2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the back-up warning sensor malfunctioned and failed to properly alarm as needed. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000. The contact stated the vehicle was traded in and bought an EV.

My automatic braking system is activating sporadically with no apparent object in front of me. My car has suddenly come to a complete stop while driving on Market Street, York PA when there was no traffic in front or to the side of me and luckily no one behind me. The "BRAKE" alert flashed and the car literally screeched to a stop. This happened again when I was in Stewartstown, PA and was starting to go over railroad tracks, it suddenly stopped. Again, no one was in front of me or behind me. I routinely drive I-83 from York to Harrisburg 3 days a week to go to work. If this would happen to me on I-83, this would cause a serious accident. I contacted Apple Honda and was told the system is just really "touchy" and there is no fix. The person I spoke with said a leaf blowing across the road could trigger the system. I have to deactivate the anti-collision feature whenever I drive. This is a serious issue that has been around for several years according to researching the issue and Honda refuses to fix this.

THE STEERING WHEEL IS NOT A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM 12 O'CLOCK TO 1 O'CLOCK OR TO 11 O'CLOCK WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. FEELS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS AND RELEASES EVEN WHEN DRIVING ON A SMOOTH STRIGHT ROAD. The dealer recommends replacing the steering rack, which is unbelievably expensive!

The steering wheel sticks at dead center then requires considerable force to move steering wheel for steering correction. Steering input then over corrects.

(REGISTERING THIS COMPLAINT ON 16 SEP 19). I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW ('18 ACCORD HYBRID), 6 SEP 18. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER THE FRONT STRUTS STARTED MAKING A CREAKING/POPPING SOUND. IT WAS VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN BACKING OUT OF GARAGE AND THEN DRIVING OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN I'D ROCK THE STEERING BACK AND FORTH, THE NOISE WAS VERY AUDIBLE. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID NEITHER FRONT STRUT HAD BEEN LUBED FROM THE FACTORY (VERY ODD), SO THEY LUBED THEM. 2-3 WEEKS LATER NOISE RETURNED. THIS TIME DEALER SAID ONE STRUT WAS BAD AND THEY REPLACED IT. A MONTH LATER THE SAME NOISE RETURNED. DEALER SAID I HAD A BENT CONTROL ARM AND ASKED ME IF I HAD HIT SOMETHING. I HADN'T AND TOLD THEM SO. AFTER INSPECTION THEY SAID THEY FOUND NO DAMAGE BUT THAT THE CONTROL WAS BENT AND CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS BENT FROM THE FACTORY OR WAS DAMAGED DURING SHIPPING. DEALER REPLACED IT. BUT THEN 3-4 WEEKS LATER SAME NOISE RETURNED. I HAVE ABOUT HAD IT WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR (I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR MANY 'OTHER' ISSUES ALSO: TWO RECALLS, ELECTRICAL ISSUES, NAVIGATION ISSUES, THE ENGINE'S BATTERY WAS FAULTY, AND THE MILEAGE HAS STEADILY DROPPED BY 25% SINCE I BOUGHT AND TOOK DELIVERY OF IT IN SEP, 2018). SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE WOULD DISCUSS THESE ISSUES WITH HONDA AREA REP (LAST WEEK), BUT HAS YET TO GET BACK TO ME AS OF 16 SEP 19. AMONG ALL THE PROBLEMS, THE SUSPENSION HAS BEEN ONGOING OVER THE LAST 10-11 MONTHS. WEST HILLS HONDA HAS MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE SUSPENSION PROBLEMS BUT ALL HAVE FAILED. THE SUSPENSION NOISE IS STILL PRESENT AS OF 16 SEP 19. VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 8700 MILES.

STEERING WHEEL STICKS AT 12 O'CLOCK, THEN FINALLY BREAKS FREE TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AFTER APPLYING SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE. THE RESULTING JERK OF THE VEHICLE IS VERY UNSAFE ON THE HIGHWAY, AND VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT TRAVEL. HONDA DEALER IDENTIFIED THE STEERING GEAR BOX BINDING AND REPLACED IT. THE REPAIR RESOLVED THE ISSUED. HONDA NEEDS TO ISSUE A BULLETIN OR RECALL ON THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHER OWNERS.

SINCE THE VEHICLE REACHED APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES, I HAD A MASSIVE SAFETY FAILURE OF THE "HONDA SENSE" SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN, HAZARD & TURN SIGNALS INOPERATIVE, POWER LOCKS INOPERATIVE, BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ON, LOSS OF AUTO HEADLIGHTS AND INFORMATION SCREEN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALRSHIP AND THEY RETRIEVED TROUBLE CODE WHICH IS A "MYSTERY CODE" THAT HONDA DOES NOT KNOW WHY ITS OCCURING .... RADAR TOLD CAR TO ACCELERATE WHEN VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION U0401-92 ALONG WITH 3 OTHER CODES. DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME PRINTOUT FROM COMPUTER BUT CUSTOMER RECEIPT SAID RESET SYSTEM ONLY AND DID NOT LIST OUT TROUBLE CODES (4 CODES RETRIEVED) VEHICLE NOW STOPS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, PULLS ITSELF OUT OF THE LANE WHILE DRIVING, AND APPLE CAR PLAY SYSTEM NO LONGER WILL RECOGNIZE IPHONES (TRIED MULTIPLE) AND DEALER HAS VERIFIED ISSUE BUT JUST RESETS. INFOTAINMENT SCREEN LOST POWER AND SET WARNING MESSAGE FOR SAME WHEN DROPPED OFF AGAIN AT DEALERSHIP 2/26/19. DEALER IN FLORIDA ALSO HAD CAR, SAID NOTHING WRONG, COULD NOT DUPLICATE AND VEHICLE NEVER LEFT DEALERSHIP AND CARPLAY DID NOT WORK AFTER THEY CLAIMED IT WAS FINE. ALSO FOUND THAT ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS RESET AND REBOOTED, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL SETTINGS AND STORED INFORMATION/STATIONS....WHY REBOOT IF ITS WORKING? VEHICLE NOW BEING DRIVEN WITH HONDA SENSE SYSTEM OFF DUE TO FEAR OF COLLISION OR ACCIDENT CAUSED BY VEHICLE AND NOT DRIVER. THIS VEHICLE IS NOW UNSAFE TO DRIVE. MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT VEHICLE BRAKING ON ITS OWN, FLASHING "BRAKE" WARNING TO DRIVER WHEN NO CAR IN FRONT ... HAPPENS LOCAL AND HIGHWAY DRIVING NOW INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN DEALERSHIPS APPROXIMATELY 4-5 TIMES SINCE INITAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE 12/24/19. EMAIL CONTACT AND SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO HMA ALREADY. ORIGINAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE HAPPENED 12/23/28 AND I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH SINCE. ALSO HAVE SNAPSHOTS

HAVE A PROBLEM STEERING BINDING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH WHILE MAKING SMALL ADJUSTMENTS TO STAY IN LANE. IT SEEMS TO BE MOST NOTICEABLE 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE AND TEMP BELOW 35 DEGREES. MOVING LEFT OR RIGHT IT GETS HARD THEN CUTS LOOSE THEN YOU NEED TO OVER CORRECT BACK TO STAY IN CENTER. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN CENTER LANE. WAS OK FIRST 5000 MILES.

THE STEERING WHEEL IS NOT A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM 12 O'CLOCK TO 1 O'CLOCK OR TO 11 O'CLOCK. IT IS AS IF THE PAVEMENT IS UNEVEN OR AS IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS STUCK AT 12 O'CLOCK. THIS IS NOT SAFE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN. IT HASN'T SNOWED YET BUT I WOULD IMAGINE IT IS GOING TO VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE IT SAFELY IN THE SNOW WITH THIS MAJOR ISSUE.