NHTSA complaint #11596236

Owner complaint summary

Eight months ago while returning home from a road trip my steering began acting strange. Seemed sticky. Not smooth. I disengaged the cruise control but the problem was still there. After returning home it was not as noticeable unless I drove a minimum of 10-15 minutes. . Then I began hearing a clicking sound coming from the steering wheel and when driving on an interstate for about 20 minutes the effort to keep the steering wheel from sticking to the left or right becomes very tiring. A constant battle. The problem is getting worse and more pronounced. I disengaged the Lane Departure Feature but it didn’t improve anything. I’ve recently taken the vehicle to the Honda Dealer and I now have to replace the Steering Rack at a cost of $3500 before tax and front end alignment. I am waiting for a steering rack to become available as there is a nationwide shortage at this time. My dealership is familiar with this problem as they get daily complaints of this issue. I will not be driving this vehicle on my planned summer vacation until it’s fixed. I don’t feel it’s safe. The effort to overcome the stickiness in the steering wheel becomes very exhausting. I can’t imagine driving several hundred miles in this condition. Frankly, I’m not certain it’s even safe to drive any distance as I worry it may one day Lock Up.