2009 Honda Accord Reliability

The 2009 Honda Accord has 727 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Compared with other Accord model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Accord's typical year, while the 2011 has a cleaner record.

By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA

727

NHTSA owner complaints

11

Recall campaigns

49

Complaints citing a crash

5

Complaints citing a fire

2009 Honda Accord complaints by component

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 model year, filed between 2008 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.

ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints
Service brakes23532%
Air bags14420%
Engine11115%
Electrical system446%
Unknown or other385%
Powertrain / transmission365%
Steering304%
Engine & cooling294%

2009 Honda Accord recalls

11 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2009 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.

NHTSA campaignDateComponentSummary
09E063000Nov 18, 2009EquipmentHonda is recalling aftermarket full nose masks, part number 08p35-ta0-100 and 08p35-ta6-100 manufactured between August 9, 2007 through December 11, 2007. The accessory was designed specifically for model year 2008-2010 Honda Accord 4-door vehicles. It is…
11V395000Aug 4, 2011Powertrain / transmission — automatic transmission / control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Accord, 2007-2010 cr-v, and 2005-2008 element passenger cars manufactured from July 1, 2004, through September 3, 2010. The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing may be broken during certain driving styles.…
16V056000Feb 2, 2016Air bagsAmerican Honda Motor Company, Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Accord vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.
16V346000May 24, 2016Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator moduleHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Acura TSX, 2011 TSX Wagon, 2010-2011 Acura ZDX, 2008-2011 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid, and Civic GX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2010-2011 FCX Clarity…
17V030000Jan 10, 2017Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator moduleHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V,…
17V545000Aug 31, 2017Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator moduleHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura TSX vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air…
18V042000Jan 9, 2018Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator moduleHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles…
18V268000Apr 26, 2018Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator moduleHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012…
19V182000Mar 6, 2019Air bags — frontal / driver side / inflator moduleHonda (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,…
19V378000May 16, 2019Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator moduleHonda (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,…
19V502000Jun 27, 2019Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator moduleHonda (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…

How the 2009 compares with nearby Accord years

Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Accord analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.

Model yearComplaintsRecallsMost-reported areaVerdict
200752510Air bagsCaution
20081,5219Service brakesAvoid
2009 (this page)72711Service brakesAvoid
201058113Air bagsCaution
20112969Air bagsBetter year

Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.

What to check on a used 2009 Honda Accord

  • Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
  • Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
  • Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
  • Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
  • Recalls: confirm each of the 11 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
  • History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.

Check this exact car

Any 2009 Honda Accord can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.

Free preview — see what the report found before you pay.

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2009 Honda Accord reliability FAQ

Is the 2009 Honda Accord reliable?

The 2009 Honda Accord has 727 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Compared with other Accord model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Accord's typical year, while the 2011 has a cleaner record.

What are the most common 2009 Honda Accord problems?

The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2009 Honda Accord are service brakes (235), air bags (144), engine (111), electrical system (44). One complaint can name more than one component.

Does the 2009 Honda Accord have recalls?

NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2009 Honda Accord, including 09E063000 (equipment) and 11V395000 (powertrain / transmission — automatic transmission / control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.

How does the 2009 Honda Accord compare with the 2008 and 2010 models?

By NHTSA records, the 2008 has 1,521 complaints and 9 recalls (avoid); the 2010 has 581 complaints and 13 recalls (caution). The 2009 has 727 complaints and 11 recalls.

How do I check a specific used 2009 Honda Accord?

Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.

More Honda Accord research

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2009 Accord, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.