CarComplaints.com Notes: We don't recommend the 2009 Maxima nearly as highly as the 2007-2008 Maxima, because NHTSA complaints show a pattern of the electronic steering column lock module failing.

When the module fails it prevents the car from starting, & Nissan dealers charge over $1,000 (!!) to repair it. Nissan recalled the module on some other 2009 models with the same steering lock problem, but for some reason they left out the 2009 Maxima. See this page on the Nissan Maxima Electronic Steering Column Lock (ESCL) defect.

If you're thinking about buying a 2009 Maxima, instead you might consider a 2007-2008 Maxima, or a newer model year.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,721 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Nissan Maxima seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2009 Nissan Maxima Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #18

Oct 222015

Maxima

  • 54,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Maxima. While driving approximately 30 mph, the air bag warning indicator illuminated intermittently. The failure recurred on several occasions until it was consistently illuminated each time the vehicle was driven. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

- Belair, MD, USA

problem #17

May 152015

Maxima

  • 153,200 miles
Air bag light come on when someone is sitting in the seat saying air bag is off

- Hillsborough, NC, USA

problem #16

May 192014

Maxima

  • 81,000 miles
Vehicle pulled out in front going at a minimum speed. Driver that hit the Maxima was on laptop thus pulling out in front of the Maxima which was traveling the full speed limit. Maxima was struck on drivers side causing the whole front of car to be obliterated. Bent the frame from the front of car all the way back to back door. Cracked driver side chrome rim in half and pushed the wheel well up into the interior of the car at the place that you rest your foot which caused jammed the drivers leg up into the pelvis. Not one airbag deployed, which left which caused the driver to suffer from major head trauma and passenger's neck was fractured. This sounds like a defect. The driver that hit the Maxima, his vehicle's airbags all came out. Steering wheel passenger side and all of the side curtain airbags deployed. So many airbags deployed within that Chrysler you would have thought a production was going on all the curtains that were popping out. Nissan, I do not trust them and not consider any of there vehicles safe.

- Martin , TN, USA

problem #15

May 012015

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 81,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owned a 2009 Nissan Maxima. The contact's vehicle was struck on the front driver side by another vehicle. The air bags deployed and the vehicle was destroyed. The contact was injured and a police report was filed. The air bag deployment produced black markings and metal fragments that caused further cuts and bruises to the contact, which required medical attention. The contact asked the police if the black markings were normal and the police said no. The manufacturer stated that there was no recall regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000..... updated 06/30/15 MA 08/17/15 the consumer stated the airbag bursts. One occupant had cut toes from black shards that look like rocks. The vehicle was totaled updated 9/15/2015 updated 12/3/15

- Longview, TX, USA

problem #14

Aug 312009

Maxima

  • 500 miles
When I am driving the car, with a passenger in the front passenger seat, air bag not on sign will illuminate. This happens on a daily basis. I never took it in and it still happens now. It became oblivious to me because I didn't make time to have the problem corrected, seat belts are fastened and the light still comes on. There are times when the radio completely dies and in a hurricane situations we rely on the radio for weather and highway condition updates. This is a current problem.

- Vacaville , CA, USA

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problem #13

Apr 102015

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 109,000 miles
Last week, the air bag light on my 2009 Nissan Maxima started flashing. I took my car to the don davis Nissan dealership and they ran the diagnostic tool to find the failure. They told me the occupant sensor in the passenger seat had failed, and they quoted $1476.30 for the repair. I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs to see if the failure was covered by my warranty or if there was a recall for the part, but was told no. Nissan recorded my complaint and opened a case # for any future recall campaigns. Nissan Consumer Affairs called me, and told on 04/14/2015 they would offer no assistance. I do not understand why Nissan warranty does not cover a failure to a major safety component in their car. Their warranty does cover the seat belts, but not the air bag system??

- Grand Prairie, TX, USA

problem #12

Aug 292014

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 74,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Earlier this year, the air bag light on my 2009 Nissan Maxima started flashing. I took my car into my mechanic and he ran the diagnostic tool to find the failure. He told me the occupant sensor in the passenger seat had failed, disabling the entire air bag system. He quoted me $1,243 for the repair ($895 " parts, $348 " labor). I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs to see if the failure was covered by my warranty or if there was a recall for the part, but was told no. Nissan recorded my complaint and opened a case # for any future recall campaigns. Nissan then instructed me to take my car into my local Nissan dealer, so they could run the diagnostic tool and provide an official failure report. After I received the report, I was told to contact Nissan Consumer Affairs to see if they could assist in paying for the repair. On 12/15, I dropped my car off at executive Jeep/Nissan in North haven. They ran the diagnostic and sent me a copy of the report. I called Nissan Consumer Affairs again, and told them executive had the report information they required. Nissan Consumer Affairs contacted executive, reviewed my case, and informed me on 12/19 they would offer no assistance. Executive Jeep/Nissan quoted $1476.30 for the repair. My car had 74K miles on it at the time this failure occurred. The passenger seat is occupied a few times a month at best. Since this is an internal part, it is not exposed to the elements, nor is it subject to major wear and tear. The failure has disabled the entire air bag system in my car, which is quite alarming. I do not understand why Nissan would engineer their car"S air bag system to completely shut down when one component fails. Also, I do not understand why Nissan's warranty does not cover a failure to a major safety component in their car. Their warranty does cover the seat belts, but not the air bag system?"

- Cheshire, CT, USA

problem #11

Jan 012010

Maxima

  • 30,000 miles
The air bag light comes on while a 160lb adult is sitting in passenger seat. This light indicates that the air bag will not out in an accident. I took my car to the Nissan dealer when this happened and they said the light didn't come on with them. When I got back home it came on after about four days and I have it on video while I'm sitting in passenger seat and the light is on. It still does the same thing now. Also, the car fells like its shaking like sliding as if you were hydro planning while driving. The light I think vds comes on a goes off from time to time.

- Thomasville, AL, USA

problem #10

Dec 012014

Maxima

  • miles
2003 Nissan Maxima. Airbags was not working on vehicle according to an local service dept. The consumer stated the air bag light started blinking. Two weeks later, she received a recall letter regarding the air bag, after the first dealer, told her there was nothing wrong.

- Hudson, NY, USA

problem #9

Dec 232010

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 16,844 miles
I have taken my car time and time again to fairfax Nissan for repairs and they have not been able to find a permanent solution to fix the problems. 12/23/2010 - passenger air bag light is staying on when an adult passenger is in the seat - reset system. 07/30/2011 - passenger air bag light is staying on.......10/20/2011 passenger air bag light staying on when an adult passenger is in the seat- found internal defect with occupant sensor in seat and replaced. 05/01/2012- etc 01/15/13 - passenger air bag light is staying on when an adult passenger is sitting in the seat. Videoed this occurring several times. Also complained about exhaust smell in cabin and was told to change cabin filter. Unable use outside air for ac or exhaust smell enters the car and creates extreme headaches. Only can use recirculated air. These continued trips without resolution have put a strain on my employment (work in the healthcare industry). I just want these issues resolved so that no injury to my family occurs from this.

- Vienna, VA, USA

problem #8

Oct 102009

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 11,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased the 2009 Nissan Maxima from the dealer, brand new, in November, 2008. Several months later, I noticed that as I sat in the passenger seat, the airbag light would come on indicating that the airbag would not deploy in an accident. I am 5'4" and 140 pounds and not a child or even a smaller adult. Throughout the past 5 years, the same problem would happen when someone sat in the passenger seat. The light will come on unexpectedly while I sat there and my husband drove. I took the car to the dealer on 2 occasions (first time in 2009 and again in 2010) and explained to them what was happening and that I felt unsafe sitting in that seat should we have an accident. They said that they could not replicate the problem and unless the computer spits out an error code, there was nothing they could do (even though it was under warranty). Now the car is over 5 years old and has 85,000 miles on it. My powertrain warranty is expired (as it ended at 60,000 miles). It is now that the passenger air bag light stays on constantly, even when nobody is sitting in the seat. Also, the flashing air bag light on my dashboard stays on. I took it to the dealer again and they said it's the sensor in the passenger seat that has failed. It gave an error cod B1018. Since it is no longer under warranty, it will cost me $1,900 out of pocket. I contacted Nissan's Consumer Affairs department and asked them to cover it?they denied the claim and will not cover the repair. I want to alert the NHTSA that this is a problem not only on newer Nissan, but also on the older Nissan, including the 2009 Maxima. My hope is that this year and model will be considered for an expanded recall to the current recall. This is a huge safety issue and one that Nissan should agree to take care of for all cars that show this problem.

- Newbury Park, CA, USA

problem #7

Jan 142014

Maxima 6-cyl

  • miles
When I am driving my car, my "front passenger air bag and status light" is on; which indicated that the airbag is off, when there is absolutely nothing in the front seat. It will turn off is someone is in the seat indicating that the airbag is on. I took it to the dealership to have it checked out, they told me that there is nothing wrong and the system is operating as it should. They even check for codes. According to the owners manual pgs 1-44 and 1-45, "unoccupied passenger's seat: The light is off and the front passenger airbag is off and will not inflate in a crash." "using the passenger air bag status light, you can monitor when the front passenger air bag is automatically turned off with the seat occupied. The light will not illuminated when the front passenger seat is unoccupied." I read the owners manual before and after I took my car there just so I would know what to expect after the inspection. I questioned them on what the owner's manual said and they said the light should be on if the seat is unoccupied. The tech even said that. It's very frustrating because I need my car's safety features to work properly as it should.

- Centralia, WA, USA

problem #6

Mar 192011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 39,964 miles
Passenger air bag light randomly goes on and off, whether or not there is someone or something in the seat. After the first occurrence, I was told that "it was just my purse"; I insisted that it was not and for it to be checked. The lower seat cushion assembly with pressure bladder was replaced and covered by warranty in 2011. I have had no problems until recently, it started doing the same thing and it has been tested by Nissan service technicians twice and I was told that there was nothing wrong with it. This concerns me, as safety features should not be questionable if they may function properly in the event of an accident.

- Batesville, AR, USA

problem #5

Dec 272012

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
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.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #4

Jul 032011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 52,000 miles
Tilt steering wheel locked in the extreme up position when drivers door was opened at approx 2 years/52,000 miles. Tilt steering wheel could not be lowered until disassembled by the dealer. Driver visibility was seriously obstructed, especially for shorter drivers. Potential air bag effectiveness was also seriously degraded. Nissan identified the problem is with the steering column adjustment motors (tilt or telescope) in service bulletin ntb09094. However, Nissan has not issued a recall and refused to reimburse this first-time Nissan owner for this safety defect. There is no certainty of whether replacement Nissan steering column adjustment motors do not have the same underlying design defect and will not fail shortly after installation. The telescope adjustment motor failed at approx 1 year/38,000 miles. Total replacement cost for parts and labor for both adjustment motors was approximately $400+. I request Nissan and NHTSA issue a recall for this serious safety defect.

- Crestview, FL, USA

problem #3

Aug 012009

Maxima

  • 7,500 miles
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.

- Plainfield, IN, USA

problem #2

Nov 162009

Maxima

  • 1,451 miles
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.

- Centralia, IL, USA

problem #1

Sep 262009

Maxima

  • miles
We own a 2009 Nissan Maxima that was purchased new on September 25, 2009. When driving the vehicle with my wife in the passenger seat the air bag system turns of the airbag. My wife is 5'5" and 125lbs, well within normal adult size. Upon discovering the problem we have taken the vehicle into the dealerships mechanic 4 times over the last 11 months with every time other than the initial visit lasting almost a week each time. The last time we took it in I called the dealership manager and was told that they had no record of our vehicle being in there shop ever. Upon the completion of the final trip to the shop we discussed the issues at length with the service manager of the dealership and we replicated the issue in both the 2010 and 2011 model Maxima's. we have since called Nissan looking to have our car purchased back or have the problem repaired so that the airbag will work with her in the car. At that time we were told that Nissan's airbag system was designed to take into account all factors and make a decision at that time. As of August 20th 2010 we have been told that there is nothing wrong with our car and that the airbag is functioning normally. Let it be noted that there are several instances of this problem documented across the web.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

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