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 Passport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On Nov 9, 2024 I was pulling into a parking spot in a public parking garage, after turning 2 tight corners to approach the parking spot. About half way into the parking spot, the car suddenly lurched and accelerated and I crashed into a 90 degree concrete corner wall! It happened SO fast, without any warning sounds or ABS brakes deploying. The entire front passenger corner of my car was badly damaged. Luckily I was not injured, nor were there any other vehicles or persons involved. It is just not possible that I could have personally pulled into a parking spot at such a high speed as to cause such extreme damage to the vehicle! I drove the vehicle to a body shop on 11/11/24, which was one recommended by my insurance company. The vehicle was inspected by the body shop, which was directly in contact with my insurance company. …
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Passport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message "Brake" was displayed, and the steering wheel shuddered significantly. The contact was able to continue driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while her husband was driving 35 MPH, the Automatic Emergency Braking system engaged suddenly, nearly causing the vehicle to be rear-ended, and the incident led to road rage. The driver depressed the accelerator pedal and continued driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,800.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated and briefly applied the Automatic Emergency Braking system before returning to normal functionality. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Passport. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance braking system light was flashing. While driving 5-10 MPH, the brake pedal depressed without driver input. The brake light flashed. While driving at 70 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance braking system light illuminated and started to flash. The brake pedal engaged without driver input. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking Assist warning light illuminated, causing the steering wheel to vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cameras were adjusted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
When driving at any speed vehicle computers (system and entertainment) loose communication and malfunction, causing loss of display and function. This loss of communication causes a loud crackling & popping noise to be generated by the system through the vehicle speakers. This problem persist while driving until the vehicle is stopped, turned off and door opened. Research on Honda internet forums has revealed thousands of postings from owners with the same and similar problems. I have taken this vehicle to Honda service more than 3 times. Each time was told a manufacturing defect in wiring harness of the MOST system is the cause. Each repair has been unsuccessful in permanently correcting the defect. This problem, being random and tied to rough terrain or road bumps can happen at anytime. When this happens it is a major distraction. …
It's a sunny day in Florida and approximately at [redacted] while traveling straight on a public roadway, the vehicle directly in front of me moved into the left-turn lane, completely clearing my lane of travel. As I actively accelerated to pass the turning vehicle, my Honda's Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) inadvertently activated despite my lane being completely clear and unobstructed. The emergency automatic braking engaged forcefully just after I passed the vehicle in the left-turn lane. This unexpected, false-positive braking event caused a severe, rapid deceleration that nearly resulted in a rear-end collision by the vehicle traveling behind me. This exact situation has occurred on 3 other separate occasions. I'm in fear of being rear-ended, especially with my kids in the car, because my vehicle body language prior to the forceful braking has been acceleration. …
The front multipurpose camera system failed, triggering multiple safety warning lights simultaneously, including ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System), and related camera-dependent safety systems, along with a "Multipurpose Camera Unit" fault code U3000-49. The failure pattern has been intermittent and inconsistent: on some drives, warning lights are absent at startup and appear after several minutes of driving; on other occasions the warnings appear immediately at startup; duration before onset varies from trip to trip. This vehicle falls within the range covered by a prior Honda recall (Recall 19-020 / NHTSA Campaign for 2019-2020 Passport) addressing software programming errors in the front control module causing improper display of instrument panel and delayed or missing rearview camera images. …
I am experiencing a sudden and total failure of the front windshield-mounted camera sensor on my 2020 Honda Passport. Without warning, the vehicle's dashboard displays a cascade of simultaneous critical system errors as documented in my attachments. When this camera fails, it completely disables the entire Honda Sensing safety suite. The vehicle abruptly loses critical crash-avoidance features, including Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and Lane Keep Assist. Operating the vehicle with a constantly flashing dashboard while suddenly lacking the advertised safety features poses an immediate safety hazard. My local Honda dealership confirmed the front camera component is defective. …
The first major issue I just started running into at about 90,000 miles is the engine auto start stop feature. I usually disable it when I drive due to the inability for the car to provide adequate start from a stop, but when I don't, I've had the vehicle completely stall on me at a stoplight and won't let me restart the vehicle for several minutes leaving me stranded and vulnerable sitting in a lane on a highway. I've had about a dozen instances of this issue now over the last several months. The second issue is with the adaptive, cruise control or the emergency, stopping on the vehicle where it will jam on the brakes, even though there are no cars in front of me it inaccurately picks up vehicles in the oncoming lane. There are more than 8 feet separated from my vehicle. …
Related recalls
Back over prevention › Display function
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners that updated software is available. Owners have the option to either follow the mailed instructions to download and update the software for free, or visit a dealer to have the software update…
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
NHTSA investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On March 7, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24008) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in model year 2019-2022 Honda Insight and 2019-2022 Honda Passport vehicles. The complainants allege activation of the AEB system with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's path, resulting in rapid vehicle deceleration.
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On March 7, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24008) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in model year 2019-2022 Honda Insight and 2019-2022 Honda Passport vehicles. The complainants allege activation of the AEB system with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's path, resulting in rapid vehicle deceleration.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Passport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2020 Honda Passport?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2020 Honda Passport, 34% of the model year's 104 complaints. The component named most often is automatic emergency braking (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Honda Passport collision avoidance problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-431 (display function, Jun 15, 2023); NHTSA recall 20V-440 (camera, Jul 28, 2020); NHTSA recall 20V-439 (camera, Jul 28, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2020 Honda Passport collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 8,000 miles, and 71% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 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.