Honda to recall at least 1.7M vehicles in US over steering gearbox concern
FILE-Image of a Honda auto dealership with a sign and business logo in Lewiston, Idaho. (Photo by Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Honda is recalling at least 1.7 million cars in the U.S. due to an issue that could make it difficult to steer the vehicles which may lead to crashes.
The recall by the automaker includes various 2022 through 2025 model vehicles including certain Honda Civic and Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V and Acura Integra and Integra Type S vehicles. Honda said it has received 10,328 warranty claims related to the issue since 2021. Honda’s recall also covers 240,000 vehicles in Canada and 58,000 in Mexico.
Last week, Honda reported the recall to government regulators, who issued the recall order on Tuesday.
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The Associated Press reported that a safety recall order from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted that the steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, potentially causing "excessive internal friction" that could make the vehicle difficult to steer and increase the likelihood of a crash.
In March 2023, the NHTSA launched an investigation into the steering problem after it said it received 145 complaints about the problem, which happened mostly at highway speeds. The complaints came over the past 11 months and occurred mostly on vehicles with low mileage.
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NHTSA officials told Reuters that the agency received reports of 13 crashes related to the issue in 2023, including 11 drivers who said they had lost control due to not being able to overcome the momentary increased steering effort prior to their vehicle leaving the roadway.
Vehicle owners impacted by the recall will receive notification letters on Nov. 18. They will also be able to take their cars to dealerships, who will replace the worm gear spring and reapply grease as necessary for free.
Honda owners can contact the automaker’s customer service number at 1-888-234-2138. The numbers for the recall are SJS, MJU, QJT and VJV.