Problems · NHTSA complaints
2009 Honda Civic problems
Owners filed 398 complaints about the 2009 Honda Civic with NHTSA between Oct 2008 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (96).
Complaints
398
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
42
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
39
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags96
- Structure46
- Electrical system36
- Suspension31
- Engine27
- Tires26
- Service brakes, hydraulic24
- Power train23
- Service brakes21
- Visibility18
- Vehicle speed control17
- Steering13
- Engine and engine cooling12
- Visibility/wiper11
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
34
63
40
26
23
23
21
52
43
16
19
10
2
7
6
3
5
3
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 34 |
| 2010 | 63 |
| 2011 | 40 |
| 2012 | 26 |
| 2013 | 23 |
| 2014 | 23 |
| 2015 | 21 |
| 2016 | 52 |
| 2017 | 43 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 3 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
96 reports25 crashes2 fires7 related recalls
“No codes on the dash, police said the airbags malfunctioned. Car hit an embankment on the front right side then the car flipped over. The steering wheel did not deploy. All of the side airbags, both bottom and top side airbags came out still folded and did not inflate. Car is currently with State Farm insurance at their garage.”
Structure
46 reports4 crashes
“The contact owns a 2009 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the sun visor split over and blocked his driving view. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB Technical Service Bulletin 11-031. The local dealer was contacted, where it was diagnosed that the sun visor needed to be replaced. The contact had a paperclip holding the sun visor. vehicle that was not repaired. The contact stated that the sun visor was previously repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”
Electrical system
36 reports1 crash2 fires
“The contact purchased a 2009 Honda Civic. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 23,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 213,000.”
Suspension
31 reports1 crash
“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.”
Engine
27 reports2 crashes
“Car accelerated into a garage door unintentionally. The brakes did not work. The problem has not been reproduced. The car was taken to a honda dealer twice before the accident for the same reasons of sudden unintentional acceleration. The vehicle has been totaled and has not been inspected by anyone. There were no warning indicators that I am aware of.”
Tires
26 reports1 crash1 fire
“EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR COMING FROM BOTH BACK TIRES.THEY BOTH WEAR FROM THE INSIDE. HAD NEW TIRES PUT ON CAR,THEY BOTH ARE ALREADY WEARING ON INSIDE. HONDA DID AN ALIGNMENT WHEN TIRES WERE NEW. THESE TIRES WERE ROTATED TO THE FRONT AND NOW I GETTING EXCESSIVE ROARING SOUND IN THE FRONT AND VIBRATION WHEN AT SLOWER SPEEDS.CAR ALSO NOW PULLS TO THE LEFT. TOOK CAR BACK TO HONDA AND THEY SAID THEY FIND NO PROBLEMS. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.