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.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 18, 2024
Clutch System/Transmission Failure 1st Occurrence: Driving on the highway one evening at 65 mph in July of 2021. The engine began revving and the clutch was no longer functional. The engine would rev and there was no ability for me to accelerate. The vehicle decelerated placing myself at risk of getting rear ended or side swiped by other vehicles on the highway until coming to an eventual stop on the side of the highway. The vehicle was no longer operational and was towed to the nearest Honda dealership which was John Eagle Honda. The inspection, service, and repair should be available for review at John Eagle Honda. 2nd Occurrence: May of 2023. As I was making a left turn, the clutch slipped significantly and the engine revved however, the clutch was still engaging but, acceleration was significantly hindered and increased the risk of getting into an accident as I was not able to pick up speed quick enough. The vehicle was serviced and repaired at David McDavid Honda of Irving in May of 2023. 3rd Occurrence: June of 2024. I was driving on the road when I noticed that the clutch was experiencing some slight slippage. Overall the vehicle was stable and it didn't cause much of an issue but, it was similar to what had happened previously. I still was not able to accelerate as I normally could. It still poses a risk of getting into an accident and hinders my ability to maneuver quickly if needed. The vehicle was service and repaired by David McDavid Honda. In either of these occurrences there was warning light indicators or other symptoms prior to the failures and slippage. John Eagle Honda of Dallas and David McDavid Honda of Irving are dealer centers. The vehicle was serviced by John Eagle 1 time and David McDavid Honda of Irving two times. In a span of 3 years. 3 clutch failures and the vehicle is under 43,000 miles. The dealers stated no recalls out on my vehicle and that everything is fine otherwise.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 14, 2024
Gas door opens randomly and it’s happened more than a few times now which is becoming a safety hazard especially because I drive 80 miles daily for work. Also my automatic brake senor is a hazard because it’s going off when cars or objects are farther away; which leads to the 3rd issue with my seat belts which is either to tight on the chest area and possibly choking me when the car automatically brakes when objects aren’t near or in close distance to my car
Structure, Jun 10, 2024
Paint on car is starting to crack and peel.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 23, 2024
Today while driving at highway speeds of 75MPH my car once again lost power. The RPM’s go up and the speed keeps decreasing. I had to pull over on the interstate and shut my car off and turn it back on after awhile to get it to run again. I 100% feel that this issue is related to the fuel pump recall and this vehicle needs to be added to that list. It is a danger to be driving on the Interstate and lose power like that. One of these times someone is going to hit me on the side of the road. This is about the 20th time or more this has happened to me.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 21, 2024
On [XXX], 2023, my car's electrical system malfunctioned, leaving me unable to restart the vehicle after stopping. I had to call my car insurance for roadside assistance, and their representative jump-started the battery, suggesting I replace it. However, on [XXX], 2024, the same issue recurred, causing the car to stall unexpectedly and fail to start while I was out shopping with my wife and [XXX] daughter. Fortunately, I was driving on local roads; I shudder to think what might have happened if I had been on the freeway. Again, I had to rely on my insurance's roadside assistance for help. The safety of my family and me was jeopardized, especially since this is our only vehicle, which we frequently use to travel with my infant. These incidents are documented in two insurance claims. My car is among those recalled for fuel pump issues, but I haven't been able to schedule a repair with the dealer due to no available appointments. The online chat support also refused to book an appointment for the same reason. Additionally, my car has always adhered to Honda's regular maintenance schedule. From March 2024 to May 2024, the car's display screen, including the mileage indicator, intermittently malfunctioned while driving. On [XXX], 2024, when the car stalled, the screen also indicated a brake system error. Finally, I want to report another issue with this car: the cooling system is no longer providing cold air, resulting in the interior temperature being consistently higher than the outside temperature, especially during the recent hot summer days. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, May 9, 2024
The body control module is failing, read multiple posts online and Honda is not fixing it. My alarm goes off and I cannot turn it off, have to use my key. The vehicle powers up on its own into accessory mode when parked, vehicle off and no key fob in the car. This causes the alarm to activate, drains the battery and causes temporary safety features- collision warning, lane assist, cruise control etc to not work. As well as drains the battery. Honda has recalled this part on other models but not the 10th generation Civic.
Air bags, May 8, 2024
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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact was advised by the dealer and the manufacturer that the recall would only be completed if the SRS warning light illuminated with a code indicating a failure of the printed circuit board. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Air bags, Seats, May 3, 2024
I financed this car 3 months ago, and I received a safety recall notice from Honda. Unfortunately, they don't have the necessary part until 2025. As a result, I've been unable to rent out the car on Toro for the past 2 months to make finance payments. Additionally, due to a previous car accident, I don't feel safe driving the car, which causes me anxiety. Now, I'm unsure what steps to take. I want to return the car without negatively impacting my credit score, as this situation is not my fault. I'm losing both money and payments because of the recall, and the car can't be fixed until 2025.
Steering, Suspension, Service brakes, Apr 29, 2024
my car has been grinding ever since I purchased the car. The vehicle only had 17,000 miles when I bought it. I took it to Honda of Hollywood and let them know that my car was grinding and they said that I needed to change my brakes. I changed my brakes and went back to the dealership and they said I needed to sand the rotors. I went to get my rotors repaired and my car was still grinding. I went back to the dealership and they said nothing was wrong with the car. I don't hear any other Honda grinding like my car. On the freeway my car is rattling. The tires in the back of my car move around they are not straight. I looked under my car and noticed that the wheel bearing is broken. I don't think the dealership should be putting my life in jeopardy like that when my car was under warranty when I reported the issue.i need help.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 25, 2024
I was driving on 4/24/23 going 75 MPH. The car made a rev up noise and be RPM’s suddenly increased and the speed was decreasing. The car was losing power. I had to pull over to the side of the road and shut the car off and let it sit for awhile. The. When I started it back up it ran fine. This is a safety issue as I had to pull over on the highway and sit on the shoulder and could have been hit. No lights came on the dash at this time.
Steering, Apr 24, 2024
Steering sticks while driving causing over correction in turns. And sticks in turnes Brought the car to doggett honda of beaumont and they found that the gear box eps has internal failure.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 21, 2024
Once again the car loses ability to accelerate after driving at highway speeds and driving for about an hour. The car won’t accelerate and has to be turned off and has to sit for awhile. Sometimes the car struggles to start back up. This may happen several times when I drive. This is a safety issue as the car isn’t reliable and can’t just not accelerate on the highway. I feel this is related to the fuel pump recall and that my kind of civic needs to be included in this.
Forward collision avoidance, Apr 17, 2024
Phantom braking, has occurred over a dozen times. Caused me to spill hot coffee all over my face and neck causing mild burns.
Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 14, 2024
Again while driving at highway speeds the vehicle loses power. This is about the 10th time all this has happened. We have to pull over and turn the car off and let it sit for awhile. This time the oil light and the battery lights came on on the dash and then the air bag light and the electric power steering. After turning it off the car had a little trouble starting and then all the lights went away. This is my teenagers car and needs to be safe and reliable. I think this car needs to be included in the recent fuel pump recall.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 25, 2024
Car loses power when driving at highway speeds after driving for about 45 minutes. The car won’t accelerate when this happens and shows no warning signs on the dash. The only way to get the car to run right is to turn it off and wait for about 15-30 min and then start it again. Sometimes this happens 3 times in a trip and when it happens is random but always at highway speeds. This makes the car unreliable and unsafe. I see some Honda civics have a recall for this issue but mine does not. I feel mine needs included in that recall to fix the problem and make the car safe as the problem has occurred multiple times. Have brought the car to a Honda dealer and it threw no codes so they couldn’t fix anything but I have read a faulty fuel pump throws no codes.
Air bags, Mar 15, 2024
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 confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was advised to go to the dealer to pay for the recall repair out of pocket and then be reimbursed. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Air bags, Feb 28, 2024
In a Walmart parking lot I bumped into a curb stone with the left front tire at low speed (5 mph?). The passanger side air bag went off and blew out the windhield. I do not believe the air bag should have deployed at such a low speed. There was no damage to the car body. Total cost for replacing the air bag, windshield and both front seat belts was around $3,500.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Feb 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system, Air bags, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 19, 2024, crash
Was T bones September 3rd 2023 exiting the freeway by a Ford F-350. Injury to left side of vehicle mainly . Airbags not side airbags deployed. Went through insurance and was told to report it to the manufacturer. Due to this I now need double knee surgery as I have tears and fluid and now have spinal injury .
Other or unspecified, Jan 14, 2024
PLEASE SE CASES 14345966, CASE 14345965 AND CASE 11565182.The report submitted verbally to NHTSA CASE 11565182 took place on 01/12/2023 at approximately 12:17pm. At one point, I requested from Ms. Lisa (NHTSA assistant) to read again back to me the particular report and she did. Consequently, I realized some miss interpretations. Therefore, I’m submitting this new information in order to be as accurate as possible. At approximately 49000 miles the air conditioning was checked and presented low in fluid. The system was refilled and the same problem reoccurred at approximately 52000 miles. On 12/29/2023 the vehicle was brought to be checked at Freeway Honda. The vehicle presents several different air conditioning leaks according to freeway Honda. It follows: A. Leak at A/C CONDENSER WA B. Leak at A/C COMPRESSOR SH C. Leak at EVAPORATOR. At one particular point, freeway Honda indicated that 2 of out of the 3 leaks would be covered under warranty. The particular freeway Honda dealer refused to fix the 2 A/C leaks unless if I would pay out of pocket the amount of $1,929.89+TAX to fix the 3rd leak as well. Furthermore, they charged me the amount of $175.00 to check for the leaks which should be covered under extended warranty. THE CAR HAS FACTORY A/C PROBLEMS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BY THE HONDA AUTOMOBILE DIVISION. THERE ARE MORE PROBLEMS WHICH ALSO EXISTS AND IT SHOULD BE TAKEN UNDER CONSIDERATION. INITIALLY, HONDA STARTED EXTENDING WARRANTY FOR THE AIR CONDENSER. THEN, FOR THE COMPRESSOR. HOWEVER, THERE IS MUCH MORE. “The Civic AC systems are allegedly unable to withstand the pressures when circulating the R-1234yf coolant. Multiple air conditioning components allegedly cannot handle the pressure, including the condensers, compressors, evaporators and discharge and suction lines”. than the current used refrigerant, it is potentially dangerous as it is flammable and ignites 405 º C. When flammable- it also emits hydrogen fluoride- DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE FOR THE HUMAN HEALTH.
Electrical system, Jan 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal odor coming from the A/C. The contact stated that there was a dangerous chemical called R1234YF leaking into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor from the leak made his daughter sick. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a leak through the evaporator in the cabin as well as a leak in the condenser and compressor. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Jan 12, 2024
WHEN RIDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED OF 70 MPH THE CAR SLAMMED ON BRAKES ALL BY ITSELF, ALMOST CAME TO A STOP AND THEN EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL . i AM AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION OF THE CAR. MY GRANDAUGHTER AND I WERE IN THE CAR AND IT WAS A VERY SCARY ORDEAL AS THE CAR WAS TRYING TO OR DID SLAM ON BRAKES. THE PROBLM HAS NOT BEEN REPRODUCED OR CONFIRMED BY A DEALER, HOW COULD IT? HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED NO WARNING LAMPS, MESSAGES, SYMPTOMS, NOTHING OF THE SORT
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jan 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no further information provided. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer, who informed the contact that the parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Other or unspecified, Jan 2, 2024
VIN [XXX] 2020 Honda Civic EXL 1.5 Sedan At approximately 49000 miles the air conditioning was checked and presented low in fluid. The system was refilled and the same problem reoccurred at approximately 52000 miles. On 12/29/2023 the vehicle was brought to be checked at Freeway Honda. The vehicle presents several different air conditioning leaks according to freeway Honda. It follows: A. Leak at A/C CONDENSER WA B. Leak at A/C COMPRESSOR SH C. Leak at EVAPORATOR. At one particular point, freeway Honda indicated that 2 of out of the 3 leaks would be covered under warranty. The particular freeway Honda dealer refused to fix the 2 A/C leaks unless if I would pay out of pocket the amount of $1,929.89+TAX to fix the 3rd leak as well. Furthermore, they charged me the amount of $175.00 to check for the leaks which should be under extended warranty. THE CAR HAS FACTORY A/C PROBLEMS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BY THE HONDA AUTOMOBILE DIVISION. THERE ARE MORE PROBLEMS WHICH ALSO EXIST AND SHOULD BE TAKEN IN CONSIDERATION. I SHOULD NOT BE LIABLE FOR IT “A/C LEAKS”confirmed by Freeway Honda (714) 547-3555/ www.freewayhonda.com Service manager : Jamie Service advisor: Erick M. Zermeno INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Dec 28, 2023
TSB 22-017 failing clutch on all M/T civic 2020&2021. Failed on highway almost caused severe accident. Honda is refusing to repair/replace under warranty.