Nissan Cube Best and Worst Years (2009–2014)
The 2009 and 2010 Nissan Cube are the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 80 and electrical system as the top-reported problem area. The 2012 Cube is rated Best with a complaint index of 20, and the 2014 Cube is rated Good.
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.
- Model years
- 6
- 2009–2014
- NHTSA complaints
- 217
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Crashes reported
- 10
- Fires reported
- 5
- Top problem area
- Electrical System
Cube Complaint Index by year
Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.
Nissan Cube problems and recalls by year
Cube years to avoid: what went wrong
2009 Nissan Cube Index 100 · 101 complaints · 3 recalls
The 2009 Cube has the highest complaint index (100) of any year and 101 total complaints. Electrical system problems lead, at 24 complaints (24%) with a median failure mileage of 86,000, including instrument panel lights going dark while driving. Steering (23 complaints, 23%), engine (22 complaints, 22%), and transmission (20 complaints, 20%) followed. NHTSA lists three recall campaigns for this year covering airbag inflators, a fuel system compliance issue, and a TPMS nut replacement. Owners also described exhaust components separating and mirror placement making side visibility difficult.
2009 electrical system problems →2009 steering problems →2009 engine problems →
2010 Nissan Cube Index 80 · 56 complaints · 2 recalls
The 2010 Cube ranks second-worst with a complaint index of 80 across 56 complaints. Electrical system issues dominate, at 21 complaints (38%) with a median failure mileage of 65,909, including reports of an inadequate horn volume. Steering follows with 17 complaints (30%), and airbags with 8 complaints (14%) at a median mileage of 38,000, including a side airbag that reportedly did not deploy in a side collision. Two recall campaigns apply to this year, one for airbag inflators and one for a fuel system compliance issue shared with the 2009 model.
Most common Nissan Cube problems (all years)
Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.
- Electrical System56 (26%)
- Transmission & Powertrain49 (23%)
- Steering42 (19%)
- Engine33 (15%)
- Airbags24 (11%)
- Other18 (8%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires17 (8%)
- Fuel System16 (7%)
- Structure & Body16 (7%)
- Brakes13 (6%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- What years of the Nissan Cube should I avoid?
- NHTSA data points to the 2009 and 2010 Cube as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 80, the two highest among all six model years covered.
- What is the best year for the Nissan Cube?
- The 2012 Cube is rated Best, with a complaint index of 20 and only 19 total complaints, the lowest complaint volume among years with a verdict. The 2014 Cube is rated Good.
- What is the most common problem with the Nissan Cube?
- Across all years, electrical system complaints are most common, accounting for 56 of 217 total complaints (26%), followed by transmission and powertrain issues at 49 complaints (23%).
- Does the Nissan Cube have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns across the 2009-2014 Cube lineup, including airbag inflator, fuel system, and TPMS nut recalls affecting the 2009 and 2010 models.
- Is the 2011 Nissan Cube reliable compared to other years?
- The 2011 Cube carries a Caution verdict with a complaint index of 60 and 31 complaints, better than 2009 and 2010 but worse than the 2012 and 2014 model years.