2009 Nissan Maxima Steering Problems
Owners have filed 168 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2009 Nissan Maxima, 50% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 63,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering lock” (30% of reports).
- 168steering complaints
- 63,500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,250typical repair cost reported by owners
- 50%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 51 of 168 complaints (30%)
- Wheel locked: mentioned in 17 of 168 complaints (10%)
- Unable start: mentioned in 12 of 168 complaints (7%)
- Yellow key: mentioned in 9 of 168 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2009 Nissan Maxima at $1,250, and half of them between $1,050 and $1,500.
Based on 27 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2011–2020), 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 steering problems happen?
Based on 142 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 168 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Nissan Maxima steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Maxima | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2019 Maxima | 1 | 6% | 19,000 |
| 2017 Maxima | 4 | 4% | 2,000 |
| 2016 Maxima | 9 | 6% | 11,066 |
| 2014 Maxima | 4 | 4% | 1,020 |
| 2013 Maxima | 1 | 2% | 93,500 |
| 2012 Maxima | 10 | 9% | 38,975 |
| 2011 Maxima | 9 | 8% | 48,700 |
| 2010 Maxima | 158 | 57% | 67,000 |
| 2009 Maxima | 168 | 50% | 63,500 |
| 2008 Maxima | 4 | 5% | 49,367 |
| 2007 Maxima | 7 | 5% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Maxima | 17 | 3% | 37,294 |
| 2005 Maxima | 17 | 2% | 99,000 |
| 2004 Maxima | 37 | 3% | 15,567 |
| 2003 Maxima | 3 | 1% | 79,000 |
| 2002 Maxima | 11 | 5% | 127,500 |
| 2001 Maxima | 6 | 3% | 97,948 |
| 2000 Maxima | 8 | 2% | 124,500 |
| 1999 Maxima | 2 | 1% | 132,300 |
| 1998 Maxima | 4 | 4% | — |
| 1997 Maxima | 6 | 6% | 75,673 |
| 1996 Maxima | 7 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 1995 Maxima | 8 | 5% | 144,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 2009 Nissan Maxima. 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 called on behalf of the owner of a 2009 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that after the windshield was replaced by Safelite Auto Glass, the employee at Safelite attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start, and the steering wheel had seized. The vehicle was…
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Maxima. The contact received notification of an undisclosed recall. The contact stated that while the vehicle was off, the push-to-start button was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to start. The immobilizer warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a…
The steering wheel lock malfunctioned. The part is available for inspection. The car was parked on the street. It endangered others because it would not start and had to be towed. This issue was confirmed and reproduced by the dealer with diagnostics. There were no symptoms prior to this issue and…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Nissan Maximas have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 168 owner complaints about steering for the 2009 Nissan Maxima (50% of the 339 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 Maxima steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 63,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2009 Nissan Maxima?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,250 (half paid between $1,050 and $1,500), from 27 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2009 Nissan Maxima?
The most frequent phrase is “steering lock”, in 51 of 168 complaints, followed by “wheel locked” (17).
Other 2009 Nissan Maxima problems
See all 2009 Nissan Maxima problems or steering problems across all Maxima years.