What 340 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Honda Accord Plug In Hybrid

While driving, my vehicle experienced a sudden engine malfunction consistent with a failed head gasket. The engine began misfiring, shaking, and losing power, and the check engine light began flashing. The vehicle became unsafe to operate. The failed component is the engine head gasket, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The sudden loss of engine performance created a serious safety concern. I was driving on a public roadway when the engine began misfiring and losing power, making it difficult to safely maintain speed and operate the vehicle. A sudden loss of power while driving increases the risk of being rear-ended or becoming involved in a collision, particularly in traffic, while merging, or at highway speeds. The vehicle was inspected and diagnosed by an authorized Honda dealership, which confirmed the head gasket failure. I also spoke with independent mechanics who were immediately familiar with this type of failure on Honda's 1.5L turbocharged engines. Although Honda diagnosed the problem, my request for goodwill assistance was denied because the vehicle was outside the warranty period. The vehicle has been inspected by Honda and is available for further inspection if requested. It has not been inspected by law enforcement or my insurance company because no accident occurred. As the condition progressed, the engine developed a rough idle and intermittent misfires. Eventually, the check engine light began flashing, and the engine began shaking and losing power while I was driving. These warning signs escalated into a condition that I believe presented a significant safety risk. I am submitting this complaint because an engine that suddenly loses power while being driven poses a serious safety hazard to both the driver and others on the road. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate whether this represents a recurring safety-related issue affecting Honda vehicles equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine.

NHTSA ODI 11751444

Blown Head Gasket. This caused major cost in repairs and going without a vehicle, This was a known failure issue with Honda 2020 Accord Sport. I have requested a "goodwill claim" with my nearest Honda dealer and not have gotten a phone call nor email. I have all my repair documents and a well maintenance log on my vehicle. With this being a known issue, it should be covered in the lifetime warranty that I received from the dealership when purchased but it excluded seals and gaskets on my paperwork.

NHTSA ODI 11750771

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the failure was a recurring failure. The local dealer was aware of the failure and diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

NHTSA ODI 11744964

2018 - 2022 models of the Honda Accord Sport are known to have a issue with the Head Gasket overheating and cracking causing cylinder miss fires and engine issue. Honda has refused to acknowledge the issue as a recall and my car recently suffered the same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11742417

I turned my car on and about 10 warning lights came on the car- drove it straight to the dealer where they told me the head gasket was leaking into cylinder 3 gave me an estimate of over 5k. Every mechanic I have called has told me how unusual it is for a car not very old and not over heating to have a blown gasket head. I was looking online and have seen how common the blown gasket head was on Honda accord models 1.5 from 2018-2022. There is nothing in the car no over heating no damage though could have cause it to leak unless it wasn’t properly installed which seeing how common it is might be the case. And how unusual it is according to many mechanics. The car has 115000 miles but has never had an issue and I wasn’t driving or anything when the warning lights came on

NHTSA ODI 11741134

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that upon intermittent starts of the vehicle, several, various warning messages would appear on the instrument panel. Warning messages such as tire pressure monitor, brake system problem, brake hose system,etc would all appear on the instrument panel and would remain on the instrument panel until the system would be cleared by the dealer. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on multiple occasions to address the failure; however, the dealer could not diagnose the failure. The vehicle was then taken to Honda Of Tomball(22727 Tomball Pkwy, Tomball, TX 77375) where they diagnosed the vehicle with a defective head gasket. The contact refuted the diagnostic and took the vehicle back to the original dealer where they agreed with the contact that there was not an issue with the head gasket. The contact stated that both the battery, coil pack and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure would return within weeks after repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11740820

I am writing to formally report a severe safety incident caused by a sudden head gasket failure in my vehicle. While driving on a busy highway, the car abruptly entered "limp mode" and stopped accelerating altogether, putting my family’s safety at immediate risk. Simultaneously, all dashboard warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Honda dealership, where technicians confirmed that the sole mechanical issue is a failed head gasket. The vehicle is currently available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11740963

Engine began running rough and warning lights came on the dash indicating multiple issues and the engine light. Brought it to Honda and the tech diagnosed a head gasket failure. Honda recommended a head gasket repair. Car only has 137,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11740692

I take my car for updates (Recall) and now i am being told that the head gasket is blown and damaged the injectors The powertrain might pay for the blown head gasket but not the injectors (which were damaged due to the head gasket blowing) no coolant but the car never ran hot. Honda is trying to stick to me to pay out almost $7000.00 which is wrong when it went to them for a recall

NHTSA ODI 11739213

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The suspected failed components involve the 1.5L engine system and head gasket on my 2020 Honda Accord. The vehicle experienced frequent overheating along with repeated check engine light activation. Multiple mechanics, including Heritage Honda Parkville, indicated that head gasket failure is a common issue with this engine type. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was put at risk due to the vehicle frequently overheating while driving. An overheating engine can lead to sudden vehicle breakdown, engine failure, loss of power, or being stranded unexpectedly in traffic or unsafe locations. The recurring check engine light and unresolved engine concerns created uncertainty regarding the reliability and safe operation of the vehicle during daily commuting and long-distance travel. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The concern was initially discussed by technician [XXX] at Heritage Honda Parkville during my service visit on March 19, 2026. The technician advised that the “most common issue” with these engines along with my vehicle is head gasket failure. Additionally, multiple independent reputable mechanics later echoed the same concern, stating they have seen numerous Honda Accord vehicles with the 1.5L turbo engine require head gasket replacement and, in many cases, full engine replacement. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle was inspected by Heritage Honda Parkville service personnel and has also been evaluated by multiple independent mechanics. The issue has additionally been reported to American Honda Corporate under Case Number XXX. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11737342

All lights on dash are on. Problem with running hot, oil is milky looking misfires, vibration is terrible. Cuts off and will not go over 5 mph sometimes.

NHTSA ODI 11736045

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The turbo charger and the fuel pump How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Both instances I was driving and car automatically started to decelerate while I was on the busy interstate. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes by a dealer Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No but Honda has been notified because there is currently a recall out for these issues that includes my year of vehicle but not my vin. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes every system in the vehicle stated it was failing and engine light came on.

NHTSA ODI 11723444

Car just started jerking and eventually stopped. I had it checked and was told the turbo was gone. Took it to Honda they said the head gaskets are blown. The car is 5 1/2 years old and it not one time ever ran hot. I’m not the only one with this issue. Honda needs to do something to fix this. Every car that goes to service has this issue something is definitely not right

NHTSA ODI 11722625

All the lights on the dashboard went off when there was not any previously. With that issue the gas pedal was struggling to go over 20 mph, it was jolting when gas pedal is used.

NHTSA ODI 11719782

My car shut off on the road. I tried to accelerate but all my lights on the dashboard came on. I wasn’t able to accelerate more than 20mph. I was about to make it back home. Today I tried to take it out on a test drive, it’s drivable but I was not able to accelerate. Every time I pressed the gas, my car would stall. This is the 4th time it happened.

NHTSA ODI 11712673

Honda accords have a 1.5 L engine, which all have an issue with the head gaskets either overheating or mixing coolant into the cylinders. They’re all doing it eventually because there is a design flaw Honda doesn’t want to honor it and the car will just stop on you on the freeway because coolant touches the spark plugs. Honda is denying the issue when there’s a whole Facebook page and Internet, page of people saying the same thing they’re quoting and unreasonable amount to fix it almost the cost of the car. It is a very dangerous safety issue and eventually someone could die and needs to make a recall immediately before that happens. Most shops don’t even want to touch the car because it’s a safety issue. If we can get this past ASAP for anybody who has that car or anybody that’s gonna buy that car the safety for them in their family.

NHTSA ODI 11711345

I have constantly had to replace spark plugs within the last year — all lights are on dashboard. Finally took it and got a P0372 code, rough idling and misfiring, and stalling. Car once cut off on me while driving. Took it to the Honda dealership and it is indeed my fuel injectors and gasket. I have tried to get in touch about a possible recall but the Honda Manufacturer are failing to release a recall. With all lights on dashboard, NO features of the car can be used (cruise control, road departure, lane keep assist, collision mitigation, hill start assist, traction control, brake hold, and tpms) I’m looking forward to a recall coming as soon as possible. I have done my research and thousands of people are having the SAME issue, it is frustrating especially with the cost of work having to be done. Nobody should have to purchase a new car because of a defect of the manufacturer or too lazy to investigate the issue. HONDA Salesmen and mechanics all say the same thing about the 1.5L Sports model. Over 3,400 worth of work due to a problem I did not cause.

NHTSA ODI 11710705

ENGINE,Coolant system VEHICLE WAS CUTTING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING SHAKING AND JERKING

NHTSA ODI 11709057

I would like to report a known issue with the Honda Accord Sport 1.5t. My head gasket went out Aug. 2024 with about 100,000 miles on the dashboard. The cost to change it was about 4100. My Turbo Charger is now out Dec. 2025, and they are quoting me about 2100 before taxes. The dealership did advise that there is a known issue with the head gasket going out prematurely due to a default with the engine. They also advised that the turbo charger normally goes out after the head gasket is replaced. Please work on having the engine recalled. This is awful. After researching this issue, I see thousands of others are having the same issue. Best regards, Yvette J.

NHTSA ODI 11706636

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND DE-CELLERATE, EVENTUALLY STOPPING. AFTER LEAVING IT OVERNIGHT, I RETURNED AND THE CAR STARTED. I SLOWLY DROVE IT TO A DEALERSHIP WITHIN 3 MILES. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THEY DID FIND A "LABOR DIAG FOUND IN HISTORY CODE P0304" .

NHTSA ODI 11705033

I had just left my job in Albany and was headed to the Latham area, while merging into traffic on I-90 West my 2020 Honda Accord EX-L started to rattle and slow down, numerous lights illuminated simultaneously on my dashboard. I immediately pulled off the north shoulder and restarted my vehicle to no avail, the dashboard lights were still lit and my vehicles speed and steering were compromised. My safety was put at risk due to the immediate issues as previously described while in heavy traffic, I could have easily been involved in an accident due this issue. The system Keeler Honda advised me that had failed was allegedly the head gasket leaking coolant into the engine by means of cylinder four. I was later informed by Keeler that this is a common issue with the accord 1.5 L turbo engines. The problem has been verified by Keeler Honda. There was no prior warning light on my dash that would have indicated there was an issue with my vehicle, the lights only all appeared once the incident had occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11703916

Blown head gasket at 98.5K miles.

NHTSA ODI 11700009

The car when pressing the accelerator will decelerate and go limp and won’t move. This is happening to a lot of Honda accords. This will cause an serious accident.

NHTSA ODI 11695521

Was driving on the freeway approximately 70 mph on saturday October 4th, When car goes into limp mode and throws a engine light on, leaving me stranded on the freeway. Another occurrence one week later on Saturday October 11th when car went into limp mode again driving around 35 mph in the city. Both cases I turned the car off and on and returned back to normal, come to find out with the dealer it is a blown head gasket and their is coolant leaking into cylinder 3. A BLOWN HEADGASKET!!!!! Everyone is having these problems

NHTSA ODI 11693208

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that the vehicle was vibrating and jerking while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact was able to pull over when the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle was sputtering and vibrating as if the vehicle was going to stall. The contact pumped the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to exceed 15 MPH. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

NHTSA ODI 11690720