RoadVitals

2009 Nissan Altima Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
48
Latest Jul 5, 2024
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 1,547 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 48 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming visibility

The 25 most recent of 48, in the owner's own words

SuspensionVisibility
Filed Jul 5, 2024
Crash reported

I purchased this car and the dashboard is melting and sticky. It’s affecting visibility to the point where I found myself trying to lift up to look overtop of the blinding glare on my windshield due to my melting dashboard and got into an minor accident Like was reflecting off the dashboard onto the windshield obstructing my view and resulted in me rear bumping into the rear of another car that was towing a very small trailer that I couldn’t see through the reflection on the windshield. Since then im noticing almost every dashboard on a Nissan Altima look the same if not worse and absolutely has to and needs to be acknowledged by Nissan for Nissan Altimas everywhere, not just in Florida. A recall NEEDS to be issued to resolve this very serious safety hazard. I’m lucky no one was injured. PLEASE address this issue so people can get the dashboard repaired without costing them even more money than they already paid for your defective product.

NHTSA ID
11599184
Incident
Jul 5, 2024
Visibility
Filed Oct 9, 2023

UNKNOWN... I JUST GOT THIS CAR I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD IT PUT IN MY NAME YET BUT WHEN I DRIVE IT THERE'S A REALLY BAD GLARE I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING STICKY FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT WAS ON THE DASH BUT IT'S NOT I GOT SOME GOO OFF AND TRIED TO CLEAN IT OFF AND TRIED TO USE A SCRAPER AND IT'S NEVER ENDING STICKINESS SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF WEIRD SO I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE FLORIDA HAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THE DASH MELTING MY DASH IS LITERALLY MELTING BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A RECALL IN GEORGIA, TEXAS OR ANYWHERE ELSE THERE'S SUCH A BAD GLARE ON THIS CAR THAT I ALMOST HIT SOMEBODY WALKING DOWN THE ROAD AND ANOTHER INCIDENT I ALMOST HIT A KID ON A BICYCLE BECAUSE IT AFFECTS YOUR VISIBILITY I THINK THAT NISSAN SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THIS.THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS LUCKILY I SAW THEM BOTH IN TIME I WOULD HATE TO SEE IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T SEE THEM IN TIME I LOOKED UP THE PRICE OF IT AND IT'S ALMOST $2,000 TO HAVE THE DASH REPLACED THATS AN INSANE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT I FEEL LIKE IS NISSAN'S FAULT ITS CLEARLY A FAULTY DASHBOARD.IT MELTS IF IT GETS TOO HOT AND IT PUTS THIS GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD AND ITS NOT JUST A SMALL GLARE IT IS TERRIBLE SO I WANTED TO SEE IF I COULD GET SOMETHING DONE OR IF MAYBE WE COULD MAKE NISSAN FIX THE CARS IN GEORGIA AND EVERYWHERE ELSE THAT HAS THIS CAR IT SEEMS TO ONLY BE 2008 AND 2009 I BELIEVE SO FAR FROM LOOKING IT UP ON THE INTERNET TODAY BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL CAN DO TO MAKE THEM PAY TO FIX IT EVERYWHERE I MEAN IT'S NOT ONLY AFFECTING DRIVERS IN FLORIDA IT'S AFFECTING EVERY ONE OF THESE CARS I'M SURE... IN EVERY STATE OUR KIDS MATTER I ALMOST HIT THAT KID ON THAT BIKE AND KIDS IN FLORIDA SHOULDN'T MATTER MORE THAN THE KIDS IN GEORGIA OR ANY OTHER STATE FOR THAT MATTER AND I THINK THAT IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO ONLY FIX CARS IN FLORIDA FOR THAT THAT'S THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I'VE EVER HEARD THIS IS A DANGER TO EVERYONE AND I WAS HOPING Y'ALL COULD HELP ME.

NHTSA ID
11549042
Incident
Oct 9, 2023
Visibility
Filed Jul 8, 2021

Direct sun radiating on the dashboard has resulting in a deterioration of the surface, creating a sheen that creates a reflection on the windshield that is a constant distracts and under certain circumstances (depending on where the sun is at on the horizon), can impair the driver's view of traffic and objects in front of the vehicle. The deterioration of the dashboard began after about five years of being owned and operating in Texas (and resulting sun and heat), but is becoming increasingly problematic as the dashboard surface continues to degrade.

NHTSA ID
11423997
Incident
Jan 1, 2015
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Nov 3, 2020

DASHBOARD IS MELTING. STICKY AND SHINY IN HOT SUN CAUSING SEVERE VISIBILITY PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ID
11372830
Incident
Aug 17, 2020
Visibility
Filed Nov 12, 2019

WE ARE OWNERS OF ONE OF THE "MELTING DASH" ALTIMAS MODEL YEAR 2009. THE GLARE THAT THE DASH PROJECTS ONTO THE WINDSHIELD IN SUNNY CONDITIONS IS A SAFETY HAZZARD. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, WE HAVE ALMOST HIT OTHER CARS OR PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE BAD REFLECTION IN THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE MELTED DASH. WE HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN, BUT THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN FIXING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE BEFORE ANYONE IS KILLED OR INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.

NHTSA ID
11279676
Incident
Jun 1, 2012
Mileage
15,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 1, 2019

THE DASHBOARD AND STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA ARE MELTING DUE TO THE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE CABIN. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN THE SUN, THE TOP SURFACE OF THE DASHBOARD MELTS, AND RESTRICTS THE FORWARD VISIBILITY BY CAUSING A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD. THIS MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE OBJECTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO THE VEHICLE IN THE SUN.

NHTSA ID
11240998
Incident
Jul 31, 2019
Mileage
150,000 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Jun 9, 2019

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A MELTING DASH THAT IS STICKY AND CAUSES A GLARE WHICH IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE THRU THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ID
11218769
Incident
Jun 4, 2015
Mileage
60,543 mi
Visibility
Filed Nov 7, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. SUDDENLY, THE SUN ROOF DETACHED FROM THE FRAME AND LANDED ON THE ROAD. THE SUN ROOF WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. DON FRANKLIN LEXINGTON NISSAN (3360 RICHMOND RD, LEXINGTON, KY 40509, 1-(859) 263-5020) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 8, 2018. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE SUBSTANCE USED TO HOLD THE FRAME AND GLASS FAILED TO SECURE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE SUN ROOF, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE SEALANT TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
11149918
Incident
Nov 4, 2018
AirbagsVisibility
Filed Aug 30, 2018

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON PERIODICALLY 'NO AIRBAG'. PROBLEM SINCE 2014; ALONG WITH STEERING LOCK FAILURE (FIXED), ALONG WITH MANIFOLD EXHAUST PROBLEM(FIXED). WINDSHIELD WIPERS KEEP WEARING OUT, LEFT DRIVER SIDE BECAUSE BLADE IS TOO TIGHT; BRAKES VIBRATE WHEN STOPPING,;CAR VIBRATES AT 70 MPH, AND CAR SOUNDS LIKE WIND TUNNEL WHEN DRIVING HIGHWAY YET WINDOWS ARE UP.

NHTSA ID
11123468
Incident
Aug 30, 2018
Visibility
Filed Jul 10, 2018
Crash reported

MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND CREATING A DANGEROUS GLARE ON MY WINDSHIELD. I JUST HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT THIS PAST WEEK DUE TO THE GLARE BEING SO BAD THAT IT INTERFERES WITH MY EVERYDAY DRIVING. I AM LIVING WITH FEAR EVERY TIME I COMMUTE ANYWHERE WITH THIS VEHICLE WHOM I'VE OWNED EVER SINCE I BOUGHT FROM THE NISSAN DEALER.

NHTSA ID
11110429
Incident
Jul 4, 2018
Mileage
109,000 mi
Visibility
Filed May 2, 2018

THE DASHBOARD IN MY NISSAN IS LITERALLY LIQUIFYING OVER THE LAST 7 MONTHS. THIS APPEARS TO BE KNOWN ISSUE THAT RESULTED IN CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN FL AGAINST NISSAN THAT WAS WON FOR THE PLANTIFFS. THERE IS FACEBOOK GROUP FOR NISSAN MELTING DASH BOARDS AND A NEWS STATION COVERED THE STORY: HTTPS://WWW.CLICK2HOUSTON.COM/CONSUMER/DRIVERS-WANT-STICKY-DASHBOARDS-FIXED I CONTACTED NISSAN, WHO REFERRED ME TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY DOCUMENTED ISSUE AND I WAS ULITMATELY REFERRED TO CAMERON, A REGIONAL NISSAN QA REPRESENTATIVE. I WAS TOLD AT THT TIME THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE. I DID VERY CLEARLY (AND POLITELY) DESCRIBE THE SAFETY CONCERN AS THE MELTING DASHBOARD CAUSES A HORRIFIC GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD. I DO INDEED UNDERSTAND THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT GIVEN THE SAFETY HAZARD PIECE, I WAS HOPING THAT NISSAN WOULD STAND BY THIER PRODUCTS IN THIS CASE AND CONSIDER GENERATING A RECALL TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. TOYOTA HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE AND OFFERED FULL REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID
11091454
Incident
May 1, 2018
SteeringVisibility
Filed Nov 2, 2017

MY ENTIRE DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND IT'S VERY STICKY.. THE GLARE IS A MAJOR CONCERN THAT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S DAY OR NIGHT IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ID
11042824
Incident
May 1, 2014
Mileage
22,000 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Oct 6, 2017

I HAVE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA AND IT HAS A VERY STICKY, SHINY DASHBOARD. SOME PART OF THE DASHBOARD IS SO SHINY THAT IT CREATES A GLARE ON WINDSHIELD DURING DAYTIME WHEN IT IS SUNNY OUTSIDE AND MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE OTHER CARS, PEDESTRIANS ETC.DURING DRIVING. THIS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE TAKE CARE OF BY NISSAN ASAP.

NHTSA ID
11032130
Incident
Sep 15, 2015
Mileage
75,000 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Aug 30, 2017

CPSC:THIS WINTER I WAS NOTICING AND HAVING EVEN MORE PROBLEMS WITH GLARE AND SUN AND LIGHTS AT NIGHT REFLECTING ON THESE SHINY "MELTED" AREAS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD IN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, MY DASH WAS ALL ORIGINALLY A BLACK MATTE FINISH AND GLARE WAS NEVER A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE DASH MATERIAL APPEARING TO BREAK DOWN. I DECIDED TO GOOGLE "MELTING DASHBOARDS" TO SEE WHAT I COULD FIND TO FIX OR REPAIR, OR REPORTS, ETC. *BF UPDATED 08/31/2017*JS ...UPDATED 10/03/17 *BF UPDATED 10/25/17 *BF *JS *TR

NHTSA ID
11020828
Incident
Jan 1, 2017
Exterior lightingVisibility
Filed May 20, 2017

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON REGULAR ROADS ABOUT TO GET ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WITH ALL FUNCTIONS PERFECTLY WORKING. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT ACTIVATE BY THE TOGGLE SWITCH, HOWEVER THE HAZARD BUTTON WOULD ACTIVATE THEM. THEN MY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF ON THEIR OWN(THIS WAS AT 2 AM IN PITCH DARK AREA AND RAINING). I TRIED TURNING THE SWITCH ALL THE WAY OFF THEN BACK ON AFTER PULLING OVER, NOTHING WORKED EVEN WITH TURNING MY CAR OFF ENTIRELY THEN BACK ON. MY HEADLIGHTS WOULDN'T WORK, BLINKERS NOR MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR HAD ANY OTHER FAILURES. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DONE AS AN OPERATOR. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WENT WRONG AT THE FACTORY WHEN THE CAR WAS BUILT. I AM ONLY WRITING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS A HUGE CONCERN AS I HAD TO FIND MY WAY HOME WITH ONLY MY HAZARD LIGHTS BLINKING EVERY OTHER SECOND. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART THAT FAILED WAS A "BODY CONTROL MODULE IS $919.35, PART, LABOR" WHICH IS AN INSANE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR 1 PART. HOWEVER IT IS SO EXPENSIVE BECAUSE ONCE REPLACED THE ENTIRE CAR AND KEY FOBS NEED TO BE REPROGRAMMED BY NISSAN AND ONLY A AUTHORIZED NISSAN DEALER CAN ACQUIRE SAID PROGRAMMING TOOLS/SOFTWARE. SURE MY CAR IS A 2009 HOWEVER THE DEALER SAID THIS IS VERY UNCOMMON TO RANDOMLY SHORT OUT IN GENERAL BUT ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE OF HOW DANGEROUS THE EFFECTS CAN BE EVEN WITH THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. I LOVE MY CAR BUT ADDING THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT CONTROLS ALL THESE FUNCTIONS WITHOUT A FAIL SAFE IS AN AWFUL METHOD OF PRODUCTION. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE I FELT THE NEED TO SHARE IT WITH THE NISSAN OWNER COMMUNITY.

NHTSA ID
10990750
Incident
May 15, 2017
Mileage
42,475 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Mar 4, 2017

MY DASH IS MELTING MAKING IT VERY HARD TO SEE!!

NHTSA ID
10958599
Incident
Aug 15, 2012
Visibility
Filed Oct 28, 2016

STICKY AND MELTING DASHBOARD IN MY NISSAN ALTIMA . I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE DURING SUNNY DAYS AND ABOUT TO GET INTO ACCIDENT COUPLE OF TIMES THIS SUMMER.

NHTSA ID
10919937
Incident
Oct 1, 2014
Mileage
125,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jul 4, 2016

DASH BOARD MELTING VERY STICKY CAN'T CLEAN BLINDING GLARE IN WINDSHIELD WHEN IN SUN HARD TO SEE ONCOMING TRAFFIC THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BUT AS I HAVE READ THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN IN HOT HUMID CLIMATE ALONG WITH THE STEERING LOCK DEFECTS .SEEMS NISSAN DOESN'T CARE ABOUT SAFETY ONLY WANTS TO SELL THE VEHICLE AND TAKE THE PROFITS

NHTSA ID
10882479
Incident
Nov 20, 2015
Mileage
85,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 3, 2016
Crash reported

MELTING DASHBOARD CANNOT SEE OUT THE WINDSHIELD WHEN SUN IS SHINING ON THE DASH. GLARE IS SO BRIGHT. DASH COLLECTS DIRT. IF YOU TOUCH IT YOU FINGER WILL SINK INTO THE MELTING DASH.

NHTSA ID
10872303
Incident
Jun 1, 2015
Mileage
18,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 20, 2015

MELTING DASHBOARD RESULTS IN SEVERE GLARE. THE GLARE MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ID
10811316
Incident
Dec 18, 2015
Visibility
Filed Oct 21, 2015

THE DASH IS COVERED IN THIS STICKY SUBSTANCE ,AND WHEN THE SUN IS OUT HAS A TERRIBLE GLARE IN THE WINDOW.

NHTSA ID
10784942
Incident
Jun 2, 2015
Visibility
Filed Oct 14, 2015

2009 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT HAS A STICKY-MELTING DASHBOARD THAT CAN NOT BE CLEANED IT HAS A GLARE THAT MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF THE WIND SHIELD THIS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT-NISSAN WILL NOT FIX IT UNLESS YOU PAY THEM TO REPLACE IT FOR ALMOST $2000.00 AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSIUE ALL OVER SOUTH FLORIDA

NHTSA ID
10782044
Incident
Sep 15, 2015
Mileage
43,000 mi
Body & structureExterior lightingVisibility
Filed Jul 23, 2015

1. THE DASHBOARD TOTALLY MELTED CREATING A BLINDING GLARE WHILE DRIVING. IT IS COMPLETELY STICKY TO TOUCH, WHICH IS GREAT IF I WANTED A PERMANENT AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE BUG TRAP. THE GLARE IT CREATES ON THE WINDSHIELD IS SO BLINDING THAT I'VE ALMOST HIT PEDESTRIANS CROSSING THE STREET ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR ONLY OFFERED TO REPLACE IT AT A RIDICULOUS COST THAT I CANNOT AFFORD AS A SCHOOL TEACHER. IT WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD, HOWEVER OLD ENOUGH TO NOT BE UNDER WARRANTY. MY MAJOR CONCERN IS HAVING AN ACCIDENT OR HITTING SOMEONE CROSSING THE STREET. WILL NISSAN COVER DAMAGES THEN? 2. HEADLIGHTS: PLASTIC HEADLIGHT IS COMPLETELY COVERED IN FILM CREATING A VISIBILITY HAZARD AT NIGHT. RESTORATION PROCESSES DID NOT WORK. AGAIN AFTER ONLY 2 YEARS THEY HAD A FILM OVER THE LENSES. NOW THEY ARE WORSE. AS A SCHOOL TEACHER WITH A LIMITED INCOME I DEPEND ON MY CAR LASTING. I CANNOT EVEN SELL THE CAR IN THESE CONDITIONS FOR A DECENT PRICE. NISSAN IS NOT HOLDING UP TO THE STANDARDS IT SHOULD; ESPECIALLY SAFETY STANDARDS. LET'S HOPE MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE DOES NOT WIND UP AS ANOTHER STATISTIC. LET THIS BE ON RECORDS AS A SAFETY HAZARD COMPLAINT FOR THE MANUFACTURER AND OTHERS WHO SHARE THE SAME OCCURRENCES. IF PICTURES ARE NEEDED, I HAVE PLENTY. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY CAR! HOWEVER, THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND I AM CONCERNED FOR NOT ONLY MY SAFETY BUT THE SAFETY OF THOSE AROUND ME, AND ALL BECAUSE OF THE MANUFACTURER SLACKING IN THEIR SAFETY STANDARDS DIVISION. PLEASE HELP? *TR

NHTSA ID
10736136
Incident
Sep 1, 2011
Visibility
Filed Jul 1, 2015

THE DASHBOARD OF THE CAR IS MELTING. THE AREAS ON THE DASHBOARD THAT ARE AFFECTED ARE VERY STICKY AND CAN'T BE CLEANED. WITH THE DASHBOARD MELTING, THERE IS A GLARE THAT COMES UP FROM THE DASHBOARD ONTO THE WINDSHIELD WHICH MAKES DRIVING DURING THE DAY BOTH DIFFICULT AND HAZARDOUS BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED VISIBILITY. I ALSO DON'T KNOW IF THIS MELTING ISSUE IS CAUSING ANY TYPE OF TOXINS OR FUMES TO COLLECT IN THE CAR INTERIOR.

NHTSA ID
10731612
Incident
Aug 1, 2014
AirbagsVisibility
Filed May 23, 2015

THE DASH BOARD MELTS, IT CREATES A GLARE IN THE WINDSHIELD WHEN DRIVING WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO SEE ON COMING TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID
10721142
Incident
May 21, 2014
Mileage
52,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .