STRANDED TWICE CAR WILL NOT START BECAUSE OF STEERING LOCK MODULE NOT RELEASING ALLOWING THE CAR TO START.
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
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.
What owners actually said
339 reportsTHE STEERING CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED, AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO START. SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON ISSUE, AND THE SAME PART AND PART NUMBER HAS BEEN RECALLED ON THERE OTHER MODEL CARS, BUT NOT WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHEN THIS PART FAIL IT WILL LEAVE YOU STRANDED AND NOT BE ABLE TO START THE CAR WITH THE STEERING WHEEL POSSIBLY…
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THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED, AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO START. SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON ISSUE, AND THE SAME PART AND PART NUMBER HAS BEEN RECALLED ON THERE OTHER MODEL CARS, BUT NOT WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHEN THIS PART FAIL IT WILL LEAVE YOU STRANDED AND NOT BE ABLE TO START THE CAR WITH THE STEERING WHEEL POSSIBLY LOCKED IN PLACE.
THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK UNIT FAILED MAKING THE CAR NOT START LEAVING MY WIFE STRANDED AT A CONVENIENCE STORE ON A COLD NIGHT. NISSAN KNOWS THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM BUT IS STILL LETTING ITS CUSTOMERS FOOT THE $1000 BILL FOR THEIR POOR DESIGN. IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN IT LEAVES MY WIFE STRANDED!
STEERING LOCK ACTUATOR FAILURE. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THE PART REPLACED FOR $1,330.00
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!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND MADE A LOUD RATTLING NOISE WHENEVER THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT AND/OR BUMPS IN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000.
STEERING WHEEL LOCK - IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY FAILURE. I PURCHASED MY 2009 NISSAN MA XIMA IN NOV 2012 AND MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING PRETTY GOOD UNTIL THE DREADED DAY WHEN I WAS STRANDED BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAD MY CAR TOWED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEVSTEERINGBWHEEL LOCK ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED $1189.00. I DON'…
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STEERING WHEEL LOCK - IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY FAILURE. I PURCHASED MY 2009 NISSAN MA XIMA IN NOV 2012 AND MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING PRETTY GOOD UNTIL THE DREADED DAY WHEN I WAS STRANDED BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAD MY CAR TOWED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEVSTEERINGBWHEEL LOCK ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED $1189.00. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT IM NOT MADE OUT OF MONEY. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE 09. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND NISSAN SHOULD HAVE OWNED UP AND FIXED THIS PROBLEM ALONG TIME AGO. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND NOT JUST A BULLETIN. THERE IS A PROBLEM AND NISSA NEEDS TO FIX THERE WRONG, INSTEAD SELLING CARS KNOWING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED AND NISSAN NEEDS TO DO THE REPAIRS IMMEDIATELY WITH NO CHARGE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED THAT MY 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA HAS A MALFUNCTION CALLED STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILURE. MY CAR WAS ON A CITY STREET WHEN IT WOULD NOT START, IT WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE MY KEYS FOB, AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO START THE CAR WITH THE PUSH TO START BUTTON. NOTHING HAPPENED. NOTHING ON THE DASHBOARD WOULD SHOW. I HAD MY CAR TOWE…
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I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED THAT MY 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA HAS A MALFUNCTION CALLED STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILURE. MY CAR WAS ON A CITY STREET WHEN IT WOULD NOT START, IT WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE MY KEYS FOB, AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO START THE CAR WITH THE PUSH TO START BUTTON. NOTHING HAPPENED. NOTHING ON THE DASHBOARD WOULD SHOW. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THIS MALFUNCTION IS COSTING ME A LOT OF MONEY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND THIS MALFUNCTION IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A RECALL. IF THIS WAS A RECALL, THEN I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE GOT THIS FIXED A LOT SOONER BEFORE IT HAPPENED TO ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECURITY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING UNABLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT NEE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECURITY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING UNABLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.
WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR, IT FAILS TO START. STEERING HAS FAILED, NOT ALLOWING THE CAR TO START. THIS ISSUE HAS APPEARED TWICE ON MY CAR IN 7 DAYS. THANKS TO YOUTUBE.COM I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LIMP MY WAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER, AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS DETERMINED THAT STEERING LOCK HAS FAILED. THEY TOLD M…
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WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR, IT FAILS TO START. STEERING HAS FAILED, NOT ALLOWING THE CAR TO START. THIS ISSUE HAS APPEARED TWICE ON MY CAR IN 7 DAYS. THANKS TO YOUTUBE.COM I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LIMP MY WAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER, AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS DETERMINED THAT STEERING LOCK HAS FAILED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THAT WITH PARTS AND LABOR IT WOULD BE $1,500. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND PAGES AND PAGES OF ONLINE FORUMS WITH PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I CALLED 1-800-NISSAN THEY REVIEWED THE CASE AND OFFERED ME NOTHING IN RETURN. NISSAN KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE; IT SHOULD BE A RECALL; HOWEVER, THEY ARE DOING NOTHING TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. NISSAN PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM.
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.
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