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, May 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the Forward Collision Mitigation Braking System notification message displayed, and the brake pedal was depressed but the pedal remained on the floorboard. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated from 65 MPH to 15 MPH before abruptly stopping. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Forward collision avoidance, May 4, 2023
As I was driving down the main road at 45 mph, no cars, animals or people anywhere around me, my 2020 Honda Accord Sport automatic braking system HARD BRAKED out of nowhere for no apparent reason! Thankfully there were no cars behind me or there would have been a crash!
Forward collision avoidance, Jan 8, 2023
I was driving on the freeway when the car started to break on its own and also indicting to brake as if there was something in front of me too close. But there was no car in front of me or beside me. The car breaking on its own was a major safety hazard since I was on freeway and driving about 65 mph. If a car would have been right behind me I would have been rear ended. I did take car to the dealership and let them know what had happened. And they told me I would have to take car in for a diagnostic appointment and the problem would have to happen while tech is driving car so they could look into it. This has happened to me a total of 3 times.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 12, 2022
Automatic 45mph to zero breaking with no cars or objects in sight. Almost caused a rear end collision due to faulty and unnecessary automatic breaking.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 25, 2022
Three times in one day the emergency braking system has gone on automatically for no apparent reason. We were not at risk but are concerned we will be put at risk. There was no warning. We have not taken it in but will do so asap
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated without warning. The contact stated that after several minutes the vehicle started to operate as needed. On another occasion, while driving 35 MPH, the brake assist activated independently causing the vehicle to brake suddenly. On another occasion, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up after several attempts. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 62,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 2, 2022
when I am driving, there is no car in front of my car. Brake warning flash and randomly slam on the brakes without the I touching the brake pedal.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 1, 2022
This has happened more than one time.The first time it happened I was going down a 2 lane road no one in front or back of me and I was going 65 with my cruise set and the car slams on break and stays blink break on the dash. The second time it happened i was going down a 2 lane road at 45 no one around and it slams on breaks really hard and blinked break across the dash.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 29, 2022
Driving on the interstate going about 60mph with no one in front of me or behind me and the car brakes by itself. This is the fourth time this vehicle has randomly brake
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and accelerating, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and abruptly stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was experienced several times within a two-month period. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.
Forward collision avoidance, May 27, 2022
Today I was driving my Honda (Accord 2020) about 30 to 40 miles an hour and suddenly the car decided to brake for i guess a fraction of a second. It is hard to describe but literally felt that someone slam on the brakes. I also got the brake alarm and the sign on the dashboard "BRAKE" (orange sign). I was taken by surprise, even my wife asked me, what was I doing?. It was only a moment, but it was totally unexpected, lucky for me, there was no one in front or behind me. If you have questions please contact me at [XXX] or [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Forward collision avoidance, May 13, 2022
The vehicle automatically turned on the forward collision mitigation system when there was nothing to avoid. Vehicle went from 55mph to 20mph in about 2 seconds. Fortunately there was no vehicle approaching from behind. I had no control over trying to override the braking system. Had vehicle checked at Honda dealership & was informed there was nothing they could do other than make a note of the issue.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, May 2, 2022
CMS - collision mitigation system stops working completely. 2 warning lamps on dash. Cruise control completely inoperative. Vehicle was initially inspected by dealer on 11/19/21with DTC U0401-92 - Temporary stop of integrated driver support system (rejected control request), also found U0416-68 VSA system malfunction. This issue happens every 1-3 thousand miles. Also with the CMS/braking system, it will alert "brake" on dash and brake hard if encountering repetitive shadows from objects that are cast onto the road. My safety and others safety were compromised due to hard braking and cars behind me that then had to brake, nearly rear-ending my car.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 29, 2022
Driving on a two lane highway suburban area - 40 miles per hour in a 40 mph speed limit. No cars in front of me for at lease 1/2 mile - totally blank and clear road. A pick up truck behind me. Very little traffic. Suddenly without warning and knowing my foot is on the accelerator, the car brakes to a complete stop with no foot on the brake pedal! Complete random braking for no reason. Luckily the vehicle behind me was far enough and not too close which allowed him to swerve and avoid colliding into me. He passed me and probably thought I was crazy. I called Honda and they told me to bring it in which I did. They performed many tests in all areas and advised they could not locate anything wrong. I know there is an ongoing investigation with Honda Accords and dangerous random breaking, thus the reason for this incident to be documented. The general manager of the dealership was in touch with me and advised he would be doing some research. I could easily have been killed if not for quick thinking of the vehicle behind me, and also luckily no car in front of me. What do you advise? This is extremely disconcerting to know it could happen again.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 15, 2022
If I have the lane keeping assistance on and go through an intersection the car beeps BREAK!!
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 9, 2022
Several times my car has slammed the brakes on its own when I have not touched the brakes and also when there is no car in front of me for it to detect the need to brake. The most recent time on 4/8 on the freeway.
Steering, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the tire pressure warning light and brake system warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the driver assists cruise control system, emergency brakes system, collision prevention system, and electrical steering assist all failed at the same time. The contact stated that the safety assist features became disabled but returned after the vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the failure occurred more frequently. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 27, 2022
I was driving at a slow speed (10-15mph) when my brakes automatically engaged. After the car stopped I began to accelerate and the brakes engaged again. There wasn’t any reason for the brakes to engage.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 24, 2022
On 3/24/22 while driving on the freeway at 65mph my car stopped suddenly. The ABS alert appeared on the dashboard and it made me swerve my car, also in the afternoon when getting off the freeway the ABS system alert appeared and my car braked suddenly there was no car or person in front of me at that time either it stopped so hard the car behind me had to swerve.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 6, 2022
I experienced phantom breaking while driving to work on 03/02/2022. I was driving on the right most lane before entering into north bound 101 highway when my 2020 Honda Accord Sport 2.0T abruptly stopped, there was no car or object in front of the car, and luckily there was no car behind me, otherwise I would have been hit and injured. A few days later, I brought the car to Capitol Honda dealer for checkout, but dealer could not find any problem. I have not driven my Honda Accord much during the past two years as I mostly work from home due to Covid-19 and my car has only 2800 miles when this incident happened. Since this is the 1st time I encountered phantom breaking, I would like to report the incident as I am concerned that it might happen again in the future.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 24, 2022
Multiple times while driving the emergency braking has engaged briefly. At first I thought it was detecting something in the road or a vehicle to the side of my car. That is not the case. It will apply this brake no matter what is in front of or around me. I have not noticed it doing it on secondary roads but it does it on highways and the interstate. This has created an unsafe situation many times.
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 16, 2022
Five times over two years, the collision mitigation system has activated while the car was in motion but no object was in front of the car. Three minor activations, meaning a brief yellow glow on the dash, have occurred. Two more significant activations have also occurred with a yellow rectangle on the dash with the word BRAKE visible. The most serious activation was at highway speeds. I was concerned that the car was going to automatically brake on the highway. I have returned this two year old car to the dealership multiple times for evaluation and have found little motivation on the part of the dealership to deal with this problem and other more minor problems the car is demonstrating. I consider the above complaint to be potentially life-threatening. I will not drive in this car unless the collision mitigation is turned off.
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 11, 2022
With seemingly no impediments ahead of it our 2020 Honda Accord will suddenly brake forcefully when changing lanes or exiting the freeway. it is not constant, but it is scary since there is no reason to brake at this point. this could cause us to be rear-ended the thing this system is supposed to keep us from doing. the dealer says unless it occurs when they drive it, unless, unless. The 'advisor' said he had heard of a few examples. they are all over the internet. What is being done to address this issue? oh, and he mentioned that we could always turn it off. we bought this car because being in our sixties and reflexes not necessarily being what they once were we wanted to avoid hitting someone from behind. this has happened on dozens of occasions. the listed date was the last.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 4, 2021
Both my wife and I have multiple dates and time experienced issues of CMBS Collision Mitigation Braking System, we would be driving with no traffic near us or with in hundreds of feet in front of us that the system would flash "brake" on the dash and then start slowing the vehicle down. Also the Front and rear brakes pads and rotor have been replaced under 6000 miles on the vehicle
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 9, 2021
THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ~40MPH ON A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY UNDER CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS ABLE TO AVOID ME BUT I DID RECEIVE A FEW HONKS AND A COUPLE OF FINGER SALUTES. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MY DEALERSHIP AND STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM - 4 HOURS AND COUNTING.