[movementgarage]

After my first 500 miles of SoCal driving I find my 2018 2.0T Manual Steering to be cumbersome.

A few reasons.

1. It feels like the steering is always fighting me. The feeling of the wheel is heavy more like the not having power steering or a power steering pump stating to go (on off like feel). I have a 95 Integra GSR with no power steering so I know the feeling well.

So when I'm going down the highway I'm constantly having to correct. What it might be is the lane assist. I let go of the wheel and it was like auto pilot. Keeping the car in the lane ever so slightly. So when I'm trying to steer it's constantly trying to keep the car dead center and roads just don't drive that way.

I have been playing with the settings to turn this off but still feels not right.

2. Because of all the steering work at higher speeds I have almost a death grip. So my other issues is the wheel size and thickness. Unless 10 and 2 the wheel thickness makes it hard for my hands (I'm 5' 10" and 197 lbs) to find a comfortable spot.

Overall this could be the car breaking in on its first few thousand miles or I just need to find a balance between the assist programs.

Anyone else noticing this?

 

[Mojo]

Warranty / dealer service !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tarheelz]

After my first 500 miles of SoCal driving I find my 2018 2.0T Manual Steering to be cumbersome.

A few reasons.

1. It feels like the steering is always fighting me. The feeling of the wheel is heavy more like the not having power steering or a power steering pump stating to go (on off like feel). I have a 95 Integra GSR with no power steering so I know the feeling well.

So when I'm going down the highway I'm constantly having to correct. What it might be is the lane assist. I let go of the wheel and it was like auto pilot. Keeping the car in the lane ever so slightly. So when I'm trying to steer it's constantly trying to keep the car dead center and roads just don't drive that way.

I have been playing with the settings to turn this off but still feels not right.

2. Because of all the steering work at higher speeds I have almost a death grip. So my other issues is the wheel size and thickness. Unless 10 and 2 the wheel thickness makes it hard for my hands (I'm 5' 10" and 197 lbs) to find a comfortable spot.

Overall this could be the car breaking in on its first few thousand miles or I just need to find a balance between the assist programs.

Anyone else noticing this?

Turn off Lane Assist. Turn off (or turn down) Lane Departure.

The car is designed to have much heavier steering at higher speeds. If it's not tracking straight, that's an issue.

 

[Neverempty]

Yeah I'd try turning off all the drive assist features to determine whether or not its something to do with an alignment or tire balancing. With so few miles on the car I have a hard time believing that either of those could be off already.

 

[DDNorCal]

I have to agree with the heavy steering at higher speeds. My BMW had the same feeling and was welcomed when traveling fast. I like the wheel being a bit harder to move the car when at high speeds. My wife's 2014 Ford Escape, which is a great small SUV is very easy to steer when at high speeds. Scares me a little as I don't drive it very often. Have to really pay attention. It is very easy to over steer at higher speeds. I much prefer the feeling of the 2018 Accord. Very comfortable and satisfying IMHO.



However, yesterday, I was on a two lane straight country road near where I live and the usual speed is 60-70. I noticed one of the two assists was sort of heavy handed. If I got within a foot or two of being near the line or out of the center of the lane, it was constantly correcting me. That was an odd feeling and I felt like I had to correct it and a few times I may have actually over-corrected just slightly. It made me believe the car needed a fair amount of attention/effort to keep it going straight without a lot of correction.



I am not sure which of the features is doing this??? One shows the doted lines for the left and right edge of the road in the heads up display. I recall this is LKAS, (Lane Keeping Assistant Systems). The other is Road Departure Mitigation (aka as RDM).



Does anyone know why both might/might not be on at the same time? I will experiment with turning both off or modifying the levels of which ever one can be adjusted. I appreciate the safety aspects a lot. However, as stated above, I feel like I am fighting the car sometimes. Any other thoughts?


Thx DD

 

[movementgarage]

I have to agree with the heavy steering at higher speeds. My BMW had the same feeling and was welcomed when traveling fast. I like the wheel being a bit harder to move the car when at high speeds. My wife's 2014 Ford Escape, which is a great small SUV is very easy to steer when at high speeds. Scares me a little as I don't drive it very often. Have to really pay attention. It is very easy to over steer at higher speeds. I much prefer the feeling of the 2018 Accord. Very comfortable and satisfying IMHO.

However, yesterday, I was on a two lane straight country road near where I live and the usual speed is 60-70. I noticed one of the two assists was sort of heavy handed. If I got within a foot or two of being near the line or out of the center of the lane, it was constantly correcting me. That was an odd feeling and I felt like I had to correct it and a few times I may have actually over-corrected just slightly. It made me believe the car needed a fair amount of attention/effort to keep it going straight without a lot of correction.

I am not sure which of the features is doing this??? One shows the doted lines for the left and right edge of the road in the heads up display. I recall this is LKAS, (Lane Keeping Assistant Systems). The other is Road Departure Mitigation (aka as RDM).

Does anyone know why both might/might not be on at the same time? I will experiment with turning both off or modifying the levels of which ever one can be adjusted. I appreciate the safety aspects a lot. However, as stated above, I feel like I am fighting the car sometimes. Any other thoughts?

Thx DD

Great explanation. That is how I feel. I'm fighting the steering systems to go straight while the systems are trying to keep me straight.

When the system kicks on and I need to correct it, it is easy to over compensate as the system kicks off. Now you are slightly out of center and the battle is back on.

It's slight but noticeable at higher speeds.

I moved out of may Ranger Rover and into this Accord. The Range Rover is a tank and I'm use to the vehicle going where I point it. Not a systems thinking for me.

The Accord systems really kick on in construction zones when lines are everywhere. But I notice sometimes the systems kick on just when exiting the highway.

 

[movementgarage]

**Solved!!

After 3 days of driving with the Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM) off, this was what I feel was causing my issues.

I find the vehicle more like the Honda I know when driving at higher speeds with this system off.

The system, I find, to be dangerous more than helpful.

 

[Makaveli]

Has anyone tried reducing the sensitivity of the road departure warning to see if that helps reduce the unwanted warnings?

 

[Bigborgel]

as long as you use your lane changer blinker, it won't fight you.

 

[next1cruise]

In addition to RDM, when you use ACC, Straight Driving Assist (a feature of the Electric Power Steering system) is activated. By enabling the steering system to automatically compensate for natural steering pull, Straight Driving Assist makes it easier for you to keep your vehicle in a straight line (this is from the owners manual p. 535). When you use cruise control, Straight Driving Assist is activated (owners manual p.546)


The Straight Driving Assist seems to be separate from LKAS. Or is it the same? Is anyone aware of a good write-up of the Honda Sensing and related technology? I would like to better understand the theory of operation for this system.

 

[Makaveli]

They have videos on YouTube describing LKAS. Honda official videos give a little bit more detail. But it’s pretty much what the owners manual says.

 

[Dihawk]

Don’t change lanes without signaling first. Problem solved and other drivers around you have theirs solved also!

 

[digitalSniperX1]

I’ve found the key to using the LKAS system is to NOT fight it. Allow it to do the minor adjustments. I’ve allowed it (in a no traffic situation) to steer around a very gradual highway sweeping turn, and it nailed it but will warn you to keep hands on the wheel if left off too long.

 

[Stephen A.]

We have a 2018 accord touring and I have the same issue. I have turned off all the assists and the steering still feels like it doesn’t want to hold a straight line on the hwy. You can feel the steering wheel click left and right ever so slightly. The best I can describe is an old car with play in the steering. So frustrating that I absolutely hate to drive this thing on the highway.

 

[BuickNut]

Are you sure it's all off? I had to get used to this by relaxing my grip and let the car drive.

 

[cchrstcon]

2018 1.5 Turbo Sport

With all lane assist off and driving at freeway speeds my steering seems to have resistance then gives, (feels a little notchy). Try to make a very slight correction then it gives and the correction is to much and have to make a counter correction. It's like driving a boat worse in the warmer temps. Have had them check alignment and then took it in and they told me they didn't seems to feel the problem. Guess I'm stuck with it until summer then I'll take it back in.

 

[paidtoomuch]

Turn off Lane Assist. Turn off (or turn down) Lane Departure.

The car is designed to have much heavier steering at higher speeds. If it's not tracking straight, that's an issue.

What is the difference in Lane Assist and Lane Departure and how do you turn down Lane Departure?

I try to use LKAS on interstates but it instantly drifts over the line and the wheel vibrates and you get a warning to take control. It really doesn't do much good for me as it wobbles back and forth rather than truly straight between your lines.

 

[vtecharry]

I try to use LKAS on interstates but it instantly drifts over the line and the wheel vibrates and you get a warning to take control. It really doesn't do much good for me as it wobbles back and forth rather than truly straight between your lines.

Same exact issue here. With LKAS on the car can't stay in its lane and wanders left to right constantly driving me crazy and it even tells me Driver Assistance needed going in a straight line on a smooth road! Drives me nuts and I have to keep both hands on the wheel and make constant corrections while the steering is fighting me. When I turn everything OFF, the steering is still fighting me and I tend to overcompensate and make corrections. I just can't keep the car going straight unless I make thousands of corrections until I get to my destination. It's worse on the highway where the problem intensifies at higher speeds.

Another Accord ('18 MY) I test drove before I bought the '19 did not do this and LKAS worked perfectly.

I read that 2 others here are getting a new steering system from their Dealer.. I think it was in the Accord Discussions Forum.
We need to keep taking our cars back to the Dealer and open a case with Honda so we can get new steering systems like others are doing. It's all going to depend on your dealer mostly, and how willing they are to fix it and admit there is a problem with your car steering properly. I only have 275 miles on mine after 9 days of ownership, so I have not taken it in yet, but I will soon. If my dealer is not helpful I will take it to another dealer and if they are not helpful and tell me it's normal, I will open a case with Honda and keep complaining.

We should also report this to the NHTSA. There are 4 reports there already. The more reports the better. Eventually Honda will be forced to fix this. It's a safety issue. The fact that others are getting new steering racks is good and we can reference that or the posts to the dealers and Honda if they are blowing us off.

PS/Edit:
Any update from your guys that posted back in May through August? Did you get it resolved and how?

 

[kklabunde]

With all lane assist off and driving at freeway speeds my steering seems to have resistance then gives, (feels a little notchy). Try to make a very slight correction then it gives and the correction is to much and have to make a counter correction. It's like driving a boat worse in the warmer temps. Have had them check alignment and then took it in and they told me they didn't seems to feel the problem. Guess I'm stuck with it until summer then I'll take it back in.

See https://www.accordxclub.com/forum/10-engine-technical-discussion/2144-steering-issue-jumps.html

My steering gear box was binding, per the dealer. Dealer replaced the gear box and it fixed the 12 o'clock resistance.

 

[johnny13]

Also having the same issues with my brand new '18 (1.5 Turbo, Turing edition). That was the first thought that entered my mind that something was binding up as it snaps a bit when you correct for it. Definitely doesn't feel in any way like normal steering and I've been driving with a number of Hondas with LKAS and lane departure and have never experienced this. Will definitely take it in to the dealer and ask them about it.