2022 Honda Civic cruise control problems
moderate 31 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Of the 17 model years of Honda Civic we track for cruise control problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 31.
Owners have filed 31 cruise control complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2022 Honda Civic has widespread cruise control problems: both regular and adaptive cruise shut off without warning during highway driving and won't reactivate until you stop, restart the engine, and cycle the ignition—a serious safety issue with potential for rear-end collisions. Additionally, lane-keeping and collision-avoidance systems are exhibiting aggressive or false behaviors, and dealerships report inability to diagnose or fix these issues despite owner complaints spanning from day one of ownership to 80,000 miles.
Cruise control disengagement is the dominant complaint across all 30 narratives. Both regular and Adaptive Cruise Control shut off abruptly during highway driving—most commonly on interstates—without warning and often with only a single beep or multiple beeps as notification. Once disengaged, the system will not reactivate no matter how many times the driver presses the button; the only reliable reset is to pull over, stop the car completely, place it in park, turn off the ignition, and restart the engine. This creates a dangerous situation when traffic is following close behind, forcing sudden, unexpected deceleration. Owners report the problem occurs randomly but frequently—sometimes multiple times per week, sometimes 5 to 10 times over 12,000 miles—and happens in clear weather, light traffic, heavy traffic, day, and night. No diagnostic trouble codes are stored; dealers run diagnostics and find nothing wrong, with several specifically unable to reproduce the issue during standard test drives.
Multiple owners also report simultaneous failures in other driver assistance systems: Adaptive Cruise Control applying unexpected hard braking on empty roads, the Lane Keeping Assist System aggressively steering the vehicle into lane lines, Forward Collision Warning triggering false alerts, and dashboard warning cascades ('Brake Failure,' 'Lane Departure,' 'Driver Assist Functions Disabled') appearing spontaneously. One owner documented a power steering rack motor melt requiring $10,000 in repairs. Dealers consistently tell owners they have no fix, no technical service bulletins have been applied, and in some cases are unaware the problem exists despite it appearing in online forums as a pattern across the 2022 Civic platform.
Failure modes owners describe
Cruise Control Intermittent Disengagement (Regular and Adaptive)
Cruise control—both regular and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)—shuts off unexpectedly during highway driving without warning, beeps once or multiple times, and cannot be reengaged until the vehicle is stopped, put in park, and the ignition is cycled off and back on. No diagnostic codes are generated; the system shows no prior warning messages or fault indicators.
When: Occurs within first days to weeks of ownership in some cases; happens intermittently after 30 minutes to over an hour of driving, typically on interstate highways. Reported at mileages ranging from 800 to 80,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control disengages abruptly with single or multiple beeps; No warning messages or codes prior to disengagement; System shows 'Cruise Control Off' message or ACC off icon after shutdown; Cannot reactivate cruise until vehicle is stopped, placed in park, and engine restarted; Vehicle speed decreases unexpectedly when cruise disengages; Occurs under clear weather, daylight and night conditions, in light and heavy traffic
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to reproduce issue during standard test drives. No parts replaced or repairs completed in documented cases. Owners report dealership technicians have stated 'no codes,' indicating no fault codes stored in vehicle computer.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner (#16) references a Honda Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) issued for this issue, though their vehicle had not yet been updated with the TSB software update at time of complaint. Honda customer service created case numbers but did not provide follow-up or resolution.
ACC Sudden Unintended Acceleration or Deceleration in Traffic
Adaptive Cruise Control malfunctions while tracking a vehicle ahead, causing unexpected acceleration or deceleration when other vehicles change lanes or pass. In one case, ACC suddenly accelerated the vehicle, forcing emergency braking to avoid rear-ending the car ahead. In another, ACC decelerated suddenly when a vehicle cut in front of the driver.
When: Occurs during active ACC use in traffic situations with multiple vehicle interactions.
Symptoms owners cite: ACC accelerates unexpectedly when vehicle cuts in front or passes; ACC decelerates without reason when lane changes occur nearby; Sudden speed changes force emergency braking; No warning given before behavior change
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented. Owners report loss of trust in the system and disabled its use.
ACC Disengagement During Lane Changes
ACC shuts off when driver initiates a lane change, then refuses to reactivate, requiring engine restart. This creates a safety hazard when multiple vehicles are following closely.
When: Occurs during active ACC use in passing situations.
Symptoms owners cite: ACC shuts off the moment driver changes lanes; Beep sounds; ACC off icon displayed; System will not re-engage no matter how many times driver attempts; Engine restart required to restore functionality
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer informed owner of 'known issues with some of the cameras' and offered to replace camera when available; replacement had not occurred at time of complaint.
ACC-Related False Brake Warnings and Emergency Braking
Adaptive Cruise Control triggers 'BRAKE' warning messages and applies hard emergency braking on empty interstate roads with no vehicles present and no obstacles detected. Owners report this happened twice in separate incidents, both during low-traffic periods early morning.
When: Occurred early morning (0430 AM) on interstate with no traffic.
Symptoms owners cite: 'BRAKE' warning displayed on dashboard; Hard braking applied with no visible reason or vehicle ahead; Occurs despite clear road conditions; Happens repeatedly (second occurrence confirms pattern, not isolated event)
Repairs/costs cited: Owner stopped using ACC entirely after incidents due to inability to trust system.
Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) False Activation
Forward collision warning and collision mitigation braking engages unexpectedly when no collision hazard is present. In one case, CMBS activated after driver pulled out onto frontage road, causing accelerator pedal to become unresponsive (drop to idle) for approximately 3 seconds while vehicle was moving at low speed in traffic.
When: Occurred on frontage road pulling out from a stop into moderate traffic (45+ mph).
Symptoms owners cite: Accelerator pedal becomes unresponsive; RPMs drop to idle; 'BRAKE' warning flashes on screen while foot is on accelerator; No response from throttle for ~3 seconds; Vehicle decelerates unexpectedly in traffic
Repairs/costs cited: Never inspected or confirmed by dealer.
Dashboard Warning Cascades and ADAS System Disablement
Multiple ADAS warnings display simultaneously on dashboard: 'Lane Departure,' 'Brake Failure,' 'Collision Mitigation Brake System Failure,' and 'Driver Assist Functions Disabled' messages appear even when parked with engine off. In one case, five warning messages appeared unexpectedly while owner was not driving, instructing owner to see dealer. These warnings often accompany cruise control failures.
When: Occurs spontaneously, sometimes while parked and engine off. One case had vehicle parked at home with owner using phone audio via USB.
Symptoms owners cite: Multiple warning messages on dashboard (Lane Departure, Brake Failure, Collision Mitigation Brake System Failure, Driver Assist Functions Disabled); Warnings appear without corresponding actual system failures or triggering events; Can occur while vehicle is parked and engine is off; Warnings clear themselves spontaneously after dealer inspection in some cases
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnostic report referenced in one case but specific codes not disclosed to owner. One dealer mentioned camera replacement needed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer informed owner of 'known issues with some cameras' and said parts would be replaced when available. Honda customer service was notified; case numbers created but no follow-up provided.
Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) Aggressive Steering Intervention
LKAS system constantly fights driver for steering control, pulling the vehicle toward lane lines aggressively. Vehicle steers itself to hug lane markings, often crossing over the line, which triggers Lane Departure Warning and steering wheel vibration. This occurs on both left and right lane lines but is more frequent on the left.
When: Occurs on every drive since first day of ownership. Reported at 21,000 miles with issue present from day one.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel pulls toward lane lines involuntarily; Vehicle drifts toward and crosses lane markings without driver input; Lane Departure Warning activates and steering wheel vibrates; LKAS fighting occurs on both left and right lane lines, predominantly left; Requires constant driver correction and yanking on stiff steering wheel to counteract
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer test drive replicated issue but could not diagnose; no fault codes generated. Dealer employee stated car 'is supposed to guide towards the lane lines,' which owner disputes.
Unexpected Vehicle Acceleration (Non-Cruise Related)
Vehicle accelerates on its own without driver input, cruise control is not engaged. Driver has feet lifted off all pedals and floor mat is clear. Condition persists until gas pedal produces a loud pop sound, after which acceleration stops. No warning lights before or after incident.
When: Occurred while driving on highway to church.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle accelerates without cruise control engaged; Vehicle continues to accelerate even when driver's feet are off pedals; Downshifting causes RPMs to rev high; Gas pedal makes loud pop sound, then acceleration stops; No warning lights or prior symptoms
Automatic Headlight Dimming Malfunction
Automatic headlight dimming feature shuts off intermittently and simultaneously with cruise control failures. No warning messages or codes accompany the shutdown.
When: Occurs intermittently during long interstate drives (50+ miles).
Symptoms owners cite: Automatic headlight dimming shuts off without warning; No diagnostic codes or warning messages generated
Power Steering Rack Motor Thermal Damage
Power steering rack motor and associated electrical connectors have melted, causing cruise control to fail alongside five warning messages on the dashboard. Dealer attributes this to overheating caused by proximity to muffler and inadequate heat shielding. Occurs at 80,000 miles after steering recall service performed months prior.
When: Occurred at 80,000 miles, months after August steering recall service.
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control stops working; Five warning messages appear on dashboard; Power steering rack motor and plug connectors show signs of melting
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer quoted approximately $10,000 for repair: replacement of power steering rack, motor, entire wiring harness, and associated components.
Synthesized from 31 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2022 Honda Civic?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 31 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $600 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.