2009 Nissan Altima

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (RON MARHOFER NISSAN, 247 HOWE AVE, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH, 44221) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT EXHAUST PIPE MANIFOLD, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE NISSAN MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 28754357. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL (PC130), BUT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED. THE 02 SENSOR AND MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000.

TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD (1 HOUR+) IN WARM WEATHER (80 DEGREES+). VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY LOSES POWER, WITH RPMS NEVER REACHING ABOVE 2000, DRASTICALLY REDUCING ACCELERATION AND SPEED. DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, THIS CREATES A SERIOUS DANGER. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER TWO YEARS NOW.

THE START PUSH BUTTON IGNITION AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY WILL NOT ENGAGE.. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE BRAKE PAD TO DEPRESS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I AM LEFT DEAD IN THE WATER WITH NO WAY TO START OR USE THE ACCESSORIES FUNCTION TO TURN ON THE RADIO OR ALLOW MY PHONE TO CHARGE IN THE BATTERY PORT. I WENT TO PICK UP MY FAMILY WENT TO START THE CAR AND THERE WAS NO RECOGNITION.

I STARTED MY CAR AS USUAL TO RUN SOME ERRANDS. IT STARTED FINE. I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION AND SHUT OFF THE CAR. IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. IT WAS FREEZING COLD. MY CAR WAS BLOCKING THE GAS PUMP AND IT COULD NOT BE MOVED. I RULED OUT THE KEY FOB BECAUSE IT STILL UNLOCKED THE DOORS. I INSERTED THE KEY FOB IN THE EMERGENCY SOCKET THAT IS SUPPOSED TO START THE CAR IN CASE THE BATTERY IN THE KEY FOB DIES. STILL NOTHING. I HAD MY BROTHER BRING ME A NEW BATTERY FOR THE KEY FOB. STILL NOTHING. HE TOOK ME HOME. I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR THERE. AFTER SOME INTERNET RESEARCH, MANY MANY OTHERS WITH NISSANS WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. THE CULPRIT IS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK MODULE. IT LOCKS THE STEERING WHEEL AND YOU CANNOT START THE CAR WHEN IT IS LOCKED. I WENT BACK TO THE CAR TORE THE PANEL APART AND LOCATED THE STEERING LOCK. THE RESEARCH I DID SAID THAT SOMETIMES YOU COULD GET IT TO RELEASE THE LOCK PIN IF YOU TAP ON IT WITH HAMMER. SO I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE WHILE HOLDING IN THE START BUTTON AND TAPPING ON THE STEERING LOCK MODULE. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF BANGING ON THE MODULE IT DISENGAGED ENOUGH TO START THE CAR. I DROVE IT HOME AND SHUT IT OFF. IT WON'T START AGAIN. NISSAN SAYS THE WARRANTY RAN OUT JAN. 1ST, 2016. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $679.51 JUST FOR THE PART NOT INCLUDING LABOR. THAT IS RIDICULOUS! WHAT IF I WERE SOMEWHERE REMOTE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START? I COULD HAVE FROZE TO DEATH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS IT SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED TO 1000S OF PEOPLE.

ON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2017 APPROXIMATELY 5:45 PM, I WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF ON KIRKWOOD HIGHWAY IN NEWARK, DE WHICH IS 3 LANES. THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AND HESITATE TO TAKE OFF. WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND WOULD NOT MOVE. I HAD MY 3 YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK SEAT AT THE TIME. AN PASSERBY FINALLY PULLED UP BEHIND ME AND HELPED ME PUSH MY CAR OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY TO THE LEFT TURN LANE SO THAT I WASN'T BLOCKING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. AFTER ABOUT 2 HOURS, A TOW TRUCK FINALLY CAME AND TOWED THE CAR TO BENCHMARK TRANSMISSION IN NEWARK, DE. THE MECHANIC NAMED DANTE ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD DIED. HE ALSO NOTIFIED ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN RECALL ISSUED BY NISSAN SEVERAL YEARS BACK WHICH MY TRANSMISSION WAS NOW OUT OF RECALL DUE TO THE MILEAGE. MY CAR WAS IN THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN NOVEMBER 2012 TO FIX THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK THAT ALSO TURNED INTO A RECALL. AT THAT TIME NISSAN HAD MY UPDATED ADDRESS AS WELL AS IT HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED WITH THE DELAWARE DMV AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALL. THERE WAS ALSO NO INDICATION THAT ANY ISSUE WAS OCCURRING WITH THE TRANSMISSION (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. I WANT NISSAN TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS INCIDENT. THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BE IN UPWARDS OF $4,000.00