2020 Honda Accord Hybrid: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 39 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (27% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall May 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The engine failed catastrophically. White smoke out of the exhaust at 145,000 miles. Dealer checked out the car and they initially though it was a head gasket failure. After taking the engine head off, it turns out it was a 'structural defect' (verbatim words from the mechanic), which was a divot in the engine block. The head gasket was in great shape. Therefore, I needed a 'new' used engine (at $9K) instead of a head gasket replacement (at $4K). A search on the internet shows that forums (driveaccord.net, facebook groups) shows that many Honda Accord owners have similar head gasket failures. I contacted Honda USA and they said there's no recall so I won't get reimbursed.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2026
“When picking up speed, the steering wheel is difficult to turn. And not working line keep Assistance. U0416 code in ecu (eps). No any errors on dashboard.”Owner report · Lane Departure · Dec 2024
“The Collision Avoidance system activated twice for no reason. Inspection is available. I and my passenger were jerked by the rapid stop & could have been rear ended if anyone was behind me. The second event was in an intersection when I and the driver behind me were driving slowly. if the car behind wasn't alert, he or she could have collided with me. No one was travelling in front of me and yet the brake suddenly engaged. The dealership rep. did not confirm the problem after driving it 5 minutes. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms before the brake engaged in both instances.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Aug 2024
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“The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jun 2024
“At speeds between 50mph a howling noise begins and gets louder as the speed increases to 55mph. The howling noise is quite loud. It stops after you get above 55pmh or you open a window. The dealer said he was not aware of this problem.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2024
“Overnight while parked in the garage, the front windshield became cracked without signs of impact. The next night before I had even had the chance to bring it in for a scheduled inspection at the dealership, the crack spidered out to cover almost 15-20% of the windshield. When I took it into for inspection at the dealership, they also mentioned that it looked like there was no impact and the crack was internal to the glass. They agreed that it looked like the same situation as described in Honda TSB 20-118, but said that it could not be covered because it wasnt in the identified VIN range even though it looked like a similar situation described in the TSB.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Oct 2023
“On 2 incidents, I've had the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) issue driver warnings/alerts and automatically hit the brakes without warning when there are no obstacles in front of the vehicle and it has not deviated from its lane. Both incidents occurred during highway speeds. 1 incident was in a construction area where the car entered a steep decline and then rise as the construction was part of lane resurfacing. The 2nd incident was while driving over an overpass (not sure, but possibly a steep incline).”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jun 2022
“This seems to carry over from problems with prior year models. I can be on the highway with no vehicle in front of me and the brakes apply by themselves (foot not even near the brake pedal). It is a brief braking, but it can be dangerous when someone decides to ride on my tail. I notice it does happen when I'm going around a curve and a railing next to me on the outside of the curve is near the lane. It also happens at times when a vehicle is in the next lane (right or left) and slightly ahead of me, even on a straight-a-way. It has happened multiple times. Date below is just the latest. I approximate my speed at 65MPH and my car low mileage.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Feb 2022
“I have had two (2) separate incidents of the automatic emergency braking system engaging suddenly & without reason as I was driving. Once on a residential street & the second on the freeway at approx. 65 mph. The AEBS released very quickly each time, but is a highly and potentially dangerous thing to happen. There are numerous reports & complaints about this in the 2016-2019 Honda Accords, but it is now happening in the 2020 year cars.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Feb 2022
“I was on the Freeway ramp from I11N to I215 in Henderson, NV. I tapped off the interactive cruise control because my exit was Gibson - immediately after the ramp. Within a few seconds, the car braked heavily on its own, no dash warnings, and almost caused me to get rear ended. I pushed on the brake and then the gas and it stopped the car from braking on its own.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Aug 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
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.
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. Honda's number for this recall is X95.
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.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the power converter unit (PCU) software, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners can contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is K9E.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Accord Hybrid years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Accord Hybrid by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid reliable?
NHTSA has 39 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid. The most complained-about area is electrical system (27% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 5,000 miles or less.
Does the 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.