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.
Air bags, Feb 17, 2022
I was driving and the passenger air exploded.
Air bags, Feb 17, 2022, crash
I hit a cow going 55mph on a state highway, and my airbags did not deploy.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Feb 13, 2022
I was driving down the road and all of a sudden I heard a large explosion and pulled back the moonroof visor a little and could see the glass was all spiderwebbed and closed it again, I was about 3 miles from home and had my 80+ mother in the car so I got home before looking at the damage and found a huge blow out of my Moonroof glass. Not sure if it was a stone or something that hit it or if it just blew out spontaneously, was a frightening situation.
Steering, Feb 7, 2022, crash
The contact owned a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact's son was driving the vehicle at 30 mph and while making a right turn, the vehicle failed to turn to cause the driver to crash into a city bus head-on. The air bags on the driver's side and the passenger side did deploy but did not fully inflate. The contact's son and passenger were not taken to the hospital or received medical treatment. The contact's son later went to seek medical attention and was found to have suffered a concussion. The passenger in the front seat hit his head on the windshield and also did seek medical attention. The police were on the scene and filed a report. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the contact's insurance company. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Power train, Jan 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the clutch became unresponsive which resulted in the vehicle losing motive power. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 16,275.
Suspension, Electrical system, Jan 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated the information center was slow to respond. While driving at night, the screen went into daytime usage. While utilizing the turn signal, the screen options were not available. The contact stated that the shocks and struts became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shocks needed to be replaced. The contact mentioned the mechanic broke the suspension while attempting to perform the repairs. The vehicle was repaired however, the contact continued to experience a failure. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000. The VIN was not available.
Other or unspecified, Jan 16, 2022
In early October 2021, my inforainment display screen stooped working. As a consequence, my rear view, and right side view cameras no longer show on the display screen. This has become a safety issue for me because I cannot see if other vehicles are in the right lane when I am planning to change to the right lane, or planning to make a right turn. Also, I can no longer rely on my rear view camera when I am trying to back out of a parking spot, or my driveway. I took my car back to the dealer, and they told me that this HAS NOT been reported by other 2020 Honda Civic owners. They also told me that they need to order the part to repair it, but that it will take 2-6 weeks for the part to arrive. It has now been over 12 weeks and the part has not arrived. During the past 12 weeks, there were a few times where other drivers had to blow their horns at me as I tried to pass into the right lane. I have also had a few close encounters with pedestrians while I was backing out of a parking lot in shopping centers. Have any other 2020 Honda Civic owners reported problems with their infotainment display screens not working? Thank you
Air bags, Seats, Dec 23, 2021, crash
Stopped at a red light, I was rear ended by a car going 30-35 mph and pushed into the car in front of me. The driver seat was in a reclining position after impact, I was sitting up when hit and wound up laying almost to the back seat after impact but the airbag never deployed causing my stomach to hit the steering wheel.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Forward Collision-Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking erroneously activated causing the vehicle to abruptly stop. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred on eight separate occasions while driving between 5 and 65 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 7, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle ahead of him attempted to make a right turn. Although his vehicle was at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, the Forward Collision-Avoidance feature independently engaged, and the warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the feature did not recognize that the vehicle was making a turn and that the abrupt stoppage could have caused a rear-end collision with the vehicle behind him. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,300.
Parking brake, Nov 24, 2021, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in park in the driveway idling and unattended with the emergency brake engaged, the vehicle rolled down the driveway and crashed into a tree. There were no reported injuries, no police report, fire or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified however no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tires, Nov 12, 2021, crash
The contact owned a 2020 Honda Civic equipped with Continental tires, Tire line: Conti Pro Contact, Tire size: 235/40/R18, and DOT number: af2rwd3w. The contact stated while driving at 75 MPH, the rear passenger side tire blew out suddenly which the vehicle started to drift to the right of the road and go over and crash into a medium near oncoming traffic. The contact was able to place a spare tire on the vehicle for the contact to continue to drive to their residence. The contact took the vehicle to an auto body shop that inspected the vehicle and declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact was concerned that the failure that occurred with the vehicle was a defect on the tire that had blown out. The tires were the original equipment on the vehicle The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 11,045.
Tires, Sep 24, 2021
Drivers rear side tire had a blow involving the tread flying off exactly at the seam it is attached to the tire. This couldn't caused an accident or death to myself or other drivers on the road. These tires were purchased on the vehicle brand new in Sept 19 2020. The accident happened September 15 2021. The vehicle is brand new as well. The other Goodyear eagle sport tires on the vehicle had bubbles which would lead to another blowout. The car has under 25k miles. The car has had oil changes, etc per car doc agreement. There is something wrong with the integrity of the rubber of the tire or they are retreading and selling retreaded tires as new. My son decided with the knowledge of the tire mechanic, to replace all Goodyear tires due to the safety hazard they could create. He had to replace 3 tires.
Lane departure, Sep 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the lane departure assist steered the vehicle into traffic or over the lines randomly due to a possible object being in the roadway. The beeping sound, visual detection, and lane departure message were displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120. The VIN was not available.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 5, 2021
Breaking mitigation or control system was defective, seat belt didn't work properly and involuntary breaking led to incident in which face hit the steering wheel, leading to injury. The problems were evaluated by the dealership but they denied there were problems, and there were not other parties that evaluated the car. There were some warning lights that came on several weeks in advance of the involuntary breaking.
Steering, Jul 24, 2021
My steering wheel was not aligned after multiple services. I also heard a weird sound coming from the left of the car. Moreover, I feel like the car is not even and pulling to the left. Therefore, I bought this car for about a year and I need to do alignment 3 times. It is strange because the new car cannot so many problems unless the car is lemon.
Power train, Jul 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, he heard an abnormal buzzing and grinding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer several times, but the dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to Curry Honda Chicopee (767 Memorial Dr, Chicopee, MA 01020) who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that the abnormal sound was coming from the transmission at the main shaft bearing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.
Air bags, Jul 12, 2021
Driving at roughly 6mph in a parking lot when my passenger side airbag randomly deployed. Resulted in shattered windshield, damage to dash, seat belts not working properly. Vehicle was not and has not been in any accident. No damage to the vehicle.
Power train, Jul 5, 2021
We purchased our 2020 Honda Civic Si on Jan 16, 2021 with 20 miles on the car. On June 29, 2021 while driving the car it failed to shift into 2nd/3rd. It stopped shifting altogether and we pulled off to see if stopping and starting may fix the issue. Apparently the clutch had blown out as the car wouldn’t even start. We had it towed up to Honda Dealership we purchased it from. They claim that the clutch “exploded” and wouldn’t cover it under warranty even though we have a power train warranty (and even an extended warranty). A clutch should not “explode” after less than 6,000 miles on a car. We drove in normal driving conditions. Online we see this issue repeated around.
Steering, Jul 2, 2021
Twice within a one week period, some type of animal, most likely a rodent, ate through my power steering harness rendering all safety features on the car inoperable. The car was undriveable as the steering wheel could not be turned. The dealership advised that the wiring for this vehicle is made of soy which is a food source for animals. Honda is aware of this issue and now stocks rodent tape to use over the wires. Honda should not be building automobiles with soy based wiring. No other vehicle sin my lot were affected--just mine because it was a Honda. I have the harnesses from the dealership showing where they were chewed on. The dealership is aware of other customers with this same problem. It is most definitely a safety hazard. Wires that were not completely chewed through could fail while the car is operating causing injury and/or fatality. This issue has existed for several years with Honda and they have not changed their manufacturing. Class action lawsuits were necessary. These vehicles should be recalled for replacement of a power steering harness that is not made of soy. My complaint to Honda was given a case number, but I have not been provided any status even after calling for same.
Electrical system, Jun 21, 2021
The contact leased a 2020 HONDA CIVIC. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel would intermittently display images over the speedometer which would obstruct his ability to see his current rate of speed. The contact had brought the vehicle to the dealer where they informed him to document the failure and tried multiple repairs; however, the failure persisted after each repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
Power train, Jun 9, 2021
Driving on the freeway was downshifting from 6th gear to 5th gear and the shifter locked up snd i could not shift into any gears except neutral. At a high speed i had to coast to the shoulder of the freeway. Luckily i was near an exit. Once i was stopped i tried to turn off and turn the car back on but i still was unable to shift the car into any gear
Parking brake, Jun 2, 2021, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while stationary, the vehicle rolled backwards and hit a wall. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with a manual transmission. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with the parking brakes. The vehicle was towed and diagnosed but not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Power train, Jun 2, 2021
The clutch in my 2020 Honda Civic si started slipping at 8k miles. Please look into defects related to clutch/flywheel/CMC/transmission
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while inspecting and changing the oil, he noticed an excessive gasoline smell within the oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, the dealer stated gas in the oil is normal and to bring the car back after driving around a thousand miles. The mechanic changed the oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The technician informed the contact that he would need to speak with the manufacturer for a further option for the repair. The manufacturer was contacted by the technician and was informed that the VIN was not under recall and that the vehicle was performing as designed. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the oil dilution failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V215000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as a possible solution to the failure however, the vin was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number 12258099 for the Vin [XXXXXX]. The mechanic confirmed oil level to be slightly elevated 12-14MM above full mark, tech contacted tech line re#4404999. Manufacturer stated within normal operating standards. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximate 11,000. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”