Electrical system, cruise control, automatic braking, and steering issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2022 Honda Civic provides the traditional style and memorable name that the average car buyer is looking for. The automaker tries to step it up a notch by claiming it will provide “nonstop fun.” However, some customers aren’t having any fun at all, especially when their cruise control disengages, or the emergency braking system randomly activates.
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There were 56 complaints made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2022 Honda Civic between July 2021 and mid-October 2022. Overall, 13 components and systems are listed, but most complaints relate to at least 2, sometimes to 3 of them.
Forward collision avoidance tops the complaints list with 30 complaints. Vehicle speed control is a close second, with 26 complaints, but of these 22 are combined with forward collision avoidance. In total, 29 of the complaints related to Cruise Control and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems malfunctioning. Several also complain about problems with the emergency automatic braking system activating even when there aren’t other vehicles nearby.
There are 10 complaints, so far, about the electrical system, and half of these are combined with cruise control problems.
There are 9 complaints related to lane departure issues. Of these, 4 relate to faulty steering, which has attracted a total of 8 complaints.
With so many brands of vehicles reporting problems with sunroofs shattering and windshields cracking, we note that the 2022 Honda Civic isn’t immune. One of the 3 complaints about the structure of this car reports a windshield crack that occurred without any impact. Despite the fact that there is widespread comment about windshields that randomly crack – including Honda vehicles – the dealer maintained “a small item must have hit it and it isn’t a manufacturer issue.”
Shattering sunroofs are also common with multiple brands, and again, the Honda Civic isn’t invulnerable. A California resident with a new 2022 Civic reports that the sunroof shattered while driving on a freeway in March 2022.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Steering | |
| Lane Departure: Assist | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Electrical System | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Suspension | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Lane Departure: Warning |
The electrical system issues cited in complaints to the NHTSA are varied. Out of a total of 10 complaints, half are listed as vehicle speed control and/or forward collision avoidance issues, specifically the widespread cruise control problems and 1 to steering issues.
An owner from California complains that the car engine also randomly shuts down and the car loses all power. This usually happens after 3-5 hours and the car has to be restarted. And an owner from Ohio, with only 307 miles on the clock, states that the traffic sign recognition feature provides inaccurate speed data,
Here’s an example from an Edmunds review. “Within 10-hours after purchase, the defroster stopped working followed by the air-conditioning immediately afterwards. Took it back to the dealer and it’s been with them for over a week. I may not get my car back for several weeks as it’s difficult to get the electrical replacement parts probably due to chip component shortage. Not very happy with this purchase.”
The electrical issues range from small to large. On the minor side, Service Bulletin #AATS210301 talks about the wireless charger not working with iPhone 12 models. Honda’s solution to this is to “use a USB charging cord” instead. However, even larger are the previous issues that Honda has faced. In the past, the automaker has been found possibly liable for failing to disclose issues with the seatbelts and airbags because of an electrical defect.
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The first complaint about cruise control problems was lodged with the NHTSA on December 2, 2021. Since this time, there have been 3 technical service bulletins (TSBs) that address the issue. The first was released on April 28, 2022 and the most recent in July 2022. But months later Civic owners still have problems.
The initial TSB warns dealers that the Cruise Control and ACC “stop working or cancel while driving.” It states that when customers try to resume the function with a key cycle, they will hear a series of beeps. The cause, they say, is possibly software issues with the multipurpose camera. Dealers are therefore asked to get a repair technician to update the driver support software.
The next TSB, issued on June 24, says, “Cruise control is not working and all the ACC lights are illuminated.” Again, they blame this on software issues with the multipurpose camera and ask dealers to update the software to the most current version.
The most recent TSB was issued on July 15, 2022. This was updated little more than a week later, listing an increased number of VIN numbers. All 3 TSBs state that the normal warranty applies. It isn’t clear whether the software itself has been updated.
A recent complaint from a Michigan resident lodged with the NHTSA on September 21, 2022 tells it like it is. “The adaptive cruise control disengages abruptly during its operation with a beep and cannot be reengaged unless it is restarted. Honda seems to have released a TSB for this issue but this car hasn’t been updated for that TSB software update.” Now that it’s happened a couple of times, the owner plans to get the software updated.
A Los Angeles resident has experienced the ACC and regular cruise control disengaging on multiple occasions. “Once this occurs the cruise control will not engage regardless of whether I try ACC or regular cruise control and I receive a message ‘Cruise Control Off’ and a beep when I try. The only consistent solution seems to be to turn off the car and turn it back on.”
This owner didn’t take the Civic to a dealer for inspection because the problem occurs “very randomly.” Their concern is that it will probably take a dealership hours of driving to reproduce the problem … not knowing that Honda already knows about the problem! While the cruise control failed for the first time in December 2021, the complaint was only filed on July 22, 2022. Surely that’s evidence enough that a recall would solve the problem for many?
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But then, an owner from Texas experienced the problem. The dealership confirmed the issue but said it would “be a while to get fixed.” A software update?
There are only 4 complaints about random or ghost braking in the category Service Brakes. But brake problems are reported in other categories, including Forward Collision Avoidance. It seems that malfunctioning cruise control may sometimes go hand-in-hand with random emergency braking issues.
An owner from Virginia was driving at 75 mph in ACC away from other cars. The weather was perfect, and then the car braked automatically. “The braking period lasted about two seconds during which time inertia slammed me forward. Fortunately there were no cars immediately in back of me or I no doubt probably would have been rear-ended. I did not step on the brake pedal or the gas pedal during this period.”
The owner’s assumption is that the forward collision system activated.
An owner from California reports that while driving on an empty highway, the car ghost brakes even though there are no cars in front. “It has happened multiple times that my last incident almost caused an accident behind me. I have tried to get serviced and they won’t listen.”
If your steering doesn’t work, you’re in trouble. Complaints about the steering system of the 2022 Honda Civic range from “unstable steering at low speeds” and the steering becoming “statically neutral” to lane departure issues.
An owner from Tennessee reports a crash, saying that “Steering pulls to the side making it very hard to steer.” The car stays in the lane when going straight but it “makes your arms sore trying to steer it.” The dealer was able to duplicate the problem but was not able to fix it.
An owner from Illinois complains that the steering wheel starts “to stick or bind” after driving for half an hour. When the car stops, they hear a clunk coming from the electronic power steering. “Once on the highway, the steering wheel gets really sticky and when trying to do a small correction it jerks. After a while it becomes really unsafe to drive since all the corrections you make are extreme and it struggles to keep the car centered on the lane without constant struggle.”
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Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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I have a 2022 Honda Civic SI and the steering will stick and the longer I drive it, the worse it gets. I took it back to the Honda dealer I got it from and they didn’t even take off my skid plate and told me it was the steering rack that was bad. They said it wasn’t covered under warranty cause I damaged it and it will cost me $2,500 to have it fixed. I brought it to the garage I work at and they confirmed that my skid plate was never removed and figured they assumed what was wrong with it by what I said. My boss said he doesn’t think its possible to damage the steering gear without smashing the underneath of my car. Hoping enough complain about the steering to get a recall on this. Assuming its software issue…
I took the car back to the dealership Honda Civic EX-L 2022 for the steering issue and was told no recall for my car, but it has the same problem as everyone else so why not provide a fix for my car I saw the page it state Sport and Touring what the hell Honda provide everyone not just the lower and highest trim as this issue is everyone of the Civic please reconsider. Help me please. The dealership won’t do anything other than joy ride my car. Screw GOUDY HONDA ALHAMBRA worst place to go to and keep scratching my car.
I got a Honda civic ex-l 2022 for a price of a touring from worst dealership GOUDY HONDA ALHAMBRA car keeps having steering locking up and hard to pull almost crashed and I took it to them guess what no fix just rip about 50 miles on my car not cool it’s like they joy ride it for fun and when I got it back a chip on my side doors paint very disappointed always damaged my car every visit fk this dealership don’t buy from them overcharges overpricing completely liars.
The steering on my Honda Civic 2022 Sport has the steering issues the steering wheel becomes really hard to move and keep straight while driving on highway my arms, hands, and back are killing due to the struggle to control the steering wheel I drive 170 miles a day total Monday – Friday, the Cruise control does not work you can not get it to stay in cruise control it releases itself. the lane assist has a mind of it’s own it goes off when I’m no where near the lane and when I do cross or get close to the lane it works sometimes, it goes off if the road is rough. My car is now starting to bug out when I come to a complete stop or trying to speed up to get onto the highway. I wanted a Honda Civic for years finally purchased way over asking price due to vehicle shortages and all the additional costs added on not needed accessories the dealership put on the car to raise the prices. I feel as if I am driving in a death trap. After complaining 4 times about the steering the dealership finally acknowledge that yes my car does need a part that is on a national back order with no ETA, after several complaints the dealership finally put me in a loaner while my car sits in their shop waiting for a part that has no ETA how long do we have to wait I am paying for a vehicle that I cannot drive and have no idea when I can drive it again.
I have a 2022 Honda Civic, it has 6,000 miles and I’m having problems with the steering wheel sticking at any speed and a noise from the front that makes it constantly (but at the time it was checked it didn’t) I took it to service the day of today and they tell me that for Honda that is not a problem. I’m worried that this could cause an accident.
I leased a Honda Civic Sport 2022 and was at a stop sign a little bit over and I put it in reverse to back up a little. The cars engine reved up and the brakes would not work. I hit a tree in my neighbors yard and there was damage. I took it to Honda and of course they stated the car was fine. I decided to claim it on my insurance. Well they have had my car for five months with no idea when they will release the part. I have asked Honda to help with this issue and they have done nothing to help me. I will never deal with Honda again and advise others to follow suit.
I am having steering issues with a 2022 Honda Civic Sport. The steering is sticking, and then will release suddenly causing an over correction.
While driving on the freeway with the cruise control, lane departure on and going about 75mps the car suddenly started breaking on it’s own. Then warning lights on the dash started flashing. Saying there was a malfunction with the breaking system, cruise control and lane departure system. When I pulled over turned the car off and then back on everything seemed to be working just fine. Have had issues with lane departure and ghost breaking a few other times before. The car likes to pull into big rigs that are in the next lane.
My son wrecked our 2022 Honda Civic sport in March. He was on the highway with his cruise control set and came up behind a truck with a horse trailer. The adaptive cruise control did not slow the car down nor did the the brake assist engage before he rear ended the horse trailer. The car was a total loss. It was replaced by a 2022 Civic Touring. Tonight he was driving the vehicle on the highway and came up behind a vehicle with a low flatbed trailer and the same thing happened except he manually slowed down to disengage the cruise control and avoid the accident. Both instances happened at night.
I am 5’7″ and a70lbs. I have two issues with the 2022 Honda Civic sport Fastening the drivers seat belt is
difficult for me.I can’t align the plunger without having to slide to the left in the seat and make 2-5 tries to latch the seat belt.The latching part three inches higher would work better. The second issue is the drivers head rest,it pushes my head 2 to 3 inches forward of a setting position causing neck and shoulder strain and pain. I am starting to have head aches likely as a result.I only drive 12 miles twice a day for four days a week.
My honda civic 2022 not even a year in has adaptive cruise control problem,lane keeping assit problem,collission mitigation system problem, auto light system problem all at the same time than my right side window as i auto raise has a problem where it reaches 2 invhes before close and automaticlly open it self