2009 Nissan Maxima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
460 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Nissan Maxima, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 25/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 63,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2009 sits among all Maxima years
What owners report
“Car wouldn't start, steering wheel lock would not disengage. Also windows went down with auto-down feature on key but no way to put them back up.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Maxima
“Stranded twice car will not start because of steering lock module not releasing allowing the car to start.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Maxima
“Airbag deactivation light came on and stays on for the passenger seat even with an adult in the seat.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Maxima
“Dashboard melting very sticky and shiny, very hard to see out of windshield when sun glares off dashboard.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Maxima
“Takata inflators with what having front end struts have been cracked very badly where steering is hard to maintain on any parts of driving is 100% bad.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Maxima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 359 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 71,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 46,000 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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.
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
100 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and steering — are on file for the 2009 Nissan Maxima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Maxima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2009 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 2009 Nissan Maxima drew 460 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 25/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2009 Nissan Maxima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Nissan Maxima are steering (170 complaints), electrical (81), and airbags (45).
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Maxima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Nissan Maxima problems around 71,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 46,000 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Nissan Maxima have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2009 Nissan Maxima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.