NHTSA Complaint #11341102 — 2018 HONDA ACCORD

THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING OF THE CAR WHICH SO FAR HAS ONLY PRESENTED ITSELF IN WINTER WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE LOWER. IT WAS FIRST NOTICED IN NOVEMBER OF 2019 WHEN THE CAR HAD ROUGHLY 18,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS LEASED TO ME AS A NEW VEHICLE, AND I AM THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS SPENT APPRECIABLE TIME DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55+ MPH IN COLD WEATHER, IT REQUIRES HIGHER THAN NORMAL EFFORT TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL FROM ITS ON-CENTER POSITION (SUCH AS TO MAKE MINOR CORRECTIONS TO MAINTAIN LANE POSITION). IF ENOUGH EFFORT IS EXERTED, THE STEERING WHEEL BREAKS FREE AND THEN ALLOWS THE CAR TO BE STEERED WITH NORMAL EFFORT UNTIL THE WHEEL AGAIN REMAINS ON-CENTER FOR A FEW SECONDS, AT WHICH POINT IT BECOMES "STICKY" AGAIN, REQUIRING HIGH EFFORT TO MOVE. AT THIS POINT IT ONLY OCCURS AT THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, BUT MY CONCERN IS THIS COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD THE EFFORT BECOME ANY HIGHER, REQUIRING SUCH FORCE TO MOVE THE WHEEL THAT THE RESULT WILL BE TO SWERVE OUT OF ONE'S LANE WHEN IT BREAKS FREE, OR EVEN LOCKING ON CENTER ALTOGETHER, MAKING THE CAR UNCONTROLLABLE BY THE DRIVER. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A PURELY MECHANICAL ISSUE (E.G. AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING RACK) BECAUSE TURNING THE IGNITION OFF RETURNS THE STEERING TO NORMAL EFFORT AND THE "STICKING" IS RESOLVED. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL NHTSA COMPLAINTS I HAVE FOUND IN INTERNET SEARCHES THAT DESCRIBE PRECISELY THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE REPORTED IT TODAY, 7/23/2020, TO THE DEALER FROM WHICH I PURCHASED THE CAR - TOM KADLEC HONDA IN ROCHESTER, MN - AS I WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE BEFORE COLD TEMPERATURES RETURN.