IllustrationTHE CAR, WHILE DRIVING, REVERTS BACK TO IDLE RPM AND PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DOES NOT PROPEL THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED AFTER BEING REPAIRED BY NISSAN. ON ANOTHER OCCASION IT COMPLETELY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING.
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
Electrical System complaints
79 reportsTHE STEERING WHEEL LOCK LOCKS AND DOESN'T ALLOW YOU TO START YOUR VEHICLE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I LIVE IN MINNESOTA AND HAD THE STERRRING LOCK TRIGGER WHICH LEFT ME STRANDED IN FRIDGED TEMPERATURES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT HAPPEN WITH OUT NOTICE AND COULD CAUSE HARM OR DEATH BY NOT BEING ABLE TO START YOUR VEHICLE. TH…
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THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK LOCKS AND DOESN'T ALLOW YOU TO START YOUR VEHICLE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I LIVE IN MINNESOTA AND HAD THE STERRRING LOCK TRIGGER WHICH LEFT ME STRANDED IN FRIDGED TEMPERATURES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT HAPPEN WITH OUT NOTICE AND COULD CAUSE HARM OR DEATH BY NOT BEING ABLE TO START YOUR VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN PARK AND THE IGNITION IS DISENGAGED.
STOPPED AT CONVENIANCE STORE AND SHUT CAR OFF. TRIED TO RESTART CAR AND IT WON'T START. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER SHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. FOUND THAT IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK THAT HAD FAILED. COST TO REPLACE WAS 1300 DOLLARS. FOUND OUT THIS IS A HIGH FAILURE PART AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROGRESSING FAILURE IN WHICH THE PUSH BUTTON START FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK MECHANISM INTERNALLY MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROGRESSING FAILURE IN WHICH THE PUSH BUTTON START FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK MECHANISM INTERNALLY MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK WENT OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO START MY CAR. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR WHICH I HAD TO PAY $1,100 TO GET A PROBLEM FIXED I NEVER EVEN HEARD OF. THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS PART THAT "EXPIRED" A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. NISSAN NEVER RECALLED THIS PART THAT IS CLEARLY…
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THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK WENT OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO START MY CAR. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR WHICH I HAD TO PAY $1,100 TO GET A PROBLEM FIXED I NEVER EVEN HEARD OF. THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS PART THAT "EXPIRED" A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. NISSAN NEVER RECALLED THIS PART THAT IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM.
STEERING LOCK MODULE FAILURE CAUSES CAR TO LOCK IGNITION AND PREVENTS STARTING. NO FAILURE WARNING BEFORE CAR BECOMES DISABLED. WEB SEARCH REVEALS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER RECALL. NISSAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM COVERS MULTIPLE YEARS AND MODELS. NO NOTIFICATION FROM NISSAN WARNING THIS PROB…
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STEERING LOCK MODULE FAILURE CAUSES CAR TO LOCK IGNITION AND PREVENTS STARTING. NO FAILURE WARNING BEFORE CAR BECOMES DISABLED. WEB SEARCH REVEALS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER RECALL. NISSAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM COVERS MULTIPLE YEARS AND MODELS. NO NOTIFICATION FROM NISSAN WARNING THIS PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING OVER SEVERAL YEARS. OVER $1000 TO REPAIR. MY VEHICLE LEFT ME STRANDED WHEN I STOPPED AT A OVERLOOK ON AFTON MOUNTAIN. REQUIRED TOWING TO NEAREST DEALER FOR REPAIR.
I WENT OUTSIDE TO START MY VEHICLE AND IT WOULDN'T START..THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND I CAN'T GET IT UNLOCKED..THE STEERING WHEEL SYMBOL WITH 2 UP AND DOWN ARROWS ON BOTH SIDES OF IT LIGHTS UP ON THE DASH AND A RED FLASH IN CAR SYMBOL WITH A KEY IN THE CENTER OF IT IS ON ALONG WITH THE LOCK WORD ON THE PUSH BUTTON..IT WON'T…
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I WENT OUTSIDE TO START MY VEHICLE AND IT WOULDN'T START..THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND I CAN'T GET IT UNLOCKED..THE STEERING WHEEL SYMBOL WITH 2 UP AND DOWN ARROWS ON BOTH SIDES OF IT LIGHTS UP ON THE DASH AND A RED FLASH IN CAR SYMBOL WITH A KEY IN THE CENTER OF IT IS ON ALONG WITH THE LOCK WORD ON THE PUSH BUTTON..IT WON'T GO PAST THE LOCK BUTTON WHEN I TRY TO START IT.
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.
ESCL PART IS DEFECTIVE. MAKES CAR COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. MANUFACTURER KNOWS ORIGINAL PART IS DEFECTIVE BUT NO RECALL. EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND NOW PART COST HAS DOUBLED. PART WAS $380 BUT NOW IS $680 WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PART NUMBER. COST DOUBLED AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED!
STEERING LOCK BOX REPAIR. EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ISSUED & NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED INDEFINITELY. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. CONSUMERS WILL EXPERIENCE THIS INCONVENIENCE AT DIFFERENT LIFECYCLES OF THE VEHICLE & SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME REIMBURSEMENTS/COURTESY AS OTHER 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA OR ALTIMA OWNERS.
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.