Hello Accord Forum members, noobie here, just purchased a '99 V6 Coupe with 77k. miles and discovered that the steering lock does not activate when I stop the car and remove the key, I've moved the steering wheel back and forth with the tires facing straight ahead and still no luck, does this particular model even have a steering lock? Thanks for your help!

 

There is a steering wheel lock on your accord. You may want to take off the plastic covers and verify the steering lock mechanism moves freely. It is just a spring loaded pin. It is part of the ignition key assembly. It is between the steering wheel and the key hole. It may just be bound/frozen and some PB-blaster can fix it. When the key is inserted, the pin should stay retracted.

 

Moderator, Thank you for that explanation, I'm actually concerned more about the safety aspect over security, do you think that the lock might engage while driving if I just left it alone? I've never heard of that ever happening or am incorrect in that assumption?
Thanks again, Tak06

 

It shouldn't engage when in use. Are you sure that it's working though? What I mean by that, is that the steering wheel might move more than a couple of degrees from center before the column lock actually engages (like a 1/4 turn or more).

 

Thanks for that, you're right, I discovered that the steering wheel will lock if I move the wheel to the 10 or 2 o'clock position so I guess everything is working fine.
It's odd that Honda chose to engage the wheel locks in such an odd position, most people exit their vehicles with the wheel at 12 o'clock, in my other vehicles they all lock at 12 o'clock or slightly off that.

 

Honda might have done that in response to vehicle thefts, like the immobilizer system. It's kind of hard to tow/load a vehicle if the front tires aren't straight. Just like the immobilizer system keeps a thief from stealing the vehicle without the key.

 

That makes sense considering Honda's a prime targets for car thieves.