2009 Nissan Altima

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILED, PREVENTING THE ENGINE FROM STARTING AND RESULTING IN ME GETTING STRANDED. WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH VEHICLE - WAS NOT RECALLED, BUT AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY" FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS OFFERED (NOW EXPIRED, REQUIRING A $900 FIX BY NISSAN). DEFECTIVE PART 48700-JF00 (VERSIONS A-C). ENTIRE PART REMOVED FROM FUTURE MODELS. DUE TO LACK OF A RECALL, SEVERAL OWNERS (MYSELF INCLUDED) WERE NOT INFORMED OF THE "EXTENDED WARRANTY". THOSE THAT DID RECEIVE A LETTER WERE TOLD "IF YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THIS CONDITION, YOU SHOULD DO NOTHING." ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE LETTER THAT SOME OWNERS RECEIVED IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NISSANASSIST.COM. *TR

CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER A SCHOOL MEETING ON EVENING OF 12/1/14. LOCKS WORKED FINE AND REMOTE START WOULD STILL START VEHICLE, BUT WOULD KILL AGAIN AFTER HITTING START BUTTON. TRIED JUMPING CAR BATTERY AND CHANGING BATTERIES IN KEY FOBS WITH NO SUCCESS. HAD CAR TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP NEXT MORNING ON 12/2 FOR REVIEW. AFTER LOOKING AT CAR ON 12/3, LOCAL SHOP ADVISED THE ISSUE TO BE THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK. AFTER REVIEWING THIS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE, SO COMMON NISSAN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS MODEL FOR THIS PART TO 6 YRS UNLIMITED MILES (MY CAR HAS JUST UNDER 75,000 MILES). CALLED MY DEALER (WHO I PURCHASED CAR BRAND NEW AND HAVE ALL REGULAR OIL/SERVICE MAINTENANCE DONE THERE) AND ASKED ABOUT IT. MY 6 YRS EXPIRED ON 11/22 (9 DAYS PRIOR TO ISSUE) SO WOULD HAVE TO CALL NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS FOR ANY CHANCE OF COVERING UNDER WARRANTY. NISSAN STATED THEY WOULD NO'T LISTEN TO ME UNTIL I HAD A DEALER REVIEW THE ISSUE. HAD TO PAY LOCAL SHOP FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND INCURRED ANOTHER TOWING EXPENSE TO GET TO MY DEALER (WHICH IS THE CLOSEST) 30 MILES AWAY. DEALER CONFIRMED ISSUE AND IN ORDER TO GET MY CAR BACK AS I NEEDED TO USE, I AUTHORIZED REPAIRS (OVER $1200 FOR JUST THE REPAIR). SUBMITTED MY CLAIM THEN TO NISSAN FOR ALL MY INCURRED EXPENSES (WHICH WAS $1500) BUT WAS FULLY DENIED. WAS TOLD 9 DAYS IS THE SAME AS 3 YEARS OVER THE WARRANTY IN THEIR EYES AND THEY CAN NO'T DO ANYTHING, INCLUDING EVEN COVERING THE ADDITIONAL TOWING AND DIAGNOSIS FEES INCURRED TO MEET THEIR REQUIREMENT OF THE DEALER TO REVIEW. SEEING THE LARGE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS HERE AND NISSAN'S OWN ADMISSION OF KNOWN ISSUE BY EXTENDING WARRANTY FOR THIS MODEL YEAR AND PART, SOMETHING MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN NISSAN. *TR

THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND A DASH LIGHT INDICATED A SMALL KEY. WHEN I PUSHED THE START BUTTON NOTHING HAPPENED. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL). AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR MAKE/MODEL/YEAR OF NISSAN SPECIFICALLY (2009 NISSAN ALTIMA). AS A RESULT OF THIS KNOWLEDGE, NISSAN PLACED THAT PART UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. THAT HOWEVER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ENOUGH, SINCE MANY OF THE ISSUES DON'T BEGIN UNTIL AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IS UP, AS IN OUR CASE. THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS APPROXIMATELY $1,100.00. I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALER AND NISSAN DIRECTLY FOR ASSISTANCE, ASKING THAT THEY COVER THE PART, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD JUST EXPIRED IN AUGUST. OF COURSE, THEY CHOSE NOT TO HELP IN ANYWAY. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN THIS PART FAILS IT DOES NOT GIVE MUCH IF ANY WARNING. YOU SIMPLY COME OUT TO START YOUR CAR ONE DAY AND IT DOES NOT START OR ATTEMPT TO TURN OVER. NISSAN CHOOSING TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON A PART WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT HAVING ISSUES, DOES US NO GOOD. A RECALL HOWEVER WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE, I FEEL, IN THIS SITUATION. MANY DRIVERS ARE HAVING THE ISSUES AFTER ALL WARRANTIES HAVE EXPIRED AND THE COST IS THEIRS TO COVER. WHEN IT'S A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART, THAT DOES NOT SEEM FAIR. *TR

I DROVE MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S TO WORK ON 11/27 AND IT STARTED UP JUST FINE AS USUAL. HOWEVER, WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE WORK FOR THE DAY THE CAR DID NOT START. THE KEYLESS REMOTE WILL ALLOW ME TO LOCK AND UNLOCK MY CAR, BUT WHEN I GO TO START THE CAR, IT WILL NOT REGISTER MY KEYLESS REMOTE. AN ERROR CODE SHOWS THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) MECHANISM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. ALSO, THERE IS A YELLOW KEY ICON ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH THAT INTERMITTENTLY FLASHES NO KEY. THE IGNITION IS INDICATING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED ALTHOUGH I CAN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE ARE OR WERE NO PRIOR WARNING THAT THE PART WAS ABOUT TO FAIL INCLUDING ANYLIGHTS ON THE DASH PANEL. I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR IN THE GARAGE AND WAS STRANDED FOR SOMETIME TRYING TO FIND A WAY HOME. MY CAR IS STILL SITTING IN THE GARAGE AS I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THE REPAIRS AT THIS TIME. AFTER DOING FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE ISSUE I HAVE COME TO SEE THAT MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM. A VERY DISTURBING FACTOR SINCE NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND FOR SOME CUSTOMERS HAS ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH EITHER ISSUING A RECALL OR REMOVING THE PART FROM THE LATER MANUFACTURED MODELS TO AVOID THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. HOPEFULLY, MY VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL OUTSIDE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WINDOW AS NISSAN IS NOT ASSISTING WITH THE REPAIRS. *TR

MY KEYLESS REMOTE WILL ALLOW ME TO LOCK AND UNLOCK MY CAR BUT WHEN I GO TO START THE CAR, MY CAR WILL NOT REGISTER MY KEYLESS REMOTE. IT IS NOT THE BATTERY OF MY CAR OR THE REMOTE OR ANY BLOWN FUSES; THOSE WERE ALL CHECKED AS WELL. APPARENTLY MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM. NISSAN HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT ONLY FOR SO LONG. THIS ISSUE HAS LEFT A LOT OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WITHOUT A VEHICLE OR SOMETIMES STRANDED. *JS

WHEN TRYING TO START MY SON'S 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA 3.5SE COUPE, IT WILL NOT START AND DISPLAYS A YELLOW KEY ICON ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH. WE REVIEWED THE CAR'S MANUAL, WHICH STATES THE LIGHT IS AN INTELLIGENT KEY MALFUNCTION. WE CHANGED THE KEY FAUB BATTERY AND TRIED REMOVING AND REINSTALLING THE BATTERY, AS SOME OTHERS SUGGESTED, BUT STILL NOTHING. AFTER REVIEWING SEVERAL DIFFERENT WEB SITES, I SEE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH 2009 NISSANS/ALTIMAS. FROM READING DIFFERENT OWNER'S COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS, I BELIEVE IT WILL BE AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING LOCK AND WILL HAVE TOWED TO NISSAN TOMORROW. I AM SURPRISED WITH SO MANY COMMENTS OVER THE SAME ISSUE, THERE IS NOT A CAMPAIGN TO FIX? I'VE BEEN A FAITHFUL TOYOTA PATRON ALL OF MY LIFE AND THIS IS MY FIRST NISSAN. NOT GOOD A FIRST IMPRESSION!! *TR

MY WIFE PARKED HER 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S AND TURNED OFF HER ENGINE ON 11/15/14.THE NEXT DAY WHEN SHE WENT TO START HER CAR, IT REFUSED TO START, GIVING HER AN ERROR CODE THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) MECHANISM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET AROUND THE PROBLEM AND WE EVENTUALLY HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT FIXED. MY WIFE WAS LUCKY, IN THAT SHE WAS SOMEWHERE SAFE WHEN SHE WAS STRANDED. BUT, SINCE SHE HAD NO PRIOR WARNING THAT THE PART WAS ABOUT TO FAIL, SHE VERY EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED SOMEWHERE MUCH LESS SAFE. NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM FOR THE 2009 ALTIMA, WHILE ISSUING A RECALL FOR ALL OTHER MODELS WITH THIS PART. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR VEHICLE FELL OUTSIDE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WINDOW AND NISSAN WILL NOT HELP WITH THE REPAIR. I FIND IT VERY DISCONCERTING THAT NISSAN WOULD PREFER TO HAVE ITS CUSTOMERS FIGURE OUT THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM BY GETTING STRANDED IN POSSIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS THAN ISSUE A RECALL TO ENSURE THAT THE PROBLEM NEVER HAPPENS IN THE FIRST PLACE. I AM ASKING THAT THE NHTSA MAKES NISSAN ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM SO THAT OTHERS ARE NOT PUT IN POTENTIAL DANGER. *TR

I WENT TO OSH WITH MY KIDS. WHEN WE GOT BACK IN THE CAR IT WOULDN'T START. SAT IN PARKING LOT FOR TWO HOURS. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED EVENTUALLY. PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT. LOOKED ONLINE - APPARENTLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 2009 ALTIMA (AND IMAGINE ALL THE ONES WHO HAVEN'T POSTED ONLINE). IF YOU DO A SEARCH IN YAHOO FOR "STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT," 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA AUTOMATICALLY POPS UP. THEY NEED TO BE RECALLED. IT'S NOT SAFE TO HAVE A CAR WITH A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT WILL CAUSE IT NOT TO START AND LEAVE YOU STRANDED. EVENTUALLY, SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET STUCK SOMEWHERE AND BE HURT OR KILLED. *TR