IllustrationI WENT DROP KIDS OFF AT THE BUS STOP CAME HOME CUT CAR OFF WENT IN THE HOUSE NOT EVEN THREE MINUTES CAME OUTSIDE TO START CAR NOTHING HAPPENS ,BRAKES ARE HARD,CAR DOES NOT START THE KEY SYMBOL COMES ON THE DASH TO THE LEFT, START SWITCH SAYS LOCK,ENGINE WON'T BUDGE, THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. *TR
2009 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Altima years
Owner complaints for the 2009 Nissan Altima are substantially higher than the model-year median of 231.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Altima 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
890–25K
17025–50K
30750–75K
29375–100K
306100–150K
74150K+
1,239 reports with mileage · 308 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 859 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 466 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 107 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
36 crash reports8 fire reports19 injury reports
What owners actually said
1,547 reportsCAR DEESN'T START, IT IS BECAUSE OF FAULTY STEERING LOCK SYSTEM. NISSAN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS PART BUT DIDN'T DO RECALL. IT HAS HAPPEND TO MANY PEOPLE AND YESTERDAY I WAS STRANDED AND MY CAR WOULDN'T START. THE REPAIR IS COSTLY AND NISSAN IS NOT PAYING FOR IT.
MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 SL STARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. STOPPED AT THE STORE, WAS IN THERE FOR 10 MINUTES. CAME OUT, MY CAR WOULDN'T START. IT WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK, LIGHTS WORKED, BUT WOULDN'T START. ATTEMPTED FIXING FOR 2 DAYS BY DRIVING UP TO THE PARKING SPOT WITH A BUNCH OF TIPS AND TRICKS ONLINE BUT ENDED UP TOWING MY VEHIC…
Read full complaint
MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 SL STARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. STOPPED AT THE STORE, WAS IN THERE FOR 10 MINUTES. CAME OUT, MY CAR WOULDN'T START. IT WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK, LIGHTS WORKED, BUT WOULDN'T START. ATTEMPTED FIXING FOR 2 DAYS BY DRIVING UP TO THE PARKING SPOT WITH A BUNCH OF TIPS AND TRICKS ONLINE BUT ENDED UP TOWING MY VEHICLE TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND SPENT $800+ TO GET IT FIXED. REFER BELOW LINKS FOR SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL HTTP://WWW.NISSANPROBLEMS.COM/TRENDS/STEERING-WHEEL-LOCKS/ HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NISSAN/ALTIMA/2009/ELECTRICAL/CAR_WONT_START_KEY_ANTI-THEFT_LIGHT_BLINKING.SHTML
THE DASH IS COVERED IN THIS STICKY SUBSTANCE ,AND WHEN THE SUN IS OUT HAS A TERRIBLE GLARE IN THE WINDOW.
DROVE CAR TO BLANEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ELGIN SC. AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL GOT IN CAR PUSHED BRAKE AND PUSHED START BUTTON AND GOT NOTHING! YELLOW KEY LIGHT WAS ON. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS $1208!!!! GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND S…
Read full complaint
DROVE CAR TO BLANEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ELGIN SC. AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL GOT IN CAR PUSHED BRAKE AND PUSHED START BUTTON AND GOT NOTHING! YELLOW KEY LIGHT WAS ON. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS $1208!!!! GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND SEE THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER NISSAN OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM! NISSAN NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS NOW! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN AGAIN!
I BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STEERING FOR SOME STRANGE REASON Y CAR WOULD NOT START THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGN OF ANYTHING.THIS IS VERY UN-SAFE I WAS STRANDED WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR LATE NIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY KEY FOB THAT WAS LOW IN BATTERY ,BUT NO LUCK I WAS STUCK FOR HOURS TRYING TO FIGURED WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH MY C…
Read full complaint
I BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STEERING FOR SOME STRANGE REASON Y CAR WOULD NOT START THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGN OF ANYTHING.THIS IS VERY UN-SAFE I WAS STRANDED WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR LATE NIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY KEY FOB THAT WAS LOW IN BATTERY ,BUT NO LUCK I WAS STUCK FOR HOURS TRYING TO FIGURED WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH MY CAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE KEY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 127,000.
RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM NISSAN IN THE MAIL THAT THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK CONTROL UNIT CAN BREAK CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. THIS EVENT OCCURRED TO ME ON 10/08/2015 RESULTING IN A TOWING BILL, RENTAL CAR FEE AND A REPAIR FEE AT NISSAN. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL NOT REIMBURSE SINCE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE WARRANTY PERIOD E…
Read full complaint
RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM NISSAN IN THE MAIL THAT THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK CONTROL UNIT CAN BREAK CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. THIS EVENT OCCURRED TO ME ON 10/08/2015 RESULTING IN A TOWING BILL, RENTAL CAR FEE AND A REPAIR FEE AT NISSAN. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL NOT REIMBURSE SINCE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE WARRANTY PERIOD EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMITTED IN THEIR CORPORATE LETTER THAT THIS MALFUNCTION IS A KNOWN ISSUE. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE.
TURNED OFF MY CAR TO GET GAS WHEN I WENT TO RESTART IT WOULDN'T TURN ON. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO GET DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETED AS RECOMMEND FROM NISSAN. I SEE THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS I'M A SINGLE WOMAN STRANDED IN A BAD PART OF THE CITY WAITING HELPLESSLY FOR A TOW TRUCK. THEN HAD TO RIDE ALONG WITH A STRANGER (T…
Read full complaint
TURNED OFF MY CAR TO GET GAS WHEN I WENT TO RESTART IT WOULDN'T TURN ON. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO GET DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETED AS RECOMMEND FROM NISSAN. I SEE THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS I'M A SINGLE WOMAN STRANDED IN A BAD PART OF THE CITY WAITING HELPLESSLY FOR A TOW TRUCK. THEN HAD TO RIDE ALONG WITH A STRANGER (TOW TRUCK DRIVER) TO THE DEALERSHIP. RESULTS CAME BACK AS STEERING LOCK UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FILED A CASE WITH NISSAN TO HAVE THIS COVERED AS THEY PUT OUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PART. THE CASE WAS DENIED BECAUSE THEY SAID THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN MARCH '15. I NOW HAVE TO PAY $1008.21 THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS DIDN'T B/C THEIR ISSUE FELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY TIME. IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT SOME CUSTOMERS ARE BEING COVERED WHILE OTHER ARE NOT B/C THEIR ISSUES HAPPENED EARLIER. NISSAN HAS CLEARLY RECOGNIZED THIS PART AS AN ISSUE AND ARE NOW NOT TREATING ALL CUSTOMER'S FAIRLY. THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED SOMETHING IN THE MAIL ABOUT THIS AND IT WAS ALL OVER THEIR WEBSITE. WELL, I DIDN'T GET ANYTHING IN THE MAIL & I'M NOT SURE IF MOST PEOPLE ARE LOOKING INTO HOW THEIR CAR IS GOING TO BREAKDOWN IN THE FUTURE SO I WAS NEVER AWARE OF THIS UNTIL IT HAPPENED.
ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK REPLACED FOR $974.97. BOUGHT CAR NEW 9-7-09. WARRANTY FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM EXTENDED TO 72 MONTHS/UNLIMITED MILEAGE. IT FAILED ON 10-7-09, ONE MONTH AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED.
Official recalls
410V401000 · Equipment:electrical:navigational System(global Positioning System)
Sep 10, 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN DIRECTLY AT 1-866-957-1981 OR NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
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).
09V006000 · Structure:body:door
Jan 9, 2009
NISSAN IS RECALLING 225 MY 2009 ALTIMA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 214, "SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH AN OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION WELD ON THE DOOR ASSEMBLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
Remedy: ALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIPS AND REMEDIED AT THE FACTORY. NO VEHICLES HAD BEEN RETAILED.
08V464000 · Wheels
Sep 15, 2008
NISSAN IS RECALLING 3,403 MY 2009 ALTIMA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 16-INCH ALLOY WHEELS. SOME THESE WHEELS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO SPECIFICATION. THIS COULD CAUSE ONE OR MORE OF THE FIVE LUG NUTS ATTACHING THE WHEEL TO THE VEHICLE TO BECOME LOOSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE LUG NUTS BECOME LOOSE, IT COULD EVENTUALLY RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF IT IS EQUIPPED WITH ONE OF THE AFFECTED WHEELS. IF IT IS, THE WHEELS WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEW ONES THAT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO THE CORRECT SPECIFICATION. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING SEPTEMBER 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 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.