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 CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2009 Honda CR-V. The contact stated the clock and date were inoperable. The contact stated the clock was years ahead and the date was incorrect. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer but was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle not was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2009 HONDA CR-V. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 133,000 and at the time of running the VIN on carfax, it was discovered that the mileage was 314,000.
The locks on all the doors in my 2009 Honda CR-V EX have been randomly clicking on and off as I drive for the last 6 months. One day I parked the car and tried to open the door and it was locked and I could not unlock it from the inside, I re-inserted the key into the ignition and the alarm horn started sounding but I was able to open the door and exit the car. The internet shows that there was a class-action suit settlement for 2008-2011 regarding the door locks that expired in 2015. I contacted the dealership and they said since my VIN was not listed on their website, they would charge me $175.00 to diagnose the problem and then would let me know if they could fix it so I followed the dirctions on the web-site to file a complaint with NHTSA. …
My front passenger seat weight sensor is faulty and shows as "OFF" when a large passenger is in the seat. An independent service center has scanned and confirmed the faulty sensor. I see CRV recalls for both the sensors and airbags, but my VIN does not return a result.
Bottom Line Up Front: The service advisor at Chapman Honda here in Tucson told me this morning (16 Nov) that passenger door locks and hatchback locks that freeze in the locked position (and can NOT be opened by anyone inside or out) sometimes happen with older Hondas (over 10 years). Really? This is a VERY serious safety issue. If what the advisor said is true, then there are potentially many thousands of vehicles that need to be immediately recalled. Timeline: On 11 Nov 21, without any warning whatsoever, the door locks in our 2009 Honda CR-V froze in the locked position. Passenger door and hatchback. My wife has serious back issues and we are thankful this did not happen, for example, when I was driving her to a medical appointment. I immediately called Chapman Honda, Tucson and was able to set up a service appointment for 9:00am, Saturday, 13 Nov. …
On 1/28/2017 my daughter's 2009 Honda crv caught on fire in our driveway and burned until it was a total loss. It only had 87,000 miles on it and seemed to be running perfectly that day. I had driven her car for one hour (a 44 mile trip), returned home, turned off the car, took the keys out of the ignition and went inside the house. About ten minutes later, one of my daughters heard a car alarm, we looked outside and saw flames shooting out of the front of the car. The fire department came and put out the fire, but it was a total loss. The firemen said that it started near the battery area, but we do not know what caused it there was no sign of any problem while I was driving it. No indicator lights on and it was running great. …
I'm a retired auto body tech try to get help for a lady, disabled school teacher who's husband is in a nursing home. She is the type of customer for Honda, that's noteworthy.owned two civics in the past, bought new. She is starting to need her Honda more as it's getting her to increasing dr. Apps. 64,000 miles and garage kept and documented maintenance, oil etc. The air-conditioning stopped working on the way to visit her husband. Would Honda, management help me to help her by supplying her with the pump or cost of and I will get the labor and charge the system. The band wagon we would preach from would be huge. 30 + years as a auto body tech, working for many car lots large and small, and knowing numerous mechanics, collectively agree that with mileage at the low 64,000, and garage kept. Regular maintenance and driven by a school teacher. …
Drivers door lock sticks and sometimes does not unlock and can't even unlock manually. They drivers side back door is permanently stuck closed, can't unlock manually or with the key fob. Back hatch is permanently locked can't open at all because there is no way to unlock manually. This happens weather the car is in motion or stationary. I feel this is a safety hazard because in the event of an accident how am I to get my children out of the car safely and quickly. Just run all the way around the car until a door opens? What about my dog that I usually have in the back, how do I get him out? What if the car is on fire or if the car is flipped on the side with the working locks? It's crazy to me so many people are having problems with this in my vehicle year yet they left us out of the settlement to replace the locks.
The front driver's side door lock actuator is failing. The door unlocks automatically as I'm driving. The instrument panel shows the door ajar when this happens. It happens when the car is stationary as well, causing the alarm to go off randomly day and night. Our neighbors are understandably furious. I slept in the car last night to keep it from going off - didn't want to be under the hood in chicago at 1 am trying to disconnect the battery. The extended warranty on the car expired in August. Apparently, our model was not included in the recall or class action suit. Dealership is charging $300 minimum to "diagnose" and repair. Bothers me greatly that the company is keenly aware of this problem and yet I have to pay for them to tell me what I already know... They sold us a faulty product.
We have replaced the low beam headlights in this car at least 9 times since purchasing it in 2010. Twice in the past year and the bulbs just burnt out again while my wife was driving home from work today in the dark. We have purchases OEM, aftermarket, long life etc with the same result. The car was moving this time when the lights burned out. This vehicle is mostly driven on the highway about 100 miles a day, which is where my wife was today, at aproximately 70 MPH. The 2002-2004 CR-v had a recall and this issue is all over the internet but there is zero resolution. Every dealership I call say they have not seen this, which is hard to believe considering the information out on the web. This is a serious issue.
Electrical complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 44 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Honda CR-V, 11% of the model year's 386 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Honda CR-V electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 Honda CR-V, though it has 12 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 CR-V electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries 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.