Your vehicle report
2009 Nissan Altima
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,547
- Received Nov 2008 to Jan 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly620 complaints · 40% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Ignition key sticks or will not turn180 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares102 complaints · 6.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #10V401000Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.
- Recall #09V358000Nissan is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 altima and maxima passenger cars. The upper front strut insulators may have been manufactured out of specification resulting in a potential for the strut insulator to crack.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 36 crashes, 8 fires, 21 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 14 |
| 2010 | 29 |
| 2011 | 26 |
| 2012 | 68 |
| 2013 | 212 |
| 2014 | 128 |
| 2015 | 261 |
| 2016 | 406 |
| 2017 | 157 |
| 2018 | 66 |
| 2019 | 60 |
| 2020 | 43 |
| 2021 | 30 |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 1,547 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 620 | 40% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 180 | 12% | – | |
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 102 | 6.6% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 77 | 5.0% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 35 | 2.3% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 29 | 1.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 21 | 1.4% | – | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 17 | 1.1% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 15 | 1.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 14 | 0.9% | – | NHTSA recall #09V006000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 13 | 0.8% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 12 | 0.8% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 12 | 0.8% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 11 | 0.7% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 11 | 0.7% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 10 | 0.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 8 | 0.5% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 8 | 0.5% | – | |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 8 | 0.5% | – | |
| TPMS valve stems break or leak | 7 | 0.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #10V401000September 10, 20107,948 vehicles affected
equipment: electrical: navigational system(global positioning system)
Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units Can overheat.
Overheated batteries could result in a fire.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2010. Owners may contact garmin directly at 1-866-957-1981 or Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #09V358000September 16, 200926,398 vehicles affected
suspension
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 Altima and maxima passenger cars. The upper front strut insulators may have been manufactured out of specification resulting in a potential for the strut insulator to crack.
If the strut insulator is cracked, there is a potential for the strut rod to come out of its mounting position, which could affect vehicle stability and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners and dealers will replace both left and right side front strut insulators free of charge. The safety recall began october 2009. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-NISSAN1 (1-800-647-7261).
NHTSA recall #09V006000January 9, 2009225 vehicles affected
structure: body: door
Nissan is recalling 225 my 2009 Altima vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 214, "side impact protection." these vehicles may have been manufactured with an out-of-specification weld on the door assembly.
This does not meet the standard requirements.
Remedy
All the affected vehicles have been brought back from the dealerships and remedied at the factory. No vehicles had been retailed.
NHTSA recall #08V464000September 15, 20083,403 vehicles affected
wheels
Nissan is recalling 3,403 my 2009 Altima vehicles equipped with 16-INCH alloy wheels. Some these wheels may not have been manufactured to specification. This could cause one or more of the five lug nuts attaching the wheel to the vehicle to become loose.
If the lug nuts become loose, it could eventually result in a loss of control and a crash without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the vehicle to determine if it is equipped with one of the affected wheels. If it is, the wheels will be replaced with new ones that have been manufactured to the correct specification. The recall is expected to begin during september 2008. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2009 Nissan Altima.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN