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BrakesPart report

2020 Honda Civic Brakes Problems

Complaints
17about this part
Share
7%of 234 total for the year
Median mileage
20,000miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 17 complaints about the brakes of the 2020 Honda Civic, 7% of the 234 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 20,000 miles. 6 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I had just parked my vehicle on a city street, turn the vehicle off. I applied the electrical emergency brake. Then my phone rang and I talked on my phone for about five minutes. I then got out of my vehicle grabbed my bag from the trunk and started walking towards my friends house. When my vehicles automatic door lockwas automated my car started to roll forward, it struck a van.”

NHTSA complaint #11364011, filed 2020-10, 2,000 miles

“The crash mitigation activated twice in two different situations almost causing me to get rear ended twice. The first time was when I was going through a roundabout, the car in front of me was a normal car length ahead as we both entered the circle. The car in front turned left and I was going straight through. At this time the car was out of my way and in the turn and suddenly my car slammed on the brakes almost to a complete stop. The car behind me also stopped abruptly and nearly rear ended me. …”

NHTSA complaint #11298079, filed 2020-01, 1,600 miles

“Rear electronic parking brake failed while in park. The vehicle had the parking brake engaged, and the vehicle rolled down a hill into trees, damaging the rear bumper and hatch. This parking brake issue was also documented on earlier Civic models from this generation.”

NHTSA complaint #11388484, filed 2021-01, 20,000 miles

“A lot of times the warning collision on dash will flash to “BRAKE” when going through caution lights usually around fire stations and also approaching steel bridges… I don’t know if it sees the steel deck and thinks it’s a car, but whenever I get in my car, I deactivate the automatic emergency braking system because I don’t want it to automatically brake for me like it’s done in the past.”

NHTSA complaint #11561439, filed 2023-12

“The automatic brake system comes on and brakes when there are no cars in front of me. Then when the automatic brakes come on, it is a delay in speeding back up. So my car has slammed on breaks, with people behind me and would not increase speed. I have almost been rear ended twice because of this feature.”

NHTSA complaint #11461119, filed 2022-04

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Brakes: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026516%
2025912%
202476%
2023145%
2022233%
20211812%
2020177%
2019327%
2018253%
2017386%
2016969%
2015154%
2014186%
20133912%
2012409%
20113320%
20109023%
20095113%
2008425%
2007434%
2006624%
2005165%
2004113%
2003347%
2002243%
2001474%
2000145%
1999185%
1998113%
1997236%
19966120%
1995137%
19941713%
1993128%
199277%
199187%
199067%
198934%
198725%
198626%
198517%
1984120%

Other parts of the 2020 Honda Civic

Other or unknown
38 complaintsElectrical system
37 complaintsSteering
32 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
32 complaintsFuel system
31 complaintsAir bags
29 complaintsForward collision avoidance
24 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
14 complaintsEngine
13 complaintsWheels
7 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsSuspension
6 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2020 Honda Civic

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology