Steering, engine, and electrical system issues are the cause of complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2023 Acura Integra was intended to become “a premium performance gateway for a new generation” of the coupe-like car. Honda promises it will deliver “an unforgettable driving experience.” But when the engine and electrical system turn off for no apparent reason, and the steering becomes sticky, jerky, and unwieldy, consumers want to forget the experience and find a safer vehicle.
Originally launched in 1986, the sporty Acura Integra went from strength to strength through four generations. But in 2001, Honda replaced the coupe with the RSX, and then 5 years later, in 2006, retired it altogether. This wasn’t because the car itself was a problem, but rather that the coupe model, which was smaller than a sedan, had lost its previously enormous popularity.
Nevertheless, the Acura Integra made a comeback as the “next-generation” 2023 model, with Honda promising “power with spirit.” Unfortunately, widespread steering issues are stifling the promised spirit, and engine and electrical problems are threatening consumer trust in the reliability and safety of the car.
Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) identify these issues as the most common problems 2023 Acura Integra owners are experiencing. Members of Integra Forums have been discussing the steering issues since December 2022.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Steering | |
| Lane Departure: Assist | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Engine | |
| Seat Belts | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Air Bags | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
Sticky, notchy, or however you want to describe it, the steering is problematic. According to an NHTSA complaint, the problem started for an LA owner when the car had about 5,000 miles on the clock. The steering wheel would feel sticky or would jump. It was also “resistant to movement” and increased force was needed to bring the steering back to a center point. “This results in small over-corrections leading to a slight weaving while trying to stay in a lane.”
Proving it doesn’t matter where you live, an Illinois owner states in another complaint that “the steering wheel seems to ‘stick’ or feel ‘notchy’ when making small adjustments from the center (12 o’clock) position.” Most noticeable when driving on long, straight stretches of freeway that would normally require minor adjustments to keep the car centered, the steering requires “extra force to overcome resistance.” But then it suddenly gives way,” typically causing overcorrection in the opposite direction.”
An owner from Virginia explains the steering issue succinctly. “While driving at highway speeds (45-75 mph) the steering will begin to stick. The steering wheel requires extra force to make an adjustment. After getting past the friction point, the steering is normal but will soon gain the friction point back. On highway ramps, the steering will hold the turn without any additional pressure and fails to return to the straight position. Added force (is) required to get it back to straight.”
An owner from North Carolina also reports experiencing steering difficulties when cruising at about 45 mph. This complaint states that the steering becomes “resistant to small movements.” The car did not move smoothly. “When I turned it to make minor adjustments, it required extra force to move from a still position. Once I applied enough force to turn, it turned freely. At low speeds such as turning in a parking lot, I did not notice any problems, but upon reaching approx. 40 mph, I did notice the problem. This makes the vehicle more difficult to operate in an unexpected manner and makes a collision more likely, thus putting the safety of myself, my passengers, and other drivers at risk. There were no warning lamps or messages.”
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Members of Integra Forums who noticed strange steering issues have been chatting online about these since mid-December 2022.
A member from North Carolina started this conversation on December 19, 2022. He says, “I noticed the steering wheel was “behaving strangely. At low speeds (from stop lights), the wheel turned fine. But cruising at 45-50, the wheel was very resistant to any slight movements to correct and stay straight or go around a turn. I’ve got 3,000 miles on the car so I know what the steering feels like in Comfort, Sport, and Normal. I tried all 3 and they didn’t make a difference. It felt very ‘sticky’, like the wheel wanted to stay in place. I could turn it slightly, take my hand off, and it would stay. And if I wanted to turn it, I had to apply more force than usual. Felt like (the) power steering was broken, but again only at cruising speeds.”
He figured it had something to do with the USB cable, pulled it out of the console, and disconnected CarPlay. ”Instantly, the steering feel came back to normal. After a minute or two I tried plugging the USB cable back in, but CarPlay wouldn’t reconnect. Seems like the phone or the infotainment was having trouble communicating. I wouldn’t think there would be any way the iPhone USB connection could be causing a problem with (the) steering, but it seems pretty clear that’s what was happening. Am I nuts? Has anyone seen anything like this?”
Seems It’s Nothing New for Honda
Not long after, another member from Pennsylvania said: “Uh oh, this is a big problem. Search the 11th gen Civic forums for how prevalent ‘sticky steering’ is on those cars. I was hoping it wouldn’t be an issue on the Integra, but this seems to be the first report. Almost all Civic owners who have experienced this had it start a few thousand miles into ownership, and not from the jump. There are about 3 dozen complaints on the NHTSA website.”
The 2022 Honda Civic and 2023 Acura Integra are said to be virtually the same.
A forum member from Boston took his 2023 Acura Integra to the dealership because of the steering issue. The technician drove it and noticed the same issue. Luckily he was given a loaner while they replaced “the whole steering rack” at no charge.
The user who started the thread wasn’t so lucky. At first, the service advisor was dismissive, “suggesting it was just in sport mode or something and I didn’t notice.” When he “described how the steering problem disappeared when I unplugged my iPhone he started shaking his head, insisting that the systems were separate and that was impossible. Not a great first impression.” Ultimately, the dealership didn’t do anything, and the issue continues to recur.
Somehow, it seems that engine and electrical system problems are linked. When the engine suddenly turns off, drivers say that the electrical system does too.
An owner from Pennsylvania states that when an Integra A-spec CVT model was 8 months old, with nearly 10,000 miles on the clock, it suddenly started turning off “as if it were like (a) hard reset. It has already happened to me 7 times.” There is no error alert in the tachometer before both the engine and the electrical components turn off.
And it’s not just this model that is affected. A Michigan owner of a 2023 Acura Integra A-Spec with a 6-speed manual transmission, states in an NHTSA complaint that the car “completely shut off” 6 times. This complaint also states that it seemed like “a hard reset, the engine dies, and the electrical system shuts down.” There is a bit more detail, in terms of the lights still working and it took a while to restart the car. Also, the complaint states that the car was not even 4 months old, and that, “Each incident has nearly resulted in an accident.”
Although not listed under engine problems, an owner from California states that there is an emissions system problem with a 2023 Acura Integra that has only 6,000 miles on the clock. This message is displayed on the dash along with a “rev match disabled” message. The result reported in the complaint is that the “engine is now performing at a lower power level.”
If you believe your Acura Integra might be a lemon, Lemberg Law will be happy to assess your problems free of charge. We have many years of experience handling lemon law cases, and if we think your claim has merit, we can negotiate a settlement on your behalf. The law says that Honda must pay your legal fees for lemon law cases, so it’s not going to cost you anything.
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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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Hello I bought a 2023 Integra Acura had it completely customized right from the website it’s a 6 speed manual and I too drive in only sport mode and I’ve addressed my concern with the dealership several times explaining that when I drive on the highway while connected to CarPlay my phone connection seems to be staticky and go in and out on my end and the receiver end it’s very annoying people are constantly hanging up because they can’t hear me so most people just don’t call when they know I’m driving to work so it seems to be engine noise. I don’t know, but my dealership said there’s no issues but there most certainly is and it’s not my phone because it works perfectly fine in their courtesy vehicle they loan me so I’m wondering if this is an issue with other Integra owners?