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2020 Honda Accord: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
35%
110 of 315 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

35% of relevant owner complaints on the 2020 Honda Accord are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 62% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 41 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 31%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
110
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
356
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
14 crashes · 11 injuries

Complaints by component

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE101 · 28%
ENGINE70 · 20%
SERVICE BRAKES55 · 15%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM51 · 14%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM50 · 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER41 · 12%

The years either side

2010
41%
201 of 640
2011
29%
55 of 311
2012
26%
81 of 380
2013
22%
296 of 1,430
2014
27%
252 of 978
2015
28%
161 of 601
2016
22%
98 of 599
2017
27%
131 of 534
2018
44%
782 of 1,869
2019
41%
264 of 682
2020
35%
110 of 356
2021
25%
52 of 228
2022
19%
44 of 241
2023
20%
16 of 85

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize sedans with no elevated signal

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

STEERING,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE08/25/2026
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the messages "Emissions System Failure," "Electric Power Steering Failure," "Hill Start Assistant Failure," "Collision Mitigation," "Collision Road Departure," "TPMS Failure," "Brake System Failure”, “Bra…
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM08/20/2026
On July 9-11, 2026, an authorized Honda dealership performed Honda Safety Recall 24-040 involving the fuel pump motor and Honda campaign 21-076 involving replacement of the fuel tank. Approximately five days and 371 miles after the fuel tank replacement, the gasoline pump nozzle became stuck in the fuel filler pipe whi…
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM08/17/2026
The fueling system is/has failed. The car randomly stops accelerating while on the highway. Yes, it's available for inspections. The car has stopped accelerating while I was on I95, causing others to have slammed on breaks & swerved to avoid hitting me. Yes. Not yet. No, they only appeared after the failure cause the …

Three of 110 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (5)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
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 c…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accor…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
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, Acu…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2020 Honda Accord

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.