Most common 2009 Nissan Cube problems
Share of the 101 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Cube complaints by model year
Best Cube years: 2014, 2012. Years to avoid: 2009, 2010. Compare all years →
2009 Nissan Cube recalls (3)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Cube vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture or detach from the steering wheel during air bag deployment.
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage
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.
Remedy: 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.
Tires › Pressure monitoring and regulating systems
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.,…
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2009 Nissan Cube:
Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture
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…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
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.
What 2009 Nissan Cube owners say
Steering all 23 →
2009 Cube would not start. Steering wheel locked prevented me from starting the car. Called AAA and they tried to jump start and still would not start. AAA towed my car to Capital Nissan in San Jose and they confirmed it was the Steering Lock Unit. Replaced and charged me 1363.46. After researching online there was a recall (not my Cube and I don't know why) back in 2011. I also found that "recalls never expired". I feel because this incident happened at a later time the Steering Lock Unit became defective. I've noticed the warning light on my dashboard for awhile but it was off and on and have been taking my car for maintenance over the years at Premier Nissan (now called Capitol Nissan in San Jose) and thought maybe the tech would find the problem. I feel because it was defective and recalled I shouldn't have to pay for parts and labor. …
The electronic steering control lock malfunctioned causing me to be unable to start my vehicle. The vehicle was stationary in my driveway at the time. There were no movements or sounds coming from the car when I tried to start it. Only the security indicator light and the key light were on in the dash. No response from the car when we attempted to jumpstart it. This essentially left me completely stranded and with living out in the country was very difficult and expensive to get the vehicle towed into the Nissan dealership. I did research and found that lots of other 2009 Cube owners have had this problem and just like me many have previously had theirs "fixed" only to have the part malfunction again and have to pay for it out of pocket. This is no cheap fix and I had no choice but to spend money I can't afford to spend in order to have a working vehicle. …
Electrical system all 22 →
The electronic steering control lock malfunctioned causing me to be unable to start my vehicle. The vehicle was stationary in my driveway at the time. There were no movements or sounds coming from the car when I tried to start it. Only the security indicator light and the key light were on in the dash. No response from the car when we attempted to jumpstart it. This essentially left me completely stranded and with living out in the country was very difficult and expensive to get the vehicle towed into the Nissan dealership. I did research and found that lots of other 2009 Cube owners have had this problem and just like me many have previously had theirs "fixed" only to have the part malfunction again and have to pay for it out of pocket. This is no cheap fix and I had no choice but to spend money I can't afford to spend in order to have a working vehicle. …
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 to wait in the locked car, alone, until myself and the tow truck arrived. This was an unsafe situation. We had it towed to a dealer and found out the next day that the escl (electronic steering control lock) had failed, which prevents the car from starting. After spending $650 to have it repaired, I did some investigation and found that this is a very common problem not just on the Nissan Cube, but with altimas, maximas, 370z and Infiniti vehicles. After our repair, Nissan had extended the warranty on the part, but we were past the mileage and they would not reimburse us. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 20 →
Faulty transmission, discolored, broken. Needs to either be repaired or replaced. At 111,000 miles my car had trouble stopping. I almost got hit in the middle of the intersection. Have really bad whiplash and continue to see a chiropractor every 2 weeks. I have taken my Nissan Cube 2009 111,000 miles to 3 mechanics. (Nissan, meineke and pismo automotive) have documentation available upon request. Including Nissan when they said that it would be $260 to diagnose I went to 2 other mechanics shortly after) of which, I couldn't get a clear answer as to which was going on with my engine. The transmission CVT which I now know it is, because of your website, it was making all kinds of weird noises (engine revving). Jerking transmission, shifting (slamming and harsh while braking) have transmission leaks reported and reported that CVT was not only leaking, but blackened in color. …
I am the 2nd owner of this car. I purchased this vehicle April of 2016. The only light that has been on has been the tpm light. On July 3rd,2016 , I was driving on the highway with my children when the car suddenly stalled. It completely stopped driving no matter how hard I would push on the gas. When I had to vehicle inspected, it was the transmission that had failed. According to the dealership, there was an extended warrenty on this CVT transmission because of problems it was having. There was no light on or anything to show that there had been an issue with this transmission, it just suddenly stopped working as I was driving. I contacted Nissan directly and they told me there was nothing they can do because it was out of warranty. I feel this is unsafe because people do drive with their children in the vehicle. …
2009 Nissan Cube engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 28 / 30 / 29 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 29 / 26 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Nissan Cube a good car?
Based on 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Cube rates avoid: 3.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cube at the same age. It is one of the Cube years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Nissan Cube?
The steering — 23 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about column. Next are the electrical system (22) and transmission & drivetrain (20).
How many recalls does the 2009 Nissan Cube have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2009 Nissan Cube, the most recent from April 9, 2026 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Cube?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009 and 2010. See the full Nissan Cube years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Cube problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 74,000 miles; 25% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.