Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2020 Honda Civic submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 35 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 35, in the owner's own words
I have owned my vehicle for nearly 18 months and absolutely NO ACTION has been taken on Honda's part to remedy this solution with the capacitor in the circuit board of the front passenger seat weight sensor. Tired of waiting! I want results. This could lead to the front passenger frontal and knee airbags deploying unexpectedly.
The air conditioning system in my 2020 Honda Civic EX has a refrigerant leak at the evaporator assembly, causing very weak or almost no cooling even when set to the lowest temperature settings. This happens consistently, including in moderate to hot outside temperatures, making the cabin uncomfortably warm during drives as it could get pretty hot in inland southern California. The A/C evaporator assembly is the failed component, and the part remains in the vehicle available for inspection if requested. This issue creates a safety risk because reduced visibility from window fogging in humid or rainy conditions (due to lack of proper dehumidification and cooling) can impair safe driving. In extreme heat, it also increases driver fatigue and distraction from discomfort. The problem was confirmed by a Honda dealership through diagnostic testing, which identified the evaporator leaking refrigerant. They previously repaired a related condenser leak under warranty, but the cooling issue persisted and was later traced to the evaporator. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership (manufacturer-authorized) on multiple occasions for this A/C concern. No specific warning lamps or messages appeared on the dashboard related to the A/C system. This appears to be part of a broader pattern reported by owners of similar 2016-2021 Honda Civics, where condenser failures (sometimes covered by extended warranty) are followed by evaporator leaks, possibly related to the vehicle's use of R-1234yf refrigerant and system pressures. I recently received partial goodwill assistance from the manufacturer toward repair costs, but the issue highlights a recurring defect in the A/C system that affects cooling reliability. This car is driven by my 20 years old daughter as a commuter car to college and she is really suffering. I feel I am putting her at risk and need to get it fixed ASAP at whatever cost.
vehicle turns on in to accessory mode, does not allow me to turn off vehicle sometimes car turns on at night by itself, alarm goes off when parked and locked
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. Q: Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A: No. Q: Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A: No.
The car cuts off while driving
While driving on interstate highway, main dash display went almost completely dark. Could not see speed, warning lights, gas gauge, engine temp, etc. Pulled over to check out problem and "push to start" button would not turn off engine. It did on second try. Dealer diagnosed fault in gauge control module. Must be replaced.
The vehicle’s emergency braking system randomly applies the brakes even when the front is not obstructed. Front sensors are kept clear of any debris, dirt, or bugs. I went to Honda of El Cajon in El Cajon, Ca and they could not help me even though the service advisor admitted that another Honda CR-V driver had the same problem the same day. This is a safety concern as my car has applied he brakes while on the freeway and at stop signs at random. Honda has failed to acknowledge the issue.
See attached document for complaint
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… There is a recall of some 2020 civics for brake failure, parking brake failure…. I strongly believe my car needs to be part of this recall, because obviously something is wrong… My road is 55 mph and a car had to stop to avoid hitting my car… I have video from my home camera That shows a clear delay between when I get out of my car and shut the door and the car starts crawling. I tested it after he pulled it out of the ditch just to see if I had it in reverse from the same exact spot wouldn’t move and it immediately moved so I’m certain something is wrong… Right now the body shop can’t even duplicated can’t even get it to get caught between Park and reverse. Please investigate And this could’ve easily been a fatality. I need to send more photos and videos, but it won’t allow me to do it but there’s definitely more for me to send If someone can give me an email
The AC condenser has been replaced twice along with the shaft seal.Which then caused my evaporator core to crack and is now leaking and gonna cost me two thousand dollars
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.
Gas door opens randomly and it’s happened more than a few times now which is becoming a safety hazard especially because I drive 80 miles daily for work. Also my automatic brake senor is a hazard because it’s going off when cars or objects are farther away; which leads to the 3rd issue with my seat belts which is either to tight on the chest area and possibly choking me when the car automatically brakes when objects aren’t near or in close distance to my car
On [XXX], 2023, my car's electrical system malfunctioned, leaving me unable to restart the vehicle after stopping. I had to call my car insurance for roadside assistance, and their representative jump-started the battery, suggesting I replace it. However, on [XXX], 2024, the same issue recurred, causing the car to stall unexpectedly and fail to start while I was out shopping with my wife and [XXX] daughter. Fortunately, I was driving on local roads; I shudder to think what might have happened if I had been on the freeway. Again, I had to rely on my insurance's roadside assistance for help. The safety of my family and me was jeopardized, especially since this is our only vehicle, which we frequently use to travel with my infant. These incidents are documented in two insurance claims. My car is among those recalled for fuel pump issues, but I haven't been able to schedule a repair with the dealer due to no available appointments. The online chat support also refused to book an appointment for the same reason. Additionally, my car has always adhered to Honda's regular maintenance schedule. From March 2024 to May 2024, the car's display screen, including the mileage indicator, intermittently malfunctioned while driving. On [XXX], 2024, when the car stalled, the screen also indicated a brake system error. Finally, I want to report another issue with this car: the cooling system is no longer providing cold air, resulting in the interior temperature being consistently higher than the outside temperature, especially during the recent hot summer days. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The body control module is failing, read multiple posts online and Honda is not fixing it. My alarm goes off and I cannot turn it off, have to use my key. The vehicle powers up on its own into accessory mode when parked, vehicle off and no key fob in the car. This causes the alarm to activate, drains the battery and causes temporary safety features- collision warning, lane assist, cruise control etc to not work. As well as drains the battery. Honda has recalled this part on other models but not the 10th generation Civic.
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 .
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.
While driving 20 mile/hr. the car's steering wheel got extremely stiff and difficult to steer. Made an appointment with Hoda Village to fix the issue. After diagnosis, service manager told me that it was rates chowing on electric harness and informed me this was not covered under warranty. Repair cost me about $700.00. Unfortunately, now the same issue is occurring, I have check all over the engine and don't see any rodent caused harness issues. Again, I called the dealer and spoke to service manager explaining the situation, they indicated I need to pay additional diagnostic charge plush any parts/labor. It's unacceptable what the dealer is telling me. This issue is extremely dangerous, to my safety and others as it may cause serious injury or death.
Purchased the vehicle on 3/5/2022 with less than 10k miles on it. Within the first 2 months of driving the vehicle, the infotainment screen would freeze while driving and reset. One of these occurrences happened while driving on the highway at which time when the screen froze, turned a different color, and all the lights on the dashboard turned on simultaneously resulting in me not having control of the vehicle mechanics. This lasted for a few seconds, however, driving at a speed of 65 mph without control of the vehicle mechanics was and is extremely dangerous which could have resulted in an accident causing damage, injury, and death. This occurrence happened a total of three times. After a few months owning the vehicle on the first attempt utilized the key fob to lower my windows which resulted in the battery draining and the vehicle inoprable. Since my vehicle is my kids and my only mode or transportation I had to go to the nearest open Autozone to purchase a new battery. Mind you this was on a Sunday night about 9:00 pm so I had to catch an Uber to the nearest open store about 25 miles away. Once I returned home I replaced the battery and the car started at which time I called it a night. The next morning when leaving home for work and taking kids to school the Infotainment Screen was frozen with a black Honda logo as well as a manlfunction with the reverse and side camera. I have taken my vehicle to the local Honda dealer twice on a Saturday since this is the only available free time I have, however, on both occasions both Service Associates conveyed they had not heard of this malfunction previously and that the vehicle would need a diagnostic test I could not afford. The incident occurred on 5/24/23.
Bought my 2020 Honda Civic si at 48 k miles. Noticed mild clutch slip and vibration on the shift knob. Dealership states I don't know how to drive manual transmission. I've driven manual transmission for 18 years. I'm not stupid. Dealership states it's wear and tear and not part of the warranty. My window motor auto feature does not work. Bluetooth connectivity issues. Collision braking system activated with no vehicle in front of me while I was going 40 miles an hour. Could have been rear ended. I'm at 50k miles not a good buy and bad service from the dealership. Mossy Honda lemon grove ca
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.
Power windows rolled down on their own
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.
Hello. I have a 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport. The stock audio system makes a VERY loud crackle and popping sound before completely cutting out, this abrupt malfunction frightens me and hurts my ears. Additionally the malfunction of this audio unit may cause other safety problems because it is connected to the back-up camera which can freeze/reboot randomly when the electrical/software malfunction occurs. I listed the most recent incident date below however this problem has been intermittent since I purchased the car new in 2020. My car is now out of warranty and Honda refuses to address the issue even though it was present before 36,000/3 years. Thank you.
I was driving getting ready to switch lanes and all of a sudden my car made the beeping noise and slammed on the brakes on its own
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that occasionally the windows on the vehicle independently rolled down while the vehicle was turned off. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the trunk opened inadvertently without warning. The dealer had been notified twice about the failure. After the first failure, a dealer employee acknowledged the failure; however, the contact was informed that there was no remedy for the defect. After the second failure, a dealer employee informed her that they had never heard of the failure before. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .