NHTSA complaint #11678168

Owner complaint summary

The power steering rack failed making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The problem steadily grew worse over several months and was verified by a dealer service center. Clearly, faulty steering is a safety risk and one that Honda is aware of, having previously recalled 1.7 million vehicles similar to mine. The dealer merely changed out the power steering rack rather than actually investigating to determine the specific problem (i.e. opening the power steering gear box). The following is a synopsis of my complaint: 1) Honda produced a defective part which clearly impacted the safety and performance of my vehicle after only 53,000 miles. 2) Honda refused to acknowledge the defect in this particular vehicle despite recalling 1.7 million others. 3) Honda advised that if the defect is acknowledged in the future, only vehicles repaired by a Honda dealership may be eligible for compensation. 4) Honda technicians, upon performing the necessary repair did NOT investigate whether the problem was caused specifically by the same gearbox issue that warranted recalling the other vehicles. The faulty power steering rack was not inspected by anyone. It is currently in my possession. There were no warning lamps or messages. There was difficulty steering the vehicle. There was a "sticking" sensation in the steering wheel which grew worse and eventually kept the vehicle from being able to be steered smoothly at speed.