2023 Honda Civic Problems

What owners report

Complaints for this model year concentrate heavily on the steering, where owners describe a sticky, notchy or briefly stuck feeling when making small corrections at highway speeds, and a smaller group reports the wheel suddenly going heavy or locking. Reported mileages are low — the sampled complaints mostly arrive well under 20,000 miles, many within the first few thousand — and owners frequently say the dealer could not duplicate the symptom, attributed it to alignment, or had no recall parts available yet.

1. 1
   Steering

   Sticky or notchy steering at highway speeds

   • 153 complaints (59%)
   • median 10,000 mi at 1.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the wheel feeling sticky, notchy or briefly stuck when they make small corrections to stay centered in a lane, most noticeably at highway speeds and after the car has been driven for a while. Extra force is needed to break it free, which produces an over-correction and, in some accounts, a wander toward the lane edge or shoulder. Complaints say dealers often could not duplicate the feel, called it an alignment problem, or described it as a known characteristic; some owners point to a service bulletin covering steering gearbox friction and to a recall for the gearbox assembly. Described from roughly 2,000 to 15,000 miles, usually at 45 mph and above and more pronounced once the car has been driven for 20 to 30 minutes; a few owners note it is worse in cold weather.

   Recall 24V7440003 related service bulletins

   What to check: On the test drive, hold a steady 60-70 mph and make small lane corrections; a wheel that needs a shove before it moves, then overshoots, is the pattern owners describe. Ask the dealer whether recall 24V744 for the steering gearbox has been completed on this car and get the repair order.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Periodically when traveling at 30 MPH and higher, the steering becomes difficult to make adjustments when going straight or negotiating curves. There’s a sticky sensation which requires higher efforts to overcome. I’ve taken my car into the dealer on two occasions, but they were unable to replicate the problem. The problem is often but sporadic.”

   NHTSA complaint #11558335, filed 2023-12

   “My 2023 Honda Civic Touring steering will stick and cause a momentary increase in steering effort to compensate for the sticky steering. This occurs at highway speeds which adds to my concerns. I understand the NHTSA has been investigating this occurrence and would like to make it known that my model and VIN # are experiencing this issue. My automobile currently has 3,000 miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11574374, filed 2024-02
2. 2
   Steering

   Sudden loss of steering assist or wheel lock-up

   • 82 complaints (32%)
   • median 15,000 mi at 1.0 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Complaints describe moments when the wheel abruptly becomes very heavy or seems to lock, sometimes with the car pulling to one side without input, at anything from low speed to highway speed. Several owners report striking an object, a curb or another vehicle after the wheel stopped responding, and one describes a crash on a residential street when the car drifted right. Some accounts say the steering rack was replaced and the symptom returned weeks later, while others say no warning light came on and nothing was found. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 58,000 miles, at speeds ranging from around 20 mph to highway speeds, often intermittently.

   Recall 24V744000Recall 23V7040003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the steering rack or gearbox has ever been replaced and whether campaigns 24V744 and 23V704 were actually performed. Include a stretch of highway speed and a few full lock-to-lock turns in the test drive, and check that the car tracks straight with the wheel released.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving on freeway on 12/2/2023 and the steering became difficult to handle. It felt that I lost my power steering. I exited the freeway and the car's steering seemed ok after all. The steering was fine for the remainder of the day. The next day, the problem happened again on a freeway. I can steer the car, but it requires more effort and it seems a bit jerky.”

   NHTSA complaint #11558496, filed 2023-12

   “I was driving and out of nowhere steering wheel locked on me it feels really heavy basically my car suffered a complete loss of power steering due to internal mechanical gear binding matching Campaign 24V-744 [7b0d] but Honda is refusing to fix it because your VIN was left off the initial recall list”

   NHTSA complaint #11771385, filed 2026-10
3. 3
   Steering

   Recall work delayed or repeated without a fix

   • 61 complaints (24%)
   • median 20,000 mi at 1.1 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners say they were told their car was covered by the steering gearbox recall but that parts were not available, in some cases for months, and that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable time for the repair. A few describe a recall visit where the car was inspected and the campaign closed without any part being replaced, with the sticky or pulling behavior still present afterwards. Others report a rack replacement that did not last, followed by another diagnosis. Mostly reported in the first 40,000 miles, often at low mileage and while the car was still under warranty.

   Recall 24V744000Recall 23V7040002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for the repair order, not just confirmation that the recall was addressed — it should show which parts were replaced. If the campaign was closed as an inspection only, repeat the highway-speed test drive before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “when driving the steering gets stuck and have to abruptly jerk the steering wheel to get it unstuck, this is related to Recall Number23V-704 and Honda is refusing to replace the steering rack and pinnion as resomended by my local honda dealer.”

   NHTSA complaint #11686510, filed 2025-09

   “The steering wheel jerks at highway speeds. It has been to the dealer for steering rack recall from Honda and they said the part number did not qualify for replacement. All systems checked out as working properly. The problem still exists. New tires have been placed on the vehicle and the steering problem still exists. The dealer has been of no help in resolving this issue. Attached is the service receipt and the day they checked the recall for the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11559481, filed 2023-12

Buying note. Steering is the thing to evaluate on this model year: plan a highway test drive long enough to warm the car up and pay attention to small corrections, and confirm on the repair order which steering recalls were actually completed. Otherwise the sampled complaints show few recurring problems outside the steering system.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.