2020 Honda Civic Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 9, 2026 · Filed: October 28, 2026

"The dealer invoice for my 2020 Honda Civic explicitly diagnosed a seatbelt 'internal failure.' Honda Corporate verbally denied coverage by claiming an undocumented seat cover obstruction. I was forced to pay $482.32 out-of-pocket for a safety component covered under Honda's 15-Year/150,000-Mile safety warranty."

Incident: March 20, 2026 · Filed: October 26, 2026

I own a 2020 Civic Si. At about 29,000 the clutch started slipping in higher heats and going up hills. Once I noticed this the clutch degraded very quickly to the point it was unsafe to drive. By very quickly I mean in about 100 miles worth of travel. I notified Honda Corporate and opened a case with them. There is a TSB 22-017 out about the faulty clutches stating the friction material was faulty in some 19-20 models and to replace the clutch and included all parts associated to be replaced. However my car was just one year outside of the warranty even tho it was within the mileage. Since they were going to replace with the same parts that failed, I decided to do the replacement myself with an OEM clutch made for the Type R which is more appropriately matched to the torque of the vehicle and a different flywheel as the factory one increases the wear due to being dual mass. I took pictures of the process for documentation. When the transmission was opened up the friction material had basically disintegrated into chuncks. The pressure plate also seemed to be putting unnecessary amount of pressure on the bearing. Almost like the clamping force was far too much for the hydrolic system to counter and thus caused excessive slippage. Honda was going to charge $2000 to diagnose the clutch and the clutch replacement would have cost $6,000. That is an absurd amount to charge for a known faulty part. Tho the new clutch also required an upgraded CMC, I was about to install a far superior OEM part for 1/3 of the price. I wanted to submit a report in hopes that with enough complaints Honda will do a proper recall before someone in the future loses function of their clutch and potentially has an accident.

Incident: August 25, 2026 · Filed: October 26, 2026

ac compressor failure. This is a known defect in ALL 10th Generation Honda vehicles. My 2020 Honda Civic Sport at 44K miles AC compressor has failed. The extended warranty that Honda issued will not cover a new compressor that Honda has diagnosed it needs. I have been fighting very hard with Honda Corporate to Goodwill a compressor replacement which they priced at over $2,500 out of pocket. I have been driving in over 100 degrees weather for over 2 months with no cold air. Pacific Honda in San Diego did make an attempt to repair but only the 2 parts that were covered by the extended warranty which is the cam shaft seal and the condenser however this failed to fix the underlying problem which is the entire compressor. For almost 2 months have been going round and round with corporate to Goodwill a compressor replacement and after several phone calls and heated conversations they refused to help me and said a goodwill replacement on the compressor is not possible and closed the case! This is absolutely unbelievable that Honda has been making me drive in the extreme heat for so long I almost fainted several times driving and that could cost my life. Also we are expecting the most severe storms this winter in Southern California where I reside and am stationed in the US Navy and I fear my defroster will not function properly during severe rain and storms causing blinding and non-visibility which not only threatens my life but the life of my family in the vehicle and other drivers on the road near me when my vision will be completely impaired by this malfunction of the defroster. Honda has ignored my safety concerns and the imminent threat to my life and others and closed the case. Please help me. No owner of the 10th gen Hondas should ever have to go through this and Honda should absolutely be held responsible and repair any AC Compressor that fails to these owners at no cost to the buyer. Lives are at risk.

Incident: September 15, 2026 · Filed: October 21, 2026

The wheel becomes sticky/ jerky when driving at speeds over 40 mph and causes overcorrecting. It is worse around bends and makes holding the wheel straight difficult. The stickness is consistently present when on the highways making it incredibly dangerous to drive at these higher speeds as I am constantly having to overcorrect the wheel. The dealer and an independent service center have both said they have been able to reproduce the sticky steering and that it is the steering rack. There is not any warning on my dashboard to indicate this part is failing which is also problematic as I should be made aware before my steering wheel completely freezes when driving at high speeds.

Incident: September 24, 2026 · Filed: October 18, 2026

My 2020 Honda Civic experienced engine overheating and a cylinder 3 misfire (P0303). Two independent mechanics diagnosed a blown head gasket with coolant leaking into cylinder 3. The vehicle underwent a head gasket repair under Honda’s extended warranty. Less than a week after the repair, the engine overheated again while I was driving. I pulled over, waited approximately an hour for the engine to cool, added coolant, and drove to the dealership. The dealership later reported that the cylinder head was cracked near cylinder 4, close to the exhaust valve. When I picked my car up from the dealership, I scanned the vehicle and found the P0303 cylinder 3 misfire code. I am concerned that the engine may have an unresolved problem that could cause it to overheat again, sustain further damage, or lose power while driving. The vehicle is still in my possession and available for inspection. I have an appointment with an independent mechanic on October 24, 2026, to have the engine and cooling system inspected and determine what may have caused the repeated overheating. I am submitting this complaint to bring attention to a potential engine or engine-cooling safety defect and ask NHTSA to consider whether similar problems may be affecting other vehicles.

Incident: October 15, 2026 · Filed: October 15, 2026

My car 2020 honda civic has an issue with the steering wheel. I have noticed in the past 6 months that the steering wheel has become increasingly stiff and gets stuck during turns. This is a concern of mine because at times it becomes difficult to keep in traffic lanes. The car has not been inspected by anyone.

Incident: September 27, 2026 · Filed: October 9, 2026

On September 27, 2026, at approximately 90,800 miles, the body control module (BCM) in my 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback failed. Symptoms included the alarm sounding on its own, warning lights illuminating on the dash, the vehicle turning its accessories on unprompted while parked (key fob was present), the battery draining, and the key fob intermittently not being recognized.

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: October 7, 2026

The air conditioning condenser failed prematurely due to a known manufacturing defect covered under Honda's 10-year warranty extension (TSB 19-091), but the dealership, Stokes Honda North and American Honda Motor Co.’s refused to honor the coverage. I reside in Charleston, South Carolina, where summer temperatures and humidity levels are extreme. Because of this defect, the vehicle's cabin becomes dangerously hot within minutes. I frequently transport my two young children in this vehicle, and the lack of functional climate control places them at an immediate risk for severe heat exhaustion, dehydration, and heat-related illness. Furthermore, the failure of the AC system means the vehicle can no longer properly dehumidify the cabin air. During sudden South Carolina rainstorms, the windshield and windows instantly fog over, rendering the defroster useless. This causes an immediate, severe loss of visibility while driving on high-speed roads, creating a catastrophic safety hazard for myself, my children, and other drivers.

Incident: September 1, 2026 · Filed: October 1, 2026

Steering rack malfunction which is a major safety issue. It was said to be only in 2022-2025 civics but it is very clear this is happening in the 2020s as well

Incident: September 18, 2026 · Filed: September 23, 2026

When driving, especially at highway speeds where only minor tracking adjustments are needed, the steering wheel can feel like it is momentarily sticking or catching. Having to exert sudden, extra physical effort to "break" the wheel free from this sticky point. This often leads to momentary overcorrection, significantly increasing the risk of a crash.