2020 Honda Accord
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Forward collision avoidance is the leading concern among 362 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 20th highest complaint count among 25 Accord model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 14 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 11 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 21, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerFeb 1, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Campaign 24V064000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpMar 25, 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.
Campaign 21V215000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, body control module, softwareDec 10, 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, and 2019-2020 Insight vehicles. A software error may cause intermittent or continuous disruptions in communication between the Body Control Module (BCM) and other components. This may result in malfunctions of various systems such as the windshield wipers and defroster, rearview camera, exterior lights, audible warning of a stopped vehicle, and power window operation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems" and number 111, "Rear Visibility" as well as FMVSS numbers 104, 108, 114, 118, and 305.
Various system malfunctions such as inoperative windshield wipers, defroster, rearview camera, or exterior lighting can increase the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the BCM software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 22, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X95.
Campaign 20V771000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: forward collision avoidance
103 reports, newest first. Show all
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the Automatic Emergency Braking System erroneously activated, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in the middle of the road. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact was informed of NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE); and related the failure to NHTSA Action Number. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 16, 2025
Honda never contacted me about this recall or steps to fixing the problem to make sure my car was safe and running/working correctly. I would like the problem/recall to be fixed ASAP. I looked up my VIN on your website and this is how I even found out about this recall. Please help me get it fixed. Thank you.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 3, 2025
Driving on a clear road on a clear day with no car in front of me, the brake warning flashed and then the car braked on its own. There was NO reason for the warning or for the car to brake on its own. Automatic breaking isn’t even a feature on this car.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 5, 2025
I was driving down US Route 42 on 10/4/25 at 1:10 AM and my car phantom break itself while I was doing 60 miles an hour on the highway.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 5, 2025
The vehicle keeps braking automatically with nothing in front of me, I see numerous people reporting it so I figured I should aswell, nothing in front or near me when it automatically brakes, it is scary as heck tho!
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 2, 2025
Good Morning, I have new Honda Accord 2020 which always been taken care of regular services and oil changes etc. This morning I tried to start my car going to work but suddenly all brake related warning signs came off. My card still not starting the engine. I researched online and found out many people who have same Honda facing same issues. So I figured it's better to be reported before someone gets really hurts while on road. Please find attached pictured with this incident report please.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
It is uncertain which specific system/systems have failed/malfunctioned at this point. Despite frequent and consistent communication with Honda, no real attempt has been made to uncover the cause of this issue, and no solution has been provided. The vehicle has been, and is, available for inspection upon request. This is the 7th occurrence since the first event on 21 April 2025. This occurred on the interstate. During this event, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 70 mph to 60 mph without the ability of the driver to intervene or take back control of the vehicle. This led to a very near miss as traffic was rapidly approaching the rear of my vehicle. At the time of the incident (6:21 PM), I was in the right lane. Traffic was heavy. The weather was overcast and dry in tire path. CMBS was OFF. ACC was OFF. Problem has not yet been reproduced but dealer has verbally indicated that they get frequent complaints about the system. This includes one employee who has experienced this on his personal vehicle. Many DTCs have been recovered from the vehicle’s log. Manufacturer: Yes, vehicle has spent 30 days, to date, in custody of Honda Police: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Insurance Representatives: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Others: No. Any work on the vehicle performed outside of Honda East Cincinnati will void the warranty No warning or alert (audible or visual) lights were present before, during, or after the event
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
It is uncertain which specific system/systems have failed/malfunctioned at this point. Despite frequent and consistent communication with Honda, no real attempt has been made to uncover the cause of this issue, and no solution has been provided. The vehicle has been, and is, available for inspection upon request. This is the 6th occurrence since the first event on 21 April 2025. This occurred on the interstate. During this event, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 45 mph to 30 mph without the ability of the driver to intervene or take back control of the vehicle. This led to a very near miss as traffic was rapidly approaching the rear of my vehicle. At the time of the incident (5:52 pm), I was in the left lane. Traffic was moderate. The weather was rainy and wet. CMBS was OFF. ACC was OFF. Problem has not yet been reproduced but dealer has verbally indicated that they get frequent complaints about the system. This includes one employee who has experienced this on his personal vehicle. Many DTCs have been recovered from the vehicle’s log. Manufacturer: Yes, vehicle has spent 30 days, to date, in custody of Honda Police: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Insurance Representatives: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Others: No. Any work on the vehicle performed outside of Honda East Cincinnati will void the warranty No warning or alert (audible or visual) lights were present before, during, or after the event
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
It is uncertain which specific system/systems have failed/malfunctioned at this point. Despite frequent and consistent communication with Honda, no real attempt has been made to uncover the cause of this issue, and no solution has been provided. The vehicle has been, and is, available for inspection upon request. This is the 5th occurrence since the first event on 21 April 2025. This occurred on the interstate. During this event, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 65 mph to 25 mph without the ability of the driver to intervene or take back control of the vehicle. This led to a very near miss as traffic was rapidly approaching the rear of my vehicle. At the time of the incident (8:12 AM), I was in the left lane. Traffic was light. The weather was rainy and wet. CMBS was on. ACC was off. This very nearly resulted in total loss of control of the vehicle. Problem has not yet been reproduced but dealer has verbally indicated that they get frequent complaints about the system. This includes one employee who has experienced this on his personal vehicle. Many DTCs have been recovered from the vehicle’s log. Manufacturer: Yes, vehicle has spent 30 days, to date, in custody of Honda Police: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Insurance Representatives: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Others: No. Any work on the vehicle performed outside of Honda East Cincinnati will void the warranty No warning or alert (audible or visual) lights were present before, during, or after the event
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
It is uncertain which specific system/systems have failed/malfunctioned at this point. Despite frequent and consistent communication with Honda, no real attempt has been made to uncover the cause of this issue, and no solution has been provided. The vehicle has been, and is, available for inspection upon request. This is the 4th occurrence since the first event on 21 April 2025. This occurred on the interstate. During this event, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 70 mph to 55 mph without the ability of the driver to intervene or take back control of the vehicle. This led to a very near miss as traffic was rapidly approaching the rear of my vehicle. At the time of the incident (8:09 am), I was in the right lane. Traffic was very light. The weather was overcast but dry. CMBS was on. ACC was on. Problem has not yet been reproduced but dealer has verbally indicated that they get frequent complaints about the system. This includes one employee who has experienced this on his personal vehicle. Many DTCs have been recovered from the vehicle’s log. Manufacturer: Yes, vehicle has spent 30 days, to date, in custody of Honda Police: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Insurance Representatives: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Others: No. Any work on the vehicle performed outside of Honda East Cincinnati will void the warranty No warning or alert (audible or visual) lights were present before, during, or after the event
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
It is uncertain which specific system/systems have failed/malfunctioned at this point. Despite frequent and consistent communication with Honda, no real attempt has been made to uncover the cause of this issue, and no solution has been provided. The vehicle has been, and is, available for inspection upon request. This is the 3rd occurrence since the first event on 21 April 2025. This occurred on the interstate. During this event, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 70 mph to 65 mph without the ability of the driver to intervene or take back control of the vehicle. This led to a very near miss as traffic was rapidly approaching the rear of my vehicle. At the time of the incident, I was in the right middle lane. Traffic was light. The weather was clear and dry. CMBS was on. ACC was off. Problem has not yet been reproduced but dealer has verbally indicated that they get frequent complaints about the system. This includes one employee who has experienced this on his personal vehicle. Many DTCs have been recovered from the vehicle’s log. Manufacturer: Yes, vehicle has spent 30 days, to date, in custody of Honda Police: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Insurance Representatives: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Others: No. Any work on the vehicle performed outside of Honda East Cincinnati will void the warranty No warning or alert (audible or visual) lights were present before, during, or after the event
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
It is uncertain which specific system/systems have failed/malfunctioned at this point. Despite frequent and consistent communication with Honda, no real attempt has been made to uncover the cause of this issue, and no solution has been provided. The vehicle has been, and is, available for inspection upon request. This is the 2nd occurrence since the first event on 21 April 2025. This occurred on the interstate. During this event, the vehicle's forward collision warning triggered an audible and visual alert that could not be shut off. This led to a very near miss as traffic was rapidly approaching the rear of my vehicle. At the time of the incident, I was in the left lane. Traffic was very light. The weather was dark and dry. CMBS was on. ACC was off. LKAS was on. RDM was on. Problem has not yet been reproduced but dealer has verbally indicated that they get frequent complaints about the system. This includes one employee who has experienced this on his personal vehicle. Many DTCs have been recovered from the vehicle’s log. Manufacturer: Yes, vehicle has spent 30 days, to date, in custody of Honda Police: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Insurance Representatives: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Others: No. Any work on the vehicle performed outside of Honda East Cincinnati will void the warranty Visual and audible alerts were present before, during, or after the event
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
It is uncertain which specific system/systems have failed/malfunctioned at this point. Despite frequent and consistent communication with Honda, no real attempt has been made to uncover the cause of this issue, and no solution has been provided. The vehicle has been, and is, available for inspection upon request. This is the 1st occurrence since the first event on 21 April 2025. This occurred on the interstate. During this event, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 75 mph to 20 mph without the ability of the driver to intervene or take back control of the vehicle. This led to a very near miss as traffic was rapidly approaching the rear of my vehicle. At the time of the incident (5:10 pm), I was in the left lane. Traffic was moderate. The weather was clear and dry. CMBS was on. ACC was (status unknown). LKAS was on. RDM was on. Problem has not yet been reproduced but dealer has verbally indicated that they get frequent complaints about the system. This includes one employee who has experienced this on his personal vehicle. Many DTCs have been recovered from the vehicle’s log. Manufacturer: Yes, vehicle has spent 30 days, to date, in custody of Honda Police: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Insurance Representatives: Not yet. Will do immediately if advised Others: No. Any work on the vehicle performed outside of Honda East Cincinnati will void the warranty No warning or alert (audible or visual) lights were present before, during, or after the event
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 5, 2025
On September 2, 2025 at 1004-1005 EST, my car phantom braked, when there was nothing in front of me and this time instead of just flashing brake on the dashboard, it actually breaks itself and threw me into the steering wheel thank God my seatbelt caught me, but it really choked me up. This has happened quite a number of times before, but this is the first time that it breaked when I actually stepped on the brake pedal it break itself myself also. The component is the automatic breaking for the collision impact that keeps phantom breaking on me. It has never been looked at by a dealer or anyone otherwise. The lamp that came on was the BREAK lamp where the rpm are at.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 28, 2025
There has been multiple times that when I am driving on the highway doing 60 miles an hour, the dashboard will light up to BRAKE the car when there is nothing in front of the car, no other car no trash nothing. It has done this on slower roads where the speed limit is 40 mph and under but it will actually brake the car and I have had cars behind me when this happens. This keeps happening multiply times a week.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 20, 2025
On July 30, 2025, my Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) randomly activated without any obstacles in front of the vehicle. Since then, this issue has happened numerous times while driving. When the incident occurs, the system flashes a “Brake” warning and suddenly applies the brakes while I am driving. This creates a serious risk of a rear-end collision, loss of control, or bodily harm. I had the vehicle inspected by an authorized Honda dealership on August 1, 2025 for this issue. Despite the inspection, the malfunction continues to occur. Although I have not yet been involved in an accident, this defect poses an ongoing safety hazard for myself, passengers, and others on the road. I request that NHTSA investigate this matter.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 2, 2025
The Honda Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) will randomly activate without any obstacles in front of the vehicle. Consequently, increasing the risk for car accidents, loss of control, and bodily harm. The car has not been inspected by a dealer or certified mechanic for this problem. However, the vehicle is available for inspection and repair as needed. While the incident occurs, the CMBS warning system will flash ‘Brake’.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 31, 2025
When driving my car it will phantom break when there is nothing in front of it going down the highway 5060 miles an hour and it’s done at numerous times. I have not been in an accident yet, but it’s something that keeps occurring on my car.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 22, 2025
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue involving the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system on my Honda Accord 2020. The system has been engaging randomly and without cause, abruptly applying the brakes when there is no obstacle or hazard present. On multiple occasions, this malfunction has occurred while driving at normal speeds, including on highways and in moderate traffic. These sudden, unprovoked braking events have created extremely dangerous situations, nearly causing rear-end collisions and putting both myself and other drivers at risk. Despite there being no obstruction in front of the vehicle, the system behaves as though an emergency stop is necessary. This issue not only undermines the purpose of the safety feature but also significantly increases the risk of an accident due to unexpected deceleration. I urge Honda to thoroughly investigate this issue, as it appears to be a potentially widespread and dangerous defect. I am requesting that the company: •Address and correct the fault in my vehicle’s AEB system at no cost •Provide a clear explanation of the root cause •Inform me of any recalls or technical service bulletins (TSBs) related to this problem
Electrical system, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 7, 2025, crash
During a forward-side lane departure collision in my 2020 Honda Accord, the Body Control Module (BCM), forward collision radar system, braking assist, and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSI) all failed to activate. As a result, the vehicle did not brake, warn, or stabilize before impact. The airbags also failed to deploy during the crash. My safety and the safety of others were put at serious risk, as the vehicle did not respond as designed despite being equipped with these systems. The car is now undrivable but available for inspection. This issue has not yet been confirmed by a dealer due to the car's condition, but similar failures have been reported in other 2020 Honda Accords already under recall. The insurance company did not request vehicle data and did not inspect the systems. There were no warning lamps, alerts, or messages prior to the failure; the malfunction occurred without notice. I am requesting that this vehicle be added to the existing recall list related to BCM and safety system failures.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 27, 2025
Vehicle will randomly slam on brakes to a dead stop, engaging my seatbelt when engine braking behind a vehicle. Usually happens on surface streets when the vehicle in front of me is turning into a driveway/tight right turn. My velocity is decreasing & I am not at risk of colliding with the vehicle every time. System does not seem to register engine braking with a manual transmission as “braking.” I’ve nearly been rear ended several times due to coming to a dead stop in traffic. I’ve asked Honda how to permanently disable the system, with the only advice to turn it off manually every single time I start the vehicle.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the brakes had erroneously activated, causing the vehicle the suddenly decelerate. During the failure, the "BRAKE" light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. Additionally, after starting the vehicle and driving forward or in reverse, there was a squeaking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure, and informed the contact that the failure was a common issue, but the manufacturer had not issued a service campaign to address the issue. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Forward collision avoidance, May 18, 2025
False alarms (several hundred) with audio and visual warnings but no braking. ONE instance of false alarm WITH emergency braking from 55mph to under 30mph. I do not recall a false warning happening after sundown, ever. Alarms have occurred on bright days with sharp shadows, and overcast with no shadows. There always seems to be a solid overhead object being approached, overpass, railway trestle, solid bar supporting a traffic light. This is highly intermittent where alarms occurred 3 in a week, to 1 in a span of two months. The two constants I have noted are it happens during daylight hours and a substantial overhead object or structure is being approached. Alarms have been occurring since 2021 when i bought the car new off the lot.
Forward collision avoidance, May 12, 2025
- Component/System failure/malfunction: ADAS. Specifically, CMBS and/or ACC. - My car has repeatedly experienced unexpected braking events, rapidly bringing me to nearly a complete stop in the highway. During this time, I have no ability to control the speed of my vehicle. This has been occurring during my ~70 mile commute on I-675, I-75, and I-275. - Despite having the car on multiple occasions and for over a week collectively, the issue has not been replicated by the dealer. - The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others to date. The Honda dealer has not initiated any further inspection. - During these failures, the car has (often) been braking without due reason or any alert to the driver. No system malfunction was found (either shown to driver or in computer log, as verified by dealer). Please review attached document for further details regarding the incident(s). This copy has been presented to Honda and the Ohio Attorney General.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 13, 2025
The car brake by itself with no obstacles in the way