NHTSA Complaint #10512882 — 2012 HONDA CR-V

MY 2012 HONDA CR-V (AWD, EX TRIM) HAS, ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, LOCKED UP THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) SYSTEM WHILE DRIVING IN NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS (<25 MPH) OR PARKING LOTS. I AM LUCKY THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY, BUT I FEAR IT MAY HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT. ON TODAY'S OCCASION (THE 5TH OUT OF 5, AT 6372 MILES), MY CAR WAS SITTING IN BRIGHT SUN ALL DAY, AND WHEN I DROVE IT A FEW MILES AND PARKED IN FRONT OF A STORE, I LOST POWER STEERING RIGHT AS I TURNED TO PARK. THE STEERING TENDED TO HARDEN UP AS I DROVE THROUGH THE PARKING LOT TO FIND MY SPOT. THE EPS INDICATOR ON THE DASH DID NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL, EVEN THOUGH MY STEERING WAS LOST. I HAD TO WAIT 5 MINUTES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE INTO POSITION. ON PAGE 355 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL, A NOTICE STATES THAT: "IF YOU REPEATEDLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT AN EXTREMELY LOW SPEED, OR HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL ON THE FULL LEFT OR RIGHT POSITION FOR A WHILE, THE SYSTEM HEATS UP. THE SYSTEM GOES INTO A PROTECTIVE MODE, AND LIMITS ITS PERFORMANCE. THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER TO OPERATE. ONCE THE SYSTEM COOLS DOWN, EPS IS RESTORED. REPEATED OPERATION UNDER THESE CONDITIONS CAN EVENTUALLY DAMAGE THE SYSTEM." WHAT KIND OF STEERING IS THIS? YOU TEND TO USE YOUR STEERING MOST WHEN IN PARKING LOTS OR TIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS. IN CONCLUSION, NORMAL DRIVING HABITS WILL "EVENTUALLY DAMAGE THE SYSTEM." I DEMAND HONDA TO FULLY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REMAINING NEGATIVE EQUITY OF THE VEHICLE LEASE, AND PROVIDE ME A SAFE, PAID-IN-FULL RENTAL VEHICLE (NON-HONDA PLEASE) TO DRIVE UNTIL MY NEW MINI COUNTRYMAN ARRIVES FROM EUROPE IN A FEW WEEKS. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT A COMPANY KNOWN FOR "RELIABILITY" AND "DURABILITY" WOULD SKIMP ON THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF DRIVING: THE STEERING. *TR