8.7

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
3,026 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2020 Honda Civic drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2020 Honda Civic Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #21

Jul 012021

Civic

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Clutch System/Transmission Failure 1st Occurrence: Driving on the highway one evening at 65 mph in July of 2021. The engine began revving and the clutch was no longer functional. The engine would rev and there was no ability for me to accelerate. The vehicle decelerated placing myself at risk of getting rear ended or side swiped by other vehicles on the highway until coming to an eventual stop on the side of the highway. The vehicle was no longer operational and was towed to the nearest Honda dealership which was John Eagle Honda. The inspection, service, and repair should be available for review at John Eagle Honda. 2nd Occurrence: May of 2023. As I was making a left turn, the clutch slipped significantly and the engine revved however, the clutch was still engaging but, acceleration was significantly hindered and increased the risk of getting into an accident as I was not able to pick up speed quick enough. The vehicle was serviced and repaired at David McDavid Honda of Irving in May of 2023. 3rd Occurrence: June of 2024. I was driving on the road when I noticed that the clutch was experiencing some slight slippage. Overall the vehicle was stable and it didn't cause much of an issue but, it was similar to what had happened previously. I still was not able to accelerate as I normally could. It still poses a risk of getting into an accident and hinders my ability to maneuver quickly if needed. The vehicle was service and repaired by David McDavid Honda. In either of these occurrences there was warning light indicators or other symptoms prior to the failures and slippage. John Eagle Honda of Dallas and David McDavid Honda of Irving are dealer centers. The vehicle was serviced by John Eagle 1 time and David McDavid Honda of Irving two times. In a span of 3 years. 3 clutch failures and the vehicle is under 43,000 miles. The dealers stated no recalls out on my vehicle and that everything is fine otherwise.

- Sachse, TX, USA

problem #20

Dec 192023

Civic

  • miles
TSB 22-017 failing clutch on all M/T civic 2020&2021. Failed on highway almost caused severe accident. Honda is refusing to repair/replace under warranty.

- Wesley Chapel, FL, USA

problem #19

Dec 152023

Civic

  • miles
Over the last few months, I noticed that the vehicle had poor acceleration when merging onto the highway. When I tried to accelerate, the RPMs shot up as the turbo kicked in, but the car did not move any faster. Previous to this, I had trouble getting the car into 1st while sitting still (50+ times). The final incident occurred during a short trip to a local store. The engine revved high and I couldn't get over 35MPH. Upon stopping, there was a burning smell coming from the car. I was able to drive it a short distance to a local transmission shop which diagnosed clutch failure. I purchased the car new from a Honda dealer in 2020 and am the only person to drive the car. There are only 70k miles on the car and everyone that I've talked to was surprised that it went out so soon. I don't abuse the clutch (never burned one out before even while living in the mountains). I see that I'm not the only one who has had this issue. Honda should issue a recall and reimburse the owners affected by this defect.

- Doylestown, PA, USA

problem #18

Jun 062023

Civic

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car has a problem where the clutch prematurely wears out and the cars acceleration cuts out. this happens at different RPM ranges and in all gears. it is very unpredictable. Several others have had to repair their drivetrains and honda claims its due to a production issue with the clutch. they have a dealer service bulletin for this issue however Honda needs to recall the part since this problem doesn't come on gradually. it is a sudden loss of a connection in the drivetrain which has caused several issues merging on the highway.

- Ewa Beach, HI, USA

problem #17

Jun 122023

Civic

  • miles
Bought my 2020 Honda Civic si at 48 k miles. Noticed mild clutch slip and vibration on the shift knob. Dealership states I don't know how to drive manual transmission. I've driven manual transmission for 18 years. I'm not stupid. Dealership states it's wear and tear and not part of the warranty. My window motor auto feature does not work. Bluetooth connectivity issues. Collision braking system activated with no vehicle in front of me while I was going 40 miles an hour. Could have been rear ended. I'm at 50k miles not a good buy and bad service from the dealership. Mossy Honda lemon grove

- National City, CA, USA

problem #16

Mar 292023

Civic

  • miles
On March 29, 2023 around 6:30PM on my way home from work, my car stopped me in the middle of I-78. The engine just kept revving when i push the accelerator but won't move forward. I was able to safely pull over to the side. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem noted prior to the failure. The following day (March 30, 2023), I dropped off my car to Planet Honda at 2285 US-22, Union, NJ 07083. Tel #'s: (866)226-2469; (609)236-2393. Then, I was informed that the transmission is broken or cannot be fixed, and a new transmission (Part #: 06200-5DJ-040-RM) were ordered and was told that it is covered by warranty. It's been 67 days now (2 months and 6 days) that Honda Corporate cannot give me the timeframe when will my car be repaired after numerous conversations from calls, and texts. My Case Number Honda Corporate Customer Service gave me is: 13736133.

- Springfield, NJ, USA

problem #15

May 012022

Civic

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased a brand new 2020 Honda Civic SI in April 2020. Around 24,000 miles, the clutch started slipping. I took the vehicle into a Honda dealership where I purchased the vehicle and was informed the clutch assembly failed and the cost of the repair was $4,400. The dealership told me it was due to abuse of the clutch and clutches are considered wear and tear items so I would be responsible for the entire repair. I have owned 10 manual transmission vehicles prior to this Civic and I have never burned out a clutch--I was able to get more than 125,000 miles from one of my cars before the clutch had to be replaced. There are 15 complaints on this site regarding clutches wearing out on 2020 Honda Civics so could this be a problem on Honda's end. I placed several calls to American Honda customer service and their response is always the same, they don't see a problem with their clutches so they are not going to reimburse me for the repair. After many calls to the dealer, they finally agreed to cover 50% of the repair so ended up paying around $2,300.

- Plymouth, MN, USA

problem #14

Oct 152022

Civic

  • miles
Manual transmission slipping when Turbo kicks in and you are unable to accelerate. We are contacting dealer tomorrow as they are closed. No warning lights on Just started happening.

- Fayetteville, PA, USA

problem #13

Jul 162022

Civic

  • miles
2nd incident of clutch failure within a year and both almost caused a serious accident.

- Brandon , FL, USA

problem #12

Mar 012022

Civic

  • miles
With my car just reached over 19k miles the clutch started slipping when driving on highway, problem continued to become more noticeable overtime. Many drivers with the same car have experienced the same issue with clutch slipping.

- Lauderhill, FL, USA

problem #11

Mar 262022

Civic

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Clutch went out at 25k miles - never stalled this car. Have several manual transmission Hondas no problems except this one. Lost engine power and had to pull over on the highway. manufacturer error causing pre mature burnt clutch. This should not be happening. Honda will not take responsibility

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #10

Mar 022021

Civic

  • 4,950 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic equipped with a manual transmission. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and was also shaking. Additionally, the clutch pedal was going to the floorboard. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull off to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to move while depressing the clutch pedal. The contact smelled a burning odor coming from the clutch. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the manual clutch had burned out and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer - Moss Bros. Honda (27990 Eucalyptus Ave, Moreno Valley, CA 92555) where it was diagnosed that the clutch pedal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a transmission specialist who took the transmission apart and provided the same diagnostic. The contact stated that the clutch pedal was replaced; however, the failure persisted and the transmission continuously independently jumped out of gear while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the transmission specialist where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken back to the first dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle stalled while driving. The vehicle was towed to the first dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V215000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 4,950.

- Yucaipa, CA, USA

problem #9

Oct 202020

Civic

  • 8,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, he heard an abnormal buzzing and grinding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer several times, but the dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to Curry Honda Chicopee (767 Memorial Dr, Chicopee, MA 01020) who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that the abnormal sound was coming from the transmission at the main shaft bearing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.

- Chicopee, MA, USA

problem #8

Jun 292021

Civic

  • miles
We purchased our 2020 Honda Civic Si on Jan 16, 2021 with 20 miles on the car. On June 29, 2021 while driving the car it failed to shift into 2nd/3rd. It stopped shifting altogether and we pulled off to see if stopping and starting may fix the issue. Apparently the clutch had blown out as the car wouldn-??t even start. We had it towed up to Honda Dealership we purchased it from. They claim that the clutch -??exploded-?? and wouldn-??t cover it under warranty even though we have a power train warranty (and even an extended warranty). A clutch should not -??explode-?? after less than 6,000 miles on a car. We drove in normal driving conditions. Online we see this issue repeated around.

- Cape Coral, FL, USA

problem #7

Feb 012021

Civic

  • miles
Driving on the freeway was downshifting from 6th gear to 5th gear and the shifter locked up snd i could not shift into any gears except neutral. At a high speed i had to coast to the shoulder of the freeway. Luckily i was near an exit. Once i was stopped i tried to turn off and turn the car back on but i still was unable to shift the car into any gear

- Ventura, CA, USA

problem #6

Oct 012020

Civic

  • miles
The clutch in my 2020 Honda Civic si started slipping at 8k miles. Please look into defects related to clutch/flywheel/CMC/transmission

- Chicopee , MA, USA

problem #5

May 022021

Civic

  • 8,400 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the manual clutch failed to allow the vehicle to shift above 2nd gear while entering the highway. The contact revved the engine however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to thousand oaks Honda (3925 auto mall dr, thousand oaks, ca 91362, (805) 601-7301) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the flywheel inside the clutch was damaged however, the part for the repair was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a cause. The contact was informed that the failure was caused by abusing the clutch. No further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 8,400.

- Agoura Hills, CA, USA

problem #4

Apr 042021

Civic

  • 26,000 miles
This 2020 Honda Civic si has been nothing but trouble. From the start I had the windshield crack on me from what Honda said was a tiny chip. I went in to work with my windshield seemingly fine only to come out to a spider web split all the way across the windshield. Honda would not cover citing it to be just an 'accident' and I would have to get it fixed. The windshield absolutely had to be replaced with factory oem glass due to safety features which was on back order so I was forced to drive around with a broken windshield for close to 2 months. Company that installed glass said this is becoming more 'normal' so to say as the glass they are using is paper thin in his words. On top of that from day one of owning the car it has the 'safety' feature of lane keep assist and this feature will literally pick up heavy shadows on the road from power lines and try to correct you as if you are driving out of a lane! countless times I have had to hurry and over ride the assistance just to keep it from making me run off the road! Honda severely needs to look into this on top of their unsafe thin windshields which crack from the tiniest of pebbles hitting them. Also, I just had to replace the clutch and components in this vehicle after just 20K miles and less than a year of owning the vehicle. Honda offered nothing but a one time good will assist in paying for partial labor and parts. This started happening after a normal drive to work one day while going up a hill the clutch started slipping. Made an appointment and took the car in and was told to put another 100 miles on the car and bring back to them although they said they found a transmission leak and needed to find the source. This was certainly very unsafe as while doing those 100 miles the clutch completely burnt out and I was left stranded on the side of the highway and I was put in a dangerous situation.

- North Canton, OH, USA

problem #3

Apr 222021

Civic

  • 9,200 miles
Has not been taken in yet. However this is the second time I experienced this... driving home from work at 7am in nys, down shifted from 6th to 2nd gears in reverse sequential order to use engine braking. Noticed as I was getting off the exit ramp of the highway, that my car would shoot up to 6K RPM to barely go 20 mph... this clutch is a huge problem for all Civic si they put them in. Three years ago had the same issue with my 2017 Civic si. Was told that it was a wear item and would not be covered under warranty...

- Yonkers, NY, USA

problem #2

Aug 302020

Civic

  • 4,500 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle failed to shift from second gear into third gear. The contact stated the vehicle began to decelerate and was shifted to neutral until he was able to park on the side of the road. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to Honda of annapolis located at 1736 West St, annapolis, md 21401, (443) 569-3477, and was informed the vehicle had experienced clutch and transmission issues. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was informed of failure. The failure mileage was 4,500.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

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