Problems · NHTSA complaints
2009 Nissan Altima problems
Owners filed 1,547 complaints about the 2009 Nissan Altima with NHTSA between Nov 2008 and Jan 2026. The most-cited component is steering (859).
Complaints
1,547
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
36
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
21
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Steering859
- Electrical system466
- Engine107
- Power train95
- Air bags91
- Structure90
- Vehicle speed control49
- Visibility/wiper41
- Suspension33
- Service brakes32
- Electronic stability control (esc)26
- Wheels15
- Seats14
- Service brakes, hydraulic14
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
14
29
26
68
212
128
261
406
157
66
60
43
30
21
13
9
2
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 14 |
| 2010 | 29 |
| 2011 | 26 |
| 2012 | 68 |
| 2013 | 212 |
| 2014 | 128 |
| 2015 | 261 |
| 2016 | 406 |
| 2017 | 157 |
| 2018 | 66 |
| 2019 | 60 |
| 2020 | 43 |
| 2021 | 30 |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Steering
859 reports4 crashes1 fire
“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. While attempting to start the vehicle, the steering wheel was locked, preventing the remote start feature from functioning as designed. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.”
Electrical system
466 reports2 crashes2 fires
“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle using the key fob, the vehicle failed to start. The contact depressed the brake pedal and ignition button, and the vehicle failed to start. The contact was unable to depress the brake pedal to start the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering lock mechanism needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.”
Engine
107 reports3 crashes4 fires
“1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The cylinders are constantly misfiring. 2 )How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Yes. 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. 4) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, by a private auto service center. 5) Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. 6) Problem description: The service technician from the repair shop tried replacing the plug, coil, injector but it still misfires. Later the technician reported that this is a problem listed as recall (Recall Reference number : NTB13-056a, Campaign ID: PC131) for 2007-2008 Nissan Altima, but the same problem exists in 2009 Nissan Altima and is not listed as recall. Links for references are given below. The technician is sure that it is the same problem and NISSAN should fix it by recalling instead of asking the Owners to pay for this known recall issue. Repairing this issue by…”
Power train
95 reports5 crashes
“There is Transmission problems with the 2009 Nissan. The car shakes/ Vibrates when idle, when sitting to long at a light the idle engine delays the gas pedal from going forward, having to accelerate the gas pedal till it jumps to proceed to move forward, The liquid is up to date however the car can’t move backwards in reverse but can move forward.”
Air bags
91 reports10 crashes
“Was stopped at a red light - when light turned green car in front of me proceeded to go but stopped . I pressed on the brake at a speed of no more then 15 miles an hour and the driver side airbag from the steering wheel deployed . No other air bags deployed and there was no type of collision or contact with a vehicular.”
Structure
90 reports1 crash2 fires1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dashboard had started to melt due to sunlight exposure. She also stated that a glare from the melted dashboard would reflect onto the windshield, obstructing her vision while driving. The contact stated that the failure had worsened over the years and that the melting had spread across the entire dashboard. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.