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.

Complaints by model year
  1. 362

Of the 2020 reports, 14 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 11 people were injured and 1 person died.

Primary concernForward collision avoidance103 reports · 28% of complaints
Owner complaints362Filed with NHTSA
Recall relationship5 safety recallsNHTSA campaign records

What owners report most often

  1. Forward collision avoidance103
  2. Engine72
  3. Service brakes57
  4. Electrical system51
  5. Fuel/propulsion system51
  6. Other or unspecified42
  7. Air bags35
  8. Steering22

Recalls and investigations

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  1. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 6, 2025

    CMBS not working properly. The car automatically brakes without any collision risk even on a clear road with no traffic and clear weather. Have a huge risk of someone crashing the car from the rear due to immediate braking. This issue has appeared several times.

  2. Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 19, 2025

    When I was attempting to merge into the turning lane the car slowed down by itself and abruptly stopped in the middle of both lanes while a car was behind me.

  3. Forward collision avoidance, Dec 14, 2024

    While I am driving I have experienced incidents where the (Automatic Brake System) AEB system engages unexpectedly, causing the car to brake hard without any obstruction or vehicle in front of me. This incident have happened on both highways and main roads. When my car unexpectedly breaks, sometimes I get a warning That Says Brake then the car Beeps and sometimes It won’t give a warning. Today when it happened it only braked once but like I said it happens unexpectedly. (2020 Honda Accord Sport 1.5lt)

  4. Forward collision avoidance, Nov 29, 2024

    The car's automatic emergency breaking activates randomly when there are no objects in front of it. This is very dangerous as the car is often driving full speed when this happens. I have found that this happens most often when I am driving under something, like an overpass.

  5. Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 27, 2024

    All of the lights on my dashboard come on every few hours and go off. Vehicle is losing power as I drive. Multiple people with this make and model have expressed their concerns of the same issue.

  6. Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 18, 2024

    My blinker won't appear on the dash. My trunk won't open. My back up camera won't come on at all. Can't adjust my exterior lights, stuck on the dimmest setting and can't change. Lights will also flicker and I have no control over it. My radio screen told me to enter a code but wouldn't allow me to. My break system light was on. There is warning reading adaptive cruise control see dealer, automatic emergency braking see dealer, lane departure warning see dealer. Doors locked and unlocked while driving. Air condition wasn't blowing the temperature it said, and acting as it was on low when it was on the highest setting. It is available for inspection upon request. I brought my car into a Honda dealership today. My car had to stay overnight because they were unable to address the problem. There were no prior problems or warnings beforehand. All these problems first appeared when I started my car for the first time on November 14, 2024. These put myself and others at risk because the doors locked and unlocked which could have caused us to get trapped in. The lights not working put me at risk at night because I could not see the road that good.

  7. Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Aug 18, 2024

    Have taken my car to dealership 3 separate times for all warning lights illuminated. Last time they replaced the transmission for a CVT belt prematurely breaking and all codes went away for one day. Now all are present again. Emmisions system warning, lane departure warning, cruise control warning, exc. Every single light never goes out. Just spent 6k on a car that had under 100,000 miles because I was told it was the transmission belt only to come home and have the exact issues happen. The day it was taken to the shop, it stalled in the road and almost caused an accident on a major highway. At this point, I'm afraid to drive it.

  8. Forward collision avoidance, Jul 24, 2024

    The automatic emergency braking system malfunctioned on 7/18/24. I was driving approx. 20 mph on a local road and there was no vehicle, pedestrian, or other object in front of the car when unexpectedly the orange warning to brake came on and an instant later the car braked on its own and came to a complete stop in the middle of the road. Given the sudden and forceful stop, I went forward into the seat belt. Fortunately, there was not a vehicle behind me as I would have been rear ended putting both me and the people in the other vehicle in danger. I reported the incident to the dealer using their online system (I wanted to do it in writing, but could not find a direct email address), but have not heard back from them yet.

  9. Forward collision avoidance, Jul 18, 2024

    I was driving along the NJ Turnpike at approximately 65 miles an hour when the brake warning light started flickering on and off and then the brakes engaged. It was quick, as if I had stepped hard on the pedal. No vehicle was in front of me, but I was driving through the express EZ Pass lane. Later that same day, it happened again, but this time it was only as if someone tapped on the brakes. The brake light flashed then too. To answer the above questions: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Collision Mitigation Braking System, and yes it is How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Someone could have rear-ended me Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The brake light warning flickered on before each instance

  10. Forward collision avoidance, Jul 2, 2024

    The collision mitigation braking system periodically activates when traveling on interstate highway when there is nothing in the roadway to cause this function to activate, causing the vehicle to stop suddenly then release which have caused potential rear-end accidents and possible injury to the driver r passenger due to the sudden stopping motion which propel the driver and passenger forward quickly without any warnings. Recently an warning error appeared to verify this malfunction. Which before 6/30 the warning error never appeared.

  11. Forward collision avoidance, Jun 26, 2024

    I was driving on a road that the car has been on hundreds of times. Flat, straight, dry road with no other cars around. The car all of a sudden braked very hard and the "BRAKE" light started flashing and beeping for about 3-4 seconds and then went off and then the brake fully released. It was like hitting an invisible wall and fighting to maintain control of the car at the same time. It came out of nowhere and was so shocking. There was nothing around me and no reason for the AEB system to be used. I can't tell you if my foot was pressing on the gas or had lifted to maintain speed. I do know that my foot was on or lifted above the gas pedal and nowhere near the brake. I am shocked it didn't cause an accident but I am guessing that is because I held tight to the steering wheel and possibly because there were no other cars around. I have severe whiplash, a major headache, backache and am very scared driving the car should it happen again. I have not gone to receive medical treatment yet but it is highly likely that I will need it. I will be contacting the dealership as well to discuss.

  12. Forward collision avoidance, May 13, 2024

    I've owned the car for over a year now, bought it for my daughter. 3 times the emergency braking system has gone off while driving for no reason. the last event happened while driving on a Hwy at 55 mph with no in front of her. The car slammed on the brakes, and the brake warning light went off, thankfully no one was behind her.

  13. Forward collision avoidance, May 9, 2024

    On [XXX] I took my elderly mother to physical therapy and the car began to randomly brake although there were no vehicles in front of me. The braking light flashed and then car brakes on its own. A week later I was driving approximately 55 mph on a major highway and the car started braking again but without the warning light. Again, there were no cars anywhere around me. The next day I went to the Honda dealership in Covington, LA because I am very concerned this will happen again unexpectedly when there are cars around me and it will result in a bad accident injuring myself or others. I was told he can keep my car all day but he said they probably could not recreate the issue so its just a waste of time. He said nothing he can do about it. That's just how it is and maybe it was from a bug passing the sensor. I know have to remember to turn off the feature every time I drive because I am terrified that it will randomly brake again and it may cause a serious accident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

  14. Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 24, 2024

    Vehicle engaged emergency brake by itself. Also in regards to current fuel delivery recall, Honda has yet to fix my recall saying they have not come up with the parts yet. This is my only vehicle that I bough to commute to work of 150 miles a day. The car stalls on the highway becoming more often than not and is hard to start sometimes.

  15. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 20, 2024

    This car brakes while we are driving while there is nothing in front. was reported to the dealer, they can not find the issue unless the carb does it, or I can turn off the program, but that is not a safe move.

  16. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 19, 2024

    Open highway traveling 50+ mph, changing lanes from middle to right. Car's emergency brakes turned on and slowed me down abruptly for about 1 full second. Thankfully no on was behind me and no one was hurt. I have had this car for 6 months and this has happened 2 other times.

  17. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 18, 2024

    The hand/emergency brakes activated without me doing it while driving and had stayed on ever since. I had my mechanic look into it and he mentioned may be due to a defective sensor and advised to have the dealer look into it for recalls. I saw that the NHTSA is actually reporting on a similar issue. The car still has good brakes (pads and rotor) however the issue continues as it will randomly activate the emergency brakes.

  18. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 18, 2024

    Collision mitigation message turned on, took it in to dealer and they said sensor was coming up as malfunction and not aligned so they aligned it. Although sensor was aligned emergency brake still brakes without an obstruction in front. It has happened on interstate highway at speed limit where speeds are at 75mph.

  19. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 18, 2024

    The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with no other vehicles nearby, the Forward Collision Warning system activated briefly, applying the Automatic Emergency Braking. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The brake alert warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (Forward Collision Avoidance Warning). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.

  20. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 17, 2024

    CAR EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATES WITH NOTHING IN FRONT OF ME THIS HAS HAPPEND TO ME 3 TIMES TODAY IT SLOWED ME DOWN TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE INTERSTATE AND TOOK A FEW SECONDS TO DISENGAGE WITH CARS SWERVING AROUND ME TO AVOID COLLISION THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE

  21. Forward collision avoidance, Apr 10, 2024

    What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Automatic Emergency Braking system engaged without any vehicle or person in front of my car. I was driving at about 40 mph and the brakes slammed on and then after a few seconds released How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? If a vehicle was directly behind me, they could have slammed into my car. No car was at the time this happened. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, I haven't taken it in yet. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The BRAKE light came on on the dashboard when it occurred.

  22. Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 13, 2024

    At least once a month with lane keep assist on, and a vehicle in the lane to my right, an emergency braking maneuver happens automatically. I have to disconnect the system

  23. Structure, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 11, 2024, crash

    Check engine, right mirror, door, alignment. My safety is not good, the car jerks and merging into another lane. Yes it has been inspected by insurance representative. It appeared when I was hit on 02/13/2024

  24. Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 18, 2023

    Hi, My Honda Accord Sport 2020 1.5T got 3 of 4 fuel injectors malfunctions and led to all warning lights turn on. I had to replace them (cost appro $1,900) at the Southpoint Honda dealership in Durham, North Carolina. They told me there is no recall for this model. Honda is bad. Many videos shown the same issue with mine on Youtube. Please help us. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

  25. Forward collision avoidance, Sep 10, 2023

    Vehicle was being driven at 38 mph on a road with no other vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians or other obstructions in sight when the "BRAKE" warning flashed on the dashboard and the brakes were immediately engaged, causing a hard stop. Had there been a vehicle following, it is likely that a rear end collision would have occurred.