The Lane Check

Cars › Honda › Accord › 2020

2020 Honda Accord problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
35%
113 of 321 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 1,790 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 October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2020 Honda Accord have engine problems?

More than most. The pattern is elevated rather than severe. 113 of 321 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Honda Accord concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (35%), and the largest group is filed under engine (72). For comparison, the 2019 scores 42% and the 2021 scores 25%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
113
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
362
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
14 crashes · 11 injuries

Complaints by component

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE103 · 28%
ENGINE72 · 20%
SERVICE BRAKES57 · 16%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM51 · 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM51 · 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER42 · 12%

The years either side

2010
41%
201 of 640
2011
29%
55 of 311
2012
26%
81 of 380
2013
22%
296 of 1,433
2014
27%
252 of 981
2015
28%
161 of 601
2016
21%
98 of 607
2017
27%
131 of 537
2018
44%
789 of 1,884
2019
42%
270 of 691
2020
35%
113 of 362
2021
25%
54 of 234
2022
18%
44 of 252
2023
20%
16 of 86

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

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2020 Honda Accord

What one owner reported

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM09/24/2026
The high-pressure and low pressure fuel pump went out on the car and needed to be fixed. There is an open recall on 2020 Honda Accord however my VIN number is not a part of the recall and I think it should be as I have had to fix my low pressure and high high-pressure fuel pump before 100,000 miles.

One of 113 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Honda Accord?

Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2020 Honda Accord involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 5 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump23V858000 · Dec 2023

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.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.…

fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump21V215000 · Mar 2021

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 Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an…

3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger26V332000 · May 2026
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,…
air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger24V064000 · Feb 2024
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…
electrical system: body control module: software20V771000 · Dec 2020
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2020 Honda Accord? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2020 Honda Accord

Does the 2020 Honda Accord have engine problems?

More than most; the pattern is elevated rather than severe. 113 of 321 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Honda Accord concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (35%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Honda Accord?

Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2020 Honda Accord involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 5 in total: 23V858000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump), 21V215000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Honda Accord years are better?

Among the Honda Accord years we track, the 2022 (18%), the 2023 (20%) and the 2016 (21%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2020 (35%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2020 Honda Accord?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2020 Honda Accord has an elevated engine complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing engine work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the engine. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

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.