2020 Honda Civic: What to check before buying

Cars power up into accessory mode on their own while parked and locked, set off the alarm, and drain the battery. Owners and dealers point to a failing body control module. Other reports describe stalling or no-restart events, a gauge display going dark at highway speed, and audio crackling that freezes the backup camera. Several complaints filed here are really A/C refrigerant leaks at the evaporator or condenser, one near 49,000 miles. False automatic braking and an airbag that fired in a parking lot also appear, with 2 injuries reported.

Clutch failure on manual Civic Si cars dominates. The clutch slips under acceleration, usually in upper gears at highway speed, so the engine revs high while the car slows or won't go into first. Failures appear anywhere from under 6,000 to about 60K miles, with many around 24,000 to 40,000. Owners cite service bulletin 22-017, yet dealers often call it wear and tear and quote repairs up to $4,400. Separate reports describe a CVT torque converter seal leak and a transmission failure around 102K miles. One crash involved a car rolling away from park.

Most complaints concern recall 24V064000. Owners get the notice, but dealers report the parts are unavailable or backordered with no delivery date. Some say mailed notices claim parts are ready when dealers say they are not. Actual failures run both ways. In 3 crash-related reports, airbags did not deploy in serious impacts, one of them with a fire. Other airbags fired unexpectedly after hitting a manhole cover or a curb, or while driving at 20 mph. A failed passenger seat weight sensor can light the SRS warning and disable the passenger airbag.

Sticky steering is the clear pattern. After 10 to 20 minutes of driving, the wheel feels notchy and resists small corrections, then suddenly releases, so the car darts sideways and drivers overcorrect. It is worst at highway speeds and in rain, and no warning lights come on. Onset is often around 50,000 to 54,000 miles. Dealers have blamed wind or pointed to the electric power steering rack or steering gear box, which costs thousands to replace. Two crashes with 4 injuries involve the car failing to turn or jerking sharply right.

Two problems dominate. The automatic emergency braking slams on the brakes in roundabouts, in traffic, or near steel bridges with nothing close ahead, and some cars are slow to speed back up. In one crash, the car slowed on its own at 65 mph on cruise control. The electronic parking brake has also failed to hold, letting parked cars roll into a van and down a hill. Other complaints involve the master cylinder recall 23V458000, a bouncing brake pedal, and recall parts that are not available.

Cars roll away with the parking brake set. In 2 crash reports, a parked car rolled into a tree or a wall, one with a manual transmission at about 9,000 miles. A third report describes the car stopping abruptly at 55 mph, with the owner suspecting the parking brake engaged by itself, and the windows and sunroof opening on their own afterward. Dealers did not diagnose or repair these cars, and owners say the manufacturer offered no help.

Phantom braking is the core complaint. The collision mitigation system brakes hard with an empty road ahead, at speeds from 5 to 65 mph and once from 70 mph, raising rear-end risk. Some cars brake for vehicles turning out of the lane. Reports start as early as 7,000 miles. Dealers usually cannot reproduce the fault, and some owners now switch the system off every drive. Two owners were injured, one burned by spilled coffee. Another report describes a false radar-obstruction warning that shut off adaptive cruise and emergency braking.

Failing fuel pumps make cars lose power, stall in traffic, or refuse to restart for about an hour, often with no warning. One car dropped from 70 to 15 mph on the highway, and code P0087 shows up. A fuel pump recall exists, but many owners say their VIN is not included, so dealers will not supply parts. Owners covered by the recall report waits of six months or more because parts are unavailable, despite letters saying they are in stock.

Rear tires blow out or shed their tread at the seam, with only 2 complaints on file. One blowout at 75 mph sent the car across a median and caused a total loss. The other came on a car with under 25k miles, and the remaining tires on that car showed bubbles. Both owners blame the tires themselves, a Continental and a Goodyear, rather than the car.