YearToAvoid

2009 Honda Accord Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

85/100

#4 most-complained of 21 Accord years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2009 Honda Accord has 725 owner complaints and 10 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 85 out of 100 — #4 highest of 21 Accord model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is brakes (241 complaints, 33% of the total). Complaints report 47 crashes, 5 fires, 50 injuries, and 2 deaths.

Complaints
725
Recalls
10
Crashes / fires
47 / 5
Injuries / deaths
50 / 2
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
24
21 city / 30 hwy

Top 2009 Honda Accord problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Brakes241 (33%)
  2. Engine155 (21%)
  3. Airbags143 (20%)
  4. Electrical System63 (9%)
  5. Structure & Body53 (7%)
  6. Other47 (6%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain36 (5%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires34 (5%)
  9. Steering30 (4%)
  10. Fuel System14 (2%)
2009 Honda Accord complaints: complaints filed per quarter422008 Q32010 Q42013 Q12015 Q22017 Q32019 Q42022 Q12024 Q2
840 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2010 Q1 (42).

2009 Honda Accord recalls

10 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V502000Jun 27, 2019Airbags9,555 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.

  2. NHTSA 19V378000May 16, 2019Airbags19,138 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

    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.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.

  3. NHTSA 19V182000Mar 6, 2019Airbags1,101,534 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

    Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

See all 10 recalls for the 2009 Honda Accord →

2009 Honda Accord fuel economy and fuel cost

City
21 MPG
Highway
30 MPG
Combined
24 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,700
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2009 compared with other Accord years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Caution65524923
2008Avoid951,520824
2009Avoid857251024
2010Caution705801225
2011Caution5296926

All Honda Accord years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Honda Accord a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Honda Accord ranks #4 of 21 among Accord model years (Complaint Index 85/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 725 complaints and 10 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Honda Accord?
The most reported problem areas are brakes (241 complaints), engine (155 complaints), and airbags (143 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 32,988 miles.
Does the 2009 Honda Accord have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2009 Honda Accord, most recently reported 2019, covering airbags and transmission & powertrain.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Honda Accord?
EPA rates the 2009 Honda Accord at 24 MPG combined (21 city / 30 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,700. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.