AI Damage2009 Nissan GT-R: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Nissan GT-R filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 32% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 21% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 21% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (32% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 4 complaints (21% of all).
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (21% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (5% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 8,800.
I noted an error message on my dash regarding a failure to the abs.I went to the dealer who pulled a code "c1111" for a failed hydraulic control assembly; a very expensive repair. My car has only 19k miles, and is lightly driven.
1. Many leds in dash cluster have gone out which is a safety issue driving at night. 2. There is a failure of the am/fm tuner. Both issues are known to nissan but they will not fix in my car stating that my vin number was not affected which it most certainly is:…
I have tried to work with nissan of america/canada but like most with their lights out the 'extended' warranty expired before the issue occurred. There are many people with their gauge cluster lights out.
The instrument gauge cluster on a 2009-2010 gtr has a common problem where the leds behind the fuel gauge end of burning out. Nissan is aware of the issue and offered a factory extended warranty from 3 years / 36k miles to 6 years / unlimited miles.
The fuel gauge doesn't work. The digital screen on the gauge cluster doesn't work at all. Some of the lighting is out such as behind the rpm gauge. There is an orange exclamation point icon lit up on the gauge cluster as well.
The instrument gauge cluster leds gone out, as well as the indicator display. It happened while driving and they remain out. This is a well documented issues in many of the forums. Nissan is aware of the issue. This is a safety concern.
During a track day my fuel evap canister caught fire. There have been other gt-r owners that do not even track the car with normal driving, that have displayed a fuel stain in the passenger fender liner that is soaked from fuel from an overwhelmed (?badly designed) canister
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,439 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GT-R has 3 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 19, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Nissan GT-R?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, exterior lighting, fuel system. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (21%), headlights and tail lights (5%), won't start (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Nissan GT-R?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2009 Nissan GT-R from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2009 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.