Nissan CUBE Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Nissan CUBE options? We analyzed 6 model years (2009–2014) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Found a Nissan CUBE? Check that exact car.
Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Nissan CUBE has 217 owner complaints and 7 safety recalls across model years 2009–2014. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2009 drew the most complaints; 2013 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Nissan
- Model
- CUBE
- Model years analyzed
- 2009–2014 (6 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 217
- Safety recall campaigns
- 7
- Crash-related complaints
- 10
- Fire-related complaints
- 5
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2009 (101 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2013 (3 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Poor
By model year
Nissan CUBE: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe NISSAN CUBE has 217 NHTSA complaints and 7 recalls on record. 10 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 217 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 7 federal recall campaigns
- 10 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
7 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2009–2014. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 217 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
217 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
I WENT OVER A SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS IN CARY, NC WHICH SEEMED PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING FOR THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AT, I ESTIMATE, 10-20 MPH. THE VEHICLE FELT TO US LIKE IT WAS BREAKING APART. AFTER THIS THE VEHICLE SEEMED SEVERELY MALALIGNED. I BROUGHT IT FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO ALIGN THE REAR AND THAT THE AXLE HAD BEEN BENT. SUBSEQUENTLY NISSAN HAS BEEN TELLING ME THAT THERE IS NO WAY FOR THIS DAMAGE TO HAVE OCCURRED GOING OVER TRACKS AND THAT I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING. I ASKED A CERTIFIED NISSAN MECHANIC ABOUT THIS AND HE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AXLE HOUSING (WHICH WOULD BE INDICATIVE OF THE VEHICLE HITTING SOMETHING). BOTH THE ORIGINAL ALIGNMENT TECHNICIAN, AS WELL AS ANOTHER CERTIFIED MECHANIC HAVE STATED THAT THEY SAW NO SUCH DAMAGE WHATSOEVER, WITH ONE SAYING THAT THE AXLE HOUSING LOOKED LIKE IT CAME STRAIGHT FROM THE FACTORY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 NISSAN CUBE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLID ON ICE, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED, AND THE TRACTION AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,500.
FOR THE 2ND TIME IN A MONTH SUDDENLY THE VDC LIGHT (VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL) WAS ON FOLLOWED BY THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON. THE FIRST TIME WAS AROUND 8000 MILES, THE 2ND TIME WAS 9500 MILES (11 MONTHS AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED NEW). THE DEALER (WALSER NISSAN IN BURNSVILLE, MN) COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE SYMPTOM WAS THE SAME, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, COULDN'T GO BEYOND 30 MPH, AS IF IT WENT INTO LIMP-HOME MODEL. WHEN I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, LOCKED IT AND CAME BACK IN A FEW MINUTES LATER, IT RESET ITSELF. THE ENGINE RAN FINE, IT WAS AS IF THERE WAS COMPUTER OR SENSOR GLITCH. BUT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT REMAINED ON UNTIL THE DEALER RESET IT. THIS CAN BE A SAFETY ISSUE, WHAT IF I WERE DRIVING IN A BUSY HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN 30 MPH ? *TR
ABS light came on, I checked on the internet to see what the problem might be and came up with a number of reasons, the last being have it checked ASAP. Took the car to my repair shop to have it checked. Found code C1116 stop lamp circuit was the problem, which I had fixed.When I picked up the car, I was told that getting the part wasn't difficult because it was a common problem. They also told me that my brake lights wouldn't work because of the circuit problem. In my opinion, this is a safety concern; if your brake lights aren't working how can anyone behind you know your intention to slow down or stop . What's more, how am I to know that my rear brake lights are not working? I'm in the cabin driving and unless I am alerted by another driver behind me, what am I to do?
MY WIFE DROVE CAR TO THE STORE WHEN SHE GOT BACK IN THE CAR WOULD NOT START ,THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT DEPRESS AFTER20 MIN SHE TRIED AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED . WHEN I GOT HOME I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START ,I WENT TO YOU TUBE AND FOUND A VIDEO WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE VIDEO SAID TO GIGGLE THE WIRES UNDER THE DASH I DID THAT AND IT WOULD NOT START I TRIED 4 DAYS LATER AND IT STARTED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY
AFTER COMING TO A STOP (OR NEAR STOP) FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS, MY 2014 NISSAN CUBE DOES NOT RESPOND TO DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I WOULD PRESS THE GAS TO THE FLOOR AND IT BARELY MOVED. IT WAS EXTREMELY SLOW, LIKE THE ENGINE WOULD NOT GO ABOVE IDLE. AFTER 5-20 SECONDS IT WOULD FINALLY ACCELERATE. A COUPLE OF TIMES I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A LIMITED ACCESS RURAL HIGHWAY. THE LIGHT AHEAD HAD TURNED RED AND I DECELERATED TO AN ALMOST STOP BEFORE THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN. OF COURSE, I IMMEDIATELY LET OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR DIDN'T RESPOND AND THE TRAFFIC FROM BEHIND WAS CLOSING AT NEAR HIGHWAY SPEED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SWERVE OFF OF THE ROAD ONTO THE SHOULDER AS THE OVERTAKING TRAFFIC BARRELLED PAST ME. ONE PARTICULARLY SCARY TIME I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE WITH GUARD RAIL ON THE LEFT AS WE WERE APPROACHING A BRIDGE; THE NO RESPONSE EVENT REPEATED ITSELF, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE ROADWAY TO THE LEFT. I KEPT THE PEDAL DOWN AND PRAYED NO ONE WOULD HIT ME. KARMA WAS WATCHING OVER ME AS THE CARS COMING FROM BEHIND REALIZED JUST IN TIME THAT I WAS BARELY MOVING AND SWERVED TO MISS ME. A COUPLE OF THE CARS NARROWLY MISSED HITTING ME; THERE WAS A LOT OF SQUEALING TIRES AND BLARING HORNS. LUCKILY FOR ME, I WAS WEARING DARK-COLORED UNDERWEAR'.. IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN AS THE CAR ACCUMULATES MILEAGE. I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN, SO NOW I TRY TO BE IN THE RIGHT LANE FOR UPCOMING STOPS, BUT SOMETIMES YOU ARE CAUGHT OFF GUARD FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGE. THIS IS VERY SCARY. CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED.
Read 14 more owner reports
SEATBELT ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT AUTO-RETRACT AND HAS TO BE HAND FEED THEN TUGGED A BIT IN ORDER TO SECURE CAR SEAT. *TR
MY MOTHER WAS IN A ONE VEHICLE CRASH VS A TREE WHILE NEGOTIATING A CURVE. THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER DID NOT LOCK AND RESTRAIN MY MOTHER CAUSING HER TO SLIDE DOWN THE SHOULDER HARNESS CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO CUT INTO HER CHEST CAVITY INTO HER LUNG. NISSAN WAS CONTACTED AND SENT AN ATTORNEY AND AN ENGINEER TO INVESTIGATE. *DT*JB
THE ORIGIN AND CAUSE OF A VEHICLE FIRE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON JANUARY 17, 2015, APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES EAST OF WIDENER JUNCTION ON HIGHWAY 70 NEAR MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. IT STARTED BY A FIRE THAT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING MY 2014 NISSAN CUBE WITH VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR UPDATED 9/15/15 *LN *CN
VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE YET RPM'S WOULD RISE. *TR
Problem # 1- is 3 out of 4 door lock actuators all of a sudden stopped working at the exact same time, except the driver door. This is a huge safety issue and causes the door to remain locked. This causes someone getting locked inside the vehicle or locked outside. (Google) all the review's as this is a common thing people are reporting. Problem #2- My daughter said she almost passed out because he gas tank started to leak because the hose connector is plastic and integrated into the gas tank. The only way to fix this is replace the gas tank at $600+. (Google) this is a common problem that people are reporting. My vehicle only has 40k miles on it and its already a fire hazard because fuel is leaking from a plastic cheap fitting. This is the fitting that the fill hose connects to the gas tank. No warning signs until gas fumes filled the cab. This is a fire hazard and also can cause the driver to pass out because of the fumes in the vehicle. No inspections just phone calls to the service department. They want to charge me $175 to just tell me what is broken that I already know. So I called local dealership and they confirmed the symptoms are likely due to broken actuators, and plastic gas fittings.
2013-2014 oxygen gas sensor Intermittently failed to operate, causing CO2 into the cabin. Issue not found Nissan instructed to take it to another dealer they found issue and replaced. 2025 same issue dealers cannot find major c02 entering cabin. Cannot drive car due to extreme c02 have blood test indicating c02 in blood. Extreme situation both times!
MY BACK SENSORS WENT OUT AND WAS CAUSING THE BACK TIRES TO BE IDLE WHILE I WAS DRIVING I IMMEDIATELY IMMEDIATELY GOT IT FIXED WITH MY STIMULUS MONEY
THE CAR WILL STOP RUNNING AND DIE. IT HAS BEEN WORKED ON AND THE FUSE BOX AND BRAKE LAMP LIGHT SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. WHEN IT DIES IT SMELL LIKE BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRING AND SMOKE COMES OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN KILLED HALF A DOZEN TIMES. I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY.
I PURCHASE MY 2012 NISSAN CUBE ON JANUARY 2019 W 93K ON JUN 2019 STARTED A NOISE .IT BECAME INCREASINGLY WORST, TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC HE ROAD TEST THE CAR ,AND TOLD ME IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION I GOOGLE THE CVT TRANS AND FIND OUT THAT NISSAN HAVE TROUBLE WITH THOSE TRANS ,THEY EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON SOME MODELS FROM 2000 TO 2010 I TOOK IT TO RT.46 NISSAN ON TOTOWA NJ TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS .THEY WANT $4163.00 TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE TRANS THAT THEY KNOW HAVE A BUNCH OF PROBLEMS ..TWICE THE CAR STALL WHEN I`M DRIVING I`M NOT GOING TO PAY FOR A TRANS.THAT HAS A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS,I FEEL NISSAN SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON 2012 MODELS I`M SURE MY COMPLAIN IT`S NOT THE ONLY ONE
I OWN A 2012 NISSAN CUBE WITH 80,000 MILES ON IT. MY TEENAGER WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN IT STALLED OUT ON HER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. IT EVENTUALLY CAUGHT ENOUGH TO ACCELERATE AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT IS AN INTERNAL FAILURE OF SEVERAL SENSORS ON THE CVT TRANSMISSION. I HAVE READ ONLINE AT MULTIPLE SITES THAT THIS IS A LARGELY OCCURRING INCIDENT WITH NISSAN AND THESE MODELS. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 80,000 MILES! IT IS A DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO THE DRIVER IF ON AN INTERSTATE OR OTHERWISE BUSY HIGHWAY (WE LIVE IN A METROPOLITAN CITY). THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, AS NISSAN IS NOT OFFERING ANY WARNINGS, RECALLS OR ASSISTANCE TO THE PROBLEM.
WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE DURING WARM WEATHER, YOU WILL GO TO ACCERALATE TO ONLY BE MET WITH THE LOSE OF POWER AND YOUR SPEED WILL DROP FROM 70 TO 20 WITHOUT WARNING. THE DASH DOES NOT LIGHT A WARNING AND YOU MUST HIT YOUR HAZARD FLASHERS QUICKLY AND HOPE THE CARS BEHIND YOU BRAKE IN TIME. YOU THEN MUST MOVE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITH THE VEHICLE "SPUTTERING" TO DO 20 MPH ON A ROADWAY WITH 60 PLUS MPH TRAFFIC. I HAVE SPOKEN TO NISSAN CORP., AND TWO DEALERSHIP CONCERNING THIS ISSUE WITH ALL STATING THEY DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH AND FROM DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE SINCE 10,000 MILES, I FEEL THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE ISSUES AND HAVE NOT PROPERLY MADE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS THE TRANSMISSION COOLER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 65 DEGREES, I DO NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES DRIVING THE SAME ROUTES AND AT THE SAME SPEEDS. WHEN THE TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE ARE IN THE UPPER 70'S I CAN DRIVE 270 MILES BEFORE THE ISSUE OCCURS. WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 80'S, IT WILL OCCUR WITHIN 100 MILES. I WILL NO LONGER TRAVEL OVER 50 MILES WHEN TEMPERATURES REACH THE 90'S. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AT 30 AND 60, AND 90 THOUSAND MILES. THE DEALERSHIP THEN TOLD ME AT 120,000 THAT IT WAS NOT DUE TILL 150,000 MILES PER THE OWNER'S MANUAL. I AM NOW AT 140,000 AND CANNOT DRIVE OVER 50 MILES IF THE WEATHER IS TOO HOT.
PULLED OUT FROM STOP LIGHT, ZERO POWER. ZERO ACCELERATOR RESPONSE. JUST CREEP OUT SUPER SLOW AT IDLE AND CROSS THE INTERSECTION. VERY UNSAFE. CVT SEEMED TO BE IN LIMP-HOME MODE; NO LIGHTS ON THE DASH, NO WARNING, NO VIBRATION OR OTHER FAILURE.
ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, THERE WILL BE NO WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH---YOU DROP IN SPEED EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THIS WILL ALSO OCCUR AROUND TOWN AND WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU TRY TO START MOVING FROM A RED LIGHT OR ENTER THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC FROM A SIDE STREET. IT IS EXTREMELY SCARY AND DANGEROUS TO BE DOING 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND YOU AND YOUR CAR SUDDENLY LOSES SPEED AS IF YOU HIT THE BRAKES. THE PROBLEM OCCURED TO THIS EXTREME WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS AND COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. NOW AT 125,000...NISSAN CORPORATE TOLD ME TODAY THAT IT WAS A FAIL SAFE MODE TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID THERE MAY NOT BE AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR, IT WILL ACTIVATE TO PREVENT DAMAGE. HOW IS IT SAFE TO BE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH AND SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING YOU ARE LUCKY TO BE DOING 20MPH? WHEN THE FAIL SAFE MODE HAS KICKED IN....NO ISSUE HAS BEEN FOUND WITH MY VEHICLE. I FEEL THAT NISSAN NEEDS TO WARN CONSUMERS THAT AT ANY TIME YOU COULD LOSE POWER AND BE READY TO BE REAR ENDED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS TO YOU OR THE TRAFFIC BEHIND YOU.
CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURE ~ SAFETY ISSUE SLOW TO START ~ SAME AS 100'S OF REPORTS ON INTERNET CAR WAS AT WARRANTY END AND NISSAN SAID ONLY FIX FOR SMALL LEAK WAS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE CVT~ AS PER CURRENT PENDING CLASS ACTIONS AGAINST NISSAN FOR 2013-2017 CVTS BEING REPLACED REPEATEDLY WITH THE SAME FAILING TRANSMISSION ENDED IN REPAIR COST TO CUSTOMER. NISSAN OFFERED TO PAY FOR PARTS BUT NOT LABOR. WHY WOULD I PAY TO PUT THE SAME BAD PART ON THE CAR? WHY IS THERE NOT A CLASS ACTION FOR 2012 NISSANS? THIS CAR HAD A FUEL LEAK THAT TOOK MANY MONTHS TO REPAIR AND FIND. THEN THE A/C WAS NOT WORKING AND MECHANIC SAID IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE OPEN ENDED TEMP GAGE FOR OUTSIDE TEMP THAT THIS MODEL DID NOT HAVE, ONLY FIX HE HAD WAS ELECTRICAL TAPE WHICH I TOLD NISSAN WAS NOT A GOOD FIX AND HAVE WORK ORDER THROUGH NISSAN FOR THIS. A/C WAS O RING WHICH MAY RELATE BACK TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE THE WHOLE THING BASICALLY WAS SHAKING APART. SO THE DEALER FILLED THE A/C AND FAILED TO FIND ORING LEAK AND ALSO FAILED TO FIND TRANSMISSION LEAK WHEN I TOLD THEM I WANTED EVERYTHING CHECKED PER THE WARRANTY ENDING. MASTER MECHANIC FOUND IT WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME LABOR ON NEW CVT ONLY I READ CVT BREAK REPEATEDLY AND SOME PEOPLE HAD BOUGHT 3 OR 4 TRANSMISSIONS! THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL OF ALL CVTS.
Showing 20 of 217 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Nissan CUBE
These pages show model-year patterns across 6 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Nissan CUBE, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Nissan CUBE has 217 complaints on record across 6 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Nissan CUBE has 7 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 10 of the Nissan CUBE's 217 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Nissan CUBE vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Nissan CUBE vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Nissan CUBE has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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Check a Nissan CUBE by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Nissan CUBE.
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Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
Nissan CUBE reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Nissan CUBE reliable?
Poor. The Nissan CUBE has 217 NHTSA owner complaints and 7 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Nissan CUBE years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2009 (101 complaints), 2010 (56 complaints), 2011 (31 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Nissan CUBE problems?
Top reported issues: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (52 complaints); POWER TRAIN (49 complaints); STEERING (42 complaints).
Does the Nissan CUBE have recalls?
Yes — 7 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Nissan CUBE. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.