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 Fit owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2009 Honda Fit. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 54,247. While the contact's uncle was using a car app scanner, he discovered that the mileage was 172,429. The odometer was currently 90,000. There were no other agencies contacted.
My doors have defaulted to the lock position, even when the vehicle is occupied. The electronic unlock system will not permit the car to unlock. The manual lock strongly resists being moved to the unlock position. With much force, it can be moved, but immediately relocks. The only way to exit the vehicle is to force the manual lock to unlock while simultaneously pulling the handle to open the door. This is an extreme safety hazard - as one cannot easily exit the vehicle. Upon entering the vehicle, an older driver, a less strong driver, or partially disabled driver would be trapped in their vehicle with only emergency procedures able to free them. If there were an accident, and the airbag were deployed - it would be impossible for an able bodied driver to get both hands to the door and initiate the sequence necessary to exit the car. One would be trapped. …
My radio at random times would turn on and off while driving the vehicle as if it lost power, then about a week or two later my power steering would randomly cut out for a few seconds with the radio shut off and the EPS light in the dash would flash then go away, during this the car became hard to handle and control. This would happen unpredictability when driving on the freeway and on surface streets and variable speeds. I checked it with a code reader and nothing came up as a hard code. Brought it to the dealer, they said they could not replicate the issue but we're able to determine that it was the electonic power steering system. I noticed Honda had a recall on this system for 2007-2008 Honda fits and many complaints about this for 2009 fits that were not included in that recall. …
December 2017 I had my 2009 Honda Fit inspected for vehicle registration and passed. January 29, 2018 I took my car to david mcdavid Honda irving, tx for inspection as the car was slowing down and was making weird movements as I shifted gears. The technician report said: there was a 6 inch rodent damage to the engine wiring harness and it had to be replaced. The total charge I was asked to pay on February 3, 2018 was $1510.01 Honda knows that they have this problem as they sell on amazon tapes against rodens ( https://www.amazon.com/Honda-4019-2317-rodent-tape/dp/b00ajtg3n0/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=utf8&dpid=31iiudiohkl&dppl=1&keywords=rodent%20tape&pi=ac_sx236_sy340_fmwebp_ql65&qid=1517350918&ref=plsrch&ref_=mp_s_a_1_1&sr=8-1), yet they didn't offer to cover the replacement cost or to pay even part of it. The total cost of replacement was shifted on me as consumer. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Honda Fit. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering lost power and the vehicle shut off. The contact replaced the battery and the vehicle restarted. The failure recurred while the contact attempted to make a turn. The contact stated that the steering lost power, the vehicle shut down, and the power steering indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called an independent mechanic who recommended that the vehicle be taken to the dealer. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
Car stalls and dies after initial start. Sometimes even with warming car up for 5-10 minutes. Outdoor temperature can be 90 degrees and this still happens. If I start my car, let it run for 5 minutes, put it in drive, the minute I begin to slow for a stop sign or simply for an approaching stop or intersection my car will shudder and die. There is no check engine light and two mechanics have found no codes soft or hard to shed any light on why this is happening. I have already paid $300 for a valve adjustment, replaced spark plugs and I'm still having the issue.
Takata recall .question ; my vechile power steering locks up EPS dash light steering wheel lights up. Yellow on dash board this goes on the car and disables it and dose it a lot . In speeds of under 25 m.p. H.car will shut down . Worried of the accident it May cause . Too safety concerned . And only have 57171 miles on vechile . While in motion. Turning also left or right turns. In local city streets
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Honda Fit. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the power steering seized and the instrument panel failed. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but did not offer any assistance. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
While driving at approx. 35 MPH, radio lights flashed off. Slowing down to make a right turn, radio lights shut off, EPS indicator came on for approx. 2 secs, steering wheel became hard to turn, power to steering and radio resumed after 3-5 secs. Same scenario occurs intermittently while driving on local roads at 50mph or below. Occurred at mileage 170,000.
The starter in all of these vehicles goes bad very fast. Stating with an odd sound of metal to metal on cold starts (due to the starter not retracting fast enough) 5 people that live near me have all had the same problem my car is now doing it again with a 3 year old replacement denso OEM Honda starter, Honda needs to fix this...
Electrical complaints in other Fit years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Honda Fit?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Honda Fit, 8% of the model year's 287 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Honda Fit electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 Honda Fit, though it has 11 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 Fit electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
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.