2009 Honda Civic Hybrid Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 36%of 28 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 35,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, 36% of the 28 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 35,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“As with most of the complaints on this site, the vehicle battery had to be replaced after the ima light came on. It historically flickered on and off and we thought initially nothing of it. We then did some research online only to find out that Honda has ignored the complaints about this issue, & instead have had their dealerships decide on whether to replace or not. Initially the dealership told my wife & I that it would cost $4.5k+ to replace the battery, because it was no longer a warrantable item. There was no mention of anything Honda was doing to rectify this issue. …”
NHTSA complaint #10507075, filed 2013-04, 130,000 miles“At the end of october 2012, I began to have issues with the ima battery failing on my Honda Civic Hybrid (2009). I took it to the local Honda shop, and the battery failed because of high voltage and deterioration. The software update was tried first. Within 5 miles, the battery failed again. The car stopped using the hybrid motor, so I had no assist when I was pulling into traffic. The gas engine revved, but it did not move the car. I was in the middle of a busy road with an 85 hp engine that was revving high but going nowhere. I got lucky that I could go into reverse. …”
NHTSA complaint #10484984, filed 2012-11, 25,000 miles“1) visors cracked - driver's side does not stay up. 2) hybrid battery light showed it failed - dealership reprogrammed the car fall 2011 and since then the car does not accelerate as well. I have noticed lessened ability to accelerate when merging. 3) two of the doors fail to lock when the car reaches locking speed. One of these is a back seat passenger door where a child sits.”
NHTSA complaint #10463870, filed 2012-07, 67,100 miles“Honda Civic Hybrid has a problem with the battery that the system uses to run the integrated motor assist between the transmission and the engine to assist the gas engine when accelerating. As the battery deteriorates, it does not charge as well, hold a charge and therefore does not assist as well to accelerate, causing a dangerous situation at times to merge with traffic or accelerate from a stand still.”
NHTSA complaint #10449772, filed 2012-02, 12,000 miles“Car died at 50mph on a straight flat road for no reason. Dashboard display went blank and power steering lost. Put car into neutral, restarted the car in neutral and recovered power steering and electrical systems. This is the second similar incident but the first at high speed. Mechanics said there was a corroded battery cable, then later indicated that it just needed to be tightened, however, the battery is brand new and the cable was checked and the connection was secure and entirely free of corrosion just days before. …”
NHTSA complaint #10609494, filed 2014-07, 50,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10237952Jun 13, 2023Service News - The navigation clock and date are incorrect. This is due to a limited GPS receiver Capacity resulting in a rollover of the internal chip memory; the rollover…
- 10206994Jan 29, 2022ServiceNews Article - The clock shows the incorrect time. This issue is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in "rollover" of the internal chip memory; the "rollover"…
- 10115162Jan 30, 2015Dealer message - Today, January 30, 2014, American Honda is announcing a warranty extension for all 2009-11 Civic Hybrid vehicles for IMA batteries that may prematurely…
- 10115168Jan 27, 2015Service bulletin - To improve customer confidence, American Honda is extending the warranty coverage on all 2009-11 non-PZEV Civic IMA battery modules to match the PZEV warranty…
- 10142649Jan 18, 2014Service bulletin - Due to improvements in battery manufacturing efficiency, once stocks of original IMA batteries are depleted, new battery designs will be available for IMA…
- 10045879Jun 19, 2013Honda: information on replacement and removal of junction board from old ima battery and new battery mounted before battery is installed. Models 2003-11 civic hybrid, 2011-12…
- 10043248Jan 12, 2012Honda: on some model vehicles, there is an alternator/starter tester (ast) module capable of testing alternators, installed on gr8 diagnostic battery station.
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 13% |
| 2015 | 1 | 20% |
| 2013 | 2 | 22% |
| 2012 | 4 | 33% |
| 2010 | 8 | 67% |
| 2009 | 10 | 36% |
| 2008 | 19 | 30% |
| 2007 | 34 | 53% |
| 2006 | 21 | 38% |
| 2005 | 11 | 23% |
| 2004 | 3 | 9% |
| 2003 | 6 | 12% |
Other parts of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid
6 complaintsAir bags
5 complaintsSuspension
4 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSeats
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology