2009 Nissan Altima Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 466 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,010 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering lock” (32% of reports).
- 466electrical system complaints
- 78,010median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 57%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering lock: mentioned in 149 of 466 complaints (32%)
- Intelligent key: mentioned in 46 of 466 complaints (10%)
- Start button: mentioned in 45 of 466 complaints (10%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the 2009 Nissan Altima at $1,400, and half of them between $1,250 and $1,500.
Based on 29 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2022), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 392 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 466 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Nissan Altima electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Altima | 1 | 100% | — |
| 2025 Altima | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2024 Altima | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2023 Altima | 11 | 37% | — |
| 2022 Altima | 7 | 23% | — |
| 2021 Altima | 21 | 30% | 17,000 |
| 2020 Altima | 42 | 27% | 21,171 |
| 2019 Altima | 58 | 25% | 21,000 |
| 2018 Altima | 37 | 16% | 31,672 |
| 2017 Altima | 27 | 7% | 29,127 |
| 2016 Altima | 42 | 8% | 33,650 |
| 2015 Altima | 56 | 6% | 35,000 |
| 2014 Altima | 71 | 6% | 32,144 |
| 2013 Altima | 159 | 7% | 39,924 |
| 2012 Altima | 44 | 10% | 46,500 |
| 2011 Altima | 31 | 13% | 35,000 |
| 2010 Altima | 74 | 19% | 46,760 |
| 2009 Altima | 466 | 30% | 78,010 |
| 2008 Altima | 90 | 9% | 76,465 |
| 2007 Altima | 37 | 8% | 73,000 |
| 2006 Altima | 72 | 9% | 95,000 |
| 2005 Altima | 97 | 9% | 69,000 |
| 2004 Altima | 32 | 12% | 53,500 |
| 2003 Altima | 89 | 10% | 67,890 |
| 2002 Altima | 77 | 7% | 60,000 |
| 2001 Altima | 19 | 12% | 54,205 |
| 2000 Altima | 25 | 16% | 90,706 |
| 1999 Altima | 4 | 5% | 89,000 |
| 1998 Altima | 15 | 12% | 70,000 |
| 1997 Altima | 14 | 13% | 140,000 |
| 1996 Altima | 11 | 12% | — |
| 1995 Altima | 16 | 9% | 157,280 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2009 Nissan Altima. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle using the key fob, the vehicle failed to start. The contact depressed the brake pedal and ignition button, and the vehicle failed to start. The contact was unable to depress the brake pedal to start the…
The component that failed was the steering lock control, and yes it's available upon request with a tow. I was stranded with no way of getting home. Problem has been confirmed by dealer. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer. No there was no symptoms prior to the failure. 06
There's an obvious issue with the steering lock system in 2009 Altimas that Nissan fails to address with a recall. They opened an extended warranty period that ended in 2020 apparently, with no notification from the manufacturer or dealership that this was happening. Also, I have been seeing…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Nissan Altimas have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 466 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2009 Nissan Altima (30% of the 1,547 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Nissan Altima electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,010 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,400 (half paid between $1,250 and $1,500), from 29 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
The most frequent phrase is “steering lock”, in 149 of 466 complaints, followed by “intelligent key” (46).
Other 2009 Nissan Altima problems
- Steering problems (859)
- Engine problems (107)
- Power Train problems (95)
- Air Bags problems (91)
- Structure problems (90)
See all 2009 Nissan Altima problems or electrical system problems across all Altima years.