2009 Honda CIVIC problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
395 owner complaints analyzed
8 distinct recall campaigns
30,750 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 266 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 92 of 395 complaints (23.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 70 | 17.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 27 | 6.8% |
| Steering behavior | 14 | 3.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 8 | 2.0% |
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 1.0% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 0.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 92 |
| Structure:Body | 36 |
| Unknown Or Other | 36 |
| Electrical System | 30 |
| Engine | 27 |
| Tires | 25 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 |
| Service Brakes | 21 |
Air Bags: 92; Structure:Body: 36; Unknown Or Other: 36; Electrical System: 30; Engine: 27; Tires: 25; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 23; Service Brakes: 21
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 115 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 59 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 35 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 19 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 30 |
| 150,000 and above | 8 |
Under 25,000: 115; 25,000 to 49,999: 59; 50,000 to 74,999: 35; 75,000 to 99,999: 19; 100,000 to 149,999: 30; 150,000 and above: 8
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (115). 129 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 34 |
| 2010 | 63 |
| 2011 | 40 |
| 2012 | 26 |
| 2013 | 23 |
| 2014 | 23 |
| 2015 | 21 |
| 2016 | 52 |
| 2017 | 42 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 2 |
2008: 2; 2009: 34; 2010: 63; 2011: 40; 2012: 26; 2013: 23; 2014: 23; 2015: 21; 2016: 52; 2017: 42; 2018: 16; 2019: 18; 2020: 10; 2021: 2; 2022: 7; 2023: 6; 2024: 3; 2025: 5; 2026: 2
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 70 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 27 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10270142 · 2009-05-27 (May 27, 2009)
SUDDEN ACCELERATION SURGE, TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO COMPLETELY HOLD THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET. AT ONE POINT, AFTER PUTTING CAR INTO NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE REVVED TO 7000 RPM BEFORE OWNER COULD TURN CAR OFF. THE INITIAL SURGING RESULTED IN THE OWNER'S WIFE HITTING HER PASSENGER MIRROR AGAINST ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE ENGINE SURGED WHILE IN REVERSE. THERE WAS NO CATEGORY FOR THE VEHICLE ECU, WHICH IS QUITE SUSPECT AT THIS POINT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 8,003 miles reported. Look up ODI 10270142 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10282017 · 2009-08-27 (August 27, 2009)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 TO 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THERE WAS PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, FOLLOWED BY A SQUEALING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD VIOLENTLY. THE AGGRESSIVE FORCE CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO SECURE THE DRIVER EXTREMELY TIGHT. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY RESTRICTIONS; HOWEVER, THE IDENTICAL FAILURES OCCURRED TWO MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING ON AN INCLINE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUN…
Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10282017 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10260929 · 2009-03-06 (March 6, 2009)
MY 2009 HONDA CIVIC WILL OFTEN NOT START ON DAYS WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS IN TEMPERATURES BELOW 55 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE DOES START, IT STRUGGLES TO FIRE UP, AND THE IDLE IS ROUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE HONDA DEALERSHIP TESTED THE BATTERY AND STATED THAT IT WAS GOOD; THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE BATTERY ITSELF ALSO REVEALED THAT THE BATTERY IS FINE. I BELIEVE HONDA SUPPLIED BATTERIES WITH INSUFFICIENT COLD CRANKING AMPS. THIS PROBLEM ONLY MANIFESTS ITSELF IN "COLD" TEMPERATURES. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLA…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10260929 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10265902 · 2009-04-17 (April 17, 2009)
I PURCHASED MY BRAND NEW 2009 HONDA CIVIC EX LESS THAN 4 MONTHS AGO. FOR THE FIRST 2 MONTHS THE CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE THEN UNEXPECTEDLY THE BATTERY STARTED TO RANDOMLY DIE. THIS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN 2 DAYS WHICH PROMPTED ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR A SERVICE CHECK UP. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSIS ON THE BATTERY AND ON THE CHARGING SYSTEM. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO CHECK OUT OK SO FOR A TEMPORARY FIX THEY GAVE ME A NEW BATTERY. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN, THE BATTERY RANDOMLY DIED. I TOOK THE CAR …
Owner-reported narrative. 2,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10265902 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10311881 · 2010-02-18 (February 18, 2010)
MY 2009 HONDA CIVIC IS A DANGEROUS CAR TO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER POINTING OUT THE DANGEROUS SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. A TEST DRIVE THERE CONFIRMED THE EXPERIENCE. THE MECHANIC SUBSEQUENTLY 'ADJUSTED THE COMPUTER' TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT HELP. THUS THIS LETTER. HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS. AT IDLE, OR VERY LITTLE GAS, THE ENGINE SOMETIMES SPEEDS UP SOME 200 RPM TO 400 RPM AND HOLDS IT FOR A SECOND OR A FEW BEFORE DROPPING BACK TO IDLE RPM, WHATEVER THE IDLE RPM MAY HAVE BEEN. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHILE STATIONARY OR …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10311881 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10344860 · 2010-07-23 (July 23, 2010)
CREAKING NOISE FROM FRONT END WHILE TURNING WHEEL. FIRST TIME WAS FEBRUARY 2010. DEALER PERFORMED SERVICE BULLETIN. DID NOT WORK. THEY REPLACED BOTH FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES---PROBLEM SOLVED. JULY 2010 CREAKING IN STEERING IS BACK. BROUGHT IN TO DEALER AND TOLD BOTH STRUT ASSEMBLIES NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. TWO WEEK BACK ORDER ON STRUTS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 7,035 miles reported. Look up ODI 10344860 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10259607 · 2009-02-22 (February 22, 2009)
BRAND NEW 2009 CIVIC SI SEDAN HAVE NOTICED GRINDING OF 2ND AND THIRD GEAR SYNCHROMESH, AND ALSO A LOT OF NOTCHINESS WHILE SHIFTING. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL, UNDER FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND OUT ABOUT A RECALL ON 06-08 TRANSMISSIONS. I FEEL THAT THE PROBLEM THAT THEY SAY WAS RESOLVED WAS NOT. I WORK ON CARS SO I REPLACED THE MANUAL TRANS FLUID IT CAME OUT AS BLACK AS MOLASSES, THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH MY TRANSMISSION AND I DON'T FEEL THAT HONDA WANTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW I KNOW THERE…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10259607 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10268955 · 2009-05-17 (May 17, 2009)
THIS CONCERNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC SI COUPE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW. WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE THROTTLE, THE ENGINE RPMS DO NOT INSTANTLY DROP NOR DOES THE CAR SLOW DOWN DUE TO THE "DRIVE BY WIRE" THROTTLE PROGRAMMING PREVENTING THE THROTTLE FROM CLOSING FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS INDEED WAS HAPPENING AND COULD DUE NOTHING ABOUT IT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10268955 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10555708 · 2013-12-11 (December 11, 2013)
2009 HONDA CIVIC 4 DOOR SEDAN, BOUGHT BRAND NEW ? WITHIN THE FIRST 30,000 MILES, THE CAR BEGAN TO HAVE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH STARTING IN LOWER TEMPERATURE WEATHER (50 AND BELOW). CAR ENGINE WILL CRANK AND FAIL TO TURN OVER IF LEFT IN COLDER TEMPERATURE FOR MORE THAN 12 HOURS, I HAVE INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY AND THE PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED. BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AND THE STARTER, ALTERNATOR, FUEL PUMP, BATTERY, EVERYTHING WAS ?FINE.? PROBLEM CONTINUES TO THIS DAY AND HONDA HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER WHY. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10555708 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10897192 · 2016-08-19 (August 19, 2016)
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE SCANNED THE CODE AS P2422 EVAP EMISSION SYSTEM VENT VALVE STUCK CLOSED. FUEL TANK DOES NOT SEEM TO FILL ALL THE WAY, AND SOMETIMES A FUEL ODER IS PRESENT. ONLINE SEARCH MENTIONED THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #11-036 FOR THIS CODE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON 8/19/16 AS PART OF THE AIRBAG RECALL. DEALER MENTIONED THERE IS NO RECALL FOR P2422, AND THERE IS NO EMISSIONS WARRANTY THAT COVERS THIS ISSUE.
Owner-reported narrative. 88,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10897192 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10278873 · 2009-07-31 (July 31, 2009)
I PURCHASED A NEW 2009 HONDA CIVIC LX-S FROM HERITAGE HONDA OF WESTMINSTER, MD ON 7/30/2009 FOR MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY. DURING THE TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE OPERATED FINE WITH NO APPARENT ISSUES. UPON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP (WITH MY 3 CHILDREN AND WIFE AS OCCUPANTS) AND AS MY DAUGHTER PULLED ON TO MARYLAND ROUTE 140 FROM THE DEALERSHIP LOT, THE ENGINE STOPPED. SHE TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. YOU COULD HEAR THE STARTER SOLENOID CHATTERING LIKE IT WOULD IF THE BATTERY WAS NEAR DEAD. THIS LEFT THE CAR STALL…
Owner-reported narrative. 121 miles reported. Look up ODI 10278873 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10402640 · 2011-05-25 (May 25, 2011)
I OWN A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE HYBRID SYSTEM RECENTLY STOPPED WORKING (LEAVING ONLY THE UNDERPOWERED GASOLINE ENGINE AS THE MEANS TO POWER THE CAR). THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE ISSUE IN DECEMBER. THEY PERFORMED AN IRREVERSIBLE SOFTWARE UPDATE WHICH HAS, AS A RESULT, MADE THE HYBRID SYSTEM WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER STATES THERE IS NO WAY TO REVERSE THIS CHANGE. AS A RESULT, THE HYBRID BATTERY/MOTOR ASSIST WILL SUDDENLY STOP WORKING DURING AN ACCELERATION (FOR INSTANCE MERGING ON THE FREEWAY) WITH A DRAMA…
Owner-reported narrative. 28,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10402640 at NHTSA ↗