10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
46,112 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Honda CR-V steering problems

steering problem

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2012 Honda CR-V Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #34

Dec 032023

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I attempted to make a right turn and the steering wheel locked, not allowing me to continue turning. The steering wheel returned to its original position and I again attempted to make the turn. This time I was able to turn the steering wheel all the way and complete the turn. No warning lights appeared. I was on a side street when this happened and there was no traffic, but this could have been cause for an accident if I had been driving on a busy road.

- Nauvoo, IL, USA

problem #33

Jul 202023

CR-V

  • miles
While I was driving the car, an indicator with "Battery" symbol showed up on the monitor. All off a sudden I see all the lights went ON/OFF and I couldn't steer the wheel. The Power Steering stopped working and the car was running. Since I was near a 4-way stop sign, I managed to pull my car on the side without an accident. Then I got roadside assistance to tow my car to a mechanic shop. They said the "Alternator" need to be replaced. I did that and went for a "Battery" checkup based on the indicator. The battery was good. It would have been a life threatening incident if I were somewhere on a highway. I wanted to make sure this is taken care seriously by the manufacturer and find a fix. Because it just impacts all electrical things and we can't steer the car!

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #32

Jun 232023

CR-V

  • miles
In September of 2012, my wife and I purchase a new Honda CR-V. We have owned it since and it has been a reliable vehicle. Unfortunately, on Friday, June 23, 2023, my wife called me from the gym parking lot stating that the power steering on her 2012 Honda CR-V was not working. I drove up to the parking lot and confirmed that the electric power steering system ("EPS" or "EPAS") was not working. When this condition exist, the steering and turning is almost IMPOSSIBLE to implement. The vehicle was towed to Space Coast Honda in Cocoa Florida late in the day. The next morning, Saturday, June 24, 2023, the dealer called and said that the EPS had failed and the module would have to be replaced. They estimated the delivery of the part to take one to two weeks. The next week, the dealer said that the part is backed ordered and would now take 2-4 weeks. On July 26, after almost five weeks of sitting in the side parking lot of the dealer, I went out to the dealer to find out more about why the part was taking so long to arrive. They then said that they have no idea when it will be available and could take a year-??..or more! On Wednesday, July 26, 2003, I drove out to the dealer to remove more personal items along with starting the vehicle. When I did start the vehicle, the Power Steering functioned properly. We returned later in the day and drove the CR-V home. I have used the CR-V several times and the power steering now works fine-??..BUT FOR HOW LONG? Since that time, we have found out that the failure of the Honda CR-V EPS system has been known to Honda for many years. There are numerous YouTube videos and web sites which describe this failure and Honda-??s failure to address this safety concern to ensure that drivers of this model can safely and reliably utilize their vehicle. However, with no regard to the safety of the Honda CR-V driver, passengers and others around them, Honda continues to sell CR-Vs (2012-2016-??and perhaps with other years affected) with this known

- Merritt Island, FL, USA

problem #31

Apr 082023

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering system stopped working. Very difficult to steer at low speeds, easier at higher speeds. Had the control module reprogrammed and it worked for a few starts, but after restarting the car 3 times, the steering system stopped working.

- Winnetka, CA, USA

problem #30

Jan 102023

CR-V

  • miles
I am writing this letter to place a COMPLAINT against the total lack of Honda not providing parts for car repair. I have a 2012 Honda CRV that the Electronic Steering Gear has failed. I was told by a dealers Parts Department that this part 53601T0AA01 is not available anywhere in the USA. They couldn-??t understand why the part is unavailable as it is not part of the Port holdup situation. To date, my car has been in the shop for 3 weeks waiting for this part from Honda. Monday I was told the part might arrive in the middle of March! In the meantime, 6+ weeks later I have no car. My complaint is that this Power Steering Gear has for years been a dangerous problem on Honda vehicles. The potential dangerous crisis is that when this part fails you cannot steer your car or drive it. So, imagine driving 70 mph on a freeway and lose power steering. Of course, the Manuel indicates the vehicle just goes to manual steering. In real time, this manuel operation makes it extremely difficult to turn the wheel right or left. And if you continue to drive it without repair you could more damage to the vehicle. Why this has not been a recall problem is beyond me. Not only is the cost of the part is ridiculous at $1700+ with an additional cost of labor $1500+. Something must be done about Honda not providing parts for car repair. Especially an issue that is so dangerous to car owners. I-??m guessing the Honda excuse now is tied to Ukraine. I have trouble believing that-??s the only country that provides auto parts.

- Woodland, CA, USA

problem #29

Jun 182018

CR-V

  • miles
Details can be found in Service Bulletin 15-086. Shudder in vehicle steering wheel would make it harder to control. Metal shavings in ATF fluid from transmission grinding. Software update required to repair issue at the cost of owner.

- Lavon, TX, USA

problem #28

Oct 202021

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In the middle of a turn, the radio had a pop sound. The dash screen blanked out and the steering wheel stiffened and became hard to move. Thankfully there was no vehicular traffic on the street I was turning onto because I would have hit oncoming traffic. The issue resolved in less than a minute and driving resumed back to normal.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #27

Mar 012021

CR-V

  • 88,000 miles
After starting the engine there's resistance in the steering will. When you steer to the left there's resistance and the wheel the steering wheel it feels like a bounces against the resistance in the turns in the opposite it feels like a bounces against the resistance in the turns in the opposite direction.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #26

Dec 272020

CR-V

  • 171,000 miles
Was driving and power steering went out then came back on. Almost caused me to go into a ditch as I was making a left turn. Barely even turned the wheel.

- Montross, VA, USA

problem #25

Jul 102020

CR-V 4-cyl

  • 72,000 miles
While driving on the highway, my power steering light came on and the steering wheel locked up. I was struggled to turn the steering wheel to get the car to the shoulder of highway. It almost caused me to have an accident. It was towed to the dealer and they stated it was the power steering or ecp and it will cost almost $1500 dollars to fix. My car was never in any major accidents for anything of this nature to occur and is always serviced at the dealer. I ask the dealer why would this happen and all he said was 'the only thing I can think of is if it was in an accident '.

- Malverne, NY, USA

problem #24

Feb 272020

CR-V

  • 108,850 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While backing out of a parking space, the steering became very tight making it impossible to turn the steering wheel at all. An indicator light appeared briefly on the dash and then went out again and the steering became normal. The following day, while I was making a left turn at approx 25 miles per hour it happened again and the indicator light came on briefly again. Many complaints of this issue have been found online. Someone is going to get killed because this is a significant safety issue as you have no ability to steer the car when this happens. It seems as if Honda had a similar issue with their fit model and a recall was issued. This must be dealt with as quickly as possible before lives are lost in an accident.

- Cranberry Twp, PA, USA

problem #23

Nov 162019

CR-V

  • 97,868 miles
I drove my car as usual on Nov, 15, 2019, went home, and parked in the drive way of my house. But on Nov, 16, 2019 around noon, I started my car, and the eps indicator light was on from my dash board, the steering wheel is very tight, very heavy, can barely turn. I can easily cause incident from it.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #22

Dec 122018

CR-V

  • 158,000 miles
Steering wheel locked several times while driving at lower speeds. I had to turn car off and restart for it to work again. I was unable to turn the wheel at all when it locked

- Denville, NJ, USA

problem #21

Oct 012018

CR-V

  • 75,000 miles
The 2012 Honda CRV has started to vibrate in the front end. I have had the wheel bearings and tires checked. Nothing is reported found as an issue. It starts to vibrate at random speeds and when you take your foot off the gas it stops. Only then can you re-engage the gas pedal. I am concerned with my safety because of this.

- East Aurora, NY, USA

problem #20

Feb 032018

CR-V

  • 98,400 miles
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

- Bay City, MI, USA

problem #19

Jan 192018

CR-V

  • 85,400 miles
When driving at about 60mph, all of a sudden the steering seizes, and I am unable to steer left or right. Its like if the steering locks up. The steering icon appears in the dash until I stop the car and turn off the ignition. When I turn it back on, the car is normal. I could've crashed on the freeway!! this has happened 4 times already.

- Socorro, TX, USA

problem #18

Jul 102017

CR-V

  • 102,000 miles
Electrical power steering---the steering wheel became very hard to turn and the electrical power steering light came on when I pulled out of my subdivision onto the main street. This happened while turning a corner and while turning around in a parking lot.---it totally turned off and would not restart for several minutes. Took it to the Honda service they could not find anything wrong with it! then it happened again while I was on highway 158-turning onto the main road--I could have been in a wreck or killed---when I finally made it to a safe place the car turned off again for 10-15 minutes. The Honda service department sent a tow truck--hopefully they can repair it.---this is a very unsafe situation to have happen--thank god I was able to correct the turn! it happens while turning--and the power steering light comes on! this happened on 7/10/17 and 7/13/17

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

problem #17

Sep 022016

CR-V

  • miles
The power steering goes out periodically while turning to the right or left it also will go out while driving on freeway, speed of car when this happens is anywhere 5-65 mph. All fluids are full in the car. Dealer can't find anything wrong. The roads have been normal ( rain, dry, hot, cold). I have gone on-line to see if others have the same thing happening and there are a lot of people expressing the same concerns with mo one to help them. Some had said there could be a bubble in a hose causing it or an issue with vsa ( ?) this a real safety issue

- Fair Oaks, CA, USA

problem #16

Apr 222017

CR-V

  • 92,000 miles
Power steering failed twice within 1 mile (~3 minutes apart) of starting car and driving 25mph down residential street. In both instances car was going straight ahead. Indicator light reset after first failure and restart then ~3 minutes later indicator lit and power steering failed again while in heavy traffic. Vsa modulator had been previously replaced by the dealer (~4000 miles ago) to remedy this recurrent issue.

- Bethel Park, PA, USA

problem #15

Oct 012016

CR-V

  • 87,900 miles
Power steering failed while in motion ~25mph on a city street. Indicator light intermittently flashed 2-3 times after power steering was lost. Collision was narrowly avoided.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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