A federal class-action complaint moving through the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California accuses American Honda Motor Co. of knowing about a steering defect in its power steering systems for years before ever notifying owners who were driving with it, and that case is now advancing under newly extended court deadlines that push well into 2026.

Key Points

• The consolidated suit, Burgos, et al. v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc., is proceeding before Judge André Birotte Jr., according to Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro’s case filing summary.
• Plaintiffs allege Honda knew its electric power steering systems could “stick” or momentarily resist driver input, and that the company delayed disclosure and repairs.
• Honda issued a recall covering roughly 1.7 million vehicles in October 2024 to address the same steering gearbox issue, according to NPR.
• Plaintiffs argue that recall repair doesn’t fully fix the underlying defect under real-world driving conditions.

What’s Named in the Complaint

The case covers 2022–2024 Honda Civic models (including Si and Type R trims), 2023–2024 Honda CR-V, 2023–2024 Honda HR-V, and the 2023–2024 Acura Integra, according to court filing summaries published by CarComplaints.com. The complaint centers on electric power steering gearboxes containing what plaintiffs describe as improperly processed worm-wheel components that swell when exposed to heat and moisture, cutting off lubrication and increasing internal friction. Combined with excessive preload on the worm gear spring, drivers reported the steering wheel momentarily sticking or growing heavy, particularly at highway speed or after extended driving.

What the Lawsuit Alleges Honda Knew

Plaintiffs claim Honda’s own internal data and warranty reports showed the defect long before the automaker acted, and that the company “knew the steering systems were defective before the vehicles were first sold,” per case documents cited by CarComplaints.com. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened its own probe into the steering complaints in March 2023 and closed that investigation in January 2025 — but plaintiffs’ attorneys are pressing forward with the civil case regardless, arguing the October 2024 recall fix, which replaces the preload spring and reapplies lubrication, doesn’t resolve the problem for every affected owner.

Honda’s Position

Honda has not issued a new public statement responding to the consolidated complaint. The company has maintained that its October 2024 recall — which offers the spring and lubrication repair free of charge through dealers — addresses the steering concern. Honda customers can check whether their VIN is included in that recall directly through NHTSA’s recall lookup tool.

Court records show Judge Birotte has set new case deadlines extending beyond June 2026, meaning current owners of the named Civic, CR-V, HR-V, and Integra models should expect the litigation, and any related notices, to continue well into the year, according to CarComplaints.com’s review of the docket.