Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 over the years and that the melting had spread across the entire dashboard. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
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 manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.
The dashboard on my 2009 Nissan Altima has started to produce a very shinny and sticky substance. This substance is creating a glare on the windshield of my car when the sun is shining making it very difficult to see the street in front of me. I have tried several methods to remove this substance without success. From what I understand this is due to heat and humidity but my car is always parked in the garage when I'm not out in it. This is a safety hazard that in my opinion should be addressed by Nissan. There was a class action lawsuit in 2017 where Nissan agreed to pay all but $250 for the replacement of these dashboards. See gibbs law group online for details. Https://www.classlawgroup.com/Nissan-melting-dashboard-lawsuit/ I would think if they agreed to replace these dashboards they know this is a flaw in their dashboards.
I am experiencing two severe safety issues with my 2009 Nissan Altima coupe. 1. When I am driving on the highway, after about an hour, my transmission will not allow the car to go the speed limit or accelerate. No matter how hard I press on the gas pedal, the car will not shift, loses power and gets progressively worse the farther I drive. I had to pull off the highway for fear that someone would hit me because no matter how hard I tried to accelerate, the car would only go about 40 MPH. 2. The dashboard is literally melting causing a blinding glare when the sun (during the day) or other headlights (during the night or rain) hit it...it creates a blinding glare making it impossible to see. Both of these issues, the transmission and dash make driving extremely hazardous.
Door handles on car break internally preventing door from being unlocked or opened from inside or outside. Dealer has replaced two at my expense and now the other two are broken with the same symptoms. No abuse or accident involved they just alll of the sudden stop working. Concern is in an emergency (fire, accident, etc..) passengers or driver would not be able to exit car easily or at all in a timely basis, possibly causing severe injury or death. I have contacted Nissan and they lodged a complaint but nothing more. I have read of multiple instances on the internet with Nissan owners having the same problem. Fix is very expensive when done at the dealer and I belive a recall/reimbursement is due.
Water leaks inside the car every time it rains, when it's stationary. Water is all over the front floor mats and back floor mats. From the moment I bought the car, water got trapped in the passenger front door. I had to manually drain the water by lifting the rubber on the edges of the door. Currently, the water has moved inside the car. As said above, all over the car floor. I took the car to Nissan and they discover the the body draining hose came off, $500 later. This a manufacturing defect, how can a drainage hose just come off. This is a safety issue because water can create electrical issues with the car and present unsafe driving.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dashboard melted into a black, sticky, reflective liquid. The contact stated that the bottom half of the windshield was not visible due to the liquid reflecting the light. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard was melting and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed by the representative of the manufacturer that Nissan had no obligation to repair the dashboard because there were no open recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
My 09 Altima's dash is melting. Noticed little small spots a year and a half ago. Started getting more spots and larger spots. Now the whole top part of the dash by the front window is sticky ,tacky and slick. Very bad glare in the window and cannot drive car in bright sunlight safely. Thought it was the heat but you can touch the dash at night, at 40 degrees and you will get black marks on your finger tips. Several reports on car forums of vehicles doing the same. Can not wipe the dash or touch it with anything because it will stick or mark the dash. As the dash deterioration gets worse, it will be more dangerous to drive.
The dash on my 2009 Nissan Altima has started melting. I noticed not long after I purchased it that there was a sticky substance on the dash. I thought it was adhesive and tried unsuccessfully to wipe it off. I have since realized that the dash is actually melting. The melting dash creates a shiny tar like substance that glares in the windshield during certain times of day and can create visibility issues. While searching the internet for a solution I learned that I am not the only one with this problem as greatly discussed here http://forums.nicoclub.com/my-dashboard-is-melting-t569582-90.html.
Driving down the road when the car started to stutter pulling over to the side of the highway the car begin to smoke under the hood. I came to a complete stop and got out the car. Flames begin to come from under the hood. After the fire was put out we spoke to the fire marshall ([redacted]) who stated the fire started from mid engine line. And more than likely the car was on fire while I was driving.
Related recalls
Structure › Body › Door
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.
Remedy: All the affected vehicles have been brought back from the dealerships and remedied at the factory. No vehicles had been retailed.
Body complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 90 complaints about the body & structure of the 2009 Nissan Altima, 6% of the model year's 1,547 complaints. The component named most often is body (45 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Nissan Altima body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 09V-006 (door, Jan 9, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Altima body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.