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530,000 Hondas, Acuras under expanded NHTSA investigation for steering problem

Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the 2022 and 2023 Honda Civic. The agency had received 145 complaints from owners stating that the car suddenly exhibited “sticky steering” and increased steering effort. WeÂ’re now learning that the investigation is expanding to include hundreds of thousands more cars. The original probe included around 238,000 Civics, but the NHTSAÂ’s latest report, issued Friday, noted that the investigation is expanding to include more than 530,000 Hondas and Acura vehicles. The 2022 and 2023 Honda Civic, 2023 Honda CR-V, and 2023 Acura Integra are affected. A drastic increase in complaints drove the expansion, as the NHTSA said it had received 1,300 reports and was aware of at least 14 crashes related to the problem. An alarming 11 of those crashes involved a roadway departure due to loss of steering control. Two of them came after the driver allegedly overcorrected, and there are three known injuries from the crashes. NHTSAÂ’s report found that the problem happened primarily in the winter months and after the car had been driven in a straight line for an extended period to warm up the vehicle and gear. Though alarming, itÂ’s worth noting that this investigation has not yet reached the recall stage. Honda acknowledged the problem, noting that it was a manufacturing issue for the steering gear unit. The manufacturing process created conditions that could cause greater internal stress, which can wear and deform the gears inside the steering component. The NHTSA also found that the factory did not guarantee consistent lubrication throughout the gear, which could be the cause of the temporary increase in steering effort. The automaker directed its dealers to replace the electronic power steering gearbox to correct a manufacturing defect, but NHTSA will continue its process, moving to an engineering analysis. If that study finds a defect, it could request a recall. Government/Legal Acura Honda Safety

Honda Project 2&4 is our kind of sidecar sideshow [w/video]

Honda makes cars and Honda makes bikes. It makes a whole lot of other things, too, but those are the two areas of expertise that have given rise to the thoroughly enticing Project 2&4 concept. It's one of the smallest vehicles unveiled here at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, but also among the most enticing. The result of a global in-house design competition, Project 2&4 was envisioned by the company's motorcycle studio in Asaka and brought to fruition with help from the automotive studio in Wako. It's powered by the 1.0-liter V4 engine Honda developed for MotoGP competition, driving 212 horsepower and 87 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed, dual-clutch transmission. With less than 900 pounds to motivate, that adds up to blistering performance of the kind we'd give most anything to experience firsthand. The 14,000-rpm redline would be enough to make our heart sing all on its own, but the novelty of Project 2&4 is its design. As you can see, it hands the driver's seat and controls off the side, with room for a hold-on-for-dear-life passenger seat on the other side. The neo-retro styling is inspired by the company's RA272 grand prix racer from the Sixties, but gives up on the center driving position for an altogether more original configuration. The result looks ready to take on the likes of the Ariel Atom and BAC Mono... to say nothing of the curbs of Suzuka and Fuji. If only Honda were (able) to put it into production.

Scion FR-S pitted against oldtimers RX-8 and S2000

There are very few vehicles available today that compare directly with the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins. A case could be made for the Mazda MX-5 Miata, and possibly even six-cylinder versions of American coupes like the Ford Mustang. Pretty much everything else is either too expensive or is powered by the wrong set of wheels.
The boys from EverydayDriver on YouTube decided the only fair way to judge the inherent qualities of the Toyobaru twins was to pit them against two standard-bearers of years past: The Honda S2000 and Mazda RX-8. Neither of these cars is an exact matchup, with the Honda boasting a convertible top and the RX-8 offering more practicality via a rear seat and two reverse-opening doors for easier access. What they do offer, however, are similar performance stats and proven reputations for excellent handling.
None of this talk answers the real question, though: Which one wins the comparison test? Scroll down to watch the video, and be prepared for something of a surprise conclusion.