KnownCarProblems2009 Nissan Cube Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Nissan Cube, most often about the steering (23% of complaints, typically around 77,000 miles). It is the most complained-about Cube model year since 2000 and has 3 recalls.
Most common 2009 Nissan Cube problems
Steering
23 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 77,000 miles. Parts named most often: column, column locking.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized intermittently on more than one occasion. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. The technician repaired the vehicle by replacing the electronic steering column lock. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The…
The vehicle would not start after it was working properly, but once parked and off tried to turn the vehicle on and it would not start. It is a problem with the escl which was part of the manufacturing irregularity, which was confirmed by Nissan dealership service center, and will not fix under warranty.
Electrical
22 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 86,000 miles.
Electronic steering column lock (escl) failed, the car was totally immobilized, was not responding to keyless start, steering wheel was locked. This happened when the car was parked. The problem with escl lock is known to Nissan, it issued a recall and extended warranty for the part for other car models. I'm worrying…
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…
Transmission
20 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 95,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
I was trying to back out of my driveway and the car just stalled when I depressed the gas pedal. The vehicle hesitated and then suddenly accelerated. This condition was repeated several time while just driving around town in normal traffic. It is a safety hazard. If I were in the middle of an intersection and had to…
Takata recall. My Cube will not go anywhere, I put it in drive push gas and car will not roll. It won't drive in any of gears. Vehical drove my family last nite, we went on a trip, got to destination went to bed , woke up to leave and car will not go anywhere . Started the engine and put car into drive pushed…
Engine
19 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 70,500 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system.
This car since purchase has had the transmission replaced four times. When the transmission fails the car coasts to a stop which on the highway is a danger as the car is susceptible to be hit by other cars. In addition when the transmission fails the engine stops and the braking system is rendered inoperable the only…
Monday, july 8, 2013 I as driving home 95n interstate from north carolina with the A/C and cruise control on. The car immediately start slowing down at the of speed 65 MPH. I immediately moved to the right lane for exit. The car shut down and would not start. I was in fredericksburg, va heading to my home in new…
Wheels and tires
9 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 35,000 miles. Parts named most often: valve.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, she noticed that the TPMS warning light had illuminated. After inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that both front tires were deflating faster than normal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they informed…
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube equipped with toyo a20 tires. The contact stated that an independent repair shop was replacing a flat tire when he was informed that three of the four tires were splitting away near the wheel wells. The rear passenger tire was the only tire not exhibiting the failure. The tires were…
Air bags
8 complaints · 8%Parts named most often: frontal.
Blinking light on dash, air bag warning light. Air bag control unit malfunction, must be replaced and also possibly the air bag on the steering wheel. This should be covered under the warranty.
Was hit head on by a drunk driver and both airbags did not deflate all the way. The drivers airbag gave my mom a broken rib and broke vertebrae in her neck. Passengers side fractured my wrists. The seatbelt on passengers side almost cut me in half cause of locking up. Have sever whiplash and bruising. Prior to this…
Fuel system
8 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 77,500 miles.
While driving the 09 Nissan Cube at 75 MPH on a highway the vehicle experienced sudden deceleration and turned itself off in the midst of heavy semi truck traffic. Had the vehicle towed to the local dealership who could not replicate the problem. Car returned to the owner and after approximentally forty more miles of…
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…
Other or unspecified
7 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles.
Muffler weld separated (no rust or external damage) at the mid pipe causing muffler to tilt and start to melt the rear bumper cover mounts and bumper cover. Muffler then separated completely causing loud noise and possible exhaust gas to enter cabin. Contacted Nissan and was told there was no issue and Nissan would…
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.…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2009 Nissan Cube recalls
Air bags: inflator module
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.
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.
Full defect summary
Nissan north america, inc. (nissan) is recalling certain 2009-2010 cube vehicles. The driverâs air bag inflator may rupture or detach from the steering wheel during air bag deployment.
Fuel system: storage
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Wheels and tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
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.
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Driver airbag inflator rupture
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe25005 on june 13, 2025, to assess the scope, root cause, and potential defect in 2009 model year (my) nissan cube vehicles equipped with takata psdi-x air bag inflators.at the time the investigation was opened, analysis by nissan and takata (now new leaf llc) indicated that a rupture occurred at a weld point between the inflator cap and housing in a 2009 my nissan cube.nissan ruled out the propellant degradation root cause characteristic of the larger, well known, takata recall, and instead identified a welding root cause. On april 9, 2026, nissan north america, inc. Submitted a part 573 safety recall report to address
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Questions about the 2009 Nissan Cube
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Nissan Cube?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: steering (23 complaints, typically around 77,000 miles); electrical (22 complaints, typically around 86,000 miles); transmission (20 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2009 Nissan Cube have?
- 3 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from April 9, 2026 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2009 a bad year for the Nissan Cube?
- It is the most complained-about Cube model year since 2000, with 101 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.