2009 Nissan MAXIMA - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2009 Nissan Maxima has received high safety ratings in both front and side crash tests with a score of 5 for the driver's side and passenger's side in both front and side crashes. The car also received a 5-star rating for rollover potential. It comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, providing an additional layer of safety for drivers. However, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

In terms of complaints and recalls, the 2009 Nissan Maxima has had 334 complaints reported, indicating a moderate level of consumer feedback. There has been one recall issued for this vehicle, which is relatively low considering the number of complaints. Overall, despite not having some advanced safety features, the high crash test ratings and presence of stability control make the 2009 Nissan Maxima a safe choice in its class.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

334

Recall Count

1

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2009 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2009 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2009 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2009 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2023 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 5 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2023 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 4 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2023 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2009 Nissan MAXIMA

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"in 2016 we had to replace the steering lock mechanism. went to start the car and a security light came on and car would not start , and had to get the car towed from work. we paid to have the part replaced on 12/23/2016. now, 11/27/2023 we had the same issue with the steering lock mechanism where we tried to start the vehicle and it won’t due to this same issue. now having to get the car towed again to have the part replaced. i saw there was a voluntary safety recall on this issue in 2017. we did not receive any letter stating our car was affected, yet we replaced the part in 2016 with no reimbursement and now again in 2023 with the part doubling in cost."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-03-11
Complaint:
"i have parked my vechickle and after 10 min. i couldn't start engine. in nissan service they told me that i need replace electric steering column lock ($830.00). they told me too, that was recall on that part but unfortunately has expired."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2022-01-08
Complaint:
"two days after i bought my car from the dealership i had to have it towed from my house because it was unsafe to drive, field steering was so out of control i had a hard time keeping in my lane the brakes were if you were to just touch the brakes the slightest you would go out the windshield practically. after they claimed to have fixed the steering issues, i picked my car up from the shop and i was going down the city street and it jerked so hard to the right that i jumped the curb almost hit a bush and three people walking in the dealership told me it was my problem not theirs.*dt*jb"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2020-04-05
Complaint:
"the electronic streering column lock was stuck and my car was unable to start twice. it happened once when i was at home and i got it replaced. now it has happened again while i was at work."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2021-01-02
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle did not start. the steering locked without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the contact called (hilltop nissan located at 258 state route 10, east hanover, nj 07936) and was informed that the vehicle was not subjected to a recall. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the contact was informed to file a complaint with the manufacturer's consumer affairs. the contact did so and was told there was no recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 154,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2021-10-01
Complaint:
"nissan has a recall on certain 2009 nissan maximas electronic steering lock assembly. my maxima is not part of the recall. however, in july of 2014 during routine service at a nissan dealership the electronic steering lock was replaced. a few days ago it failed again, i had to tow it to the same dealership, i was informed that nissan will not cover any part of the cost of $797.19. my case number with nissan usa is 29509408. i'm asking for the replacement cost and $40.00 for towing cost for a part that was involved in a recall and had to be replaced twice."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2018-10-01
Complaint:
"car would not start on a blistery cold day. luckily, it happened infront of my house, but i then had to get towed to a garage because the windows went down when i tried to start the car. steering wheel is locked. "key" light turns on. all functions on fob still work and the car had a brand new battery installed 3 months ago. seems to be the steering lock module which has caused the car not to start."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2018-05-01
Complaint:
"oct 9, 2017, drove the car for 15 minutes, to destination. when ready to leave, car would not start, after pushing starter button. change fob key battery and still would not start. steering wheel was locked in upright position. car towed to dealer. dealer states the steering column lock is faulty. replacement cost $1100+. this should be a recall item, obviously, it can happen at any given time and be an endangerment to stranded occupants."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2017-09-10
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. while the vehicle was idling in the driveway at home, a fire erupted from the front of the vehicle and underneath the vehicle. the contact was able to extinguish the fire. the dealer diagnosed that the high pressure power steering hose leaked power steering fluid onto the exhaust manifold and started the fire. there were no injuries. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 177,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-01-03
Complaint:
"my maxima won't start or do anything. i towed the car to mossy nissan and they said it was the steering locking mechanism."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2018-03-02

Recalls for the 2009 Nissan MAXIMA

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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:
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).

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2009-09-16

NISSAN Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

NISSAN ranks 5 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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