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2020 Honda Civic brakes problems

17 complaints (7% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 20,000. 6 crashes reported.

owner complaints
17
of this car's complaints
7%
typical mileage
20,000
crashes
6
recalls
1

Which part fails

  • Conventional
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Honda Civic brakes problems in other years

19901995200020052010201520202026

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinderReported June 29, 2023 · 124,077 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Risk
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.

Recall number 23V458000 · Recall details

What 2020 Honda Civic owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed May 30, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · MA

My automatic Breaks that prevents me from rear ending a car keeps engaging when I am a few car lengths from another vehicle. It’s happened once yesterday and once today. Both times in heavy traffic areas. I’ve had the car for two years and this is the first time this has happened. Thankfully no one was following close behind because they may have hit me. I’m afraid this is going to happen one day when someone is too close and I’m going to get rear ended. It’s really scary and dangerous. I’m scared to drive my car.

Filed May 10, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · MD

Very frequently, the brake alert system comes on while on the highway causing my vehicle to engage the braking system. This happens whether or not there is a vehicle in front of me.

Filed Jan 16, 2025 · Brakes · SC

I believe my car is affected by this recall and although it isn't showing up by my vin number, I am experiencing braking issues that cause the pedal to bounce while braking and it is getting worse by the day. the federal safety agency RECALL NUMBER:23V‑458 MFR CAMPAIGN ID:VEU CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION:2020-21 Civic Master Cylinder Mounting Inspection Safety Recall RECALL DATE:06/29/2023 RECALL STATUS:17 Character VIN Required SUMMARY: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2020-21 model year Civic vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been improperly fastened to the brake booster assembly during production, resulting in loose or missing tie rod nuts. During application of the brake pedal, the tie rod studs may break, leading to the brake master cylinder separating from the brake booster assembly and a failure to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 135 - Light vehicle brake systems.

Filed Aug 7, 2024 · Brakes, Electrical · NC · crash

I turn my car on To go to work realized I didn’t have my phone. Car was in park. I hadn’t touch the gearshift at all I get out of the car. Approximate 20 seconds after I walk away from the car, my home security camera shows the car creeping extremely slowly backwards up into my driveway going up across the crown of the road… across the street and falls into a 10 foot deep ditch. I am 100% certain that Car was in Park… There were no sounds when I open the door to alert me that it would be anything other than park.. The back up camera was not engaged, so it was definitely not in Reverse… When the tow truck pulled it out of the ditch, it was Still running It had stopped vertically before it hit the bottom of the ditch, and rear tire got stuck in muddy water…. There were no ruts from tire, spinning from the front end at all in the ditch or the grass above the ditch… There is a recall of some 2020 civics for brake failure, parking brake failure…. I strongly believe my car needs to be part of this recall, because obviously something is wrong… My road is 55 mph and a car had to stop to avoid hitting my car… I have video from my home camera That shows a clear delay between when I get out of my car and shut the door and the car starts crawling. I tested it after he pulled it out of the ditch just to see if I had it in reverse from the same exact spot wouldn’t move and it immediately moved so I’m certain something is wrong… Right now the body shop can’t even duplicated can’t even get it to get caught between Park and reverse. Please investigate And this could’ve easily been a fatality. I need to send more photos and videos, but it won’t allow me to do it but there’s definitely more for me to send If someone can give me an email

Filed Jun 21, 2024 · Brakes, Electrical · 51,815 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The contact was concerned that the parking brake had engaged without driver input. The contact stated that after closing the windows, turning off the vehicle, and exiting the vehicle, she noticed that the windows and sunroof had opened independently upon her return. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 51,815.

Filed Apr 29, 2024 · Brakes, Steering · CA

my car has been grinding ever since I purchased the car. The vehicle only had 17,000 miles when I bought it. I took it to Honda of Hollywood and let them know that my car was grinding and they said that I needed to change my brakes. I changed my brakes and went back to the dealership and they said I needed to sand the rotors. I went to get my rotors repaired and my car was still grinding. I went back to the dealership and they said nothing was wrong with the car. I don't hear any other Honda grinding like my car. On the freeway my car is rattling. The tires in the back of my car move around they are not straight. I looked under my car and noticed that the wheel bearing is broken. I don't think the dealership should be putting my life in jeopardy like that when my car was under warranty when I reported the issue.i need help.

Filed Dec 22, 2023 · Brakes, Driver assistance · NC

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.

Filed Oct 23, 2023 · Brakes · 25,000 miles · KY · crash

The contact owned a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was on cruise control, and the vehicle slowed down as if the contact had depressed the brake pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated or warning chime sounded. The contact crashed into a truck and bounced off the side of the truck and the vehicle hit the highway divider at the front end of her vehicle and came to a stop. The contact stated that only one side air bag had been deployed. The contact stated that the police and emergency services arrived but she did not seek medical treatment. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later declared a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V458000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Filed Aug 1, 2023 · Brakes · 53,049 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2022 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the contact heard an abnormal clicking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 53,049.

Filed Jul 25, 2023 · Brakes, Wheels · AZ

I mainly am reaching out due to my brakes making a very loud creaking noise when breaking. I wanted to see if there were any recalls for brakes on my car so I could have the dealership fix it for free. The car is fairly new and I don’t think the brakes would sound like a old wood bridge creaking when I brake. Please let me know if there are any recalls on this vehicle related tot he issue. Thank you for you time and consideration to this message.

Questions about the 2020 Honda Civic brakes

Does the 2020 Honda Civic have brakes problems?

Owners have filed 17 complaints about the brakes of the 2020 Honda Civic, 7% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2020 Honda Civic brakes problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 20,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2020 Honda Civic brakes?

Yes, 1 recall: 23V458000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Honda Civic have bad brakes?

The Honda Civic model years with the most brakes complaints are 2016 (96 complaints), 2010 (90 complaints) and 2006 (62 complaints).

Is there a class action lawsuit over the Honda Civic?

Yes. Class action says Honda and Acura keyless entry makes cars easy to steal and asks for theft protection (November 12, 2026).

Other 2020 Honda Civic problems

Electrical 39Transmission 33Steering 32Fuel system 31Airbags 29Driver assistance 27Visibility 15Engine 13Wheels 7Body 6Suspension 6Acceleration 5Lights 4Seat belts 2Seats 2Tires 2Locks 1

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