— Honda Accord power steering problems have caused the owner of a 2013 Accord to file a federal petition to investigate why drivers say their cars suddenly turn left or right without warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received the petition at the end of October when the 2013 Honda Accord owner referenced steering complaints made by drivers.
"The contact stated while her husband was driving at 35 mph, when the steering wheel began to pull to the left independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to independent mechanic and was informed to have the vehicle taken to local dealer. The vehicle was then taken to local dealer...where it was diagnosed with needing 'Gear box' to be replaced."
"I purchased my 2013 honda accord last fall...and has 36,700 miles today. Two weeks after I had an oil change and tires rotated, I began having issues with the power steering pulling left. While traveling at 50mph on a crowded city highway, my steering wheel jerked left and I could have hit the car in the lane next to me."
Multiple 2013 Honda Accord drivers reported they removed their hands from the steering wheels in open areas as a test, and the cars immediately turned and traveled in circles. One driver said his Accord "executed a perfect 90-degree left turn by itself" once his hands were off the steering wheel.
"The dealer's service department also replicated the problem but could not fix it because the car did not show any error codes and honda will only reimburse them if the car shows two specific error codes. I followed their suggestion to call honda; [xxx]. The regional case manager called me back, did not ask me any questions about my problem but rudely launched into a rapid-fire lecture about why honda was not responsible for fixing this problem in my car."
The 2013 Honda Accord owner was told by two mechanics the car needed a new power steering rack, a job that would cost $2,500 and an expense the owner couldn't afford.
The petition says power steering problems occur in Accords at various mileage levels and some of the complaints allege crashes have been caused when the Accords suddenly changed direction.
According to the Accord petitioner, there are more than 220 power steering complaints about 2013 Honda Accords, and about 10% of those described cars that suddenly changed direction without warning.
The petition further claims Honda won't cover repairs under warranty, and no warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes are present when the cars suddenly turn left or right.
NHTSA says it will look into 2013 Honda Accord power steering problems and determine if an official investigation should be launched.
CarComplaints.com will update our website with NHTSA's decision.