Problems · by component
2009 Honda Civic Hybrid suspension problems
35 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid cite suspension, 8% of all 424 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
35
8% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the suspension
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2009 Honda Civic. The contact stated that on several occasions while making left or right turns, there was an abnormal clicking and clacking sound coming from the front of the vehicle and the steering column. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 220,000.”
“"TAKATA RECALL" WHILE DEALER HAS TOLD ME AIR BAG WAS COMPLETED, IT WAS SOLD TO ME WITH AN OPEN ENTRY OR QUESTIONABLE COMPLETION. UPON DRIVING THE CAR I FOUND IT FELT SHAKY & WAS TOLD THEY WOULD FIX ANY PROBLEMS HOWEVER NOW THAT I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TWICE AND IT HAS STAYED THERE OVER A WEEK, AND THEN TAKEN HOME (WITHOUT MY APPROVAL) BY SERVICE MANAGER, WHEN I STILL COMPLAINED THAT IT DOESN'T FEEL SO STABLE AND MAYBE WE SHOULD CALL OFF THE DEAL OR TRADE FOR ANOTHER CAR, I WAS TOLD.."DEAL IS DONE, THE CAR IS YOURS, WE'VE SPENT $$ TO FIX THINGS". MY RESPONSE WAS "WHATEVER ITEMS DONE WERE ITEMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE PRE-SALE AND WERE AGREED TO BE DONE". THE AXLE ENDED UP BEING BAD AND SOMETHING STILL FEELS LIKE THE CAR STAGGERS HOWEVER I GOT TIRED OF COMPLAINING. I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE THAT I'M DRIVING A SAFE CAR AND THAT IT WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AS NOW I OWE A LOAN & HAVE BEEN DRIVING CAR. MY MAIN CONCERN HAS ALWAYS BEEN SAFETY. I BROUGHT ALL THIS TO THE TABLE PRE PURCHASE. I BROUGHT CAR IN AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS SHAKY, STRUGGLING & STAGGERING TO GO UP HILL, WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE, AND WAS HAVING A BURNT SMELL. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS BAD…”
“THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT, AND UPON INVESTIGATION I REALIZE THAT THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN CAUSING SIGNIFICANT TIRE WEAR ON MY CAR OVER THE YEARS AS WELL AS SHAKING AND LOUD BUZZING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DIFFICULTY LOADING AND UNLOADING THE CAR DUE TO THE REAR BUMPER COMING WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING THE GROUND BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER BEING SUPPORTED BY THE CONTROL ARM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD.”
“LIKE OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM WE NOTICED A NOISE FROM THE TIRES WHEN WE WERE ON A NEWLY PAVED ROAD ON AN EXTENDED TRIP. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE REAR TIRES WERE CUPPED AND THE CAR WOULD NEED AN ALIGNMENT. WE ENDED UP REPLACING ALL 4 TIRES WITH 20000 MILES ON THEM...A LOT SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED. RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I SAW THERE WAS A CORRECTION FOR 2008 CIVICS, BUT NOT FOR 2009. EITHER THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, OR WE WERE UNFORTUNATE TO PURCHASE A 2009 EARLY IN THE PRODUCTION RUN THAT WAS NOT CORRECTED. HONDA ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED....UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, A CLICKING AND POPPING NOISE EMITTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A SQUEAKING SOUND WHEN MAKING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT END SUSPENSION ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDES OF THE VEHICLE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,971.”
“I HAD UNEVEN WEAR ON MY TIRES AND HAD AN ALIGNMENT ACCOMPLISHED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AT FIRESTONE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPT TO ALIGN THE CAMBER ON THE RIGHT BACK REAR TIRE THEY WERE FORCED TO LEAVE IT AT -1.7...WHICH IS .02 OUT OF TOLERANCE. THE CAMBER ADJUSTMENT ARE IS IN PROPER WORKING ORDER BUT THE MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH 2006-2009 HONDAS DUE TO THE ARMS DESIGN. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE STEERING, SUSPENSION, AND TIRE WEAR ISSUES. *TR”
Showing 6 of 35 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.