Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the Forward Collision Avoidance message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the radar sensor, located on the front bumper, indicated that the vehicle was involved in a crash. The contact stated that the vehicle was not involved in a crash. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced phantom braking twice. After several minutes, the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The "BRAKE" message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on the expressway. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be repaired. …
During a forward-side lane departure collision in my 2020 Honda Accord, the Body Control Module (BCM), forward collision radar system, braking assist, and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSI) all failed to activate. As a result, the vehicle did not brake, warn, or stabilize before impact. The airbags also failed to deploy during the crash. My safety and the safety of others were put at serious risk, as the vehicle did not respond as designed despite being equipped with these systems. The car is now undrivable but available for inspection. This issue has not yet been confirmed by a dealer due to the car's condition, but similar failures have been reported in other 2020 Honda Accords already under recall. The insurance company did not request vehicle data and did not inspect the systems. …
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the brakes had erroneously activated, causing the vehicle the suddenly decelerate. During the failure, the "BRAKE" light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. Additionally, after starting the vehicle and driving forward or in reverse, there was a squeaking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure, and informed the contact that the failure was a common issue, but the manufacturer had not issued a service campaign to address the issue. …
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the tire pressure warning light and brake system warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the driver assists cruise control system, emergency brakes system, collision prevention system, and electrical steering assist all failed at the same time. The contact stated that the safety assist features became disabled but returned after the vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the failure occurred more frequently. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes independently activated, and the transmission independently shifted into neutral. The contact stated that there were no other vehicles nearby. The brake warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to clean off the sensors and see if the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that she did not want to see if the failure would recur. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,660.
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.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with no other vehicles nearby, the Forward Collision Warning system activated briefly, applying the Automatic Emergency Braking. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The brake alert warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (Forward Collision Avoidance Warning). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and accelerating, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and abruptly stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was experienced several times within a two-month period. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brakes were independently activated without the driver depressing the brake pedal. The "Service Brakes" warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact related the failure to Honda Recall: TN2; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
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.
Related recalls
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
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.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the BCM software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 22, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
NHTSA investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2020 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 112 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2020 Honda Accord, 31% of the model year's 364 complaints. The component named most often is automatic emergency braking (81 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Honda Accord collision avoidance problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-771 (camera, Dec 10, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2020 Honda Accord collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to driver assistance problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.