IllustrationTHE DASHBOARD OF MY 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA MELTED AND BECAME STICKY. THE PATTERN IN THE SUBSTRATE IS NOW SMOOTH AND GLOSSY CAUSING A BLINDING GLARE WHEN DRIVING AS IT REFLECTS LIGHT DIRECTLY IN THE DRIVERS EYES, BOTH FROM THE DASH AND THE GLASS ABOVE.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Maxima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
350–25K
4625–50K
6450–75K
5275–100K
54100–150K
21150K+
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
Unknown Or Other complaints
33 reportsSTEERING WHEEL LOCK PROBLEM-I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I WAS STRANDED LATE IN THE EVENING AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET HOME AND DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE MY CAR. MY CAR WAS PARKED AND WOULD NOT START. THE EXPERIENCE WAS TRAUMATIZING.
MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS A DANGEROUS GLARE FROM IT ON MY WINDOW WHEN I DRIVE. NOT ONLY IS IT STICKY AND IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAN BUT THE GLARE MAKES IT HARD TO SEE THE ROAD.
INABILITY TO CLEARLY SEE ROAD IN CERTAIN SUNNY CONDITIONS FROM A MELTING DASHBOARD WHICH CAUSES GLARE IN MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD.
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.
MY NISSAN MAXIMA 2009 WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS MY LOCKING STEERING CONTROL ON THE COLUMN. I WAS STRANDED AND NISSAN NORTH AMERICA REFUSED TO COVER THIS EVEN THOUGH THEY NEW THIS FLAW WOULD HAPPEN AT 72000 MILES MY CAR HAD 76000.MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY WORK PARKING LOT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL..…
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MY NISSAN MAXIMA 2009 WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS MY LOCKING STEERING CONTROL ON THE COLUMN. I WAS STRANDED AND NISSAN NORTH AMERICA REFUSED TO COVER THIS EVEN THOUGH THEY NEW THIS FLAW WOULD HAPPEN AT 72000 MILES MY CAR HAD 76000.MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY WORK PARKING LOT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL....
LUCKILY IN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER LOADING CAR FOR FOOD BANK DELIVERY, I TRIED TO START BUT NO LIGHT ASKING TO PRESS FOOT ON BRAKE TO START CAME ON WAS MY FIRST CLUE SOMETHING WAS WRONG. KEY LOCKS/UNLOCKS/OPEN TRUNK/ALARM WORKS BUT WILL NOT START ENGINE. "KEY WARNING LIGHT" COMES ON. TRIED BOTH KEYS BUT NOTHING. DISCONNECTED/RECO…
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LUCKILY IN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER LOADING CAR FOR FOOD BANK DELIVERY, I TRIED TO START BUT NO LIGHT ASKING TO PRESS FOOT ON BRAKE TO START CAME ON WAS MY FIRST CLUE SOMETHING WAS WRONG. KEY LOCKS/UNLOCKS/OPEN TRUNK/ALARM WORKS BUT WILL NOT START ENGINE. "KEY WARNING LIGHT" COMES ON. TRIED BOTH KEYS BUT NOTHING. DISCONNECTED/RECONNECTED BATTERY WITHOUT SUCCESS. STEERING WHEEL IS UNLOCKED. INSERT FOB TO TRY & START MANUALLY BUT NOTHING. MY NEIGHBOR IS A LOCAL MECHANIC & CAME OVER TO HELP. STUMPED HIM SO I GUESS I WILL BE CALLING TO GET A TOW TO DEALERSHIP IN THE MORNING AFTER UNLOADING FOOD BANK DONATIONS! AFTER READING SEVERAL HUNDRED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN JUST A MATTER OF FEW MINUTES, I AM SURE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND NISSAN UNSATISFIED CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS. STEP UP NISSAN & DO THE RIGHT THING. I DO NOT HAVE $1000 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. WE ALSO HAVE AN ALTIMA SO WONDERING WHEN THAT WILL GO TOO. NO MORE NISSANS FOR US!
CHANGED MY BATTERY NOW MY CAR WILL NOT START AND I AM UNABLE TO PRESS DOWN THE BRAKES OR TURN THE STEERING WHEEL.
THE DASHBOARD TO MY 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA IS MELTING AND IT IS CRACKING AROUND ALL THE AC VENTS AND AROUND THE RADIO & DISPLAY CONSOLE.
I AM EXPERIENCING SHUDDERING/HESITATION AT TAKE OFF. NO WARNING LIGHTS SHOWING SO I CALLED WORLD CARE NISSAN IN SAN ANTONIO, TX AND WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN AND SEEMS MORE PRONOUNCED NOW. *TR
Official recalls
109V358000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.