YearToAvoid

2020 Honda Civic Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 31 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Honda Civic, 14% of all complaints for that model year. The median mileage at failure was 8,200 miles, and one crash was reported. No related recalls exist for this issue.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
31
14% of 225
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
8,200 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Clutch slippage during acceleration, often worsening over time and most noticeable at highway speeds.
  • Sudden loss of drive power when the clutch becomes unresponsive at highway speed, sometimes requiring a tow.
  • Failure to shift or shifting difficulty, including inability to engage first gear or a stall between second and third gear.
  • Engine RPM spikes to high levels without a matching increase in road speed, especially when merging or accelerating on the highway.
  • Total clutch failure reported near 32,000 miles, described by one owner as matching a known Honda service bulletin.

When 2020 Honda Civic transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 12, 2019, latest Jun 12, 2026.

2020 Honda Civic transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Dec 2019Jun 2021Mar 2022May 2023Dec 2023Feb 2025Jun 2026
31 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2019 to Jun 2026; peak Apr 2021 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2020 Honda Civic

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Civic model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200536 (11%)
  2. 200676 (5%)
  3. 2007104 (9%)
  4. 200852 (6%)
  5. 200923 (6%)
  6. 201012 (3%)
  7. 20114 (2%)
  8. 201249 (11%)
  9. 201322 (7%)
  10. 201498 (34%)
  11. 2015176 (46%)
  12. 201636 (3%)
  13. 201729 (5%)
  14. 201814 (2%)
  15. 201913 (3%)
  16. 202031 (14%)
  17. 20212 (1%)
  18. 202210 (1%)
  19. 20236 (2%)
  20. 20246 (5%)
  21. 20255 (7%)

Frequently asked questions

How many transmission complaints does NHTSA have for the 2020 Honda Civic?
NHTSA lists 31 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Civic, which is 14% of all 225 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2020 Honda Civic transmission or clutch?
No. The data shows no related recalls tied to the Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Civic.
At what mileage do 2020 Civic transmission problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure among reported complaints is 8,200 miles.
Did any 2020 Civic transmission complaints involve a crash?
One crash was reported among the 31 Transmission & Powertrain complaints, with no fires and no injuries.
How does the 2020 Civic compare to other model years for this issue?
The 2020 Civic's 14% share of complaints tied to Transmission & Powertrain is higher than most recent years like 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022, but lower than the 2014 and 2015 Civic, which saw 34% and 46% shares respectively.

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.