Honda recalls about 1.7M vehicles due to steering box issue

Honda is recalling 1.7 million vehicles in the U.S. from both its main brand and premium Acura brand due to a mechanical issue that could make steering more difficult, the NHTSA disclosed on Wednesday.

These vehicles have steering gearbox assemblies that may have been manufactured incorrectly. The gearbox’s worm wheel can swell during use, reducing the amount of grease between it and the worm wheel. The worm gear’s spring preload was also improperly set, increasing sliding force between the gear and wheel. This can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficult steering. If that occurs, drivers may notice an unusual noise and a “sticky” feeling in the steering, according to the NHTSA.

Fixing this will involve a trip to the dealership, where the worm gear spring will be replaced and additional grease slathered on, free of charge.

The following Honda and Acura vehicles are affected:

The NHTSA opened a probe into the issue in March 2023 and upgraded it to an investigation in November of that year. The agency said last year that it had received 13 reports of crashes related to the issue, with 11 drivers saying they had lost control of their cars due to the momentary increase in required steering effort.

Expect owner notification letters to be mailed Nov. 18. Owners can also contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138 or visit the automaker’s recall site. Honda has multiple numbers for this recall: SJS, MJU, QJT, and VJV.