- The problem
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Cube vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture or detach from the steering wheel during air bag deployment.
- The risk
- A driver's air bag that ruptures or detaches can strike the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the front air bag inflator serial number, and replace the inflator as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number for this recall is R26A1. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 14, 2026.
Vehicle safety record
2009 Nissan Cube Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 101 complaints about the 2009 Nissan Cube with NHTSA, most often about the steering (23) and the electrical system (22). Those complaints describe 2 crashes, 2 fires and 4 injuries. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in April 2026 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2010 has 56.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Cube year, for its age
#89 most complained-about 2009 vehicle
- Complaints
- 101
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 2
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 4
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2009 Nissan Cube problems
Share of all 101 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2009 Nissan Cube recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Nissan is recalling model year 2009-2010 nissan cube vehicles manufactured from january 30, 2009 through july 30, 2010. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "Fuel system integrity." When the vehicle was rotated following a rear moving barrier crash test as required, the amount of fuel leakage exceeded the allowable limits.
- The risk
- Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will develop a special protector and attach it to the gasoline recirculation tube at the location of the filler neck connector. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on september 13, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
- The problem
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, washington d.C., West virginia and wisconsin. The material in the nut used to secure the sensor-transmitter of the tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) may corrode and potentially crack in areas with heavy concentrations of road salt. If this occurs, the nut may come out of the sensor-transmitter and the tpms lamp will illuminate.
- The risk
- If the tpms lamp is disregarded and the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, the tire will quickly lose air pressure at a consistent rate resulting in a flat tire increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- The dealer will replace the tpms nut with a new, more robust nut. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before november 9, 2009. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261 and infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
What owners say
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101 complaints about the 2009 Nissan Cube
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 5.
Recall issued. Kelly Nissan of 275 Broadway, Lynnfield MA 01940 told me to check back in a month to see if the parts were then available then a month later told me the parts were no longer being manufactured and were unavailable.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V230000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V230000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that parts were on back order. The contact was later informed that the parts were not available and were no longer manufactured. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The TPMS light keeps flashing off and on and all my tires are the pressure they're supposed to be
2009 Cube would not start. Steering wheel locked prevented me from starting the car. Called AAA and they tried to jump start and still would not start. AAA towed my car to Capital Nissan in San Jose and they confirmed it was the Steering Lock Unit. Replaced and charged me 1363.46. After researching online there was a recall (not my Cube and I don't know why) back in 2011. I also found that "recalls never expired". I feel because this incident happened at a later time the Steering Lock Unit became...
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defective. I've noticed the warning light on my dashboard for awhile but it was off and on and have been taking my car for maintenance over the years at Premier Nissan (now called Capitol Nissan in San Jose) and thought maybe the tech would find the problem. I feel because it was defective and recalled I shouldn't have to pay for parts and labor. Also on my Invoice they wrote down the mileage as 140000 and that is not true. My Cube has 138000.
Many complaints about the nissian cube... the battery are good and even put new batteries in the key fob.. the car isn't registering it and steering wheel is locked bc is a security feature.. many complaints online for these.. is this a recall yet?
Started my car at 9. Went to start my car at 10. Wouldn't start. The escl has failed.
Unknown
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact stated that the horn failed to operate as needed while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where he was informed that the clockspring was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that if the clockspring was not replaced, the air bags may not deploy in the event of a crash. The manufacturer informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.
The back door latch/lock doesn't work. It permanently locked and can't be unlocked with key or electronic key fob. The vehicle was parked and locked in my apartment designated space. When I tried to open the trunk, it wouldn't unlock. My research on the cube owner's blog indicated several others had the same problem. They had estimates from dealers of several hundred dollars to repair the lock. Nissan dealers are aware of the problem. It requires replacing the entire locking mechanism. There are a few instructional videos on line of how to repair the lock. It requires removing back door inside of vehicle.
On 07/20/2020 transmission began slipping. Vehicle vibrates and shutters in motion. Lack of power. At 124,000 miles. Unable to get to 50 mph. Vehicle also vibrates when stationary.
Tire valve stem leaking air, tire going flat on 2009 nissan cube. I see there was a recall on this issue before.
My 2009 nissan cube had a recall for the manufacturing defects associated with the electrical steering column lock (escl). It went out in january 2020 and the nissan dealer wants 832.00 To repair what is a nissan manufacturing defect. Investigating this it was found that in january 2012, just before the car was purchased from the nissan dealer, the escl recall was fixed at the murfreesboro dealership. As I wasnt the owner at the time I do not have paperwork to show this, only the word from the dealer. The escl...
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is obviously still a problem but the dealership said since it was fixed once that met the recall criteria and I have to pay for the manufacturers defective escl. The red light with the key came on when it was parked at a store and wouldn't move so it was towed to the nissan dealer. They have stated the part is 579.93 And the labor will be 312.50. Nissan consumer hotline was contacted and they said that it was repaired but wouldn't give me a date/place so I called the dealership I bought it from to get this information. They are the ones who stated it was done in january 2012 when it was in their possession to sell on the lot. Since it is a documented manufacturers warranty and the dealership supposedly did the work while the car was for sale on their lot (meaning we have to trust they actually did the expensive repair), when the problem still exists why is it not being covered? This is a well documented problem throughout the internet of nissan 2009 cube owners who to this day are having problems with the escl and the extremely expensive repair bills that go with it.
1) Check air bag light was flashing a month after I purchased the vehicle and it was repaired. The light is back on almost a year later and has continued to flash on and off. 2) Tire pressure light continues to go on and off and I replaced and aligned my tires and still it continues. 3) When putting gas in my tank the gauge is never all the way to the top and yet the pump will not allow me to input more gas. Also the gas is not lasting the amount of mile it should, and the reading does not seem accurate.
The antitheft lock malfunctioned. Now the car wont start.
Vehicle stopped while in motion on highway. Transmission went completely out.
The brake pedal has progressively gone lower to the floor when applying the brakes. There is a spongy feel and only engages fully at the last moment almost to the floor. Stopping is at the last moment, the brake pedal has to be pumped to engage the brakes. The rotors, brake pads and shoes and new brake fluid has been replaced but the brake issue remains.
The cube will frequently stop while driving at any speed. It is possible to pump the accelerator at the moment this happens and sometimes the engine will catch and carry on. If this does not work, the car must be shut down for a few minutes before attempting a restart. Unfortunately once this situation happens, it will very likely recur soon after. It is my observation that this happens most often when the ambient temperature is quite high (75 f and above). On cool days the situation is not likely to happen unless...
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the car is driven over an hour in duration. As another observation it is more likely to happen if the gas gauge is less than full. I tried to reproduce the problem twice for maus nissan but it did not occur. There was a engine service light on during both those attempts indicating a catalytic converter error. Since that time (early 2018) the problem has happened many times without any service engine warning being on. The first time the problem occurred, I took the car into nissan in chattanooga. They said there was a little too much transmission fluid. They removed some and I continued on the florida. Within 10 minutes the problem occurred again. While in florida, we limit driving to early mornings and evenings for less than 30 minutes and we maintain the gas tank on full.
Rear hatch door lock does not unlock the door. The lock has worked and then it quits working. In an emergency a person would not be able to exit through the hatch door. According to the internet this is a frequent occurrence in the early models.
Same issue as the owners in this thread with regards to the escl. Went to start my car as a snow storm was starting and no luck. My local nissan dealership said it was an issue with the escl and that there was no recall on the cube. However, my partner owns a 2009 altima and had the same issue a month ago and got it fixed at no cost. The fact that numerous 09 cube owners are experiencing this issue around the same time with no offer to recall or reimburse us is ridiculous. I have emailed customer service with screen shots of everyone's complaint and reached out to nissan via twitter. They have responded and are looking into the issue now. Fingers crossed they do something for us
Vehicle was parked in a downtown parking garage while my wife was at work. She came out of work after dark, with no access back into a banking building, and the car would not start. After calling me and trying a couple things, we called our roadside assistance and I got in my car to drive 45 minutes there. My wife had to wait in the locked car, alone, until myself and the tow truck arrived. This was an unsafe situation. We had it towed to a dealer and found out the next day that the escl (electronic steering...
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control lock) had failed, which prevents the car from starting. After spending $650 to have it repaired, I did some investigation and found that this is a very common problem not just on the nissan cube, but with altimas, maximas, 370z and infiniti vehicles. After our repair, nissan had extended the warranty on the part, but we were past the mileage and they would not reimburse us. They still have an open service campaign for the altimas and maximas, but not the cube or other affected vehicles. This is a sever safety concern. My wife was alone in a dark parking ramp for almost an hour in the inner city. Imagine if this happened to others after nissan has acknowledged it as a problem, and someone gets mugged or killed while in an unsafe area and cant get their car started. Nissan should issue a 100% recall on all affected vehicles and provide reimbursement for owners who have already paid for the repair.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan cube. The contact stated that the vehicle had difficulty starting. The contact had to lock the steering wheel in order for the engine to start. In addition, the key fob had to be visible to start the vehicle properly. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle remained parked at the contact's home. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and refused to assist the contact. The failure mileage was unknown.
The steering lock has failed, and the start button no longer works on the vehicle because the "plunger" has failed within the steering electrical box.
Faulty transmission, discolored, broken. Needs to either be repaired or replaced. At 111,000 miles my car had trouble stopping. I almost got hit in the middle of the intersection. Have really bad whiplash and continue to see a chiropractor every 2 weeks. I have taken my nissan cube 2009 111,000 miles to 3 mechanics. (Nissan, meineke and pismo automotive) have documentation available upon request. Including nissan when they said that it would be $260 to diagnose I went to 2 other mechanics shortly after) of ...
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which, I couldn't get a clear answer as to which was going on with my engine. The transmission cvt which I now know it is, because of your website, it was making all kinds of weird noises (engine revving). Jerking transmission, shifting (slamming and harsh while braking) have transmission leaks reported and reported that cvt was not only leaking, but blackened in color. (Saw it yesterday while mechanic showed me inside of engine and cvt. When I press on gas pedal it would drop out of power and hesitates on acceleration. Taking the lemon to nissan again. It's currently at pismo automotive, as soon as mechanic puts the engine back together I will be towing my car (nissan said I had to tow it to them) but even then, getting the run around from nissan saying I have to pay but it will be covered. *Dt consumer stated brakes did not fully stop. Updated 12/06/18*jb
There is an issue with the electrical steering control lock (escl) that prevents the car from being able to start.
Nissan Cube: every year compared
All Cube years2009 Nissan Cube vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Nissan Cube | 101 | 3 | F | |
| 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid | 1,601 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2009 Nissan Altima | 1,547 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2009 Nissan Murano | 636 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2009 Nissan Maxima | 339 | 1 | F | Compare |
| 2009 Nissan Rogue | 320 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2009 Nissan 370Z | 153 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2009 Nissan Cube Cargo | 101 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2009 Nissan Sentra | 55 | 1 | D | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2009 Nissan Cube
Does the 2009 Nissan Cube have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2009 Nissan Cube: inflator module (April 2026); storage (July 2010); pressure monitoring and regulating systems (October 2009). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Nissan Cube?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the steering (23), electrical system (22), transmission & drivetrain (20).
How many complaints has the 2009 Nissan Cube had?
101 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on July 16, 2009 and the latest on July 27, 2026. Of these, 2 describe a crash and 2 a fire, and together they report 4 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2009 Nissan Cube a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 12 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Nissan Cube year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Nissan Cube years have the most complaints?
2009 (101), 2010 (56), 2011 (31). See every Nissan Cube year compared.
What should I do if my 2009 Nissan Cube has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data