CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2009 Honda Accord has several serious defects – poor brakes, excessive oil consumption, & uncomfortable seats.

BRAKES: There was a class action lawsuit against Honda in 2010 for premature & excessive brake wear. See our page on Honda's brake problems for more info.

OIL CONSUMPTION: Honda issued a TSB about this in late 2011, claiming it could be fixed through a software update to the VCM (variable cylinder management). There are class action lawsuits pending. See our page about the Accord oil consumption.

UNCOMFORTABLE SEATS: Owners have consistently reported uncomfortable seats with the entire 8th generation (2008-2012) of Honda Accords. Complaints range from back pain to leg circulation problems due to bad lumbar support, cushioning, & seat angle. Complaints aren't limited to only a certain body type -- the seat comfort problems are from a wide spectrum of owner height & weight. The common theme we hear is "we never noticed this during the test drive." Unfortunately for unwary buyers, the seat pain is noticeable after 15-20 minutes.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,162 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Honda Accord drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2009 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #28

Sep 282021

Accord

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My daughter was in an accident on 9/28/2021 and the air bag exploded and she said it burned her but it was actually some type of metal. The vehicle was inspected by the insurance company. I ended up buying the vehicle back and when the car was delivered to the repairman, it was note that is was a faulty air bag. I am not sure about the other questions as it relates to warning lamps, ect.. It has been inspected by State Farm, the car is still in my possession. I was advised to report the airbag blowout. It was stated on my Market valuation Report under Supplemental information that HONDA is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord for incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. NHTSA Campaign ID 18v268000, 19v182000, 19v378000 & 19v502000.

- Zachary, LA, USA

problem #27

Feb 282021

Accord

  • 130,000 miles
The transmission when started on high way the transmission made a clicking sand then locked

- Piketon, OH, USA

problem #26

Mar 172019

Accord

  • miles
The crank shaft sensor is going out, but main cost is software up date after installing new sensor. I feel if you get the sell of sensor and installation the software update should be free. Been messing up for 2 yrs of the 3 years I have owned

- Cleveland, TX, USA

problem #25

Sep 172019

Accord

  • 112,900 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Recenly purchaced this 09accord ex coupe automatic 5speed 4 cylinder from a used dealership with no warrenty. 3 or 4 days lateri noticed a brief but loud rattle from the engine compartment only on cold start up. I have researched this and there are thousands of posts on this issue and I definetly can be a very serious safty issue if the engine becomes damaged whild driving with this issue with the vtc actuator. I shouldnt have to pay for this repair as there is a tsb on the issue that clearly stares it as a defect.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #24

Jul 032017

Accord

  • miles
The engine won't start the starter motor sounds like it is spinning faster than normal, but the engine does not start up and run.

- Weaverville, NC, USA

problem #23

Sep 122018

Accord

  • miles
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm, PCM) & car stall and engine is shuddering now. Honda will not honor the recall based on a VIN #, my car is doing what it states in the recall. So I guess I'm on the hook for a trans repair / replace.

- Easton, PA, USA

problem #22

May 282018

Accord

  • 0 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Each time when I start up my car, my car stalls and makes my check engine light come on. Its been happening alot since I got the car in July.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #21

Jan 012011

Accord

  • 25,000 miles
"6 speed manual transmission will not shift into 3rd gear" when accelerating at a slow to moderate pace, the transmission will not enter 3rd gear when shifting from 2nd gear. The problem occurs randomly and is therefore a danger to everyone on the road. Honda 3rd gear tsb on 6 speed manual transmissions did not resolve the issue. For a thorough description of this issue as described by another please visit: Https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=5V_J9ct2jrq

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #20

Jun 282017

Accord

  • miles
Leaking seal on passenger half axle bearing after only 29.2K miles. Car bought as certified in 2014, only 9K miles driven since purchase. Part is defective. Vehicle inspected for routine 30K service, no way this part failed in the 9K miles I have driven the car. Bearing burn out can cause axel to fail. Failure indicated on service order summary attached.

- Madison, NJ, USA

problem #19

Jul 212017

Accord

  • miles
Excessive oil consumption, causing spark plug malfunction

- Moody, AL, USA

problem #18

Jul 132017

Accord

  • 109,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vtc actuator on my Honda Accord has been making a rattling sound during an engine cold startup for over a year now. After calling the customer service line they stated that it was not under a recall and that this problem would not cause any damage or reliability issues. However, the sound has been getting worse and the other day, while driving, my wife lost all power in the middle of the road; this is an extremely unsafe situation. After taking it to the service department at the dealership they said the problem is associated with the vtc actuator and we will need to replace this actuator with a redesigned actuator at a cost of $1600(including suggested part changes while the work is being done). The cost is not important to me, it is the safety aspect of the situation that's troublesome. If a redesigned actuator exists shouldn't customers at least be aware of this and the implications of not changing this part?

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #17

Nov 112016

Accord

  • 64,350 miles
When raining car will not come out of turn. Steering gets stuck in direction of turn. Gear shift goes from drive to neutral without pressing button took car to dealer and they state problem cannot be duplicated.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #16

Nov 192016

Accord

  • 81,153 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Honda Accord. When the vehicle was started, a rattling noise emerged from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was transmission failure. The dealer confirmed the diagnosis. The contact stated that the failure occurred for the last two years and was getting worse. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,153.

- Highlands, CA, USA

problem #15

Nov 012015

Accord

  • 90,000 miles
The car makes metal grinding noise when start the engine in the morning or when the engine is cool down. The noise last about 1 to 2 seconds but it's very loud. Mechanics insisted it's okay to drive. It's happened for a few months now and I am just afraid that something will be break very soon.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #14

Feb 232015

Accord

  • 45,500 miles
This was the second incident, while I was stopped at the red light, as the light turned green I let go of brake and applied the gas and suddenly the RPM went to almost red line and I was real lucky to be able to put the gear shifter in to neutral and pull over and turned the engine off, few minutes later started the engine and it was normal again, this was the second time in a month that this happened first time I didn't even apply any gas my foot was still on the brake pedal, I will be calling american Honda to report this also and will take my car to the dealer, but they said this problem is not going to show on the scanners, the service advisor told me that he has heard about this, but has not seen one in person, I told him to do a google search and he can see this problem with Honda's all over the internet. This is known as unintended acceleration that forced Toyota to recall their calls and now is Honda's turn to do the right thing before anyone dies.

- Glendale, CA, USA

problem #13

Sep 182014

Accord

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Honda Accord. While driving 55 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to be restarted. In addition, the vehicle accelerated and decelerated independently without engaging the accelerator pedal. The contact sustained bruises to the right hand and left arm. The contact did not seek medical attention. The contact mentioned that the vehicle moved after being shifted into park and the engine warning indicator was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

- New Windsor, NY, USA

problem #12

Aug 012014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 112,650 miles
Upon accelerating from a stop, the car has no power making it unsafe to move out of the way of approaching traffic. There is a considerable amount of hesitation between shifting gears until the vehicle reaches a level driving speed. There is a hard downshift when slowing the vehicle to a stop or even just decreasing the speed. There is a significant amount engine noise during acceleration until the transmission changes gears. Driving up a hill from a stop or slow roll causes the vehicle to barely respond and the rpms reach very high levels before the gears change and acceleration is achieved.

- Union Church, MS, USA

problem #11

Mar 172014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
While pulling into parking space, with foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle violently lunged forward into a block wall. The driver was unable to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes. The driver was hospitalized for 2 days.

- Danville, CA, USA

problem #10

Feb 012013

Accord

  • 75,000 miles
There was a grinding sound on a cold startup for approximately 1 second. I took it to the dealership about a year ago and they fixed the problem at no cost. Even after they fixed the problem the sound still existed but wasn't as loud. I recently took the car back to the Honda dealership and they wanted to charge me over $500 for the same problem and claimed that they fixed a different problem last time. They said the issue had to do with the vtc actuator. Now the problem has become a lot worse and the sound is very loud.

- Carrollton, TX, USA

problem #9

Oct 182013

Accord 6-cyl

  • 125,816 miles
Engine light and vsa warning light came on while driving on the freeway. Luckily my family reached our destination shortly after this occurred in fontana, ca. While the vehicle was in motion it would jerk and hesitate backwards while driving. I took it to rock Honda the following morning on 10/18/2013 in fontana, ca and they charged me $638.60 stating the vehicle needed a PCM updated software and adjusted valves. In doing further research it seems I should have never been charged this as there is a recall id #74308 stating issues with the PCM and tcm and that Honda would update the control module software free of charge.

- Elk Grove, CA, USA

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