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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2020 Honda Passport Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
6%of 105 total for the year
Median mileage
40,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2020 Honda Passport, 6% of the 105 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 40,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

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

“The auto idle stop failed to restart at a traffic light. This happened at a busy intersection in heavy traffic. The date given below is the most recent incident; it has happened twice now. Usually I try to remember to disable the idle stop feature, but this time I forgot, and it failed. The first time it happened was November 2024.”

NHTSA complaint #11675755, filed 2025-07

“The 9-speed transmission in my vehicle has been acting very strange after owning it since March 2026.These issues did not start until May 2026. When driving the vehicle at low speeds (under 30mph) the transmission is very jumpy and jerky. When you let off the gas the vehicle rocks back and forth and the rpms drop dramatically. It often feels like the transmission is skipping gears. I took my vehicle to the honda dealership to address the issue and they said there was nothing they could do to fix or look into my issue. …”

NHTSA complaint #11762858, filed 2026-09

“My 2020 Honda Passport (approximately 52,000 miles) has experienced recurring Auto Idle Stop/engine restart failures in May 2023, November 2024, and October 2026, despite multiple repairs by an authorized Honda dealership. The latest incident occurred in October 2026, immediately after a routine state inspection. While stopped with my foot on the brake, the dashboard unexpectedly displayed N (Neutral) and instructed me to remove my foot from the accelerator, although I was not accelerating. The electronic gear selector would not respond, requiring me to turn off the vehicle. …”

NHTSA complaint #11771608, filed 2026-10

“The engine lost power and shut down while driving on the highway. The vehicle has been at a Honda dealership since this date (so about 8 weeks now). It can be inspected but I am on the verge of replacing the engine at my cost. The loss of power resulted in putting the vehicle on the side of and icy highway at night and at risk of being hit or sideswiped. There was very little cell service which meant that a tow truck couldn't be called right away. There were no warning signs that the engine was experiencing trouble before this engine failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #11578026, filed 2024-03

“The contact owns a 2020 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission erroneously shifted to neural and suddenly the vehicle would not accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. During the failure, the shift indicator displayed that the transmission was in drive(D). The failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate or determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 40,000. The VIN was invalid.”

NHTSA complaint #11515971, filed 2023-04, 40,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202657%
2025715%
202415%
2023513%
20221117%
20212316%
202066%
2019259%
200229%
200164%
20001313%
19992611%
1998198%
1997814%
199625%
1995712%
199426%

Other parts of the 2020 Honda Passport

Forward collision avoidance
34 complaints
Electrical system
33 complaints
Engine
18 complaints
Other or unknown
11 complaints
Brakes
9 complaints
Lane departure
9 complaints
Fuel system
5 complaints
Air bags
3 complaints
Back-over prevention (rear camera)
3 complaints
Tires
3 complaints
Vehicle speed control
3 complaints
Exterior lighting
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2020 Honda Passport

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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