Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Honda civic. While idling at a stop sign the engines RPM's began to rapidly increase, and then the vehicle began to accelerate. Consequently he rear-ended another vehicle. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership. The current and failure mileages were 22000.
2009 Honda Civic cruise control problems
severe 11 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
5crashes
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 11 cruise control complaints filed for the 2009 Honda Civic, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 16 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2009 Civic has multiple documented unintended acceleration issues at low speeds that dealers cannot reliably diagnose or reproduce, resulting in crashes and property damage. Idle surging and cruise control overspeed add to safety concerns, particularly on the hybrid model where the IMA system shows problematic braking behavior.
Owners of the 2009 Honda Civic describe five distinct drivability and safety issues. Most serious are sudden unintended acceleration events at low speeds—parking lots, stop signs, and garage exits—where the vehicle surges forward despite drivers braking hard or having their foot nowhere near the throttle. Several crashes resulted; one owner's brakes and emergency brake both failed to stop the car. Technicians at Honda dealerships have repeatedly been unable to reproduce or diagnose these accelerations, and Honda stated it will not address issues it cannot replicate at the dealer.
Second, owners report erratic idle control: the engine spontaneously revs 200–400 RPM without any driver input, happening at stoplights, in parking lots, and even while stationary. A dealer computer adjustment did not fix it.
Third, cruise control malfunctions—one owner set cruise at 55 mph on a flat road only to have the car accelerate uncontrollably to 80 mph.
Fourth, on hybrid models specifically, the IMA system lurches the car forward during braking transitions, locking up tires. Fifth, in at least one case, the brake system itself appeared to fail during an acceleration event; that owner had visited the dealer twice before the crash reporting the same unintended acceleration.
All failure modes occur intermittently and early in vehicle ownership (400–22,000 miles).
Same Honda Civic cruise control reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2012
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration—sudden full-throttle surge
Vehicle accelerates without driver input, often at low speeds in parking lots or traffic. Occurs while foot is on brake pedal or with minimal throttle. Multiple complaints describe crashes into vehicles, poles, garage doors, and house fronts. Owners report applying both foot and emergency brakes without stopping the vehicle; one owner had to turn the engine off mid-incident.
When: 400 to 22,000 miles; varies from initial ownership through early use
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden acceleration with foot on brake pedal; Vehicle does not stop when brakes applied; Foot trapped under accelerator pedal (reported once); Accelerator pedal position noted as unusually elevated; Occurs intermittently and cannot be reproduced by dealers
Repairs/costs cited: Technicians unable to diagnose or reproduce failure at dealer inspections. One complaint mentions $5,196.34 collision repair cost. Dealer advised placing vehicle in neutral if failure recurs.
Idle RPM surging and erratic idle control
Engine RPM increases 200–400 RPM spontaneously while at idle or very low throttle, with or without AC/power steering engagement. Occurs when stationary or moving, in any gear or Park, regardless of engine temperature. Happens inconsistently and unpredictably, creating unsafe lurching in parking lots and at low speed. Dealer computer adjustment did not resolve the issue.
When: Occurs throughout ownership; one complaint notes it happens 'every drive' or intermittently
Symptoms owners cite: Spontaneous 200–400 RPM increase at idle; Occurs with foot on brake or no pedal input; Happens while stationary or moving forward or in reverse; Car lunges forward unpredictably in parking lots; Inconsistent occurrence across drive cycles; Unrelated to AC or power steering engagement
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer attempted computer adjustment with no success.
Cruise control overspeed and loss of speed maintenance
Cruise control set at desired speed (e.g., 55 mph) but vehicle accelerates uncontrollably to higher speeds (reported up to 80 mph) without driver input. Vehicle does not maintain selected cruise speed and operator cannot control acceleration.
When: Less than 800 miles on vehicle; three weeks of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control accelerates beyond set speed; Unable to maintain desired cruise speed; Unintended acceleration while cruise control active; Vehicle climbs to 80 mph from 55 mph cruise setting
Hybrid IMA lurch during braking and transition
On 2009 Civic Hybrid: IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system transitions from charge to assist mode while braking, causing sudden forward lurch. Tires locked up during event. Occurred twice in five minutes. Dealer unable to reproduce; Honda manufacturer stated they will not address issue if dealer cannot reproduce it.
When: During normal traffic braking; mileage at 12,000–13,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Forward lurch during braking with foot on pedal; Tires locked up; IMA mode transition during brake application; Repeats intermittently
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer stated they will not address issue if dealer cannot reproduce failure; vehicle was driven home without repair.
Brake pedal failure concurrent with acceleration events
During unintended acceleration incidents, brakes do not respond or are ineffective. One owner applied both foot and emergency brakes without slowing the vehicle. Another owner reported complete brake failure during unintended acceleration event into garage door.
When: Coincides with sudden acceleration events; one case at 22,000 miles with prior dealer visits for same issue
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes ineffective during unintended acceleration; Emergency brake did not stop vehicle; Foot brake unresponsive; Vehicle continues accelerating despite brake application
Repairs/costs cited: No diagnostics performed; vehicle totaled and not inspected. Owner reported taking vehicle to Honda dealer twice prior to accident for same unintended acceleration issue.
Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Had cruise control trouble with your 2009 Honda Civic?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2009 Honda Civic?
It's a meaningful issue. 11 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Based on the 11 complaints filed, cruise control issues most often appear around 11,404 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2009/Honda/Civic.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.