We have two '09s, and am finding common problems on both.
A/C compressor WILL go bad. Both of ours did within nine months of each other, at about the same mileage. Usually it's the clutch, but I had the entire compressors replaced with remanufactured Honda units by the dealer, so something else doesn't go bad.
Just did a starter in the blue CR-V. Mine I'm going to do once the weather warms up--it has always turned over more slowly than the blue, and when it was near zero, it barely cranked at all. Battery's fine.
@canyon and @spotpup mention the rear brakes. Yep! Both of ours have failed. Mine had the left rear seize up on a weekend road trip while driving, making a weird howling noise. Wheel was almost hot. Ended up replacing the brake pads and the hardware. The blue CR-V was making an odd humming from, yep, the left rear. Turns out one of the boots on the caliper got ripped somehow (effing Michigan roads :rolleyes2: ), and I'm out in the driveway in 18 degree weather, unseizing the pin, replacing with a new one and a new boot, all while snow is falling on me.
The front armrests are sh*t. My driver's side was somehow repaired rather nicely, now the passenger's side is puckering. In the blue CR-V, the fronts were very poorly repaired; I'm having to replace those so it doesn't look like a junker. (Aftermarket replacements are available--I just hope the colors match.)
Struts in both. Within a week of each other. All I could find were the better Monroe QuickStruts. Rides nice but that damn hardware is starting to make noise already.
Two door lock actuators in the blue CR-V have failed. Replaced one (driver's front), bought a passenger front actuator but it turns out the rear passenger actuator was the other noisy one, so I have that to fix.
Belt tensioner in mine is noisy.
Valves in mine are noisier after valve lash adjustment, triple-checked after each adjustment I might add. (I've done this before.) The blue CR-V is nice and quiet.
Oil level in mine rarely drops at all--I've never had to add any between oil changes. The blue CR-V uses a little more, but only one minor touch-up between oil changes is needed. Rear dual pump fluid has been changed in mine, but not in the blue yet.
Had to replace that evap solenoid to get rid of the gas cap error message on the dash. Got a spare for the blue CR-V when that one craps out. Which it will.