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2009 Nissan Maxima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Maxima years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Nissan Maxima are substantially higher than the model-year median of 99.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

272 reports with mileage · 67 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 168 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports

Steering complaints

168 reports
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65,357 miles · Jul 9, 2016
Steering

I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR (FROM AN AUDI DEALERSHIP) ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO (AS IS) AND WAS NOT AWARE OF THE STEERING PROBLEMS I'VE NOW RESEARCHED. THERE WAS THIS WEIRD GROWLING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WOULD EVENTUALLY STOP BUT IT WAS DISTURBING. MY SISTER AND I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LEARN OF…

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I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR (FROM AN AUDI DEALERSHIP) ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO (AS IS) AND WAS NOT AWARE OF THE STEERING PROBLEMS I'VE NOW RESEARCHED. THERE WAS THIS WEIRD GROWLING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WOULD EVENTUALLY STOP BUT IT WAS DISTURBING. MY SISTER AND I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LEARN OF THAT IT WAS THE TELESCOPIC STEERING COLUMN AND TWO MOTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ABOUT $900 TO FIX IT. AS A COLLEGE STUDENT WHO JUST SPENT THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE CAR... I JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT. HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND JUST HOW SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS THE PROBLEM IS. THE POSSIBILITY OF THE WHEEL LOCKING IS NOT ONLY A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME AND MY PASSENGERS... BUT TO OTHERS ON THE ROAD AS WELL. I'M NOT SURE WHY A RECALL HASN'T BEEN ISSUED BY NISSAN AS THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE A REOCCURRING ISSUE WITH 09 MAXIMA OWNERS ACROSS THE BOARD. NISSAN EVAN ISSUED A MEMO, BUT NOTHING MORE? THIS IS TOO DANGEROUS OF A SITUATION TO IGNORE. THERE ARE LIVES AT RISK.

NHTSA ODI #10883789

98,000 miles · Jun 27, 2016
Steering

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, SHIFT WONT WORK, BRAKES WONT ENGAGE...NEVER NOTIFIED REGARDING NISSAN ALERT WHICH IS POSTED ON THEIR SITE...HOW DOI GET MY CAR FIXED...CARWONT START AND CANT GET TOWED OUT OF GARAGE

NHTSA ODI #10876908

Mileage unknown · Jun 13, 2016
Electrical SystemSteeringUnknown Or Other

MY 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA IS NO LONGER STARTING AND THE BRAKE AND STEERING WHEEL HAVE LOCKED. IT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THAT I HAVE A KEY EVEN THOUGH I DO. ANY ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE RESULTS IN A SPORADIC TICK TICK OR SCREECHING TYPE NOISE FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

NHTSA ODI #10873952

Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2016
Steering

MY CAR WAS PARKED AND WOULDN'T START WHEN I WENT TO CRANK IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY BUT UPON INSTALLING A NEW INE, THE CAR STILL WOULDN'T START. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT'S THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN AND IT WOULD BE $1000 TO REPAIR.

NHTSA ODI #10873764

123,300 miles · May 23, 2016
Steering

STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION

NHTSA ODI #10870383

94,800 miles · Apr 3, 2016
Steering

SHUT THE CAR OFF WENT IN THE STORE FOR A SHORT TIME CAME BACK OUT TRIED TO START THE CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENED STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND WOULD NOT MOVE . HAD IT TOWED TO ONE GARAGE THEY COULDN'T FIX IT SO HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALER THEY TOLD THEY HAD FIXED FOUR IN THE PAST COUPLE DAYS AT HARBOR NISSAN SEEMS TO …

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SHUT THE CAR OFF WENT IN THE STORE FOR A SHORT TIME CAME BACK OUT TRIED TO START THE CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENED STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND WOULD NOT MOVE . HAD IT TOWED TO ONE GARAGE THEY COULDN'T FIX IT SO HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALER THEY TOLD THEY HAD FIXED FOUR IN THE PAST COUPLE DAYS AT HARBOR NISSAN SEEMS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM THAT NISSAN SHOULD TAKE CARE !!!! COULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NISSAN OWNER'S NEED HELP WITH ISSUE !!! BECAUSE THEY AREN'T HELPING !!

NHTSA ODI #10853190

24,000 miles · Mar 21, 2016
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHEN THE CONTACT ARRIVED HOME AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT LOCK INTO POSITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

NHTSA ODI #10850878

83,000 miles · Mar 21, 2016
EngineSteering

THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL ON THE VEHICLE FAILED CAUSING THE CAR TO BECOME DISABLED. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN AND WAS LOCKED IN PLACE, ADDITIONALLY THE VEHICLE WAS STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. FORTUNATELY THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT HAD THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL FAILED WHILE DRIVING A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT WO…

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THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL ON THE VEHICLE FAILED CAUSING THE CAR TO BECOME DISABLED. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN AND WAS LOCKED IN PLACE, ADDITIONALLY THE VEHICLE WAS STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. FORTUNATELY THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT HAD THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL FAILED WHILE DRIVING A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE LIKELY OCCURRED AS THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE LOST STEERING CONTROL. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NISSAN SERVICE SHOP FOR A REPAIR COSTING NEARLY $1000. THIS WAS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE FOR NISSAN AS THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS PART HOWEVER MY VEHICLE'S CONTROL UNIT FAILED AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. AFTER ONLINE RESEARCH I DISCOVERED MANY OTHER NISSAN OWNERS HAVE SUFFERED THE SAME SAFETY FAILURE ON THEIR VEHICLES. IT IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER SAFETY DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI #10850843

109,600 miles · Mar 18, 2016
Electrical SystemSteering

STEERING LOCK BOX REPAIR. EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ISSUED & NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED INDEFINITELY. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. CONSUMERS WILL EXPERIENCE THIS INCONVENIENCE AT DIFFERENT LIFECYCLES OF THE VEHICLE & SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME REIMBURSEMENTS/COURTESY AS OTHER 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA OR ALTIMA OWNERS.

NHTSA ODI #10850484

53,000 miles · Feb 12, 2016
Electrical SystemSteering

STRANDED TWICE CAR WILL NOT START BECAUSE OF STEERING LOCK MODULE NOT RELEASING ALLOWING THE CAR TO START.

NHTSA ODI #10825909

Official recalls

1

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).

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.