2009 Nissan Altima Structure Problems
Owners have filed 90 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “dashboard melting” (30% of reports).
- 90structure complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 29%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.
- Dashboard melting: mentioned in 27 of 90 complaints (30%)
- Glare windshield: mentioned in 15 of 90 complaints (17%)
- Difficult see: mentioned in 7 of 90 complaints (8%)
- Sticky shiny: mentioned in 6 of 90 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 70 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 90 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Nissan Altima structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Altima | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2024 Altima | 5 | 12% | 80,000 |
| 2022 Altima | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2021 Altima | 1 | 1% | 2,000 |
| 2020 Altima | 6 | 4% | 25,000 |
| 2019 Altima | 6 | 3% | 16,100 |
| 2018 Altima | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2017 Altima | 18 | 5% | 57,150 |
| 2016 Altima | 29 | 5% | 31,005 |
| 2015 Altima | 63 | 7% | 58,000 |
| 2014 Altima | 52 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2013 Altima | 134 | 6% | 51,475 |
| 2012 Altima | 33 | 8% | 50,000 |
| 2011 Altima | 27 | 11% | 50,000 |
| 2010 Altima | 30 | 8% | 61,000 |
| 2009 Altima | 90 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2008 Altima | 312 | 30% | 65,550 |
| 2007 Altima | 27 | 6% | 73,752 |
| 2006 Altima | 221 | 27% | 100,360 |
| 2005 Altima | 351 | 32% | 103,000 |
| 2004 Altima | 42 | 15% | 114,000 |
| 2003 Altima | 126 | 14% | 111,000 |
| 2002 Altima | 128 | 12% | 100,000 |
| 2001 Altima | 4 | 3% | 38,005 |
| 2000 Altima | 5 | 3% | 135,350 |
| 1999 Altima | 4 | 5% | 160,000 |
| 1998 Altima | 6 | 5% | 140,000 |
| 1997 Altima | 8 | 7% | 169,000 |
| 1996 Altima | 4 | 4% | — |
| 1995 Altima | 4 | 2% | 41,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Structure:body:door
Problem: Nissan is recalling 225 my 2009 altima vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 214, "side impact protection." these vehicles may have been manufactured with an out-of-specification weld on the door assembly.
Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.
Fix: All the affected vehicles have been brought back from the dealerships and remedied at the factory. No vehicles had been retailed.
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 that the dashboard had started to melt due to sunlight exposure. She also stated that a glare from the melted dashboard would reflect onto the windshield, obstructing her vision while driving. The contact stated that the failure had worsened…
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact noticed that the dashboard was melting, and sticky, and had an abnormal odor. In addition, there was a glare in the front windshield that caused visibility issues while driving. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
Dashboard is melting. Sticky and shiny in hot sun causing severe visibility problems.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Nissan Altimas have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 90 owner complaints about structure for the 2009 Nissan Altima (6% 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 structure?
Yes: 1 safety recall list structure. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
The most frequent phrase is “dashboard melting”, in 27 of 90 complaints, followed by “glare windshield” (15).
Other 2009 Nissan Altima problems
- Steering problems (859)
- Electrical System problems (466)
- Engine problems (107)
- Power Train problems (95)
- Air Bags problems (91)
See all 2009 Nissan Altima problems or structure problems across all Altima years.