2020 Honda Accord Reliability Report

Phantom braking dominates here too. The car brakes on its own with no obstacle, usually with the BRAKE warning lit, at speeds from 40 to 60 mph, sometimes several times a week. In one crash the car stopped hard for a steel road plate and was rear-ended. A second pattern is premature rear brake wear, with one car nearly needing rear brakes at 2,600 miles and another on its third set of rear pads by 79,000. Some new cars shake when stopping from 50 mph. One injury crash involved total brake failure under 8,000 miles.

Head gasket failure on the 1.5-liter turbo is the main pattern. Coolant leaks into the cylinders, causing misfires, shaking, limp mode, every dash warning at once, and sudden power loss at highway speed. Several reports place it around 100,000 to 113,000 miles. Owners often replace spark plugs and coils first with no fix. Repair quotes run from about $4100 to 7k, and one report adds a turbo failure after the gasket job. Some stalls leave no stored codes. A few low-mileage cars also report air conditioning refrigerant leaks.

The Supplemental Restraint System warning comes and goes, often traced to the front passenger weight sensor or the passenger airbag on/off indicator. Out of warranty, one fix cost almost $500. Many complaints concern recall 24V064000, where dealers report repair parts backordered for long periods. Some owners say the passenger airbag does not switch on reliably with heavier children or adults in the seat. Two crash reports stand out: airbags deploying unprompted at 40 mph with serious injuries, and a driver airbag that did not deploy in a deer collision.

The wheel sticks near center at highway speeds, usually after 30 minutes or more of driving once the car warms up. Drivers must push harder to turn it, and it then releases suddenly, causing overcorrection. Reports start as early as 9,000 miles. Dealers often cannot reproduce it, though one confirmed a failed steering rack. Complaints describe it getting worse over time and spreading to slower roads. Two crash reports involve the car pulling toward a curb or barrier.

Sudden loss of power at highway speed is the core complaint, with rough running, misfire codes, a check engine light, and the car unable to accelerate past a crawl. Replacing plugs, coils, and injectors often fails, and some owners trace it to the head gasket. CVT belt breakage causing transmission failure appears at 88,000 to 93,000 miles. One report describes the shifter slipping into neutral when brushed. A single crash report alleges unintended acceleration that killed a child passenger.

Paint failure is the clearest pattern. Clear coat peels on low-mileage cars, including along the roof line near the rear glass, and owners report paying out of pocket. Other complaints describe the trunk lid unlatching and opening on its own while parked, and a loud drone from the front driver side at about 55 mph. One crash report involves a parked car with the engine running rolling forward into a storefront. With only 6 complaints, no single failure dominates.

Very few complaints are filed here, and two describe the same rollaway incident in which a running car rolled backward into the street, causing an injury and a collision. The remaining reports cover a metal-on-metal grinding noise when braking, mostly in reverse or at low speed, which a dealer called a common problem. Another describes rattles from the dashboard, B-pillar, and roof on grooved or rough roads at 60 to 70 mph.