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VinCanary

Reliability report · 2022 Honda Civic · Updated July 2026 · ~$1,900/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

Buyable, but the sticky-steering recall is the whole story — verify it was done and test it yourself.

2022 is the first year of the 11th-generation Civic, and like most launch years it's loud: 872 federal complaints, second only to the 2016 debut. One issue dominates — a steering gearbox whose worm gear develops excessive internal friction, producing a sticky, hard-to-center steering feel that owners find alarming at highway speed.

Honda issued a large steering-gearbox recall (24V-744, covering the 2022–2025 Civic and several other models) plus a service-part rack recall (23V-704), and the free fix is a worm-gear-spring replacement with special grease. The catch is real: a cluster of federal complaints say the recall repair didn't fully resolve the stickiness, and some owners paid for a rack replacement themselves. Buy a 2022 only with 24V-744 verified complete by VIN and the steering tested through slow parking maneuvers and fine highway corrections.

Evidence: 872 NHTSA complaints · 4 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Squawking

What that means: 872 federal complaints — the second-loudest year in our Civic data, and the launch of the 11th generation. The dominant issue is a sticky/hard-steering defect that drove a very large steering-gearbox recall; the free fix exists, but a real cluster of owners report it didn't fully cure the problem — so this year is buyable only with the steering both recall-verified and road-tested.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

872

Federal complaints

4

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2022 Honda CIVIC 4 DR FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 16478)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Sticky / hard steering — the gen-11 recall (24V-744)

major

This is the defining 2022 issue. The electric power steering gearbox's worm gear can develop excessive internal friction, so the wheel feels sticky or resistant — worst on fine, small corrections at highway speed and on slow parking turns, sometimes with a clicking or creaking noise. Owners describe having to jerk the wheel to unstick it, and warn about sudden overcorrections. Recall 24V-744 (NHTSA action EA23003) covers the 2022–2025 Civic and Civic Hatchback plus the CR-V, HR-V and Integra; the free remedy replaces the worm-gear spring and redistributes or adds grease, and in some cases the whole rack. Critically, the federal file contains repeated reports that the recall repair did not fully fix the stickiness, and some owners paid for a rack replacement out of pocket. Verify 24V-744 by VIN and test the steering yourself before buying.

Recall worm-gear/grease repair

$0

Owner-paid rack replacement (if unresolved)

owner-paid

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall database, 2022 Civic · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (11th-gen Civic) and Honda manufacturer-communication bulletins (EPS service-part product update)

Service-part steering-rack recall — 23V-704moderate

A companion steering campaign, 23V-704, covers 2022–2024 Civic 4-door and 5-door cars that received a replacement power-steering rack as part of a service repair: the rack may have been incorrectly assembled, letting a tire chafe against the lower suspension or tie-rod end and risking tire damage. Dealers inspect and replace the rack free. This one applies only to cars that had a rack replaced in service — but given the steering story above, that's a meaningful population. Confirm by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall database, 2022 Civic

$0

Recall inspection/replacement

1.5-liter turbo: rodent-chewed wiring and brake-switch faultsmoderate

  • 1.5L turbo

On the gen-11 1.5-liter turbo — which one mechanic calls the more concerning of the two engines — the cylinder-4 ignition coil and cam-position sensor wiring sit exposed on the intake side and are a frequent rodent-chew target (the 2.0-liter engine has a cover that protects them). If you see rodent droppings, address it fast; the repair is possible but recurring. Mechanics also report a run of brake-switch failures that trigger dashboard messages — everything still works, and the fix is simple and typically under warranty at this age. Neither is an engine-threatening problem.

Sources: Independent mechanic channel transcripts (11th-gen Civic) and Honda manufacturer-communication bulletins (EPS service-part product update)

Adaptive cruise disengagement and camera softwareminor

Owners across 2021–2024 gen-11 Civics report the adaptive cruise control disengaging abruptly with a beep and no obstruction ahead, and the windshield camera throwing software faults that a bulletin update usually resolves (a few cameras have been replaced when the update didn't fix it). Test the driver-assist suite on the drive; if the dash shows a system-malfunction history, ask whether the camera software update was applied.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall database, 2022 Civic · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (11th-gen Civic) and Honda manufacturer-communication bulletins (EPS service-part product update)

When making fine movements during highway drives, the steering feels stuck, needs extra effort, not right around center.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Honda dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 24V-7442022–2025 Civic and Civic Hatchback (plus CR-V/HR-V/Integra): steering gearbox manufactured incorrectly, causing excessive internal friction and difficulty steering. Free worm-gear-spring replacement and grease. NHTSA action EA23003. Honda codes SJS/MJU/QJT/VJV.open
  2. 23V-7042022–2024 Civic 4-door/5-door that received a replacement power-steering rack in service: rack may be incorrectly assembled, letting a tire chafe the suspension. Free inspection/replacement. Honda code YFW.open
  3. 24V-0642020–2022 Civic sedan (2021–2022 hatchback): front-passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short, risking unintended airbag deployment. Free sensor replacement (phased). Honda codes XHP/VHQ.open
  4. 26V-332Front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short, risking unintended airbag deployment. Free sensor replacement; letters mailed July 2026 (expands 24V-064).open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2022 Civic

Four sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

33 MPG combined (30 city / 37 highway) for the FWD, 2.0L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 44134 (Civic 4Dr).
Other builds EPA lists: FWD, 1.5L turbo 31 MPG.

$1,900/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Crash losses

Insurers lose about 36% more on this vehicle than on the average car. Higher collision losses tend to show up in what you pay for coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2022 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Honda Civic.
Other series: Honda Civic hatchback 132 · Honda Civic Si 147, where 100 = average.

136 vs 100

36% above average

Theft

Stolen at about the average rate.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2022–24 models, published May 2025 (report WT-24). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Honda Civic.
Other series: Honda Civic hatchback 74 · Honda Civic Si 69, where 100 = average.

91 vs 100

9% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Recall worm-gear/grease repair$0
Owner-paid rack replacement (if unresolved)owner-paid
Recall inspection/replacement$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Run the VIN against 24V-744 (steering gearbox) and confirm it shows completed — this is the year's defining recall.
  2. 02Test the steering yourself: slow parking-lot turns for stickiness/clicking, and fine centering corrections at highway speed — if it feels sticky even after the recall, treat it as unresolved (a known complaint pattern) and negotiate or walk.
  3. 03If the car had a steering rack replaced in service, confirm the 23V-704 rack recall is done.
  4. 04On a 1.5-liter turbo, inspect the exposed intake-side wiring for rodent damage and ask about any brake-switch dashboard messages.
  5. 05Test the adaptive cruise and windshield camera; confirm the seat-sensor recall (24V-064 / 26V-332) by VIN.

Own one already?

The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.

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