Honda Civic Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Defect

AFFECTED VEHICLES

• 2022-2023 Honda Civics, all trim levels

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

Hagens Berman attorneys filed a class-action lawsuit accusing American Honda Motor Company of selling 2022-2023 Civics which it allegedly knew were equipped with dangerously faulty electronic power steering (EPS) systems. According to the lawsuit, the EPS system failure occurs without warning and under various driving conditions, causing the vehicles to lose steering control at high speeds. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary investigation after receiving 145 reports of “momentary increase in steering effort,” described as “sticky steering,” which could result in the inability to avoid a road hazard.

IS MY HONDA CIVIC AFFECTED?

Drivers describe the defect as:

• Having to adjust the wheel to maintain a straight path while driving
• Steering resistance for minor adjustments while driving at highway speeds
• The wheel sticks, causing the driver to need more force than usual to turn
• When more force is applied to break the wheel free from its stick, the car may overcompensate in that direction
• When turning, the wheel will maintain its position, not slide back to center, if hands are removed from the steering wheel

If your Honda Civic has presented these steering anomalies, we believe your model is likely affected by the sticky steering defect, and you may have rights against Honda.

ABOUT HONDA’S ALLEGED “STICKY STEERING” DEFECT

NHTSA’s investigation of the defect includes an estimated 238,000 Honda Civics with the sticky steering hazard and warns that “steering can stick and cause a momentary increase in steering effort that could potentially cause overcorrection and an increased risk of a crash.” NHTSA’s report states that the defect occurs mostly at highway speeds after driving for a certain amount of time.

Attorneys believe Honda knowingly concealed this defect, failing to provide adequate response or repairs to drivers put at risk, according to the lawsuit.

WHAT HONDA CIVIC OWNERS ARE SAYING

Honda Civic owners and lessors have voiced concern over the safety risks posed by the steering defect in reports to NHTSA:

• “Steering wheel sticks while driving, causing overcompensation, has caused me to run off the road.”
   
• “Our 2022 Civic Touring started exhibiting weird steering behavior about 3000 miles in. With higher speeds, the steering ‘sticks’ and requires slight, but manual force to free it…This is dangerous as it can invite overcompensation when correcting the locked steering, at best creates a jerky movement when correcting, at worst, overcorrection can cause accidents. Honda is not acknowledging this issue.”

HOW CAN A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT HELP?

Through a class-action lawsuit, individual consumers can collectively bring claims against large corporations who would otherwise have the upper hand, like Honda, and force them to acknowledge issues like the alleged EPS defect in 2022-2023 Civics. A class-action lawsuit seeks to level the playing field, bringing strength to collective action to change corrupt practices and negligent responses to customers. Though these measures do not bring immediate relief, they are a time-tested method of holding companies accountable for wrongdoing, including automakers’ failure to sell safe and reliable vehicles to their customers.

TOP AUTO LITIGATION FIRM

Hagens Berman is one of the most successful auto litigation law firms in the U.S. and has achieved total settlements valued at more than $320 billion on behalf of consumers, including vehicle owners. Your claim will be handled by attorneys experienced in automotive consumer law.

NO COST TO YOU

In no case will any class member ever be asked to pay any out-of-pocket sum. In the event Hagens Berman or any other firm obtains a settlement that provides benefits to class members, the court will decide a reasonable fee to be awarded to the legal team for the class.