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Nissan Altima HybridModel year report

2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid Problems

Complaints
54filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
69,000miles, 52 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
34 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 35 city / 33 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the car not starting because the steering column lock or key recognition has failed, often with a key or lock warning light on. Engine stalls, power loss, and rough idling are reported less often, and some complaints describe passenger airbags turning off or not working as intended. Among the no-start reports that give mileage, most fall between about 40,000 and 110,000 miles, and many describe the car being towed to a dealer.

  1. Steering

    Will not start: steering column lock failure

    • 33 complaints (61%)
    • median 79,235 mi at 6.5 yrs old (32 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $800 (median of 15 quotes)
    • filed 2012–2019

    Owners describe the car not starting, the key or fob not being recognized, or the steering wheel locking, often with a yellow key or lock light on the dash. Many complaints name the electronic steering column lock as the faulty part, and some describe a replacement that also failed. Repair quotes in these complaints range from several hundred to over a thousand dollars, some owners had the car towed, and some report that the part was on back order. Some complaints say owners were not told about the campaign, and that a replacement offer had an expiration date. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 30,000 to 130,000 miles, with most between 40,000 and 110,000.

    6 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the steering column lock service campaign was ever performed on this VIN, since a bulletin says repair orders opened after May 2020 are no longer eligible for reimbursement. Test whether the key or lock warning light appears at startup, and ask the dealer to check the steering lock and key recognition.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Returned to my vehicle after work at 5pm, and car wouldn't start. Ignition button was lit, with 'lock' light illuminated, and 'key' light was illuminated in the hud. Researched in owners manual, which referred to the steering lock unit, and told me to contact dealer. Interior lights worked, but little else. Had aaa tow me the next day to local dealer; service advisor stated the steering lock control unit had failed and needed to be replaced (part# 487009n00b). …”

    NHTSA complaint #10501353, filed 2013-03, 65,000 miles

    “For some unknown reason my car would not start on thanksgiving. It only showed a key. I went to Nissan the next day to get a new battery for my key fob. And had to get it towed. They said it was a steering column lock and it was over $900. Never heard of such a thing and at such a ridiculous expense. Apparently this is common for this model and I'm hoping for reimbursement as I didn't know about it before 1/1/16. I'm glad we weren't on an out of town trip that day.”

    NHTSA complaint #10928051, filed 2016-11, 90,150 miles
  2. Engine

    Engine stalls, loses power, or runs roughly

    • 9 complaints (17%)
    • median 62,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2021

    Owners describe the car losing power or stopping suddenly while driving, including on a freeway, sometimes with warning lights on. Other owners describe shuddering or rough, hard idling, and a check engine light. According to complaints, a dealer could not duplicate a rough-idle failure on two visits, and a mechanic said a cylinder head needed replacement due to carbon buildup. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 3,000 to 171,000 miles, and most fall between 60,000 and 150,000.

    What to check: Ask whether any fault codes were stored, and test drive including a highway run and a few minutes of idling to check for rough running.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I bought my 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid on july 30, 2009. On october 3rd, evening, it lost power while I was driving on freeway 99 california. Dash board light are on, engine has no power output. The vehicle dropped speed quickly. I pulled over to the shoulder and turn off the engine. One minute later, I turned engine on again. It backed to work. However, the same thing happened three more times again later in one week. It made me really think about the safety of driving it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10310058, filed 2010-02, 3,000 miles

    “Engine light had been going on and off, car shuddered occasionally. Took car in for that along with 60k service. Mechanic said diagnostic codes revealed need to replace cylinder head due to excess carbon buildup. Said it was a common problem they see. Car has used synthetic oil from beginning only 62,000 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #10837703, filed 2016-02, 62,000 miles
  3. Air bags

    Passenger airbag warning or seat sensor fault

    Mentioned in 4 of 53 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the airbag warning light coming on, or the passenger airbag turning off or not working as intended when a seat is occupied. Some say the dealer reprogrammed the passenger seat sensor and the fault came back, while another says the passenger seat cushion was diagnosed as needing replacement. A complaint says the dealer called it a common problem with no way to keep the airbag on or adjust its sensitivity, and another says the vehicle was not included in a technical service bulletin. Where mileage is given, reports range from new vehicles to about 154,000 miles.

    What to check: Ask whether the passenger seat sensor has been checked or reprogrammed, and whether any airbag warning light was on at the last inspection.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I purchased a 2009 Nissan altima in sept. 2009. I noticed immediately that the passenger airbag remains off 50% of the time when my girlfriend (approx. 100 pounds) sits in it. I tried to follow up with the dealership where I purchased the car and a separate dealer as well. My dealership where I purchased the vehicle told me it was a common problem and that there is no way to leave the airbag on or to adjust the sensitivity. He also stated that other people had similar complaints. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10290862, filed 2009-11, 1 miles

    “The passenger seat sensor to detect an occupant and enable/disable the passenger airbag failed. This is an item critical to occupant safety that is not a wear-and-tear item and one which should reasonably be expected to last the life of the vehicle. As a result, the passenger side airbags will not work as intended when occupied by an occupant of the appropriate weight per the sensor's setting. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10959173, filed 2017-03, 124,000 miles

Buying note. Buyers considering this model year may want to ask whether the steering column lock was replaced and check how the car starts with each key or fob before buying. A pre-purchase inspection that includes repeated starts and a check of the passenger airbag status can help clarify these concerns for a specific vehicle.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 53 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 54 consumer complaints for the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid. 52 of the complaints include a mileage, and 23% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 69,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 54 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Equipment (1), Fuel system (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seats (1), Suspension (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “My 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid refused to recognize the wireless key, leaving me stranded. It was seven degrees in chicago and the windchill was below zero, but I was able to return home taking public transportation. Who knows what might have happened if this had occurred in the middle of the road. I towed the car to a dealer, who told me that the steering lock assembly had failed, but they could fix it for $1170 plus tax. …”

NHTSA complaint #10692565, filed 2015-03, 60,984 miles

Electrical system: “I was 50 miles away from home, when I go to start my car it will not start at all! My key would lock and unlock my car but it wouldn't turn on. Initially I thought it was the key, I had my sister drop off my spare to see if that was the case, it wasn't. Come to find out the escl seems to be faulty and is preventing the car from starting up. Right now I'm waiting on the dealer to tell me what's going on, beware Nissan knows all about this but is refusing to do a recall!”

NHTSA complaint #10714521, filed 2015-05, 108,885 miles

Engine: “Starting system does not recognize the key fob. I can lock and unlock the car with the fob but can not start it. Inserting the fob into the accessory key port makes no difference. Research concludes this is a common malfunction that leaves motorists stranded and that the solution is resolved with the replacement of the steering lock mechanism. Again, this appears to be a common, known issue.”

NHTSA complaint #10563589, filed 2014-02, 44,489 miles

Other or unknown: “2009 altimas appeared to have a known issue regarding the steering lock column. Nissan did not issue a recall, but instead offered to replace the steering lock only once the vehicle broke down, with this offer expiring jan 1st 2016 apparently. My car has only 55,000 miles on it, and in march 2016 started experiencing this issue. Car would just be unable to start at all. I have spent money having to get the car towed to the dealership, and now it will cost me $1325.00 to replace the steering lock. …”

NHTSA complaint #10853817, filed 2016-04, 55,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

23% of the 52 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 55,000 and 99,000 miles.

6%0–104%10–2513%25–5029%50–7523%75–10019%100–1506%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (52 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 69,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

20102012152014201620182021
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Altima Hybrid · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Altima Hybrid FWD2.5L 4-cyl · hybridCVT353334$1,950

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 54 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 54 bulletins →

Other model years of the Nissan Altima Hybrid

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20101254,0000—34—Not enough data
20095469,0000—34Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20081638,0001—34—Stable
20072750,4031—34Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Nissan Altima Hybrid model years

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid?

Owners of this model year most often describe the car not starting because the steering column lock or key recognition has failed, often with a key or lock warning light on. The issues reported most often: Will not start: steering column lock failure; Engine stalls, loses power, or runs roughly; Passenger airbag warning or seat sensor fault.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid have?

NHTSA recorded 54 consumer complaints for the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 26 complaints (48% of the total), followed by electrical system with 21.

Has the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid (Altima Hybrid, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 34 mpg combined, 35 city and 33 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,950 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid reported?

Among the 52 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 69,000 miles and the middle half falls between 55,000 and 99,000 miles; 23% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.