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2009 Nissan Altima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Altima years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Nissan Altima are substantially higher than the model-year median of 231.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

1,239 reports with mileage · 308 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 859 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 466 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 107 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

36 crash reports8 fire reports19 injury reports

Steering complaints

859 reports
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90,000 miles · Jun 17, 2016
Electrical SystemSteering

I WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AT A RELATIVES, HAD TO MOVE MY VEHICLE FROM THE DRIVEWAY TO THE STREETS. WHEN I CAME BACK OUT TO START MY VEHICLE TO GO HOME SIX HOURS LATER, IT WOULD NOT START. I CONTACTED TRIPLE A, THEY WASN'T SUCCESSFUL GETTING MY VEHICLE STARTED, SO I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO PEP BOYS WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, T…

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I WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AT A RELATIVES, HAD TO MOVE MY VEHICLE FROM THE DRIVEWAY TO THE STREETS. WHEN I CAME BACK OUT TO START MY VEHICLE TO GO HOME SIX HOURS LATER, IT WOULD NOT START. I CONTACTED TRIPLE A, THEY WASN'T SUCCESSFUL GETTING MY VEHICLE STARTED, SO I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO PEP BOYS WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, THEN I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI #10874937

123,000 miles · Jun 16, 2016
Steering

WENT TO START CAR TO RUN AN ERRAND WHILE AT WORK ON LUNCH BREAK TO GET IN THE CAR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I'LL HAVE TO GET THE CAR TOWED NOT TO INCLUDE THE DAYCARE LATE FEES THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE I AM UNABLE TO PICK MY CHILD UP FROM DAYCARE BECAUSE THEY CLOSE, NEEDLESS TO SAY IT'S $1 PER MINUTE THAT I'M LAT…

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WENT TO START CAR TO RUN AN ERRAND WHILE AT WORK ON LUNCH BREAK TO GET IN THE CAR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I'LL HAVE TO GET THE CAR TOWED NOT TO INCLUDE THE DAYCARE LATE FEES THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE I AM UNABLE TO PICK MY CHILD UP FROM DAYCARE BECAUSE THEY CLOSE, NEEDLESS TO SAY IT'S $1 PER MINUTE THAT I'M LATE AND IT IS DUE AT THE TIME OF PICK UP. THE COST FOR THE PART IS $708.66 NOT INCLUDING THE LABOR, STRESS, AND ANXIETY THAT THIS INCONVENIENCE HAS CAUSED. I AM INFURIATED. MY OTHER 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HAD TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION REPLACED JUST 2 MONTHS AGO. THE NISSAN QUALITY IS GOING DOWN THE DRAIN!

NHTSA ODI #10874635

Mileage unknown · Jun 15, 2016
Steering

STEERING LOCK ON A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA BROKE JUNE 13,2016. 1100 DOLLARS TO FIX AT DEALER.

NHTSA ODI #10874344

106,000 miles · Jun 13, 2016
Steering

ON 6/11/16 DROVE TO GAS STATION WENT HOME CAME OUT TO MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON SAW A YELLOW KEY LIGHT GOOGLED IT DIDN'T HAVE TO FINISH IT AUTOMATICALLY CAME UP NISSAN POWER STEERING WENT THE PLACE I'M FINANCING MY CAR FROM SAYS THAT MY FOB KEY HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED TO MY CAR SO NOW THE TOW COMPANY COM…

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

NHTSA ODI #10873976

89,000 miles · Jun 10, 2016
Electrical SystemSteering

DROVE TO WORK ON 6-4-2016. WENT OUT TO MOVE MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. LIGHTS WERE WORKING, ALARM WAS WORKING BUT CAR WOULD NOT START. I NOTICED A TINY KEY EMBLEM ON THE DASH THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE, COME TO FIND OUT IT IS THE STEERING LOCK WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL ON. CALLED NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT AND WAS TOLD THE…

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DROVE TO WORK ON 6-4-2016. WENT OUT TO MOVE MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. LIGHTS WERE WORKING, ALARM WAS WORKING BUT CAR WOULD NOT START. I NOTICED A TINY KEY EMBLEM ON THE DASH THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE, COME TO FIND OUT IT IS THE STEERING LOCK WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL ON. CALLED NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL EXPIRED IN JULY 2015 AND IT WOULD COST ME APPROXIMATELY $900 TO FIX. I CANNOT AFFORD 900 DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULD BE FIXING FOR FREE AS IT IS A NISSAN INDUCED ISSUE AND NOTHING PERSONAL. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR ALMOST A WEEK, HAVING TO BEG RIDES FROM PEOPLE JUST SO I CAN SUPPORT MY FAMILY WITH THE (2) JOBS THAT IM WORKING.

NHTSA ODI #10873623

84,000 miles · Jun 10, 2016
Steering

TRY TO START THE CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. THE PUSH BUTTON START AND INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE DASH DO NOT WORK. TRIED JUMPING THE CAR AND NOTHING. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A CERTIFIED GOODYEAR REPAIR FACILITY. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE REQUIRED A NEW STEERING COLUMN MODULE. COST OF APPROXIMATELY $850.00

NHTSA ODI #10873616

130,000 miles · Jun 10, 2016
Steering

STEERING LOCK FAILURE...CAR BROKE DOWN AT GAS STATION, WON'T START, BRAKE WON'T WORK, CAR IS LOCKED UP. NOW I HAVE $1,000 BILL TO FIX A PROBLEM I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD IN THE FIRST PLACE.

NHTSA ODI #10873577

Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 2016
EngineSteering

CAR WOULD NOT START, TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, DIAGNOSED AS FAILED STEERING LOCK MECHANISM, A KNOWN ISSUE ON THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT NISSAN DID NOT RECALL. THE CAR WAS NOT IN MOTION AT THE TIME, HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING IT TOWED SINCE EVEN IN NEUTRAL THE STEERING WAS LOCKED DOWN.

NHTSA ODI #10873467

130,000 miles · Jun 9, 2016
Steering

I DROVE MY CAR TO WORK ON 6/8/16. I CAME OUT TO MY CAR AFTER WORK AND MY CAR RECOGNIZED MY KEY TO LOCK/ UNLOCK IT. MY CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. MY STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND MY BREAK WAS TIGHT. IT WAS 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND MY CAR WAS SCORCHING HOT. I HAD NO ONE TO COME PICK ME UP FOR OVER AN HOUR. I GOOGLED "09 NISSAN ALTI…

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I DROVE MY CAR TO WORK ON 6/8/16. I CAME OUT TO MY CAR AFTER WORK AND MY CAR RECOGNIZED MY KEY TO LOCK/ UNLOCK IT. MY CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. MY STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND MY BREAK WAS TIGHT. IT WAS 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND MY CAR WAS SCORCHING HOT. I HAD NO ONE TO COME PICK ME UP FOR OVER AN HOUR. I GOOGLED "09 NISSAN ALTIMA" AND DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO FINISH TYPING IT, AND THE SECOND THING THAT PULLED UP WAS "09 NISSAN ALTIMA WON'T START." APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING LOCK IN THIS MODEL CAR AND IS NOT VERY SAFE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASES REPORTED ONLINE ABOUT THEM HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT NISSAN HAS NOT RECALLED THIS. I HAD A BEACH TRIP PLANNED TO LEAVE ON SATURDAY AND DRIVE MY CAR. IMAGINE HOW DANGEROUS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN HAD IT HAVE HAPPENED WHILE I WAS 500 MILES FROM HOME. STRANDED NO TELLING WHERE FOR HOW MANY HOURS WAITING ON A RIDE. IM ALREADY HAVING TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH IS 55 MILES FROM WHERE I LIVE, NOT TO MENTION HAVING TO PAY FOR THAT BILL TOO. THIS HAS BEEN SUCH AN INCONVENIENCE CONSIDERING IT IS THE ONLY VEHICLE I HAVE TO GET ME TO AND FROM WORK. I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BUT CAME TO FIND OUT IT HAS SINCE EXPIRED. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SINCE THIS EXPIRED? I THINK THIS SHOULD NEVER EXPIRED CONSIDERING IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND PRETTY MUCH UNAVOIDABLE AT SOME POINT IN TIME. I AM COMPLETELY DISGUSTED AT NISSAN THAT THEY HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUED A RECALL. I DIDN'T CAUSE THIS ISSUE, NOR DOES IT FALL UNDER THE NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF TYPICAL WEAR, TEAR, OR REPLACEMENT LIKE BATTERY, TIRES, ETC. HOW IS IT FAIR TO MAKE ME, NISSAN'S CONSUMER, PAY $1000+ DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING I DID NOT CAUSE? HOW CAN NISSAN KNOWING SELL A DEFECTED PART ON A CAR AND NOT TRY TO FIX IT?

NHTSA ODI #10873385

Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2016
Electrical SystemEngineSteering

NOT TOO LONG AGO MY CAR WOULD NOT START IN SEVERAL OCASSIONS I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME AGES 4 & 7 IN THE HEAT STRANDED BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE MY KEY... I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMERS AFFAIRS AT ONE POINT THEIR WAS A RECALL BUT HAS EXPIRE IN 2015 ..NOW ITS JUNE 2016 AND MY CAR JUST STARTED DOING THIS I MADE 1YR WIT…

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NOT TOO LONG AGO MY CAR WOULD NOT START IN SEVERAL OCASSIONS I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME AGES 4 & 7 IN THE HEAT STRANDED BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE MY KEY... I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMERS AFFAIRS AT ONE POINT THEIR WAS A RECALL BUT HAS EXPIRE IN 2015 ..NOW ITS JUNE 2016 AND MY CAR JUST STARTED DOING THIS I MADE 1YR WITH MY PRE OWNED CAR STILL MAKIN PAYMENTS NOT ONCE WAS I NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS RECALL..I JUST FELT SCARED AND THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN.IT COULD LEAVE US STRANDED ANY TIME AND ITS JUNE I CANNOT RISK IT IN THIS HEAT.... THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE... NISSAN DID STATE TO ME THAT THEIR WAS A RECALL AND THEIR SORRY BUT IT HAS EXPIRED AND IM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PART... THIS IS A MANUFACTURE ISSUE THEY KNEW THEIR VECHICLES HAD A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN THEY MADE THEM I BELIEVE THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS COSTLY MATTER... I AM A SINGLE MOM OF 2 STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON A CAR THAT WONT UNLOCK AND READ MY KEY I NEED HELP PLEASE SOMEONE..... THIS PART IS $680+ LABOR=$1150!!!! I BELIEVE NISSAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE ...

NHTSA ODI #10873111

Official recalls

4

10V401000 · 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

09V358000 · Suspension

Sep 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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).

09V006000 · Structure:body:door

Jan 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

08V464000 · Wheels

Sep 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Nissan Altima problems