2009 Nissan Maxima

Typical pattern

4.6% of complaints about the 2009 Nissan Maxima came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2009 vehicle — around the middle of the 212 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.7 yr in service. The most-reported system is steering (170 complaints), typically at 6.6 yr or about 65,000 miles.

Complaints: 460
Median age at failure: 6.7 yr
Median mileage: 70,000 n=364
Crash / fire / tow: 4.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Steering

170 reports · 65,000 mi

6.6 yr

4.7%

Electrical system

79 reports · 68,493 mi

6.3 yr

2.5%

Air bags

45 reports · 83,000 mi

7.6 yr

8.9%

Suspension

36 reports · 80,100 mi

7.6 yr

2.8%

Other

33 reports · 100,105 mi

9.1 yr

Engine

18 reports · 83,000 mi

8.8 yr

Seats

15 reports · 20,768 mi

1.6 yr

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09V358000 2009-09-16

Suspension

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.

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.

In owners’ own words

Air bags 1,451 mi 1.2 yr in service

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON SAYING IT WOULD NOT WORK. WIFE OF 140 POUNDS WAS SITTING IN SEAT. IT WAS TURNED ON ALL THE TIME. SHE GOT IN AND OUT A FEW TIMES, THE LIGHT STILL CAME ON. THE NEXT DAY IT WENT OFF AND HAS STAYED OFF SINCE. TOOK CAR TO NISSAN DEALER THEY CHECKED IT,SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME TO BRING CAR BACK IF IT OCCURRED AGAIN. *TR

Air bags 7,500 mi 11 mo in service

2009 NISSAN MAXIMA PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ISSUES. EVERYTIME I SIT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON SAYING THAT IS NOT ON. I WEIGH 145LBS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM IN ANY OF OUR OTHER CARS. HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED THE SEAT ONCE, IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. IF I CAN'T SIT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR THAT I'M PAYING $500 A MONTH TO DRIVE, THEN THEY NEED TO TAKE IT BACK. *TR

Air bags 40,000 mi 4.3 yr in service

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG DEACTIVATES WHEN AN ADULT IS SEATED PROPERLY IN THE SEAT. IT WILL WORK SOMETIMES AND NOT WORK OTHERS. THERE IS NO REASONING BETWEEN THE ABILITY FOR THE AIRBAG TO STAY ACTIVE OR NOT. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS NISSAN MODELS THAT THIS AFFECTS. *TR

Seats 580 mi 10 mo in service

THE DRIVERS SEATS IN MANY 2009 MAXIMAS ARE UNSTABLE AND ROCK BACK AND FORTH WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. WHEN ACCELERATING, STOPPING OR TURN CORNERS THE SEATS ROCK CAUSING YOUR FOOT TO BE UNSTABLE ON THE BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR. *TR

Other Maxima model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.