Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Nissan Cube owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Escl failed for 3rd time. Drove the car, parked it for 15 minutes and it would not start when I came back out. This will make the 3rd escl installed in my car by Nissan since I bought it new in July 2009. The 2nd escl was replaced under warranty on November 2011 at 22912 miles. The 3rd one cost me $892.09 plus $140 to tow it to the dealership. It took Nissan warranty 2 weeks to tell me that they would reimburse me for the cost of the part only. Dealing with the warranty people was more frustrating than going to the dmv. I would rather have a root canal without novacaine than deal with them again. Talk about making you want to just walk away and not buy another Nissan. I love my car but Nissan's customer service for faulty parts sucks. The escl has issues that still aren't resolved. Nissan said it was normal wear and tear. …
Nissan issued a voluntary service campaign bulletin ntb11-057 on June 23, 2011. This notice acknowledges a manufacturing defect with the electronic steering column lock (escl) which renders the vehicle incapable of starting. I own a 2009 Cube equipped with an escl which has malfunctioned. When the service technician proceeded to initiate a service comm to repair the defect as instructed in the bulletin produced by Nissan when he entered my VIN the voluntary service campaign was not noted on my VIN record. I contacted Nissan corporate office to determine why and they had nor record of this issue although it is clearly reported on NHTSA's website and the actual bulletin was obtained from Nissan. A quick google search revealed several owners who utilized this bulletin to have their vehicles repaired. My car cannot start without this repair being completed. …
On two separate occasions, within a 7 day period, after a short drive in cold weather, and then parked for 1/2 hour period, the ignition would not respond (I.e. Start) when key would be turned to start position. The car had to be towed to service facility, where no common problem could be found, and ignition operated as expected. This is the same situation as reported on NHTSA reference #10040035, Nissan TSB #ntb-11-057 for this make, model, year, with the sole exception this car has a intelligent key ignition, as opposed to push button ignition for the cars covered under the Nissan TSB. In call to Nissan concerning the problem, the local dealership acknowledged the TSB, but stated that it only concerned models with the push button start.
The steering lock column unit in my 2009 Nissan Cube failed, disabling the car from starting, and putting me at risk as I was stuck in a location away from my home, and unable to start my car. My car was parked on a city street. I could unlock and lock the vehicle, but I could not start the car using my intelligent key. It was towed to a Nissan dealership in newport, ri where I am being charged $814.00 in parts and labor to replace a part that Nissan has acknowledged is faulty not only in the Cube, but also in the altima. When I called Nissan consumer affairs, they said there is no current recall campaign and due to the age of the car there was nothing they will do. Consumer affairs case number is 31941337.
The steering lock column in my 2009 Nissan Cube failed, disabling the car from starting, and putting me in a safety risk as I was stuck in a location away from my home, and unable to start my vehicle. It was not a battery issue- the lights worked, I could unlock and lock the vehicle, but I could not start the car using my intelligent key. It was towed to a Nissan dealership where I am being charged nearly $1,000 in parts and labor to replace a part that Nissan has acknowledged is faulty. Despite an expired extended warranty that was placed on that part, Nissan has no recall on the part and owners everywhere are experiencing the same issue.
The intelligent key system warning light illuminated yellow and remained on while the engine was running and while the engine was stopped. I took my Cube to the local Nissan dealership where it was diagnosed that the electrical steering lock system was malfunctioning. This same dealership repaired my Cube 9/19/2011 for a recall on this same part. Part d8700-1fa0c lock steering was malfunctioning and had to be replace again in my 2009 Cube. The dealership recommended that I call Nissan to report the issue and see if they would cover the repairs. Nissan refused to cover any of the repairs and said to call back if it happened again.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. After the vehicle was refueled, the steering wheel seized without warning. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the lock steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized intermittently on more than one occasion. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. The technician repaired the vehicle by replacing the electronic steering column lock. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,185.
Steering complaints in other Cube years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2009 Nissan Cube?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the steering of the 2009 Nissan Cube, 23% of the model year's 101 complaints. The component named most often is column (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Nissan Cube steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2009 Nissan Cube, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Cube steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 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.