CSR

Honda · NHTSA safety record

2020 Honda Civic

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

220

Complaints

15

Crashes

1

Fires

11

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2020 Honda Civic have filed 220 safety complaints with NHTSA between December 2019 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 34 of them (15%). The typical failure was reported at 12,000 miles, the median across the 51 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 5 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (5)

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

26V332000 · May 21, 2026

The defect
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.
The risk
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 98,892 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

24V064000 · February 1, 2024

The defect
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.
The risk
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 750,114 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

23V858000 · December 18, 2023

The defect
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.
The risk
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 2,490,460 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

23V458000 · June 29, 2023

The defect
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.
The risk
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 124,077 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

21V215000 · March 25, 2021

The defect
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.
The risk
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 624,552 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 220.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 36 16%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 34 15%
POWER TRAIN 31 14%
AIR BAGS 29 13%
STEERING 28 13%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 24 11%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 24 11%
SERVICE BRAKES 13 6%
ENGINE 11 5%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 7 3%
WHEELS 7 3%
STRUCTURE 6 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 48.

2019 2024 2026
2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2 injured · crash · towed · 3,695 miles

WE WERE TRAVELING EAST ON HWY 63 GOING HOME. THE LANE DEPARTURE ASSIST CAME ON BUT WE WERE NOT OUT OF LANE. WE KEPT TRAVELING A LITTLE FURTHER AND THE STEERING WAS STIFF. WE WERE TRAVELING ABOUT 53 MPH AND THE CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN JERKED VERY SHARP TO THE RIGHT AND WE WENT OFF THE ROAD HITTING PARKED TRUCK AND FLIPPED IT. THE WHEELS JUST TURNED THE RIGHT AND WOULD NOT LET US TURN THE WHEEL

NHTSA complaint 11352742. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

2 injured · crash · towed · 10,000 miles

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

NHTSA complaint 11450791, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · fire · crash · towed · 2,000 miles

I WAS IN A WRECK MAY 2020. I SWERVED TO MISS A DEER AND HIT A CONCRETE COLVERT, THE VEHICLE LAUNCHED AND MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, MY MOTOR, TRANSMISSION, AND TIRES CAME OFF. I SUFFERED FROM SPINAL INJURY AND NERVE DAMAGE.

NHTSA complaint 11389634. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

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.

NHTSA complaint 11444790. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

76,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the headlights failed to operate properly and failed to provide adequate illumination while driving. The dealer was contacted, and headlight failure was repaired; however, headlights were not recalibrated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA complaint 11756913. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

120,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the steering wheel was sticking with resistance while turning the steering wheel to the left. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not under a recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA complaint 11756169. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
on 7-28-26 After filling my vehicle with gas at the next red light, all lights on dashboard went on flickering warning (Christmas tree effect). on 7-29-26 After researching online Roadside came out and did Battery and alternator test that passed. I did hard reboot from instructions I found online and after several attempts the lights cleared twice, the morning of 7-30-26 when leaving for work the flickering lights came back on. Vehicle had a slight tremble but cleared after a few seconds while vehicle warmed up. I went to get the battery checked at the shop and it passed also had air filter changed. Lights still on, car is running fine, but I feel unsafe to drive and have an appt at the

NHTSA complaint 11753827, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The A/C went out on this vehicle. The A/C only worked half way in the car. It would only cool the passenger side and not drivers side. When I took it in to get it fixed, they said it was the condenser. There was a recall for the compressor shaft seal but not the condenser. They replaced the condenser and compressor shaft seal. As I checked the Internet I found a recall for this problem in Canada but not in the U.S. I asked Honda about it. They said it was VIN specific right now unless enough people complain about this problem. If it happened in Canada it should be dealt with here. According to my search there are others in the U. S.that have had this problem. How many complaints does it

NHTSA complaint 11749531, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
At least a half dozen times the car would brake automatically when nothing was in front of the car. The BRAKE warning light would appear on the dashboard as the car abruptly slowed down. The car slowed down but never came to a complete stop. This happened at various speeds. Once on the freeway at high speeds, 3 times just before an intersection where I had a green light and other various times. I brought the car to 2 different dealers. They could not replicate the problem so they said there was nothing they could do. The courtesy car driver who gave me a ride said they occasionally experience the same thing in the courtesy car.

NHTSA complaint 11748962. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
I reported this issue to insurance. The facts are that when I was watching a family member’s toddler, I went to my vehicle to grab a stack of papers. While holding her, I reached in and grabbed the papers sitting directly on the back seat of the coupe vehicle (I.e., easy to reach). Upon grabbing the papers in one hand and holding her on my left hip, I shut the drivers side door and began walking toward the home. Immediately, I heard an odd sound like a rustle or possibly an animal scurrying. I looked around confused because I hadn’t seen anything and it wasn’t too dark. Then I looked closer and the entirety of my back windshield was shattered into a billion pieces leaking into my back seats

NHTSA complaint 11747930, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Honda Civic

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 67 2
2024 116 3
2023 251 4
2022 879 4
2021 139 4
2019 417 4
2018 729 6 1
2017 579 6
2016 1,072 5
2015 377 1
2014 290 2
2013 316 0
2012 454 3
2011 168 9
2010 396 8 47

Other 2020 Honda models

Every Honda on this site — 187 vehicles, 362 recall campaigns and 10 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst