Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated the information center was slow to respond. While driving at night, the screen went into daytime usage. While utilizing the turn signal, the screen options were not available. The contact stated that the shocks and struts became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shocks needed to be replaced. The contact mentioned the mechanic broke the suspension while attempting to perform the repairs. The vehicle was repaired however, the contact continued to experience a failure. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal odor coming from the A/C. The contact stated that there was a dangerous chemical called R1234YF leaking into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor from the leak made his daughter sick. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a leak through the evaporator in the cabin as well as a leak in the condenser and compressor. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The contact was concerned that the parking brake had engaged without driver input. The contact stated that after closing the windows, turning off the vehicle, and exiting the vehicle, she noticed that the windows and sunroof had opened independently upon her return. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 51,815.
The contact leased a 2020 HONDA CIVIC. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel would intermittently display images over the speedometer which would obstruct his ability to see his current rate of speed. The contact had brought the vehicle to the dealer where they informed him to document the failure and tried multiple repairs; however, the failure persisted after each repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while pressing the key fob to unlock the doors, the doors remained locked. The contact had to manually unlock the doors. The contact attempted to lock the vehicle with the key fob however, the doors failed to lock as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Was T bones September 3rd 2023 exiting the freeway by a Ford F-350. Injury to left side of vehicle mainly . Airbags not side airbags deployed. Went through insurance and was told to report it to the manufacturer. Due to this I now need double knee surgery as I have tears and fluid and now have spinal injury .
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Honda Civic. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 87,000. At the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 247,000.
I turn my car on To go to work realized I didn't have my phone. Car was in park. I hadn't touch the gearshift at all I get out of the car. Approximate 20 seconds after I walk away from the car, my home security camera shows the car creeping extremely slowly backwards up into my driveway going up across the crown of the road... across the street and falls into a 10 foot deep ditch. I am 100% certain that Car was in Park... There were no sounds when I open the door to alert me that it would be anything other than park.. The back up camera was not engaged, so it was definitely not in Reverse... When the tow truck pulled it out of the ditch, it was Still running It had stopped vertically before it hit the bottom of the ditch, and rear tire got stuck in muddy water.... There were no ruts from tire, spinning from the front end at all in the ditch or the grass above the ditch... …
Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A: BCM (body mechanical module) became faulty, causing car to turn on ignition by itself. Would be sitting in car with it off and the ignition would turn on causing issues with battery and gas consumption. Also in order to save that until it was figured out what was wrong I had to disconnect the battery causing multiple resets to my electrical system. Yes. Q: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A: Would be sitting in car with it off and the ignition would turn on causing startling and issues with battery and gas consumption. Q: Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A: Confirmed and fixed so far by a small and independent electrical mechanic. …
My infotainment center has repeatedly failed during operation. It is distorted while driving, freezes, stuck on previous screen display. This causes all safety features to be inoperable. I can't see the camera back up display. I can't see the map or upcoming exit/next direction. The Honda genius features are impacted by this. My vehicle suddenly thinks I am exiting while I'm driving and randomly slams on breaks with no vehicle or object in front of me, it jerks my wheel even though there is no car or barrier next to me. I have resorted to turn off all of the safety features due to the infotainment center glitches making my vehicle very unsafe to operate. I have been in several near miss single vehicle accidents. Picture added to show screen distortion and no direction listed. Should be displaying navigation and upcoming turn but is frozen and distorted.
Electrical complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2020 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the electrical system of the 2020 Honda Civic, 16% of the model year's 232 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Honda Civic electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2020 Honda Civic, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2020 Honda Civic electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 9,000 miles, and 64% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to electrical system 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.