Car accelerated into a garage door unintentionally. The brakes did not work. The problem has not been reproduced. The car was taken to a honda dealer twice before the accident for the same reasons of sudden unintentional acceleration. The vehicle has been totaled and has not been inspected by anyone. There were no warning indicators that I am aware of.
2009 Honda Civic acceleration problems
17 complaints (4% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 12,329. 9 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 12,329
- crashes
- 9
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Honda Civic acceleration problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 Honda Civic acceleration
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2009 Honda Civic owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
While trying to pull into an isle of a parking lot for the purpose of finding a parking space, the engine suddenly accelerated on its own and out of control spinning around, jumping a curb and crashing into a tree, and four other automobiles parked on the parking lot causing property damage to five automobiles including my automobile.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 honda civic. The contact parked the vehicle and it accelerated on its own. The vehicle traveled approximately fourteen feet and crashed into a wall of a building. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a fractured sternum and moderate bruising on the chest, shoulder, and foot. Medical attention was required and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and the manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 70,559.
While pulling into a 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.
The vehicle purchased new from a honda dealership in waukesha wis. On 11-28-2008. One yr. After purchase we noticed the engine would suddenly accelerate, when backing up, braking. The engine would suddenly accelerated for no apparent reason. The driver would need to depress the brake pedal with greater force, and then shift auto. Trans into neutral. We took it back to the dealer 3 separate times, and they indicated they were unable to find the problem. On one occasion per their suggestion we purchased the rubber all weather honda floor mats at a cost of $110.00. I doubted this would fix the problem. In november 2011 the same problem was experienced a fourth time in a parking lot. While waiting in a parking lot the engine accelerated suddenly, and more pressure was applied to the brake pedal and shift into neutral. I notified the dealership of the continuing problem. On 11-29-2011 we left the civic at the dealer, and wayne nicklas the (ahm) would also examine the car with a mechanic. The mileage was 26,526. Mr. Nicklas met with us. He explained how they checked the tire depth, pressure, and the overall condition of the car. I then asked for specifics about the sudden acceleration, and he indicated they were unable to find the problem. According to mr. Nicklas, there was no abnormal engine code, and it was possible that the problem did not occur long enough for the computer to record it. He denied other similar problems reported with civics. We found similar consumer complaints filed on web sites with civics involved in accidents. It was suggested we trade in the vehicle. We felt unsafe in continuing to operate the vehicle. The honda dealer left us hanging, and offered us no further help with trading in the vehicle. We incurred a substantial loss when we traded in the civic at another dealership. Research found this is not an isolated issue by any means.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 honda civic. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle abnormally accelerated. The contact applied both the foot and emergency brakes, and removed the key from the ignition but the vehicle would not stop accelerating. The contact crashed into a preceding vehicle and substantial damage was done to the front end. A police report was filed. The failure recurred five times intermittently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a technician inspected the vehicle but was unable to diagnose the failure. The technician advised the contact to place the vehicle in neutral should the failure recur. The approximate failure mileage was 4,800. Updated 07/21/11 *bf the consumer stated there were n injuries. 08/01/11
My 2009 (automatic) honda civic ex slipped into neutral four during the night. For the first three times, the driver would allow the RPM's to drop causing us to sit in traffic for an undefined period of time before returning the car to the drive position. On the fourth time this happened, driver and I were in a large parking lot making a right turn with a building about a football field away. About halfway through the turn, the car was placed back into drive from neutral and it began to drive itself. As the car accelerated faster and faster the driver tried to slam on the brakes many times without the pedal even budging or the car slowing down in the slightest way. When we tried to turn the steering wheel it locked up in a straight away position, causing the car to hit at least two large curbed medians and go airborne each time. Driver and I braced ourselves as the building came closer. We then hit the third and final curb, the car went airborne again slamming into the building at about six feet high on the wall. All airbags deployed, the passenger window shattered and windshield cracked. Immediately after the crash I proceeded to place the car into park when the shifter itself came out. The car was still trying to drive itself through the building when we crashed. The civic was considered totaled and the insurance company is further investigating why this happened.
Tl * the contact owns a 2009 honda civic hybrid. The contact stated that the electronic motor assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the battery was replaced and the software was updated. The contact noticed after repairs that the vehicle would drive sluggish and there was limited acceleration power. He stated that the electronic motor assist did not assist with the acceleration of the vehicle as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileage was 11,962. Updated 12/08/10
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 honda civic. The contact was driving approximately 2 MPH in a parking space and attempted to engage the brake pedal. Suddenly, her foot was trapped underneath the accelerator pedal causing the vehicle to crash into a pole. The contact stated that the manufacturer installed the accelerator pedal in an extremely high elevated position from the floor which was a safety defect. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The front end of the vehicle was completely damaged. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision center with the repair cost of $5,196.34. The failure mileage was approximately 5,700.
2009 honda civic hybrid was coming to a stop in traffic. The ima went from charge to assist while braking (foot on the brake pedal), lurching the car forward (tires locked up). Same event happened 5 minutes later. Dropped of at dealer the next day, but they have not been able to reproduce the surge. American honda called and said they will not address an issue if the dealer can not reproduce the failure. They ask for the car to be driven home.
Questions about the 2009 Honda Civic acceleration
Does the 2009 Honda Civic have acceleration problems?
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the acceleration of the 2009 Honda Civic, 4% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2009 Honda Civic acceleration problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 12,329 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Honda Civic acceleration?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Honda Civic have the most acceleration problems?
The Honda Civic model years with the most acceleration complaints are 2022 (42 complaints), 2006 (40 complaints) and 1997 (38 complaints).
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Honda Civic?
Yes. Class action says Honda and Acura keyless entry makes cars easy to steal and asks for theft protection (November 12, 2026).
Other 2009 Honda Civic problems
Airbags 95Brakes 51Body 45Engine 39Electrical 36Suspension 31Visibility 29Tires 25Transmission 23Steering 13Fuel system 12Lights 10Wheels 10Seats 9Seat belts 5Locks 2Driver assistance 1
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