NHTSA Complaint #11396152 — 2018 HONDA ACCORD

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, 55 MPH OR FASTER, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE STEERING BECOMES DIFFICULT TO HOLD THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE STEERING BECOMES HARDER THAN NORMAL TO INITIATE A TURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER APPLYING MORE PRESSURE THAN NORMAL, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SUDDENLY MOVE CAUSING A LARGER THAN DESIRED STEERING CORRECTION. BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA-LARGE STEERING CORRECTION ANOTHER CORRECTION WILL BE NEEDED IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, BUT THE STEERING RESIST TURNING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION UNTIL EXTRA FORCE IS APPLIED TO THE STEERING WHEEL, THEN THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SUDDENLY MOVE AND CAUSE AN OVERCORRECTION IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. THIS PROBLEM HAS ONLY HAPPENED AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, USUALLY AFTER 3 HOURS. THE STEERING PROBLEM CAN STILL BE PRESENT AFTER STOPPING AT A REST AREA AND TURNING THE CAR OFF, BUT WHEN THE PROBLEM DOES FINALLY GO AWAY IT IS ALWAYS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. THE PROBLEM WHEN PRESENT DOES NOT ALWAYS CAUSE THE SAME RESISTANCE TO TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM IS SLIGHT AND OTHERS IT IS VERY SEVERE TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR IN THE LANE USING 2 HANDS THERE ARE 19 COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 2018 HONDA ACCORD. FEB OF 2020 FLOW HONDA OF WINSTON-SALEM REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY FURTHER PROBLEM UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN ON A TRIP FROM NC TO FL WHEN THE STEERING PROBLEM REAPPEARED. AFTER STOPPING AT A REST AREA FOR A 15 MIN. STOP THE STEERING PROBLEM WAS GONE. THIS WAS THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM SINCE THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED. ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE THERE ARE 2 PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN THAT THEIR STEERING PROBLEM REAPPEARED AFTER THE RACK AND PINION HAD BEEN REPLACED. ON FEB. 8, 2021 I RETURNED THE ACCORD TO FLOW HONDA OF W-S FOR THE 4TH TIME AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO.