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    Why is my Honda failing while driving?

    Four times now (twice on Sunday and twice yesterday) the power-steering on my Honda failed while I was driving. It was sudden with no warning. I read the manual and after turning the car off and back on, the power-steering came back.

    I did some research and found that in the USA, Honda recalled over 500,000 Accords because of this problem (in 2011, I think). There were also similar problems in 2013. Have there been any similar issues in Australia? And yes, I have the car booked into my Honda dealer this week.

    Answered by CarsGuide
    28 March 2020
    David Morley

    This was a definitely a big deal in the US where I think the figure was more like 600,000-plus Accords being recalled to fix the problem. The symptom is a sudden loss of power-assistance to the steering wheel and, while the car can still be steered (the mechanical link remains intact) it can be quite a surprise when it happens. Steering the car also requires much more effort from the driver and some older or smaller drivers simply may not be able to summon up the required brute strength. That said, adrenalin can do wonderful things!

    Honda Australia did actually recall a batch of Accords in Australia in March 2011 for power-steering problems, but that was to check and replace a hydraulic power-steering fluid hose that could crack and leak into the engine bay. If the leak was bad enough for long enough, the car could conceivably run out of fluid at which point power assistance would be lost (if the car hadn’t caught fire in the meantime).

    But since your problem seems to re-set itself when you turn the car off and then back on, I’d say it’s electronic; either the computer, the wiring of the electric assistance motor itself. Taking it to a Honda dealer pronto is definitely the smart thing to do.

    Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.
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