repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2009 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 396 owner complaints about the 2009 Honda Civic, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 8 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-502 the manufacturer reports only 36% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 14, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2009 Honda Civic has problems
396 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
95Air bags29 crash/fire/injury
45Structure4 crash/fire/injury
36Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
31Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
27Engine
25Tires
24Service brakes, hydraulic
23Power train
21Service brakes
13318 other systems22 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 95 | 29 |
| Structure | 45 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 36 | 3 |
| Suspension | 31 | 1 |
| Engine | 27 | 3 |
| Tires | 25 | 1 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 24 | 2 |
| Power train | 23 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 21 | 6 |
| 18 other systems | 133 | 22 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
8 recalls
2009 Honda Civic recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. 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.
repaired · 2019 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2019 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Show 4 more recalls
repaired · 2019 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. 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.
repaired · 2018 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2018 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
no report yet
Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE BRACKET MAY BECOME LOOSE WHICH COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL HOSE CONNECTOR.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
71kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 37 air bags complaints. 76% were reported before 100,000 miles.
7under 30k miles28under 100k miles9100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2009 vs. every other Civic year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Civic median. How we score
00000011195153539466991110981461351993053734353382871,0797034993503161,4041,2049163963981694563192933811,0836067504442391498862601278232
'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2009 Honda Civic safety ratings
2009 Honda Civic GX (CNG) 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Civic owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
No codes on the dash, police said the airbags malfunctioned. Car hit an embankment on the front right side then the car flipped over. The steering wheel did not deploy. All of the side airbags, both bottom and top side airbags came out still folded and did not inflate. Car is currently with State…
My husband made a left turn from a center lane and didn't see a vehicle coming at us because of the blind spot. We hit the other vehicle on the front right side. The airbags deployed and the side airbag exploded and burned my right arm badly. I now have injury scars from the passenger seat airbag…
The contact was a former police officer who had been tasked with investigating a vehicle crash that involved a 2009 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the owner was driving at a yet-to-be-determined rate of speed, he hit a dip in the road which sent the vehicle airborne and off the road.…
Own a 2009 Civic?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.