2009 Honda Civic: Reliability Data

497
Total Complaints
30,000mi
Median Mileage
Air Bags
Top Issue
63
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

13,369 25th Percentile
30,000 Median Mileage
65,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags
92
Body
36
Unknown Or Other
36
Electrical System
30
Engine
27
Tires
25
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
23
Service Brakes
21
Suspension
20
Vehicle Speed Control
17

Severity Assessment

63
Crashes
11
Fires
63
Injuries
1
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING AFTER THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS BEEN SET, IT DOES NOT STAY AT THE SPEED YOU HAVE SELECTED. I WAS GOING DOWN A ROAD THAT WASN'T DOWN HILL AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN. I HAD SET CRUISE AT 55 AND BEFORE I KNEW IT, IT HAD ACCELERATED TO 80 AND WOULD NOT MAINTAIN THE DESIRED SPEED. LUC..."
"AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON LESS THAN TWO WEEKS FROM PURCHASE DATE...... COULD CAUSE SAFETY ISSUES IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR"
"FRONT WHEEL AREAS MAKING CREEKING SOUND AS IF THERE IS A BAD BALL JOINT OR BUSHING. THE CAR IS ONLY 4000 MILES ON IT. IT'S A 2009 CIVIC COUPE LX. SOUND IS GETTING WORSE. I AM STARTING IT HEAR IT FROM THE BACK SIDE AS WELL TIME TO TIME. IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST A MONTH NOW. *TR"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 92 complaints
25th: 54,687 mi Median: 76,150 mi 75th: 102,000 mi
Body 36 complaints
25th: 42,000 mi Median: 60,000 mi 75th: 104,000 mi
Unknown Or Other 36 complaints
25th: 42,000 mi Median: 60,000 mi 75th: 77,000 mi
Electrical System 30 complaints
25th: 7,065 mi Median: 11,962 mi 75th: 40,000 mi
Engine 27 complaints
25th: 43,250 mi Median: 90,500 mi 75th: 136,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 94 FL: 37 TX: 34 NY: 31 PA: 28 GA: 28 NJ: 27 IL: 22 VA: 21 NC: 13

Who Files Complaints?

3%
Original Owners
97%
Second+ Owners

Honda Civic — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
199011022
199114313
199211329
199317848
199417179
1995252103
199638396
199745278
199850292
199940475
200035091
20011357206
2002876144
2003618127
200442459
200539691
20061708108
2007146464
2008107889
201048548
201122033
201261891
201343041
201437747
201548058
2016130153
201772631
201880741
201949234
202028122
20211819
2022113666
202331832
202415917
2025808

Active Recalls (8)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Inflator Module
Campaign 18V268000 | 26/04/2018
An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.
Inflator Module
Campaign 19V502000 | 27/06/2019
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.
Inflator Module
Campaign 19V378000 | 16/05/2019
An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4
Inflator Module
Campaign 17V545000 | 31/08/2017
In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are O07, Y0A, N06, G05, M04, Y01, and O09.
Inflator Module
Campaign 18V042000 | 09/01/2018
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B0K and L0J.
Inflator Module
Campaign 17V030000 | 10/01/2017
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's num
Inflator Module
Campaign 16V346000 | 24/05/2016
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall is KA4, KA5, KA6, and KA7.
Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Campaign 08V535000 | 14/10/2008
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE BRACKET MAY BECOME LOOSE WHICH COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL HOSE CONNECTOR. A DAMAGED CONNECTOR COULD LEAD TO A FUEL LEAK AND INCREASES THE RISK OF A FIRE.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NUT ON THE FUEL FEED HOSE BRACKET. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.

Airbag Safety

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
  • Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
  • Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
  • Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

Affiliate link

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28