WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Honda Motor said Wednesday it is recalling 2 million cars and SUVs in North America over an issue that can make steering more difficult and increase the risk of a crash.

The recall by the Japanese automaker includes various 2022 through 2025 model vehicles including some Civic and Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V and Acura Integra and Integra Type S vehicles. Honda said it has received 10,328 warranty claims related to the issue since 2021.

There are 1.7 million U.S. vehicles, 240,000 in Canada and 58,000 in the Mexico covered by the recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe into the issue in March 2023 and upgraded the investigation in November.

The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty while steering, abnormal steering noise or increased steering effort.

Dealers will replace the worn gear spring with an improved part and add grease if needed. Honda plans to notify owners by mid-November.

Drivers told NHTSA of "sticky steering" issues that occurred mostly at highway speeds after driving for a period of time. Most complaints said the issue occurred with low vehicle mileage.

Honda said the issue stems from an improperly produced part can swell when exposed to environmental heat and moisture and added a spring was set improperly high, increasing the sliding force between the components.

NHTSA said last year it had received reports of 13 crashes related to the issue, including 11 drivers who said they had lost control due to not being able to overcome the momentary increased steering effort prior to their vehicle leaving the roadway.

Photo from Reuters