Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving, the hood prop rod dislodged from its securing clip and fell onto the positive terminal of the battery. This caused an electrical short, which led to the rod heating up rapidly and igniting a fire under the hood. The fire damaged the headlight assembly and the surrounding trim panel, though the wiring fortunately did not catch fire. A nearby police officer was able to extinguish the fire before it spread further. This incident posed a serious safety risk and could have resulted in more extensive damage or injury. There were no warning lights or symptoms before the failure. The issue appears to stem from the design or failure of the clip that holds the hood prop rod in place. The vehicle has not been modified and was being driven under normal conditions. …
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.
There are hacks to cars that can control the computers remotely, possibly from devices such as programmable thingy remote control devices that can be programmed with different fuctions, or direct open door remote entry hacks into the vehicle port that remote control the cars functions.
My 2009 Civic has a problem that has affected many other eighth generation civics: the A/C relay is faulty and is of a poor design and/or manufacture. The A/C relay is known to fail very prematurely and cause the compressor for the air conditioner to spin/cycle continuously or stay on (even when the A/C is not turned on), and thus cause the compressor to heat up tremendously and fail, which causes mechanical damage inside the cooling system. There are countless stories online, in car forums, and at Honda dealerships and repair shops to back this assertion. …
I was hit on the passenger side of the car by an SUV. The repairs were with genuine Honda parts but ever since then the front controls where the radio is has been extremely hot. Almost to the point I think I burn my hands to change the radio station. I think it May be hot enough to start a fire with melting the controls in the back. I have been told there is nothing that can be done or it will cost me a lot of money to diagnose it. I just see it as a safety issue to have the dash so hot it burns people. The passenger airbag did not deploy in the crash and possibly should have.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Honda Civic. While driving, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the ignition switch, but the failure continued. The mechanic also diagnosed that the engine block was cracked and was leaking coolant. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer (Honda super store of lisle, illionis) and the manufacturer were notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 109,000. Updated 10/26/17 the consumer stated several cylinders were damaged as a result of the engine crack.
The vehicle will shut off in traffic without any warning from the cars system. Unknown if there is any interference being caused by internal or external.
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 stalled with 3/4 of the vehicle sitting in the right lane of a heavily traveled, 4 lane divided highway with other vehicles traveling 45 + MPH approaching, leaving the (now terrified) occupants lives in danger. Several attempts were made to restart the car without success. …
Daughter was driving to work on 27 dec 09. On her way she began to smell smoke in vehicle, but attributed it to the outside air. Upon arriving at work, she went into the building put her personnel items away and went outside. A few of her co-workers told her that her car alarm was going off. She went back into the building to retrieve her keys, went to her car and found out that the alarm had stopped, but there was smoke in the car. At that time she open her trunk and found an open flame fire in the vicinity of the passenger side rear speaker. At which time she called geico (employer) security, called 911 and security put out the flame with a hand held fire extinguisher. Vehicle was returned to hughes Honda, warner robins, ga on 28 dec 09 for disposition. Later that day I was informed by the service manager that he could not do anything and I needed to contact American Honda. …
The integrated motor assist (ima) system in my 2009 Honda Civic hybrid erratically charges and discharges hybrid battery pack, causing serious drivability issues. The problem first developed at about 8000 miles when the original hybrid battery pack failed. Replacement of the hybrid battery pack and numerous attempts to re-program the ima control software have not corrected the problem. It has continued and worsened through the present mileage of about18000. Acceleration continues to be hesitant, jerky, and extremely weak without the hybrid system operating correctly. The car is dangerous to drive on the interstate because the ima system May be charging a low hybrid battery even when acceleration is needed. In those circumstances there is no power available to accelerate the car. This is opposite of the way the ima should work. …
Electrical complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Honda Civic, 9% of the model year's 396 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Honda Civic electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 Honda Civic, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Honda Civic electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles, and 60% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.