Brakes and powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2020 Honda Accord continues many decades of this model on America’s roads. Stepping into the cabin is defined as getting “inside an icon” by the automaker. However, many customers are running away from the brand screaming because of the malfunctioning powertrain, defective service brakes and dangerous seat belts.
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The most important part of the powertrain is the transmission. Honda has been known for making durable parts, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
One Edmunds review states, “New 2020 Honda Accord Sport 1.5T – I purchased this vehicle from [dealership] 6 weeks ago. I have not made the first payment yet on this vehicle and according to the dealership, the transmission is defective and needs to be replaced. Not only does my vehicle have a defective transmission but the hood cover insulation had a major stain which leads me to believe that this vehicle was also leaking something from the engine. I do not feel safe in this vehicle nor will I risk my family’s safety on a car that has major defects such as a transmission failure. As a family we take many road trips and I don’t want to imagine what could have happened if our brand new car failed on us in the middle of the desert with no cellphone reception. I did my research online and I thought that it would be a great purchase since Honda has a reputation for reliability and this car in particular is supposed to be one of the best. I no longer want this car and I am requesting Honda to please refund this purchase.”
As of now, Honda doesn’t seem to talk about transmission defects. Instead, there is one communications, Service Bulletin #APaS07062020910, that only talks about fault codes related to the Body Control Module, but the automaker claims they must do further research. Considering the term “icon” literally means “thing worthy of veneration,” it seems impossible that the Accord should take on this title. Instead, customers would argue that the Accord is a nothing – big zero.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Steering | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Structure:body | |
| Vehicle Speed Control |
Stopping a vehicle should be priority number one with any car, but the Honda Accord seems to struggle with this system.
Another Edmunds review states, “Not enjoying my 2020. When apply brakes brake pedal an echo sound coming from the firewall of the vehicle. A thumping noise when letting up on brakes. I have to gently apply brakes so I won’t hear the thumbing too much. Again not enjoying my Honda Accord EX. I wish I could trade it now…taken the car back three occasions just to hear, from the service department that they hear the noise and the thumping, but there is nothing they can do about it. In other words live with it.”
In this case, Honda is willing to take a look at some complaints. Service Bulletin #APaS07062020911 states that many customers are talking about rear brake grinding. However, instead of fixing the problem, Honda wants to “better understand the cause of this condition.” What automaker doesn’t understand what causes brake grinding? Does there need to be training involved to figure out the problem? If so, maybe it’s time that Honda hires some technicians that actually understand these basic systems.
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Most vehicles don’t suffer from seat belt defects. After all, this component is a basic safety feature that has been around for decades. Maybe Honda is behind the times because customers have a lot to say.
An NHTSA complaint reads like this, “The driver’s seatbelt assembly generates an intermittent rattling noise, especially when going over road imperfections/bumps. This makes me question whether the seatbelt is going to work in case of an accident. The problem was noticed after two hours of purchase.”
This customer has every right to complain about the safety concerns. Yet, Honda isn’t addressing the structural-related worry. Instead, Service Bulletin #A20030B talks about another defect. It turns out that owners are dealing with broken fuel fill door clips, but instead of looking at the problem, Honda claims that the owners are attempting to pull open locked doors that are causing the trouble. For an “icon,” one would think that this model would be made to withstand an activity that all owners repeatedly do. Maybe Honda is attempting to get people to stop filling up and drive an EV instead.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Honda pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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