What breaks most · 2009 to 2014 model years
Nissan Cube problems by year
Owners have filed 176 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan Cube across model years 2009 to 2014. Three years stand out: 2009 for steering complaints, 2010 for electrical system complaints and 2011 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2012.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2010, 2011
- Fewest complaints: 2012
- Complaints on file
- 1762009 to 2014, all trims
- Worst year
- 200984 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 94 fires · 11 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 67kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 7Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 2 | 3 | Steering (21) | |
| 45 | 3 | 2 | Electrical system (17) | |
| 26 | 2 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (13) | |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (2) |
What fails on the 2009 Nissan Cube
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 25% |
21 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2009 Nissan Cube |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 23% |
19 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2009 Nissan Cube |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 21% |
18 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
13 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2009 Nissan Cube |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
6 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2009 Nissan Cube |
| Tires | 5% |
4 | 1 | — |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2009 Nissan Cube |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2009 Nissan Cube |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I could not push start with my keys in my pocket like i used to. I do not have the car so i was unable to take a picture it is being fix i hope.
-
The rear door no longer unlocks. It was working fine and now the actuator no longer works making the rear door unusable, there is no way to manually unlock the door and the emergency unlock does not work either.
-
Only a 103k an engine began to make a whining sound and then just slipping. Drove it this way for two weeks and then it wouldn't start remove at all. Had to sink in $3,000 for a used transmission. A new one would have been over $4,000! Even my extended warranty would not pay for it.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan Cube years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2010, 2011 carry the most filings on the Nissan Cube. The 2009 alone has 84 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Nissan Cube problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 21 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan Cube problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan Cube complaints that include mileage is about 67,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.