NHTSA Complaint #10478177 — 2012 HONDA CR-V

THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM (EPS) SHUTS DOWN MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, MANY TIMES WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED (THE VERY PURPOSE OF POWER STEERING). ONE FAILURE OCCURRED IN A PARKING GARAGE AND NEARLY CAUSED A HEAD-ON COLLISION. THE FAILURE IS INTERMITTENT AND SOMETIMES INCLUDES ILLUMINATION OF THE EPS WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BUT NOT ALWAYS, AND THE LIGHT HAS NEVER SEALED-IN. THE SYMPTOMS ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE HONDA FIT THAT LED TO SERVICE BULLETIN 09-043 THAT APPLIED TO BOTH THE FIT AND THE CIVIC HYBRID (SEE HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F1346C0/58). THE EPS SYSTEM IS NEWLY INSTALLED IN THE CR-V IN THE 2012 MODEL. BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECORD OF THIS PROBLEM FOR THE CR-V, HONDA DEALERS (WE HAVE CONTACTED MORE THAN ONE) ARE REQUIRING THAT THE FAILURE OCCUR WHILE THEY DRIVE THE VEHICLE BEFORE THEY WILL FIX ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT MOST RECENTLY THE WEEK OF 9/24 AND LEFT WITH THE DEALER OVERNIGHT. THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING LOGGED TO ENSURE THIS FAILURE IS ON RECORD. BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE FAILURE IS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT DESCRIBED FOR A SIMILAR COMPONENT IN EARLIER FIT AND CIVIC VEHICLES, IT ONLY SEEMS REASONABLE TO APPLY THE SAME FIX WITHOUT THE NEED FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPLICATION OF THE SYMPTOM. *TR