2020 Honda Civic
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 225 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 21st highest complaint count among 26 Civic model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 15 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 12 people were injured.
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
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, master cylinderJun 29, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Campaign 23V458000 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
Representative owner complaints
225 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 30, 2026
The air conditioning system in my 2020 Honda Civic EX has a refrigerant leak at the evaporator assembly, causing very weak or almost no cooling even when set to the lowest temperature settings. This happens consistently, including in moderate to hot outside temperatures, making the cabin uncomfortably warm during drives as it could get pretty hot in inland southern California. The A/C evaporator assembly is the failed component, and the part remains in the vehicle available for inspection if requested. This issue creates a safety risk because reduced visibility from window fogging in humid or rainy conditions (due to lack of proper dehumidification and cooling) can impair safe driving. In extreme heat, it also increases driver fatigue and distraction from discomfort. The problem was confirmed by a Honda dealership through diagnostic testing, which identified the evaporator leaking refrigerant. They previously repaired a related condenser leak under warranty, but the cooling issue persisted and was later traced to the evaporator. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership (manufacturer-authorized) on multiple occasions for this A/C concern. No specific warning lamps or messages appeared on the dashboard related to the A/C system. This appears to be part of a broader pattern reported by owners of similar 2016-2021 Honda Civics, where condenser failures (sometimes covered by extended warranty) are followed by evaporator leaks, possibly related to the vehicle's use of R-1234yf refrigerant and system pressures. I recently received partial goodwill assistance from the manufacturer toward repair costs, but the issue highlights a recurring defect in the A/C system that affects cooling reliability. This car is driven by my 20 years old daughter as a commuter car to college and she is really suffering. I feel I am putting her at risk and need to get it fixed ASAP at whatever cost.
Electrical system, Jan 18, 2026
vehicle turns on in to accessory mode, does not allow me to turn off vehicle sometimes car turns on at night by itself, alarm goes off when parked and locked
Air bags, Jan 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (AIR BAGS). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repairs, and the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 16, 2025
The collision mitigation braking system consistently detects objects in the road and forcibly brakes when the road ahead of me is completely empty. This has happened 4 or 5 times just in the last year. The first time it happened I was driving on a completely empty road when the CMBS activated and kept slamming on the brakes until I pulled over and restarted the entire car. I don't always have to restart the car every time, but if it ever happens on a busy road it will cause an accident. The dealership refuses to inspect the system or try to recreate the problem despite the fact that there was a class-action suit against Honda for this exact CMBS malfunction in several other models. They just tell me to manually turn it off every time I get in the car. I am human and sometimes I forget, so this is not a solution. I'm afraid that this buggy "safety" system is going to get me and my child killed one of these days. I am happy to have the system inspected, but it doesn't keep a log of every time it activates so there's no real way to verify the false positives, and it happens randomly so it's very hard to recreate.
Steering, Suspension, Other or unspecified, Dec 15, 2025
I was driving to work in the rain on the highway and I heard a big thump and I thought I had hit something and my wheel went sideways and I kept trying to keep my car on the road even though I didn’t hit anything.
Power train, Nov 24, 2025
My 2020 Civic Si had a total clutch failure at <32,000 miles matching TSB22-017 exactly. The vehicle failed to accelerate on a major interstate. The posted speed limit is 65 mph. While attempting to reach that speed the vehicle was revving at >6000RPM in all gears. I was able to reach 50 mph for short periods, but the vehicle would then slow to 45 or lower. An extreme safety risk on a busy highway. When the vehicle was pulled to the shoulder and stopped, the car would not go into 1st gear at all, leaving me stranded on the side of a busy interstate highway. This vehicle has been properly maintained with no modifications and no abusive driving.
Power train, Nov 20, 2025
Honda CVT transmission fluid seal leak cause by failed torque converter. Car has a perfect maintenance history, all fluid changes done on time with Allen Honda at Bryan Texas including filters associated. Car is garage kept, not driven hard. Always driven in economy mode for smooth efficiency. Failure occurred at 86,165 miles. Significant enough I am reporting this, as it is a safety issue, however don't know if other Honda civics have had this issue. A normal CVT transmission should last 150,000 miles before issues start according to manufacturer (Honda) who built the car. Two photos attached displaying the leak and puddle on my driveway. Leak is a slow drip, fixing it in the morning at a shop which will put me out of almost $3000 not under warranty because car is 6 years of age instead of 5 years. Honda needs to be made aware this is a serious safety concern, had I not caught it, it could have led to crash possibly, or fire from overheating. Leaking areas circled in red. Car currently not drivable, having to tow it in the morning to replace failed parts.
Visibility, Nov 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while sitting in the vehicle with the vehicle turned off, the contact heard a pop. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear windshield had cracked without impact. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,821. The VIN was unavailable.
Air bags, Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts for the recall repair were on backorder. No information on when parts would be available was provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Air bags, Nov 4, 2025
My 2020 Honda Civic's passenger seat weight sensor failed due to an internal electrical failure. This is an officially diagnosed issue from a Honda Dealership. This put's my passenger's at risk as the airbags will not deploy due to the sensor not reading the passenger's weight. The vehicle has not been in an accident that would have caused this sensor to fail. On 10/16 the SRS light (reading airbag system problem) first showed while driving. The light is still on.
Steering, Oct 26, 2025
My steering gradually stiffens then suddenly releases while traveling the highway. It cycled this way during the entire trip. It acted this way for the first time Oct 22, 2025 on the outgoing part of my hour long trip. It acted this way the second time Oct 25, 2025 on the hour long return drive home. I was the only one in the car at the time. Therefor, it put my own safety in jeopardy plus those traveling the highway at the same time I was traveling on the highway. I am calling my Honda dealership in the morning, Monday October 27, 2025, to set up an appointment to bring my car in. There were no warning lamps, messages nor other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure and when it first appeared on Oct 22, 2025. I find that I am not the only one experiencing this problem with a 2020 Honda Civic SI a 10th generation Civic.
Air bags, Oct 8, 2025
The vehicle was moving forward at 10 mph and went over a manhole cover that was protruding 4 inches out of the ground that was on the driver’s side. The manhole cover came in contact with the underside of the car and set the front driver’s side airbag off.
Electrical system, Sep 30, 2025
Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A: BCM (body mechanical module) became faulty, causing car to turn on ignition by itself. Would be sitting in car with it off and the ignition would turn on causing issues with battery and gas consumption. Also in order to save that until it was figured out what was wrong I had to disconnect the battery causing multiple resets to my electrical system. Yes. Q: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A: Would be sitting in car with it off and the ignition would turn on causing startling and issues with battery and gas consumption. Q: Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A: Confirmed and fixed so far by a small and independent electrical mechanic. Q: Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A: No. Q: Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A: No.
Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 25, 2025
There is a known recall on the fuel pump and the last bulletin from Feb 25 #24008 lists All Vins except ones starting with JHM. My Honda has shut down on 6 occasions. I took it to a mechanic who diagnosed it as the fuel pump is bad. He showed me the bulletin. When I contacted Honda I was told this Vin is not included. it has under 50,000 miles on it. I believe this is somehow being overlooked in the recall for some reason This is dangerous for me to continue driving this car. It is an expensive repair for a car with under 50k miles. Please help
Steering, Sep 9, 2025
The steering wheel becomes "sticky" and requires more force than usual to move it to the right or left. This is particularly noticeable when driving in a straight line, and the issue becomes apparent after driving for roughly 10 minutes. This causes an overcorrection when making minor adjustments to stay centered in a lane. Doing further research online reveals that many others are having the same issue with their 10th generation Honda Civics, and many dealers are attributing the issue to the Electronic Power Steering system (EPS). A replacement EPS rack costs thousands to replace, making it unobtainable for some. There have been no codes or warning lights, and the issue has been going on for at least a year.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 4, 2025
ALL SAFTY LIGHTS APPEAR ON DASHBOARD. SAFTY FUNCTIONS NOT ENABLED.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Aug 25, 2025
While driving down the road my steering wheel locks or sticks then quickly releases causing me to overcorrect the steering wheel. This happens on a continuous basis while driving. There are no warning lights or messages that come on. I took it to dealership for a diagnostics and they determined it to be the steering gear box but not considered a a recalled item.
Air bags, Aug 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted, and informed the contact that parts were not yet available for the recall repair, and there was no information on when parts would be available. The contact called another dealer, Holman Honda of Fort Lauderdale (12 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304); who confirmed the information provided by the first dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and opened a case. The manufacturer informed the contact that the parts were on back order. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Air bags, Aug 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that the local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted several times about the recall repair and the availability of parts to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Air bags, Engine, Aug 14, 2025
I received an email from Honda regarding a safety recall, stating that the defective part is now available. However, when I called different Honda dealerships, they told me to disregard the notice because the part is not available. If the repair cannot be done, I am concerned why Honda sent the notice in the first place.
Other or unspecified, Aug 7, 2025
I am writing to formally report a persistent and widely experienced issue with the air conditioning system on Honda Civic models from 2017 through 2025 (10th generation). Many owners, including myself, have encountered repeated failures where the A/C system either stops working entirely or begins to blow hot air. These issues appear to be linked to faulty components such as the condenser and evaporator, which have become known problems within the Civic community. I've also noticed that people will fix this issue, only to have it return a few years later. I got lucky when we purchased my car in 2020. We added a Honda Care package, which is still under warranty. They will replace everything without additional payment. What’s concerning is that once the vehicle is out of warranty, owners are being quoted anywhere from $1,300 to $3,000 for repairs, costs that seem excessive for a known defect affecting a major comfort and safety feature. I respectfully ask that Honda recognize this issue and provide appropriate support or reimbursement options for affected customers, especially considering the pattern and volume of complaints. Please let me know how Honda intends to address this concern and if there are any extended warranties or recall programs currently in place for the affected A/C components. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Visibility, Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the air conditioner was blowing out hot air, and there was steam coming out of the passenger's side air conditioner vents. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where freon was added to the air conditioner system service port, and the contact was informed that there was no leak. The contact stated that the failure recurred a month later. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it diagnosed that the air conditioner condenser had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired twice and was currently in the process of being repaired a third time. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-091(Warranty Extension: 2016-21 Civic A/C Condenser). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the failure would be recorded. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Other or unspecified, Jul 29, 2025
The A/C system failed due to contamination from the ac condenser and compressor shaft seal leaking. It was inspected at Hardin Honda dealership and confirmed these systems were leaking and the entire system was contaminated. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety is put at risk because the contamination can cause the engine to fail. The problem has been confirmed by Hardin Honda dealer and Honda issued two warranty extensions to fix these issues. Hardin Honda put in writing that the defect code is 6C300 and one of the two warranty extensions is under this code. Honda issued Service Bulletin 19-091 for my issue, but they are now refusing to stand behind their warranty extension. When we took it to the dealership they said our issue was not the same and that we had to pay thousands of dollars to fix the entire a/c system. The dealer said they cannot fix the two parts under warranty because the whole system is contaminated but the whole system is contaminated because of those two parts leaking. We reached out to Honda Corporation and they refuse to correlate our issue with the warranty extensions even though we have in writing from Hardin Honda that our A/C issues are the ones under the warranty. Honda issued these warranty extensions and are refusing to pay for the damages that my car is experiencing. The A/C system stopped working on 7/14/2025 and I took the car to the dealership on 7/17/2025 to get it checked out. Honda issued these warranties because of a manufacturing fail on their part and now they are refusing to fix their own issue and making us pay for damages that we had no idea were happening until our A/C system went out. If Honda had issued a recall for these faulty parts, then I would have taken my car in to be fixed right away and my whole a/c system would not be contaminated. We have been in communication with Honda Corp but they will not assist us and will not stand behind their warranty extensions.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 12, 2025
Phantom braking. Really dangerous
Structure, Jul 11, 2025
I bought this car from a Honda dealership in Cincinnati. I searched for this specific year and color. It had about 48k miles on it when I got it. I have only put on 14k miles now. I purchased the warranty. After a year of owning it. My paint on the plastic pieces started to chip off. The mirror is nearly completely paintless, and the door handles look bad as well. I have been trying to work with Honda. The dealership recognized this was an issue with this color. There is a class action for the white as well. The honda dealership said Honda corporate should do something about it since I haven't had this car very long. Honda corporate came back and told me that they would have only covered it in the year of 2020 which is silly because the car is a 2020. I purchased it at the end of 2023. So as soon as I got this off of the lot I was [XXX] essentially. I told them that I haven't even put that many miles on the car and they said it didn't matter. Online everywhere talks about the issues with the paint chipping on the plastics and they refuse to recognize it. I was quoted over 1000 to fix the more serious issues but another 400 more to fix everything and that was just for the parts and not the labor. The dealership service manager at Honda recognized this was a problem but corporate doesn't want to do anything about it. The issue started happening a year after I purchased it. I haven't even owned it for a full two years. Not even 14k miles on it since my purchase. Purchased the warranty and they refuse to help. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)