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The 2009 Honda Accord has 5 critical safety recalls on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 720 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
The 2009 Honda Accord has 720 NHTSA owner complaints and 11 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is brakes at 217 complaints, typically surfacing around 26,358 miles (~$450 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Accord | 430 | 17 |
| 2007 Accord | 524 | 10 |
| 2008 Accord | 1,520 | 9 |
| 2009 Accord (this page) | 720 | 11 |
| 2010 Accord | 579 | 13 |
| 2011 Accord | 295 | 9 |
| 2012 Accord | 379 | 8 |
Significant reliability concerns on file. Read the trouble spots before buying.
The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the electrical system was repaired or replaced.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: airbags is flagged critical on this model , showing up around 88,325 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 11 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 2.6/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
Unintended acceleration. Has occurred 6 times since march 2018. No coloration with ambient temperature, weather conditions or speed. Symptom: driving & braking hard to slow down, place into neutral and engine revs up to 5k RPM. Restart car after about 10 seconds and engine…
Engine oil consumption is more and causing burning of engine oil very frequently. This is causing rattling noise when accelarating and would cause more damage to engine and can be hazardous if driving on highway.
Loud whining noises coming from the rear wheels when the brakes were applied, caused us to have the local Honda dealer check the brakes. The rear brake pads were very badly worn through. The car is driven at highway speed approximately 50% of the time, meaning the brakes would…
While driving at 30 MPH, vehicle suddenly accelerated to a high rate of speed. Difficulty stopping the car. It was necessary to place in neutral and turn engine off. Honda dealership checked vehicle and could not provide an explanation for this problem. Fearful of this…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 2.6 out of 10 based on 720 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Honda Accord has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
On the NHTSA data, the 2009 Honda Accord is one to avoid unless a specific vehicle proves otherwise. The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the electrical system was repaired or replaced. The record behind that call: Electrical system: 39 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 42,315–144,000 mi; Powertrain: 28 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 45,500–109,000 mi; Reliability score 2.6/10 — below the segment average; 11 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the brakes first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 217 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 26,358 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 2.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 720 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is brakes. Typical failure occurs around 26,358 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is brakes, with 217 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 26,358 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop.
The airbags is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 88,325 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 720 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $1,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.