2009 Nissan Cube: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 101 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is steering (18% of complaints); the 2010 and 2011 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 3 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Apr 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Recall issued. Kelly Nissan of 275 Broadway, Lynnfield MA 01940 told me to check back in a month to see if the parts were then available then a month later told me the parts were no longer being manufactured and were unavailable.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2026
“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V230000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that parts were on back order. The contact was later informed that the parts were not available and were no longer manufactured. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2026
“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V230000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“Many complaints about the nissian cube... the battery are good and even put new batteries in the key fob.. the car isn't registering it and steering wheel is locked bc is a security feature.. many complaints online for these.. is this a recall yet?”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2024
“The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Cube. The contact stated that the horn failed to operate as needed while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where he was informed that the clockspring was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that if the clockspring was not replaced, the air bags may not deploy in the event of a crash. The manufacturer informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Oct 2021
“The back door latch/lock doesn't work. It permanently locked and can't be unlocked with key or electronic key fob. The vehicle was parked and locked in my apartment designated space. When I tried to open the trunk, it wouldn't unlock. My research on the cube owner's blog indicated several others had the same problem. They had estimates from dealers of several hundred dollars to repair the lock. Nissan dealers are aware of the problem. It requires replacing the entire locking mechanism. There are a few instructional videos on line of how to repair the lock. It requires removing back door inside of vehicle.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2020
“On 07/20/2020 transmission began slipping. Vehicle vibrates and shutters in motion. Lack of power. At 124,000 miles. Unable to get to 50 mph. Vehicle also vibrates when stationary.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2020
“1) check air bag light was flashing a month after I purchased the vehicle and it was repaired. The light is back on almost a year later and has continued to flash on and off. 2) tire pressure light continues to go on and off and I replaced and aligned my tires and still it continues. 3) when putting gas in my tank the gauge is never all the way to the top and yet the pump will not allow me to input more gas. Also the gas is not lasting the amount of mile it should, and the reading does not seem accurate.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Aug 2019
“Rear hatch door lock does not unlock the door. The lock has worked and then it quits working. In an emergency a person would not be able to exit through the hatch door. According to the internet this is a frequent occurrence in the early models.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Mar 2019
“Same issue as the owners in this thread with regards to the escl. Went to start my car as a snow storm was starting and no luck. My local nissan dealership said it was an issue with the escl and that there was no recall on the cube. However, my partner owns a 2009 altima and had the same issue a month ago and got it fixed at no cost. The fact that numerous 09 cube owners are experiencing this issue around the same time with no offer to recall or reimburse us is ridiculous. I have emailed customer service with screen shots of everyone's complaint and reached out to nissan via twitter. They have responded and are looking into the issue now. Fingers crossed they do something for us”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Feb 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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., WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN. THE MATERIAL IN THE NUT USED TO SECURE THE SENSOR-TRANSMITTER OF THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) MAY CORRODE AND POTENTIALLY CRACK IN AREAS WITH HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE NUT MAY COME OUT OF THE SENSOR-TRANSMITTER AND THE TPMS LAMP WILL ILLUMINATE.
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. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 AND INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
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. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY." WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ROTATED FOLLOWING A REAR MOVING BARRIER CRASH TEST AS REQUIRED, THE AMOUNT OF FUEL LEAKAGE EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE LIMITS.
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. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
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. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number for this recall is R26A1. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 14, 2026.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2009 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Cube by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Nissan Cube reliable?
NHTSA has 101 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2009 Nissan Cube. The most complained-about area is steering (18% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Cube problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 75,093 miles or less.
Does the 2009 Nissan Cube have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systems. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.