UsedScore

2020 Honda Accord: Solid

Owners filed 200 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Honda Accord in its first five years on the road, about 92 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Accord year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the brakes (20% of complaints, median 4,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.0×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Accord year
Rank
8th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
200
first five years; 92 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
6
campaigns
10th generation, 2018–2022 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2018 Honda Accord Sport

Photo: 2018 Honda Accord Sport · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Brakes20% · 40 complaints · median 4,000 miles
  2. Driver assistance31% · 62 complaints · median 12,000 miles
  3. Electrical13% · 25 complaints · median 2,000 miles
  4. Engine14% · 27 complaints · median 11,000 miles
  5. Fuel and propulsion13% · 25 complaints · median 17,000 miles
  6. Air bags4% · 7 complaints
  7. Body and structure4% · 8 complaints · median 3,000 miles
  8. Speed control5% · 9 complaints
  9. Steering8% · 15 complaints · median 8,000 miles
  10. Powertrain4% · 8 complaints · median 3,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Brakes

Owners describe their Accords braking on their own with no obstacle present, sometimes hard enough to trigger seatbelts, plus rotors and pads wearing out or grinding much earlier than expected. Dealers sometimes replace rotors or pads, but many owners say the random braking couldn't be reproduced or fixed.

Warning signs:
Many report shaking or shuddering when braking, grinding or squealing noises, warning lights such as "Service Brakes" or "BRAKE," and sudden unexpected braking with no obstacle present.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced or resurfaced rotors and pads, sometimes temporarily resolving shaking, but many say the dealer could not duplicate or diagnose the sudden braking events.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 20,000 miles, among 25 complaints that give it

“The vehicles braking system causes warped roters at very low mileage”

“Vehicle will randomly slam on brakes to a dead stop, engaging my seatbelt when engine braking behind a vehicle”

Driver assistance

Owners describe their Accord's automatic braking or collision-mitigation system suddenly slamming the brakes with no car or obstacle ahead, sometimes at highway speed. Many say dealers couldn't reproduce or fix the issue, leaving them uneasy about unpredictable braking during everyday driving.

Warning signs:
Many report a dashboard "BRAKE" alert or multiple ADAS/brake warning lights illuminating just before or during sudden, unexplained deceleration.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the problem; some cleaned or realigned sensors, replaced parts, or performed a system reset, but several owners say the braking recurred afterward.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 55,000 miles, among 15 complaints that give it

“the collision mitigation system has activated while the car was in motion but no object was in front of the car”

Electrical

Owners of this Accord commonly describe electrical glitches ranging from an annoying speaker hum tied to the noise-cancellation system to clusters of warning lights and occasional unintended door locking or braking. Repairs sometimes help temporarily, but many say the problems come back or are hard for dealers to pin down.

Warning signs:
Many report a loud humming or booming noise from the speakers, followed or accompanied by warning messages for brakes, lane keeping, cruise control, or collision mitigation systems.
What shops did:
Some dealers reset the computer, replaced the active noise cancellation module, battery, or fuses, but several owners say the warning lights or noises returned or could not be duplicated.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 40,000 miles, among 17 complaints that give it

“the ANC (active noise control) unit delivers a loud Booming sound through the speaker system”

“My blinker won't appear on the dash. My trunk won't open. My back up camera won't come on at all.”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (6)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V332000May 202698,892 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 24V064000February 2024750,114 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 23V858000December 20232,490,460 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 21V215000March 2021624,552 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure 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.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 20V798000December 202027,838 vehicles

    Electrical system: propulsion system: charging: module: software · Electrical system: propulsion system: dc/dc converter · Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2020-2021 Insight vehicles. The DC-DC converter may shut down and prevent the 12-volt battery from recharging, possibly resulting in a loss of drive power.

    Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the power converter unit (PCU) software, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 20V771000December 2020737,233 vehicles

    Electrical system: body control module: software · Back over prevention: sensing system: camera · Visibility/wiper · Visibility: power window devices and controls · Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system · Exterior lighting

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, and 2019-2020 Insight vehicles. A software error may cause intermittent or continuous disruptions in communication between the Body Control Module (BCM) and other components. This may result in malfunctions of various systems such as the windshield wipers and defroster, rearview camera, exterior lights, audible warning of a stopped vehicle, and power window operation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems" and number 111, "Rear Visibility" as well as FMVSS numbers 104, 108, 114, 118, and 305.

    Risk: Various system malfunctions such as inoperative windshield wipers, defroster, rearview camera, or exterior lighting can increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the BCM software, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Honda sent NHTSA 290 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2020 Accord. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • AAHS09162026902 · September 2026Dealer Message - On August 21st, 2026, American Honda issued a Product Update for certain 2018-2022 Accord and Accord Hybrid models that received the accessory Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto…
  • ONL6UV09092026 · September 2026Owner Notification Letter - Honda has developed software updates to the Honda Sensing system to enhance driver experience by modifying the circumstances when the advanced driver assist system (ADAS)…
  • AATS31549 · August 2026Tech Line Summary - Customers may report that the center display unit changes screens on its own, registers unintended inputs, or operates erratically without user interaction.
  • AEBM08212026901 · August 2026Dealer Message - Due to a software programming issue within the Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto system, an invalid "License Authentication Error" message may appear on the Display Audio screen…
  • A26-068 · August 2026On certain 2018-2022 Accord and 2018-22 Accord Hybrid vehicles equipped with the Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto software upgrade, a programming issue within the Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto…
  • A26-091 · July 2026Honda has developed software updates to the Honda Sensing system to enhance driver experience by modifying the circumstances when the advanced driver assist system (ADAS) decelerates the vehicle or…
  • AEBM07242026901 · July 2026Dealer Message - Due to software programming issues of the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), unexpected vehicle deceleration may occur.
  • A26-091 v1 · July 2026American Honda has identified a condition that may affect Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) operation.

All 2020 Accord bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2020 Honda Accord reliable?
Owners filed 200 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Honda Accord in its first five years on the road, about 92 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Accord year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Accord years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2020 Accord problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (20%), driver-assistance features and cameras (31%) and the electrical system (13%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2020 Honda Accord been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2020 Honda Accord, the most recent in May 2026 (air bags). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Honda. The 2020 Honda Accord on NHTSA.gov · How we rate