Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
18 mpgcombined; city 16, highway 21; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$22,360U.S. average; Ohio $21,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 GT-R. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
6
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
4
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
4
0
0
0
Engine
1
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
1
0
Power train
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 GT-R over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2008 Infiniti EX35 vehicles equipped with the power tilt/telescope option included in the premium package, manufactured June 29, 2007, to April 25, 2008, 2009 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2007, to April 16, 2008, and 2009 Nissan GT-R vehicles manufactured March 14, 2007, to April 25, 2008. The steering column outer tube may not be round, resulting in extra stress being applied to the upper steering bearing. This stress may cause the bearing retainer to fracture, creating extra play in the steering wheel or a possible loss of steering.
Risk: Extra play in the steering wheel or a loss of steering may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering shaft on the Infiniti EX35, FX35, and FX45 vehicles, and will replace the steering column assembly on the Nissan GT-R vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2015. Infiniti owners may contact customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan owners may contact the GT-R hotline at 1-866-668-1487.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 80 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 GT-R, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (20), electrical system (15), engine and engine cooling (8), fuel system (8), steering (8).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Preliminary evaluation PE14034 Steering column separation · covers 2 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 GT-R.
EPA class: subcompact cars. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
GT-R 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.8 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Premium Gasoline
16 / 21 / 18
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data