving. The contact used excessive force to turn the steering wheel while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

STEERING

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle, and the steering wheel was sticking. The contact stated that the steering wheel was continuously turned while attempting to prevent it from sticking. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a power steering rack assembly failure. The contact was informed that the power steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Spontaneous rear window shattering while parked. Problem not confirmed or reproduced Insurance claim filed for repair No warning lamps, messages or symptoms of impending problem.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · SERVICE BRAKES · FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

Cruise control does not disengage upon electronic parking brake being engaged while moving, causing the car to accelerate aggressively after the brake is released. While it does disengage after enough speed is lost, it should disengage immediately as it does when the brake pedal is tapped

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

A/C System completely failed. During a diagnostic they found three components with refrigerant leaks. 1) Compressor Shaft Seal 2) A/C Condenser 3) Evaporator Core A certified Honda Service center completed the diagnostic. The issue first appeared in late 2025. During the winter I rarely use Air Conditioning but now in Spring/Summer it does not cool at all. Honda knows there is an issue with the Air Conditioning system on this generation of Honda Civic, they cover the Compressor shaft seal but not the other components, on an extended warranty. My main issue is that Honda covers replacement of the A/C Condenser for 2016-2020 Honda Civics, the last year of the generation is 2021 and it is not on the Extended Warranty bulletin. 2021 cars should be covered, it is the same exact generation. Not only that, the Evaporator core and any other Air Conditioning component should be cover as well. This is not normal wear and tear, my vehicle only has 40,000 miles.

ENGINE · FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

High pressure fuel pump issue diagnosed by mechanic. The models prior to mine up to and some 2021 vehicles were included in the recall but my VIN is not considered within the recall. My vehicle is a very early 2021 bought in 202 that likely has the same fuel filter as 2020sz

STEERING

Vehicle: 2021 Honda Civic Mileage: Approximately 58,000 miles Over the past couple of months, I have experienced a steering issue that appears to be worsening. While driving at highway speeds, the steering wheel intermittently feels as though it “sticks” or catches near center, requiring constant small corrections to maintain a straight path. The steering does not feel smooth or normal and creates difficulty maintaining lane position comfortably. I have also noticed similar catching/resistance during sharper turns at moderate speeds. To attempt to resolve the issue, I have: * Replaced a flat tire * Had two separate wheel alignments performed *opened case with Honda directly Neither repair corrected the issue. The symptoms appear similar to “sticky steering” complaints and steering investigations reported on newer Honda Civic models. Because this issue affects steering control and highway driving, I believe it may present a potential safety concern. The problem occurs intermittently but repeatedly during normal driving conditions and is most noticeable at higher speeds.

STEERING

Steering rack binds and requires extra effort to return to center. Specifically for me, when proceeding on a long curve that requires me to turn my steering wheel left more than like 40 degrees the steering will "stick" in place and won't automatically return to center when releasing the wheel requiring me manually start returning the wheel to center before it will auto center. It happens after having driven for about 20 or more minutes. It happens at smaller degrees when driving at highway speeds trying to keep the car centered in the lane. (Adjusting the wheel to the left more then 5 degrees will cause the steering wheel to stick left requiring manually effort to return to center.) I informed my dealership (Metro Honda of Jersey City) of the steering feeling sticky but they couldn't replicate it at the time.

STEERING

At speeds between 40 and 70 my 2021 Honda Civic EX Hatchback steering feels sticky when making small adjustments. There is a slight resistant in steering when a slight correction is needed. Once that resistant is overcome, the steering wheel jerks in the direction of the correction potentially causing an over correction. This is a safety problem and can cause an accident. I am not seeing any warning lights or warning noises.

STEERING

The steering wheel gets stuck in lock position making the steering wheel feel sticky. Issue happens at highway speeds of around 40-60mph causing to overcorrect while driving.

POWER TRAIN

The clutch began slipping while driving vehicle. Lost power and could not accelerate while on highway.

ENGINE

While driving the car began to smoke from under hood and engine stopped. Interior and under hood flooded with smoke and fire under hood. This was a major fire, fire company put it out. No repairs were made or needed on car since purchase October 2024.

STEERING · LANE DEPARTURE

The Steering Gearbox, Electronic Power Steering failed. The steering was resistant and sticks on the highway, causing jerking and overcorrection to control the vehicle. This was with both manual driving and Lane Assist. Took the vehicle to the local Honda dealership, they confirmed the problem, and replaced the steering gearbox, EPS, because it was still under warranty. However, this is the same exact part and this problem will occur again. The car did not display any warnings.

STEERING

There’s a sticky notch in my steering that becomes noticeable at highway speeds. I see later models (2022-) already have been recalled by the exact issue is happening on my relatively new 2021 Civic

TIRES

I went to my dealership for the recall on November seventh of 2025 and the service crew notified me that my car did not have the lug nuts Honda was worried about.

STEERING

My steering wheel becomes "sticky" when I am accelerating 40mph and up. It is hard to make minor corrections without potentially over correcting due to the stickiness.

STEERING · UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Steering wheel seems to "stick" when positioned in the center and "unsticking" it requires extra effort causing the wheel to jerk free and making you overcorrect for what would be a minor lane adjustment. It causes you to zig zag back and forth in your lane as you try to correct each time the steering wheel stick. It has happened to me multiple times on multi hour drives on the highway and persists until the end of the drive. The vehicle has not been inspected yet by any professionals and the first signs of the sticking issue appeared several weeks ago beginning this winter.

LANE DEPARTURE

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keep Steering Assist failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel was sticking. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two dealers, and the vehicle was diagnosed with steering rack assembly failure. The contact was informed that the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,200.

STEERING

Vehicle is experiencing sticky steering. Same as discovered in recall report 24V-744. A ton of 10th generation owners are experiencing the same exact problems. You have over 1,200 reports on record for the 10th generation years. Please do something about this, it would be easy to add additional years into the report and get Honda to fix these cars before more people get hurt.

SERVICE BRAKES · HYDRAULIC · ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 37 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, master cylinder, and adaptive cruise control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder, fuel pump, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

STEERING

My car has sticky steering when making turns and has a difficult time making micro adjustments. This appears to be the same issue that there is a recall for but my VIN is not recalled. This is a huge safety issue as the steering is more difficult to control on the highways, turning on and off ramps, driving straight, etc. I find myself having to pull the wheel back to center to straighten it out after a turn and when making adjustments on the highway, the wheel jerks back and forth. Honda has refused to fix the issue since I am 9k miles out of warranty. The dealer diagnosed my issue as an internal failure of Honda's part and wants to charge me $5400 to replace their faulty steering rack. They refuse to cover this because I am out of warranty even though this is a safety issue and is the result of their faulty part.

STEERING

Steering is sticking. Honda has recalls for this exact issue for but not for 2021. The steering wheel sticks left or right and has to be forced out of the direction. Same exact symptoms as the current steering recall.

STEERING

I drive on the highway everyday to get to work and my steering makes it impossible to drive in a straight line it takes every bit of effort to remain in my lane and when I make a slight adjustment it reacts too much. It is unpredictable and it becomes obvious to drivers around me and makes me look like a bad/crazy driver. It becomes so overwhelming to drive to and from work that I don't want my car anymore. Please investigate this. It is a big safety issue for me and the people on the road. I pray something is done about this problem that me and so many other civic owners are experiencing.

SERVICE BRAKES · FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

Nov 9th, 3:00pm, Fruitridge Rd 35 mph, driving with foot on the gas The safety brake feature overrode my ability to drive by forcefully coming to a complete stop while flashing 'brake' messege appeared on dashboard. No car, item or person was in front of me. The car behind me (who was also going around 35 mph) almost hit me and drove off angrily.

SEATS · UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I have been calling my local dealership for over a year trying to get my car fixed due to the recall and the dealership keeps saying they do not have the parts and will call when they do.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The infotainment system in these vehicles is poor when using the navigation. Having the phone connected via wire will cause the phone and infotainment system to malfunction constantly causing restarts and making the mobile device extremely hot too the touch. The android auto function in the car loses connection and begins to cause the arrow marker to jump around on the map causing confusion, turn directions down wrong roads causing drivers to enter areas of no thruway due to a business being there. Researched this for 2 years and there is no current fix from HONDA other owners through REDDIT have the same issue and have been told by HONDA that nothing can be done to fix the hardware system.

STEERING

When I’m turning, the steering wheel gets sticky/stuck in place. Whenever it unlocks, it’s usually a very jerky movement:

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

A recent Electric Power Steering (EPS) failure on my 2021 Honda Civic that resulted in a repair of the entire steering rack. I took my vehicle to Vandedrgriff dealership for routine maintenance, including tire replacement, alignment, oil change, and a multi-point inspection. The car passed all checks and was deemed safe to drive. However, immediately after leaving, the steering became sticky and difficult to control on the freeway — a serious safety risk. Upon returning the next day, I was informed of an internal EPS failure, with a repair estimate exceeding $4,584.30. I later discovered this failure involves a part number tied to a known Honda recall. Although my VIN is not currently part of the recall, the symptoms and overall failed part match exactly. The failure occurred immediately after authorized dealership service without warning. The EPS unit is associated with a known defect. The failure occurred just outside the 3-year warranty and before its time. An EPS is guranteed good over 100,00 miles. The issue created a dangerous situation on the road. Honda America Corporate has inspected the vehicle and refused to cover the repair because I am right outside of my warranty. I am a loyal Honda customer and trust in Honda's commitment for safety and customer satisfaction.

STEERING

While driving at interstate speeds and turning left into a curve the steering wheel sticks and you have to forcibly pull it back to drive straight jerking the vehicle dangerously. Possibly a known steering rack issue.

STEERING

At higher speeds the steering wheel sticks, this make making minor corrections to stay within the lane difficult, subsequently causing the vehicle to swerve while making these adjustments.

STEERING

The component that has failed is my electric power steering motor. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. While driving, the steering wheel should turn in a fluid motion, without requiring much force to turn the wheel. When i turn my wheel, it sometimes will get stuck mid turning. Another time when this happens is when i am driving in a straight line. Making the micro adjustments to stay straight in between the lines. The steering wheel will catch, and i will have to exert additional force to get the wheel unstuck. Obviously, this has caused safety issues, as sometimes the strength to overcome the wheel being stuck will cause me to oversteer. This has also been found to be a problem on some 2022 and 2023 year Civics. There is already a recall for this problem, but not for my year civic. It does greatly lower my safety while driving, when i should never be uncomfortable in my own car. The problem has been confirmed by my own mechanic, and by Honda. It has been inspected by my own mechanic as well. There were no indications on the dash to warn me the motor was going to fault. I do not remember the exact date it happened, but sometime last week when i took my car in to have the CV joints replaced. The problem has steadily gotten worse since then.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

With my steering wheel, when turning, the wheel will sometimes get “sticky”. Making it so I have to use extra force to get he wheel “unstuck”. Took it to my mechanic, they found a recall for the ‘22-‘23 year model civics for this same problem. The electric steering motor can sometimes fault and cause the wheel to get stuck while turning.This was not for the ‘21 year. I called my dealership, they said there was nothing I could do as there is no recall for my vin, although I’m having the exact same problem as the ‘22-‘23 models. He recommended I can the Honda 1-800 number. Pretty much got told the same thing. I was looking to get a goodwill extension, he said that would not apply due to Honda warranties. Next best thing was for me to be here filing a complaint.

TIRES

23540 r Tire sidewall separated and burned up while traveling on the highway.

SEATS

I was informed of a recall notice for my vehicle in the summer months of 2024 (approximately). I took my vehicle to the Culver City Honda dealership in Los Angeles to address this, however they informed me that the issue was not critical and that they did not have the parts. Hence, the recall notice has still not been addressed. I recently (June 2025) imported this vehicle to Canada and I am unable to proceed with the import procedure because of this outstanding recall notice.

STEERING

Steering has progressively become more "sticky", hitching around 12 o' clock. It gets worse at higher speeds and makes it difficult to drive in straight line, and I end up bouncing back and forth between lane lines when driving on highway.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Our battery died in April 2025. We've had this car since October 2021 with only 8 miles on it. We've replaced: The PCV valve The PCV valve tube The MAF sensor The sparks plugs 3 times which was $90 each time Replaced our battery 2 times since April 2025 3 oil changes And finally replacing our entire fuel injector system with the hard fuel line. And replacing the battery the first time is what revealed all these issues because we kept getting codes on our obd-ii scanner of P0172, U0038 and U0100. Honda told us once the fuel injectors were replaced then our car would be fixed but that is not the case. The car can't travel further then 5 minutes before the spark plus burn. We replaced the spark plugs on Sunday morning and we went to the store and they were charred after that drive same day.

STEERING

Steering of the car at highway speeds is impaired. The steering becomes sticky and hard to control, both hands need to be tightly gripping the steering wheel in order to keep the car under control as it comes and goes and one cannot anticipate the reaction of the car. Steering should be smooth and not jerky, this creates an exhausting and unsafe occurrence. I have taken the car to two different Honda dealers, the one where I purchased the vehicle and a larger well known dealer an hour and a half from my home. Attached is the most recent inspection report and cost breakdown. Roush Honda offered to contact Honda directly regarding this inspection, issue and recommendation. There were no warning lamps or messages. This issue started a little over 30 days ago. It has taken some time to get it into the two different Honda locations to get an inspection.

STEERING

steering sticks and requires extra effort to start movement but then moves with normal effort. there is a recall for this on ‘22 cars but not my ‘21, sadly

STEERING

STICKY STEERING LIKE THE 2022 RECALLS

STEERING

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the electronic power steering assist was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.