2020 HONDA Civic

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

Expert Verdict
ℹ️Average Safety Profile

This 2020 model shows average reliability, primarily driven by 4 recalls affecting the fuel system, gasoline system.

Key Factor:fuel system, gasoline recalls

📋Why This Matters

Powertrain issues affect both daily reliability and long-term ownership costs. Unexpected stalling creates inconvenience at best and safety hazards at worst.

Insurance companies review vehicle reliability data when setting premiums. Models with elevated recall rates often see adjusted pricing.

Focus Area:powertrain reliability
📊

Expert Analysis

The 2020 Civic analysis highlights key safety metrics.

Safety & Reliability Score

58/100

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-32
Complaint Impact-5
Investigation Impact-5

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2020 HONDA Civic

Engine2.0L / 1.5L Turbo
Cylinders4
Drive TypeFWD
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassSedan / Hatchback
Model Year2020
MakeHONDA

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more →
Jan20
NEWProduction
Jan20
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan20
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan20
RECALLRecall Issued
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Nov23
ISSUEFirst Report
Jan24
RECALLRecall Issued

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

23 complaints (23% of total)
➡️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 100 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟠High
9(9%)
🟡Medium
19(19%)
🟢Low
72(72%)

Mileage Failure Analysis

⚙️Engineering Insight

Based on consumer reports, issues for this vehicle tend to peak around the 40k-60k mileage range. The average reported failure mileage is 48,964 miles.

📊 Mileage data extracted from 21 of 100 complaints (21% coverage)
0-20k
2 reports (10%)
20k-40k
3 reports (14%)
40k-60k
12 reports (57%)
60k-80k
2 reports (10%)
80k-100k
1 reports (5%)
100k+
1 reports (5%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.

🛠️ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINESERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICAIR BAGS

Official Safety Recalls (4)

Campaign: 21V215000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Summary

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.

Consequence

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

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Campaign: 23V458000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

Summary

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.

Consequence

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

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Campaign: 23V858000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Summary

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.

Consequence

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

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Campaign: 24V064000

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Summary

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.

Consequence

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

Remedy

Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024, October 18, 2024, and August 2025. 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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

NHTSA Investigations

1 investigation

Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2020 Civic.

INV-2020-1000🟢 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding Civic performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 15,990

Consumer Complaints

100 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2020 Civic.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Warning23%
Accident9%
Acceleration Issues9%
Leak8%
Stall6%
Safety Systems⚠️ High
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

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🔵 Low
STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
POWER TRAIN

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.

Engine/Powertrain⚠️ High
POWER TRAIN

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🔵 Low
VISIBILITY

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.

Safety Systems🔵 Low
AIR BAGS

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.

Safety Systems🔶 Medium
AIR BAGS

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/Suspension🔵 Low
STEERING

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.

Safety Systems🔶 Medium
AIR BAGS

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🔵 Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any recalls for the 2020 HONDA Civic?

Yes, the 2020 HONDA Civic has 4 recorded recalls from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER, AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER.

Is the 2020 HONDA Civic safe to drive?

The 2020 HONDA Civic has 4 recalls. If you own this vehicle, check with your dealer to ensure all recall repairs have been completed. Most recalls have free remedies available.

Where can I check if my 2020 HONDA Civic has open recalls?

You can check for open recalls by visiting NHTSA.gov and entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by contacting your local HONDA dealer.

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Fuel system, gasoline

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm fuel system, gasoline recalls are complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all fuel system, gasoline recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaigns:21V21500023V858000
2

Service brakes, hydraulic

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm service brakes, hydraulic recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all service brakes, hydraulic recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:23V458000
3

Air bags

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm air bags recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all air bags recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:24V064000
💡Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your HONDA dealer to verify recall completion status.

🧭What This Means for You

This information is especially relevant for drivers who rely on stop-and-go traffic or frequently use auto start-stop systems.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

🔑

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Verify all 4 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your HONDA dealer.
  • If any recalls are open, schedule service immediately—recall repairs are always free.
  • Consider setting up VIN-specific alerts to receive notification of future recalls.
🛒

If You're Buying Used

  • Request documentation proving all recalls were addressed before finalizing purchase.
  • Factor potential recall-related service time into your ownership cost estimates.

This page is designed to help you decide, not alarm you.

Compare with Similar Vehicles

Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: January 10, 2026.