Skip to content
Air bagsPart report

2009 Nissan Xterra Air bags Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
32%of 19 total for the year
Median mileage
78,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Nissan Xterra, 32% of the 19 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,000 miles. 2 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Air bag sensor light starts blinking after engine startup and continues to blink until engine is turned off. Sent email to Nissan in dec 2013 regarding this issue and they indicated a review of our system indicates that the above-referenced vehicle is not currently involved in any recalls or service campaigns. I find it hard to believe this is not a Nissan issue when there have been air bag sensor recalls in 2005, 2006, 2007 ,2008 ,2009, and 2010.”

NHTSA complaint #10577708, filed 2014-04, 73,100 miles

“Air bag deployment 23 june 2011 location: pleasant valley trail, panamint mountains, death valley national park, ca time: approximately 6 pm I was driving on a popular 4x4 trail on the western edge of death valley national park on the evening of 23 june 2011. I was alone and crawling down a steep decline in 4 wheel drive, low range, in 1st gear. I made a transition from one set of deep ruts to another. The car rocked from the driver's side to the passenger side and back. …”

NHTSA complaint #10409192, filed 2011-06, 27,500 miles

“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that he started the engine and the air bag light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and the technician stated that the side air bag satellite sensor had corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 78,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10512085, filed 2013-05, 78,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Xterra. While driving at an unknown speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that a sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 08v690000 (air bags); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 95,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10716124, filed 2015-05, 95,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated and the brake lights failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the stop lamp needed to be replaced. In addition, the AC failed and the blower amp needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10765122, filed 2015-09, 109,000 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Air bags: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2014330%
2012425%
2011938%
20101129%
2009632%
20082319%
2007265%
2006203%
2005192%
200445%
20031014%
20021912%
200185%
2000157%

Other parts of the 2009 Nissan Xterra

Transmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2009 Nissan Xterra

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology