YearToAvoid

2020 Honda Civic Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Best The 2020 Honda Civic has a Complaint Index of 20, ranking 17th worst out of 21 model years, and earns a Best verdict. It has 225 complaints and 5 recalls, with electrical system issues the top problem area.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
20/100
#17 of 21 Civic years
Verdict
Best
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
225
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
15
reported in complaints
Fires
1
Injuries
12
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2021
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
32
29 city / 37 hwy
Injuries / deaths
12 / 0

Top 2020 Honda Civic problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other39 (17%)
  2. Electrical System37 (16%)
  3. Fuel System31 (14%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain31 (14%)
  5. Airbags29 (13%)
  6. Steering29 (13%)
  7. Collision Avoidance & Cameras24 (11%)
  8. Brakes18 (8%)
  9. Engine16 (7%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires14 (6%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Airbags failed to deploy or fully inflate during crashes, including a rear-end collision and a head-on impact.
  • Electric parking brakes reportedly released on their own, letting the car roll backward into walls, trees, or parked vehicles while in park.
  • Steering reportedly failed to respond during a turn, leading to a head-on crash with a bus.
  • Lane departure assist reportedly activated with no lane deviation, followed by sudden stiff steering and a sharp jerk off the road.
  • A rear tire reportedly blew out at highway speed, causing the vehicle to drift and crash near oncoming traffic.
2020 Honda Civic complaints: complaints filed per quarter162019 Q42020 Q42021 Q42022 Q42023 Q42024 Q42025 Q4
225 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2019 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2024 Q2 (16).

2020 Honda Civic recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V332000May 21, 2026Airbags98,892 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger

    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.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    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.

  2. NHTSA 24V064000Feb 1, 2024Airbags750,114 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger

    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.

    Risk: 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. 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.

  3. NHTSA 23V858000Dec 18, 2023Fuel System2,490,460 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    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.

    Risk: 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2020 Honda Civic →

2020 Honda Civic fuel economy and fuel cost

City
29 MPG
Highway
37 MPG
Combined
32 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,050
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2020 compared with other Civic years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2018Caution70741634
2019Caution50430432.5
2020Best20225532
2021Best0144432.5
2022Avoid100881433

All Honda Civic years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Honda Civic reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2020 Civic has a Complaint Index of 20, the 17th worst (meaning one of the better years) among 21 model years tracked, and carries a Best verdict relative to other Civic years.
What problems does the 2020 Honda Civic have?
NHTSA complaints point to electrical system issues (16% of complaints), fuel system issues (14%), transmission and powertrain issues (14%), and airbag issues (13%) as the top problem areas.
Does the 2020 Honda Civic have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2020 Civic, covering airbags (seat weight sensors), fuel system (fuel pump module and fuel pump assembly), and brakes (brake booster tie rod fastener).
How does the 2020 Civic compare to other Civic years?
With a Complaint Index of 20 and rank 17 of 21 worst years, the 2020 Civic performs better than years like 2022 (Complaint Index 100, Avoid) and 2016 (Complaint Index 85, Avoid).
What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Honda Civic?
EPA rates the 2020 Civic at 32 mpg combined (29 city / 37 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,050.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.