Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
The contact owns a 2009 Honda Fit. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at unknown speed, the steering wheel became difficult to turn with the power steering assist warning light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The driver continued driving to her destination. The contact also stated that she was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was jump started. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000. The consumer stated the vehicle was diagnosed at CMA'S Valley Honda as the Eps Unit.
I was driving home during evening rush hour on the freeway, 65 mph. Suddenly, it felt as though I was driving a tank. Lucky that I was in the slow lane. I used the next exit and drove the rest of the way home very slowly on surface streets. A 100 degree turn in the roadway that I drove on would have been a disaster if a car was coming at me from the opposite direction. It got harder and harder to turn the further that I got. I managed to return home o k. I have had regular Honda maintenance at the dealership where I bought the car. Nowwhere else over the past twelve years. I will call the dealer to make an appointment tomorrow. I've never previously known of this problem - have not read or heard anything via media or been advised by Honda Inc. I've been concerned about electronic steering ever since I bought the car. If there is wind blowing, the car becomes unstable and drifts sideways.
When driving my 09 fit my radio went in and out then my steering wheel indicator light popped up next thing I knew my steering wheel locked and felt stiff when trying to turn, kept happening as I drove, it's happened at least 20 times maybe more in ONE day!!! I almost crashed because my power steering goes in and out in this car and it feels like I loose complete control of the car!!! It almost verging off on its own it feels like for about 2-3 seconds sometimes it feels like longer that this happens, once the steering wheel light goes away I can regain control. However this is very very dangerous and I do not feel safe driving the car with this is happening randomly when I'm driving !!!! It's happening to me at LOW and HIGH speeds and it's very scary!!!
At highways speeds vehicle became difficult to maintain in a straight path. Slight change in the steering would result in car drifting to the left or right, requiring constant correction. Car felt unsafe to drive...took to mechanic to be diagnosed. Informed car needed a new steering rack system.
While driving without warning the car loses power steering the steering wheel locks up no control I hit the side walk back up power steering return and sometimes the car just shuts off a few put in park crank up
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. …
Driving solo, speed below the 65 MPH speed limit, in left lane of a four lane divided highway (state highway 1, southbound, approximately 1/4 mile before airport bl exit). Highway was being repaved. Left lane was finished,and asphalt raised between 4 and 6 inches above right lane. Steered to the right to avoid construction debris and right front wheel went partially off the raised pavement onto the old pavement. Steering wheel suddenly veered to the right and would not allow correction to be made to the left. No steering control at all. Steering locked in position and resisted all efforts by driver to move steering wheel from fixed position. Vehicle left the road onto the unpaved shoulder and did a complete rollover. Side airbags deployed. Roof crushed and extensive body damage - judged total loss by insurance company. …
While driving on two occurrences, both city street and freeway, the electric power steering (EPS) indicator lit up and power steering malfunctioned and shut down. My daughter had to pull off the side of the road as she felt so unsafe without any power steering and felt a complete loss of control of the vehicle. There was no warning and occurred while in motion. The EPS warning indicator was intermittent and disappeared when the car was turned off and restarted. However, the EPS warning reoccurred while driving on the freeway the same day. The 2007-08 Honda Fit models received extended warranties for the same EPS malfunction problems, along with eligibility for goodwill consideration. That is not the case for the 2009 models. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Honda Fit. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20-30 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The contact stated that the steering ceased on several occasions. The contact stated that the failure occurred first while driving down winding roads and however, the failure was also experienced on straightaways. The power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated as intended. A dealer was not informed of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
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.
Steering complaints in other Fit years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2009 Honda Fit?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the steering of the 2009 Honda Fit, 16% of the model year's 287 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Honda Fit steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering 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.