2009 Nissan Altima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 1,547 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 26 Altima model years with reports.
Of the 2009 reports, 36 involved a crash and 8 involved a fire. 21 people were injured and 2 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Equipment, electrical, navigational system(global positioning system)Sep 10, 2010
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.
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.
Campaign 10V401000 on NHTSA.gov
SuspensionSep 16, 2009
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.
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).
Campaign 09V358000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, doorJan 9, 2009
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.
ALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIPS AND REMEDIED AT THE FACTORY. NO VEHICLES HAD BEEN RETAILED.
Campaign 09V006000 on NHTSA.gov
WheelsSep 15, 2008
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.
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.
Campaign 08V464000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
1,547 reports, newest first.
Steering, Dec 25, 2022
My daughter drove the car to a gas station, pumped gas, came back out and the car wouldnt start. She was left stranded by a car that had to be towed. Had she been out of town without resources nearby she would have been in a very difficult situation. The engine randomly fails to start using push-button No manual workaround, leaving drivers stranded Failure to jumpstart using cables or a jump box and new battery The new replacement part wiped out the memory of the body control system causing more costs. $1200 - just to make the car start
Power train, Dec 18, 2022
Check engine light came on with sudden decrease in power. Code is P0840. Car is an 09, but has only 96k miles.
Electrical system, Dec 12, 2022
The air bag light went on. Had all previous codes cleared by mechanic. a week later, light is now blinking. In the past year, came out to a car that would not start. Battery may have a bad cell. I think there might be an electrical problem that causes the car to shut down spontaneously.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 21, 2022
I was on the freeway on my way to LA then out of nowhere my car started to slow down then the check engine light came on and i was trying to move over to the emergency lane and and almost got hit by the car behind me and the one behind me in the lane i was switching in to once i got the side i turned the car off and on and it fixed it for a while but then then it did it again the same night later on and now it does it randomly
Engine, Nov 14, 2022
2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE FAILURE.
Electrical system, Oct 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the brake pedal was rigid. The contact's brother manipulated the ignition box until the vehicle was able to start. However, the failure reoccurred while the contact was in a parking lot. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle remained in the parking lot. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Sep 30, 2022
The steering column lock actuator went out & left me stranded at night away from my home. I got in the car & it wouldn't start.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 29, 2022
The vehicle was working just fine when I went to the grocery store and came out. I unlocked the car using the key fob, sat inside and the car stopped detected my key. The steering was locked, I tried to place it near the start push button, tried putting it in the slot but nothing happened. And I tried unlock button couple of times on the key fob and the mirrors went down. And there was no way to pull them up and I was stranded in the parking lot for no reason. I got it towed to the dealership and they told me Steering Lock Module went bad which is a common issue in 2009 Nissan Altima. Its a safety issue as I can get stranded anywhere anytime! And they are fixing it for 1300$ bucks! Please recall all 2009 Nissan Altima and change this part in them!
Steering, May 28, 2022
My vehicle suddenly failed to start due to a defective ESCL, which locked the steering column. The vehicle needed to be towed to a Nissan dealership to replace the part at a cost of $1500. Defective ESCLs are a known issue and a service campaign was implemented by Nissan to replace these defective parts in 2009-2010 Altimas and Maximas. Unfortunately, the campaign expired in 2020 and Nissan refuses to fix this part after the expiration. I never received notification of this issue despite purchasing and owning the vehicle throughout the entire 2017-2020 campaign. Despite Nissan referring to this as a non-safety issue because the part is not known to fail during operation of the vehicle, this problem can cause operators to be suddenly stranded with no option of immediate repair. I believe the Nissan campaign to replace these defective parts should be reopened with no expiration, as there are hundreds of thousands of vehicles impacted.
Steering, Electrical system, Mar 8, 2022
The vehicle steering got locked and would not want to start again, this could of happen anywhere and spend more money to tow and also a risk being in the freeway. This should be a recall due to a lot of complaints, or a free repair due to being very expensive, almost 200 for a safety issue. There is a TSB NTB10-053 ,
Power train, Mar 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, her vehicle would intermittently stall without warning. The contact had a friend inspect her vehicle, who immediately smelled an oil odor emitting from the vehicle. The contact's friend checked under her hood and discovered that oil had leaked out of her transmission and into her side spark plugs. The contact called the dealer where she had previously serviced her vehicle and was given an estimate for a diagnostic test. The contact declined the diagnostic test and called Darcars Nissan of College Park (9330 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD 20740) and was given an appointment. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle had yet to be repaired or diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 176,000.
Power train, Feb 23, 2022
The contact's sister owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her sister was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine revved loudly but the vehicle would not accelerate above 20 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle overheated, causing the antifreeze to leak. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact's sister that there was a recall for the continuously variable transmission (CVT) that was unrepaired. The dealer referred the contact's sister to West Herr Nissan of Orchard Park (3580 Southwestern Blvd, Orchard Park, NY 14127). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Structure, Feb 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dashboard had started to melt due to sunlight exposure. She also stated that a glare from the melted dashboard would reflect onto the windshield, obstructing her vision while driving. The contact stated that the failure had worsened over the years and that the melting had spread across the entire dashboard. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Power train, Feb 15, 2022
The CVT transmission CONTINUES to "FAIL"; the transmission goes into "fail-safe mode" when the driving long distances. The engine/transmission will decelerate right in the middle of the roadway while traveling at highway speeds. This is dangerous and WILL cost someone their life.
Electrical system, Engine, Feb 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that upon pressing the start button to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact stated that he was able to open the trunk and activate the alarm using the key fob, but the vehicle would not start. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA ID Number: 10119195 (Wheels, Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Electrical system, Jan 28, 2022
In 2009 Nissan built S models with an SL package. These models came with a push button start in lieu of a key start. These vehicles came with an electronic steering wheel lock mechanism. The electronic steering wheel lock mechanism was deemed defective on the push button start vehicles. Nissan ultimately did a campaign to have this repaired. In November 2021, my Nissan Altima electronic steering mechanism prevented my vehicle from turning on. I researched the problem and learned of the expired Nissan campaign. I never received notification of said campaign. I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs and started a complaint. After being told by Nissan Consumer Affairs that my vehicle didn't qualify for the campaign, I paid Rockland Nissan $1411.60 for the repair. Soon thereafter, I purchased another electronic part associated with this push button start system. During this transaction, I provided the Rockland Nissan parts employee with my vin number. I learned that my vin number reflected that my vehicle has a key start ignition. I literally had to escort the parts employee outside and show them the vehicle to prove that it did have a push button start. I again contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs. I informed them of my findings. Stated it was unfair that my vehicle didn't qualify for their campaign because the vin shows up as the vehicle having a key start ignition. I sent photos of my vehicle, my original window sticker showing that my vehicle came with a push button start system. They responded that the campaign ended and my vehicle is now too old and has too many miles. I responded that this was not the case when the campaign was active. I also stated neither I nor the original owner were ever notified of the campaign. And they should have covered the repair for these reasons.
Air bags, Jan 21, 2022
So while I am driving with a passenger my sign on my dashboard shows that there is no airbag for my passenger
Steering, Jan 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his son was attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to start and was given a jump start by another vehicle. The contact stated that the steering column box needed to be tapped in order for the vehicle to operate. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in Technical Service Bulletin: 10119195. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Steering, Jan 13, 2022
My vehicle is inoperable due to electronic steering column box. This locking mechanism is not engaging and has caused the vehicle to stop operation. I have been told this system is an anti theft device. It stopped working all of the sudden and I had to have the vehicle towed home thankfully I did not get into an an accident due to this mechanical failure.
Steering, Jan 5, 2022
2009 Nissan Altima It's relating to the Steering Assembly lock that was defective. I have this vehicle and this issue came up in 2013 and it was fixed. I had this issue come up again in late 2021 and I need to fix it again out of pocket. I read in your article that in 2017 Nissan issued a fix to this. I paid about $600 in 2013 and now they're quoting $1800 plus tax. Would I still be eligible to have this covered by Nissan as it's a known recurring problem? Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Other or unspecified, Jan 4, 2022
I am having an issue where my car door (driver side) will either not unlock or not stay shut. I have been stuck in my car two days in a row after arriving at work but what is even more disturbing is that my car door went flying open last night on the way home from work when it was completely shut. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS !!! Where do I file a "complaint" for lack of a better term ? Or concern to have this investigated ? This is a 2009 Nissan Altima.
Electrical system, Dec 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, the contact depressed the Push to Start button and depressed on brake pedal to start the vehicle however, the vehicle would not start. The contact stated she tried to start her vehicle manually and the vehicle still would not start. She then had an independent mechanic arrive to her residence to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that similar vehicles had experienced the same failure. The contact stated that she contacted the dealer and was informed that her vehicle was not under an open recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
Steering, Nov 29, 2021
Steering column is locked not allowing the car to turn on.
Electrical system, Nov 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle would not start up. The vehicle was inspected by a locksmith and diagnosed with needing the electronic steering column lockbox replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was not available.
Electrical system, Steering, Nov 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, the contact depressed the Push to Start button and depressed on brake pedal to start the vehicle however, the vehicle would not start. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and replaced the battery and the key slot to attempt to fix the issue however, the battery replacement failed to fix the vehicle. The contact called a local dealer and was informed over the phone that the failure could be related to the electronic steering locking module and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.