2009 Nissan Altima

I WAS ABOUT TO START MY CAR AT A GAS STATION THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND MY CAR WOULD NOT START LEAVING ME STRANDED IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSAN AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT FAILURE WHICH PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM SENSING YOUR KEY FOB WHICH PREVENTS YOU FROM STARTING THE VEHICLE AND YOU ARE STUCK. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT LEAVING DRIVERS STRANDED AND THE CAR USELESS. I COULD HAVE BEEN ROBBED OR OTHER. NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE STEARING CONTROL UNIT.

I CAN NOT START MY CAR. WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKES IT WILL NOT TRIGGER MY AUTOMATIC KEY TO TURN MY CAR ON. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES I AM NOT ABLE TO START MY CAR. NOW I HAVE TO FIX THE BRAKE LIGHT AND HARNESS FOR 600$ AT MY LOCAL TRUSTWORTHY REPAIR SHOP. I CALLED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF A HARNESS ISSUE. BUT I GOOGLES AND FOUND A BULLETIN AND MANY 1000 OF PEOPLE WITH SAME COMPLAINT. MY REPAIR SHOP DID THE SAME TOO. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO HAVE A CAR THAT WILL NOT START AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS THAT DO NOT WORK!!!!!

WAS GOING OUT OF TOWN AND DUE TO BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS ON THE AREA I WAS SUPPOSED TO DRIVE TO, I DID NOT GO. HOWEVER, ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON I GOT INTO VEHICLE, TRIED TO START IT AND IT WOULD NOT START. NOW, IF I HAD OF GONE OUT OF TOWN LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED. I OFTEN HAVE MY SMALL GRANDDAUGHTER WITH ME. GLAD SHE WASN'T THIS TIME. HAD TO CALL TOW SERVICE.

THE ELECTRIC WHEEL LOCK SYSTEM FAILED RENDERING MY CAR NON OPERATIONAL. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT IT WILL FAIL AND IS NOT DUE TO MAINTENANCE NEGLECT. WHEN IT FAILS IT DISABLES THE IGNITION SYSTEM TO THE CAR SO YOU CANNOT EVEN SWITCH TO THE ACCESSORY FUNCTION. IT CAN ALSO LEAVE THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE LOCKED POSITION MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE THE CAR. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND TRY TO START IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY LOCK MECHANISM FAILED AND PREVENTED HIM FROM STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TURNED THE KEY NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED MORE THAN ONCE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT REMOVED THE PLASTIC CASING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL TO TRY TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THE COVERAGE FOR A MANUFACTURER EXTENDED WARRANTY TO ADDRESS THE REPAIR EXPIRED FOR THE VIN TWO WEEKS AGO AND THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

I DROVE MY NISSAN ALTIMA TO WORK AS I NORMALLY DO, PARKED IN THE SAME SPOT I ALWAYS PARK IN. NO PROBLEM AT THAT POINT. AT THE END OF MY WORK DAY I GOT INTO MY VEHICLE TO DRIVE HOME AND IT WOULD NOT START. I NOTICED AN ICON SHOWING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, IT STATED ONE WORD: KEY. I CALLED MY HUSBAND WHO BROUGHT OUR SPARE KEY TO SEE IF THAT WOULD START THE VEHICLE: NO. I LEFT THE VEHICLE PARKED AT MY PLACE OF WORK. THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP ONLY TO BE INFORMED THAT I COULD NOT HAVE AN APPT FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS AND THAT THE ISSUE IS KNOWN BUT NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL OR WARRANTY. I WAS VERY THANKFUL THAT I WAS AT WORK AND NOT STRANDED IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA. I BELIEVE THAT NISSAN NEEDS TO CORRECT THE FAULTY PART. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENING WITH MORE THAN JUST THE VEHICLE I OWN. A QUICK LOOK ON THE INTERNET BROUGHT UP MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE IN DIFFERENT MODELS. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL NOT RESULT IN A DEATH BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE FORCING NISSAN ON THE CORRECTION. I REMEMBER THE GM IGNITION RECALL THAT DID NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL PEOPLE DIED!

I LIVE IN THE COUNTRY AND WAS PREPARED TO LEAVE TOWN TO VISIT MY SISTER. I PACK MY CAR AND GET READY TO LEAVE (MY CAR WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION IN MY GARAGE ALL NIGHT) I WENT TO START MY CAR AND NOTHING! I ASSUMED THE BATTERY AT FIRST BUT THE LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. I CALLED NISSAN AND I WAS TOLD MY STEERING WHEEL LOCK DEVICE NEEDS REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TOW MY CAR IN, PAY FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I ASK NISSAN, IF THIS IS SO COMMON THEN HOW WAS I NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS? I LEARN THIS DEVICE WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR PROTECTION AGAINST CAR THEFT AND DESIGNED FOR THE KEY FAB TO UNDO THE LOCK UP. MY CAR WAS NOT IN THREAT OF BEING STOLEN, AND MY KEY FAB WOULD NOT ALLOW THE ENGINE TO START. I WAS LEFT STRANDED FOR NO REASON AND WITHOUT WARNING. I START RESEARCHING THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS EFFECTED BY THIS FAULTY DEVICE. I CAN'T BELIEVE NISSAN HAS NOT RECALLED OR SET OUT NOTICE TO WARN PEOPLE, OR OFFER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I WATCH A VIDEO ON HOW TO TRICK START THE ENGINE. YOU PULL DOWN THE BOTTOM OF STEERING WHEEL AND TAP THE METAL LOCK DEVICE WITH A HAMMER. THIS ALLOWS MY CAR TO START SOME TIMES. I'VE BEEN STRANDED OUT OF TOWN, AT A GROCERY STORE, AND IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE ALL DUE TO THIS DEFECTIVE DEVICE. WHAT IF IT GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSES AN ACCIDENT AND/OR DEATH? I'M SCARED AND UPSET UNTIL NISSAN DOES THE RIGHT THING TO FIX THIS