Complaint volume
337 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Honda Accord Complaints
337 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Honda Accord, grouped by component category.
337 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
7 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are forward collision avoidance, engine, air bags. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 13 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 7 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 82 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 31,265 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to forward collision avoidance, engine, air bags?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Honda Accord?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Honda Accord
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Honda Accord complaints?
13 Crash
2 Fire
7 Injury
1 Fatality
12 Towed
5 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Honda Accord complaint categories?
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 53
ENGINE 31
AIR BAGS 25
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18
SERVICE BRAKES 17
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 15
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 15
STEERING 14
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 8
337 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the Forward Collision Mitigation Braking System notification message displayed, and the brake pedal was depressed but the pedal remained on the floorboard. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated from 65 MPH to 15 MPH before abruptly stopping. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 55,000 |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | As I was driving down the main road at 45 mph, no cars, animals or people anywhere around me, my 2020 Honda Accord Sport automatic braking system HARD BRAKED out of nowhere for no apparent reason! Thankfully there were no cars behind me or there would have been a crash! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES | Loud, audible grinding noise when braking, usually in reverse. Sounds like metal on metal. Drove vehicle to dealer today, was told this is a common problem, Honda is aware. Awaiting recall, etc. Issue is very distracting, especially in a parking lot. Issue also occasionally happens when slowing to a stop at low speeds. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,LANE DEPARTURE | Lights all came on at once while traveling and highway. Car jerking. Cam Shaft Sensor Malfunction Braking Malfunction Adaptive Cruise Control Auto High Beam Problem Road Departure Mitigation Emissions System Problem Avoid High Acceleration | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | This is the third Accord I've owned, and none of them have been issue-free, but this one (2020) is the worst. I bought this car in March of 2021 with only 6 miles on it. Within a week it started to throw occasional notifications, which I called the dealership and asked about. They assured me that it was just a hiccup and to bring it in for a factory reset. They performed this reset, and the car appeared to be fine after that. BUT - Less than two weeks later, it started showing the four LKAS/CMBS lights and dash prompts - brake system problem, road departure mitigation system, collision mitigation braking system, and adaptive cruise control system 'problems', each saying 'see your dealer'. Made an appointment to bring it back in, and on my way to the dealership - having the car for only one month at this point - I was rear-ended by a pick-up truck at the red light turning onto the dealership street (he admitted he wasn't paying attention). Long story short, the car was repaired, Honda factory specs were (supposedly) restored, set and verified, and my car was returned to me. It was fine until about another month later, when it started to show the alerts again - more frequently than before. Contacted the dealer again, asked for troubleshooting assistance again, and they said they were booked. I took this time to look for this issue on-line, and found many incidents of other Accord owners experiencing these same issues plus several others (of which I also had a few - namely, the fuel delivery system frequently acting like it is running out of gas) - most saying no matter how long the service shop had their car, the issue did not get fixed. NOT ONE. I could not afford to be without my car for an extended period of time, so I continued my research, seeing that none of the owners got resolution by the dealers, so I resolved to just 'live with the issues' as the actual car drove fine (except for the fuel issue). It happens every day. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | TIRES | 235/40R19 is the tire size. All 4 tires were purchased in October of 2021 and at that time the vehicle had 34,014 miles on it. I purchased the Firestone Firehawk tires model 004349 Firehawk AS BL XL 96V, with a 50k limited thread life warranty. Now, on 02/03/2023, I went in for my routine scheduled tire rotation and oil change and was advised I need all new 4 tires. The technician brought me to the vehicle and showed me that the sidewall in the side facing under the vehicle has major separation, cracking, and metal showing through along the time and bead/sidewalk of the tire. This damage was on all four tires and at multiple areas along the rim base. The technician said he never seen tires do this on all four at the same time but offered no explanation as to how or why this happened. All they could do was prorate the existing thread life warranty but nothing else. I explained to the technician that this wasn’t a thread life issue and it was a major defect in these tires to separate and crack like they did on all four tires. I told him this could have caused a 4 tire blowout and was a huge safety concern that needed to be addressed with Firestone corporation. Nonetheless, they brushed it off and offered new tires or I could take the car like it was and go elsewhere. I again told them these tires were only 16 months old and 38k miles on them and that they should not have failed like they did, especially not all 4 at the same time. One tire I could understand, but all four of the same brand tire installed at the same time failed. So with no real other options to go elsewhere, as it was already past 5pm on a Friday and I lived an hour away, I had no choice but to purchase tires there, as my safety and the safety of others around me could be seriously injured or killed if I left driving on those damaged tires. I’ve included pictures of two of the tires as they had already lowered the car down so I couldn’t take the other 2. Both invoices are attached as well. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | STEERING | When driving, the steering wheel sticks and you almost have to jerk the steering wheel over when not going in a straight line. I have seen that people with Hondas have been having similar issues for years. This is a safety concern because I have a 16 year old learning how to drive and she is unable to drive the car straight due to the issue with the steering. I refuse to pay to have this issue resolved when it seems to be something that occurs, and has been occurring, in Accords. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving on the freeway when the car started to break on its own and also indicting to brake as if there was something in front of me too close. But there was no car in front of me or beside me. The car breaking on its own was a major safety hazard since I was on freeway and driving about 65 mph. If a car would have been right behind me I would have been rear ended. I did take car to the dealership and let them know what had happened. And they told me I would have to take car in for a diagnostic appointment and the problem would have to happen while tech is driving car so they could look into it. This has happened to me a total of 3 times. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Automatic 45mph to zero breaking with no cars or objects in sight. Almost caused a rear end collision due to faulty and unnecessary automatic breaking. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | VISIBILITY | On the morning of Nov 1, 2022, I was driving on an open rural highway in cool, clear weather with no other vehicles on the road. Suddenly I heard an explosive crashing sound followed immediately by the sound of broken glass falling. I was afraid to stop right there because a few years ago, there were several vehicles hit by rifle fire not far from me in northern Colorado. As I drove, I felt a little air flow, as if a back window was partly open. When I came to a parking lot for a hiking trailhead, there were other vehicles in the lot and I felt safe to pull over. Examination showed that the sunroof on my car had shattered. Luckily, I had the sunscreen closed, or I would have gotten a face full of broken glass while traveling 55 mph. I reported to the sheriff. We tried to imagine what could have happened. I actually wondered if a random piece of meteorite had fallen from the sky, but there was no foreign object along with the broken glass. I filed an insurance claim. The damage has been repaired. I was not injured, but certainly shaken up because of the close call. Later I learned that other sunroofs have shattered spontaneously. I believe there should be a safety recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Three times in one day the emergency braking system has gone on automatically for no apparent reason. We were not at risk but are concerned we will be put at risk. There was no warning. We have not taken it in but will do so asap | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | STEERING | I put in a complaint before and the problem still persists. I’ve been to Honda over 10 times and they claim they cannot recreate it which is just a tactic to not repair the issue. Seems A LOT of other Honda owners are having this issue which is the gear box. There are multiple years affected including 2018-2020. The steering wheel sticks while trying to drive straight. No issues with turns. The steering wheel will hold in the straight position and when trying to drive straight and ease with the road the wheel will not turn even the slightest without some force which causes you to overcorrect. It is VERY dangerous and I don’t know why Honda is not recalling the problem parts. I bought my car new and never had an issue until the second month I drove the car. 3 years later and over 10 visits to Honda and it’s still happening. Please PUSH Honda to fix this issue ASAP!!!! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | I am writing this letter to complaint about a major defect for my vehicle as the Honda dealership located at 1036 Jericho Turnpike , Huntington NY doesn’t want to resolve as the vehicle is still under the manufactory warranty. The defect / problem involves the emergency brake release switch located in the center console area . I reported the defect / problem and hoped that Honda would honor the manufactory warranty under 36, 000 mile policy to replace an or repair any defects without cost to the consumer . However I was informed that payment in the amount of seven hundred and fifty dollars would be needed to resolve / repair the problem/ defect. I was told that the clip that hold the switch/ device to the center comnsole were broken and it is the current owner problem to resolve as it not covered. Just imagine how could I be responsible for a broken clip , when you look at the picture its clearly not a owner error but rather a defect in the workmanship to properly secure switch to the console . I want Honda to honor the under 36, 000 mile manufactory warranty policy and fix this problem without having me as a consumer to pay . Attached are the pictures of the emergency switch resisting inside the center console as no visible damage to the supporting outside structure . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | I purchased a 2020 Honda Accord in 9/2020 brand new. Within one month I started having brake issues. It felts like shuttering. I took it back to Honda service department; they stated the rotors need to be shaved a little. This did take care of the problem for about 8 months to year. I then started having the exact same sensation when braking at low speeds and worse at high speeds. I took it back to Honda (living in a different state) they said tech forgot to look at the brakes (it was there for oil change and tire rotation too) schedule to bring back and apologized. I scheduled a new appointment about 2 weeks out. They have my car all day and state they could not duplicate the problem. Service advisor states they believe it's happening at high speed/brakes heat-up was it okay for Service Manager to drive home because he lives a distance away. I did not feel comfortable with that, so he said to just drop by when I'm out and it's happening that a mechanic would get in the car with me to see if he feels the problem. I work Monday-Friday 8-5, I can't just stop in I explained. I was out of town over the weekend on I-95 going around 74mph and cars in front of me start hitting their brakes to slow down for traffic ahead we were on a slight curve in the road, my car starts shaking uncontrollably and giving that shuttering feeling then the brakes lock up. Thank goodness the car behind me was able to move into the slow lane and not rearend me at a deadly speed. My neck is still hurting from the locking of the brakes at such a high speed. I called Honda yesterday and scheduled to bring it back in again for the 4th time. I explained I will not take this car back without something being done to these brakes. At this point I feel it's a death trap. Let's see what happens Wednesday. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | SEAT BELTS | Passenger front seatbelt stopped engaging. No damage — stopped working in between routes. Cause UNKNOWN— malfunction of manufacturer | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Driving on the freeway when the sunroof just exploded. there was nothing that hit us as there was no vehicle in close vicinity to us. Thankfully we had the cover closed or it could of resulted in personal injury from people inside and additional damage. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VISIBILITY | Driving slowly down a residential street during daylight hours and suddenly there was a loud noise and the passenger side side view mirror exploded. There wasn’t an accident of any kind - the car had not come inti contact with anything and there was no other damage except the actual glass part of the mirror was completely gone. There were no scratches or other damage to the rest of the mirror assembly or the car and no evidence that anyone had thrown anything at the car. The car was driven immediately to the Honda dealer and they insisted that there must have been an accident and refused to cover the damage. A brief internet search revealed others with the same make and model had experienced the exact same thing. I strongly believe this is a manufacturing defect and it is a safety issue because the sound of the explosion was startling and there was broken glass flying around and now the car side view mirror is missing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | LANE DEPARTURE | The lane departure has two separate problems with both happen frequently, these are not one-time problems. 1. The system seems to pull the vehicle in the wrong direction. For example, if you the car starts to deft to the left, and makes contact with the left lane line, it feels like the pressure exerted on the steering wheel, or the drivetrain itself, actually pulls the vehicle further left. This has the completely opposite effect of what is intended. This is not 100% of the time. Sometimes lane departure does nude the vehicle back towards the center of the lane as expected. 2. The vehicle cannot safely determine lane markings. It frequently mistakes tar lines on the road as a lane line and attempts to correct the vehicle's course. The vehicle also does not know how new lanes/ending lanes work. It will often see a new lane line, from a lane newly added to the road (like when a lane splits into two), as a lane departure and will direct the vehicle to one of the two lanes regardless of driver steering. Each time this happens I have to be aware and manually steer the car where I want to go, fighting against the lane departure system. The car is available for inspection and has not been inspected by Honda. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | On 5/10/22, at approximately 43K miles, while driving my Accord on the interstate in a construction zone, the car lost engine power. Multiple warnings were displayed and lights flashed on the dash. I coasted and was fortunately able to find and safely pull into the berm, while vehicles sped by at 65-mph. From the berm, I attempted to accelerate but the car would not exceed 5-10 mph, and rumbled horribly. For over an hour, I sat and waited for a tow and had it towed to the nearest Honda dealer. Service began the afternoon of 5/10. Near closing time, they determined that the issue was the low pressure fuel pump. Remarkably, my VIN was not included in the 2020 Accord Fuel Pump Recall. Makes you wonder. Service would be completed on 5/11 (one night spent in hotel). On 5/11, the low pressure fuel pump was replaced. By day's end, there were still problems (night two in a hotel). Around noon on 5/12, and after what they described as many phone calls with Honda engineers, they determined the high pressure fuel pump needed replacement. I rented a car and drove home. They replaced the high pressure fuel pump and by 5:00 PM on 5/13 called and said the car was ready for pick up. Total cost for fuel pumps and labor was $1,100, which was mostly and finally compensated after hours of debate with Honda Customer Service. Lost were tow cost, 3-days of work, 2-hotel nights and the cost of the rental car. What good are warning lights when they all seem to illuminate at once? What good are safety messages when they all you to see a dealer? What good is any of this when your car loses power and you are stranded on a busy interstate? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | On 9/1/22, 8,600 miles after losing all power on the interstate, being stranded and having the car towed to the nearest dealer, paying for the tow, spending 2-nights in a hotel, renting a car to get home and having both the high pressure and low pressure fuel pumps replaced, my 2022 Honda Accord had yet another problem. After starting the car in a parking lot, 8-warning lights flashed and 9-12 warning messages were displayed. Since a very familiar situation happened 8,600 miles ago, I was very hesitant to drive anywhere, however, in the situation before, the car would not accelerate. In this instance, it would. I drove 10-miles to the nearest Honda dealer avoiding interstates. The dealer did a quick computer scan. The fault code (among others) was a P0172, "Fuel Mixture Too Rich". The tech said the problem is most likely fuel injector related. He assured me that it would be safe to drive another 30-miles to a dealer closer to my residence. I made it to the dealer safely and it turns out that the fuel injectors need replacing. Total cost will be $1,800. Could the fuel pump issues damaged the injectors? As mentioned in my prior complaint, what good are warning lights when 8-illuminate at once. What good are safety messages when they all tell you to see a dealer? How are owners supposed to understand the gravity of a malfunction? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated without warning. The contact stated that after several minutes the vehicle started to operate as needed. On another occasion, while driving 35 MPH, the brake assist activated independently causing the vehicle to brake suddenly. On another occasion, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up after several attempts. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 62,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 62,000 |
| Aug 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | when I am driving, there is no car in front of my car. Brake warning flash and randomly slam on the brakes without the I touching the brake pedal. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | This has happened more than one time.The first time it happened I was going down a 2 lane road no one in front or back of me and I was going 65 with my cruise set and the car slams on break and stays blink break on the dash. The second time it happened i was going down a 2 lane road at 45 no one around and it slams on breaks really hard and blinked break across the dash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Driving on the interstate going about 60mph with no one in front of me or behind me and the car brakes by itself. This is the fourth time this vehicle has randomly brake | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ENGINE | I brought my vehicle into the dealer for a recall software problem and to fix an oil leak coming from the valve cover. They replace the valve cover gasket and performed the software recall. As of now it still shows that my vehicle still needs the software recall. One week later after the oil leak repair, a massive oil leak formed at the valve cover causing oil to cover my engine bay and exhaust causing a burning smell and possible fire risk. Every weekend we drive out of state to tournaments and I was unaware of the leak. I brought it back to the dealer and they said it was residual oil from the previous repair. I was skeptical but believed them. One week later the same massive oil leak and problem occurred in my engine bay and driveway. Having no confidence in the dealer and being an ASE certified master mechanic, I decided to fix the problem myself by replacing the plastic valve cover assembly. I remove the old valve cover and found it to be extremely warped not providing a proper seal. The first time I brought my car into the dealer the service advisor said this is the second one this week that we’ve seen. I have a hard time believing that my vehicle is the only problem with this. I am extremely dissatisfied with the service from the dealership and the lack of concern that my life and my sons life was put in danger with a fire risk. I am currently seeking reimbursement for the part that I paid out-of-pocket. About US$150. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |