NHTSA Complaint #11066978 — 2012 HONDA CR-V

WHILE DRIVE 40MPH, AN ABRUPT DECISION TO TURN INTO A BUSINESS DRIVEWAY WAS MADE. IN THE ACT OF REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE GAS TO THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE RPM IS REDUCED WHILE THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. I EXPERIENCED A FAULT LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FOR THE STEERING EPS (ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING) SYSTEM AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS MOMENTARILY LOCKED IN POSITION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN. IF ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY, I WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH THEM. WHILE TRYING TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM IN THE SAFETY OF A PARKING LOT, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE STEERING WILL TO LOCK UP REPEATEDLY WHILE NOT MOVING, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND A/C ON. EACH ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW RPM WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE RESULTED IN A FLASH OF EPS STEERING FAULT WHILE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP PREVENTING ME FROM STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS INSTEAD OF JUST BECOMING HARD TO STEER. I HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH CLEANING OF THE BATTERY TERMINALS.... THE EPS POWER STEERING REQUIRES A LOT OF ELECTRIC POWER. THE FUSE BOX HAS A 70AMP FUSE FEEDING POWER TO THE EPS. AT LOW RPM, THE ALTERNATOR WILL NOT SUPPLY ENOUGH POWER TO OPERATE EPS, SO THE POWER MUST COME FROM THE BATTERY. MY BATTERY WAS INSTALLED BY A HONDA DEALERSHIP BUT THEY DID NOT APPLY BATTERY CORROSION PROTECTOR TO THE TERMINALS IN NOVEMBER 2016. THE CORROSION THAT DEVELOPED CREATED A RESISTIVE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION PREVENTING THE HIGH CURRENT DRAW NEEDED FOR THE EPS FROM THE BATTERY. THIS CONDITION WILL ALSO HAPPEN IF THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY (ONE OF THE DIODES HAS FAILED) OR IF THE BATTERY DEVELOPS A FAILED CELL. HONDA SHOULD CORRECT THE ISSUE BY ALLOWING THE OPERATOR TO STILL USE THE STEERING WHEEL INSTEAD OF HAVING THE EPS SYSTEM LOCK THE WHEEL. THE FOLLOWING NHTSA COMPLAINTS MAY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISSUE. 10981511,11005158, 11065903,10979918,10910951