2020 Honda Civic: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 281 complaints
281
Total Complaints
11,522mi
Median Mileage
Electrical System
Top Issue
22
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
3,695
25th Percentile
11,522
Median Mileage
31,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Electrical System
32
Unknown Or Other
32
Power Train
29
Air Bags
29
Steering
25
Fuel/Propulsion System
24
Automatic Emergency Braking
17
Service Brakes
13
Engine
11
Warnings
7
Severity Assessment
22
Crashes
3
Fires
18
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ATLANTIC HONDA (1375 SUNRISE HWY, BAY SHORE, NY 11706) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE F..."
"THE CRASH MITIGATION ACTIVATED TWICE IN TWO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GET REAR ENDED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH A ROUNDABOUT, THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS A NORMAL CAR LENGTH AHEAD AS WE BOTH ENTERED THE CIRCLE. THE CAR IN FRONT TURNED LEFT AND I WAS GOING STR..."
"OVER 4 WEEKS AGO, 2 WEEKS AFTER LEASING THE 2020 CAR, THE DASHBOARD STARTED TO DISPLAY NUMEROUS ERROR MESSAGES. THE CAR WAS EVALUATED AT THE DEALER, HONDA OF FREEHOLD, NJ, AND I WAS TOLD THAT A CERTAIN MODULE FAILED. SOON THEREAFTER A TIRE WARNING LIGHT ALSO STARTED TO DISPLAY AND ONCE AGAIN THE DEA..."
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Electrical System
32 complaints
25th: 3,695 mi
Median: 9,000 mi
75th: 28,000 mi
Unknown Or Other
32 complaints
25th: 2,125 mi
Median: 7,250 mi
75th: 14,550 mi
Power Train
29 complaints
25th: 4,725 mi
Median: 8,000 mi
75th: 8,800 mi
Air Bags
29 complaints
25th: 2,975 mi
Median: 21,650 mi
75th: 49,500 mi
Steering
25 complaints
25th: 8,423 mi
Median: 15,000 mi
75th: 25,194 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
CA: 64
TX: 32
FL: 23
IA: 16
NY: 15
NJ: 14
OH: 12
PA: 11
NC: 11
AL: 10
Who Files Complaints?
0.4%
Original Owners
99.6%
Second+ Owners
Honda Civic — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 110 | 22 |
| 1991 | 143 | 13 |
| 1992 | 113 | 29 |
| 1993 | 178 | 48 |
| 1994 | 171 | 79 |
| 1995 | 252 | 103 |
| 1996 | 383 | 96 |
| 1997 | 452 | 78 |
| 1998 | 502 | 92 |
| 1999 | 404 | 75 |
| 2000 | 350 | 91 |
| 2001 | 1357 | 206 |
| 2002 | 876 | 144 |
| 2003 | 618 | 127 |
| 2004 | 424 | 59 |
| 2005 | 396 | 91 |
| 2006 | 1708 | 108 |
| 2007 | 1464 | 64 |
| 2008 | 1078 | 89 |
| 2009 | 497 | 63 |
| 2010 | 485 | 48 |
| 2011 | 220 | 33 |
| 2012 | 618 | 91 |
| 2013 | 430 | 41 |
| 2014 | 377 | 47 |
| 2015 | 480 | 58 |
| 2016 | 1301 | 53 |
| 2017 | 726 | 31 |
| 2018 | 807 | 41 |
| 2019 | 492 | 34 |
| 2021 | 181 | 9 |
| 2022 | 1136 | 66 |
| 2023 | 318 | 32 |
| 2024 | 159 | 17 |
| 2025 | 80 | 8 |
Active Recalls (4)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Fuel Pump
Campaign 21V215000 | 25/03/2021
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Master Cylinder
Campaign 23V458000 | 29/06/2023
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Fuel Pump
Campaign 23V858000 | 18/12/2023
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Front Passenger
Campaign 24V064000 | 01/02/2024
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Maintain Your Electrical System
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
- Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
- Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
- Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
- Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom
Compare Honda Civic
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28