2009 Nissan Altima

I TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE THIS MORNING, WHICH HAS A PUSH-BUTTON START, BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THE OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 6 DEGREES. I GOT A LIGHT ON THE DASH THAT THAT INDICATES THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM (ATTACHED PHOTO). THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START UNLESS THIS LOCK MECHANISM IS REPLACED. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL ON THE WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM FOR OWNERS WHO'VE HAD ISSUES, WHICH EXPIRED JAN 2016. THE PART AND REPAIR CAN COST $900-$1000. HERE IS A LINK TO THE EXPIRED SERVICE BULLETIN: HTTP://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20150219214832/HTTP://WWW.NISSANASSIST.COM/WEB/ESCL_WARRANTY_EXTENSION/PROGRAMDETAILS.PHP?MENU=61

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

2012-I WAS HEADED TO MY CAR TO DRIVE HOME FROM WORK. MY CAR WOULDN'T START. I TRIED JUMPING THE BATTERY AND A FEW OTHER THINGS AND NOTHING HAPPENED. IT WAS WINTER IN MICHIGAN AND IT WAS SNOWING AND IT WAS FREEZING OUT. AFTER RESEARCHING THE MAKE AND MODEL YEAR, 2009 ALTIMA, I REALIZED THE PROBLEM WAS THE STEERING COLUMN. MY STEP FATHER WATCHED A YOUTUBE VIDEO TO FIX MY CAR. HE PUT A ZIP TIE IN TO HOLD THE COLUMN OPEN SO THE CAR WOULD START EVEN THOUGH IT CANT LOCK NOW. WHICH MEANS, I CANT USE MY AUTOMATIC STARTER AND I LIVE IN MICHIGAN WERE IT'S COLD IN THE WINTER. I AM THANKFUL THIS DIDNT HAPPEN WHILE OUT ON BACK ROADS. IN 2015 THE ZIP TIE BROKE AND I WAS STRANDED ONCE MORE DURING WINTER. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE I COULD GET SOMEONE TO HELP ME. SO I SAT IN MY CAR WITH NO HEAT AND FROZE. IT WAS BLOWING SNOW AND IT WAS 14 DEGREES OUT. WHO KNOWS WHAT THE WIND CHILL WAS. BUT, I WAS STUCK ONE MORE TIME! MY STEP DAD ONCE MORE CAME TO THE RESCUE. I HAD MY HUNTING KNIFE IN THE CAR SO HE JAMMED THE COLUMN OPEN AND I DROVE IT HOME THAT WAY. ONCE HOME HE PUT A BOLT IN THE COLUMN TO PREVENT IT FROM LOCKING UP. I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE BEFORE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. I LOVE MY CAR BUT I HATE THAT NISSAN WONT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND THE PART TO FIX IT IS ABOUT $1000! THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT NISSAN SHOULD FIX. WHAT IF I WAS IN THE UP AND THIS HAPPENED? I TRULY WANT TO KNOW WHY THE STEERING COLUMN ISSUE IS NOT CONSIDERED A BIG ENOUGH ISSUE FOR A RECALL!

SO I WAS AT WORK CAME OUT TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START...THOUGHT IT WAS MY BATTERY IT WASNT THAT. GOT IT TOWED TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP.YOUNG LADY ADVISED ME IT WAS STEERING COLUMN LOCK.AFTER DOING MY RESEARCH I SEEN THIS MATTER TO ALOT OF NISSAN CUSTOMER'S.THE COST WAS OVER 1,000 DOLLARS AND SEEN THE WARRANTY EXPIRED LAST YEAR. HAD TO PAID OTHER PEOPLE TO GET BACK AND FORWARD TO WORK AND PICK MY CHILD UP FROM CHILDCARE. CALLED NISSAN1 THE WOMAN TOLD ME IT WOULD TAKE 3 BUSINESS DAY TO REVIEW MY CASE....SHE CALLED TODAY TELLING ME IT WAS NOTHING THEY CAN ABOUT THIS MATTER.I WAS PISSED OFF. THIS PROBLEM WASNT MY FAULT AND NISSAN KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WAY BEFORE ME. ITS SAD TO BE A CUSTOMER TO NISSAN. THEY REALLY DONT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS OR THIS PROBLEM SEEM LIKE EVERYONE HAVING. *TR

I AM THE LATEST VICTIM OF FAULTY STEERING LOCK ON 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL IT HAPPENED WITH ME. I ALONG WITH MY FAMILY (INCLUDING 10 MONTHS OLD KID) WENT OUT AROUND 7:30 PM ON 10TH DEC 2016 AND STOPPED TO FILL FUEL AT THE NEARBY FUEL STATION. SWITCHED OFF CAR'S IGNITION BEFORE FILLING FUEL AS USUAL BUT WAS UNABLE TO START IT LATER. CAR IGNITION DIDN'T START AT ALL, BOTH STEERING AND BRAKES GOT LOCKED AND DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL. EVENTUALLY CAR WAS SHOWING KEY SYMBOL REPEATEDLY. IT WAS LITTLE COLD OUTSIDE AND STARTED RAINING AS WELL. HAD TO GET CAR TOWED BACK HOME, IT TOOK ME 3 HOURS TO GET HOME AS TOWING SERVICE WAS DELAYED AS WELL. MEANWHILE ATTEMPT TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE ALSO DIDN'T HELP AS BATTERIES WERE ALL OKAY. BEING SUNDAY NEXT DAY, NO REPAIR SHOPS AND NISSAN DEALER WERE OPENED. DURING THIS TIME RESEARCHED ABOUT THE ISSUE AND LEARNT THAT THERE IS A DEFECT ON 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA STEERING LOCK SYSTEM WHICH DISABLED THE CAR UNTIL REPLACED. AND NISSAN HAD KEPT ONLY EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 6 YEARS ON THIS PART BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. I HAD TO GET VEHICLE TOWED TO NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY AND UPON DIAGNOSTIC THEY ALSO FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM. HAD TO COUGH UP $1200 TO GET IT REPLACED INCLUDING LABOR CHARGES. IT IS HUGE DENT TO POCKET BUT SEEMS THERE WAS NO CHOICE. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT NISSAN HAS DECIDED TO NOT TO RECALL THIS PART EVEN AFTER LEARNING MUTLIPLE REPORTS AND ITS DEFECTIVENESS. KEEPING 6 YEARS EXTENDED WARRANTY DOESN'T HELP AS LOW MILEAGE CAR WILL TAKE MORE YEARS TO DETECT THIS PROBLEM. MOREOVER THERE IS EXTRA BURDEN ON CONSUMERS OF THEIR TIME, SPOILED PLANS AND MONEY. WORST CASE IF IT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE AT REMOTE LOCATION WHERE GETTING HELP IS BLEAK. I URGE NHTSA TO TAKE THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY AND DIRECT NISSAN TO RECALL/REIMBURSE ON THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. SAFETY OF CONSUMER SHOULD BE TOP PRIORITY THAN PROFITS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. AFTER OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING IGNITION LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA'S STEERING COLUMN LOCK IS DEFECTIVE. IT'S FAILED IN MY CAR TWICE NOW LEADING TO COSTLY REPAIRS/REPLACEMENTS. THE CAR WILL BE RUNNING PERFECTLY WHEN I ARRIVE AT MY DESTINATION AND I PROCEED TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND LEAVE. UPON RETURNING, THE INTELLIGENT KEY WARNING LIGHT APPEARS AND IT BECOMES NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN ON THE CAR. SOMETIMES A JUMP WILL START THE CAR (WHICH HAS A NEW, FULLY CHARGED BATTERY), BUT MANY TIMES NOTHING WORKS EXCEPT GETTING THE CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC TO HAVE THE COLUMN LOCK REPLACED. THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK IS SUPPOSED TO STOP THEFT, NOT KEEP ME FROM STARTING MY CAR WHEN I'M TRYING TO GET HOME FROM WORK AT NIGHT. IT'S ABSURD THAT THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NISSAN ALTIMA'S AND THAT NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. NOW THAT WINTER IS APPROACHING, I MAY BE FORCED TO SPEND HOURS OUTSIDE IN THE FREEZING COLD TRYING TO GET MY CAR TO START BECAUSE THE COLUMN LOCK IS DEFECTIVE AND COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE. IT IS JUST NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN A CAR YOU ARE AFRAID TO TURN OFF BECAUSE IT MAY NOT START AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE COLD OR WHEN YOU ARE FAR FROM HOME.

CAR WOULDN'T START OUT OF NOWHERE. NO ELECTRICITY OR ANYTHING NOW I'M OUT OF TWO GRAND FOR A NISSAN DEFECT WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD. I WANT MY MONEY BACK. STRANDED MYSELF AND THREE KIDS AT MIDNIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A DARK PARKWAY IN TEN DEGREES WEATHER!!! I HAD NO MONEY FOR TOWING. WHAT NERVE OF NISSAN. U NEED TO RECALL THIS CRAP

THE CAR DOESNT START BECAUSE THE CAR'S STARTING SYSTEM IS FAULTY. IT IS CALLED ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) FAILURE. ONLY NISSAN DEALERS CAN FIX THIS ISSUE AND THEY CHARGE EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR REPLACING A SMALL PART AND FOR LABOR. THIS IS NOT CAUSED BY A USER ERROR BUT BECAUSE OF A DEFECT WITH THIS MODEL ITSELF. THERE ARE MANY SUCH COMPLAINS ONLINE AND HAPPENS TO PEOPLE RANDOMLY. THIS IS A SEVERE HEALTH AND LIFE HAZARD. ME AND MY WIFE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR REMOTE PLACES WHEN THIS ISSUE HAPPENED AND IF THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A HUGE MESS! NISSAN DOES NOT EVEN HAVE THE COURTESY TO REIMBURSE THE FULL REPAIR AMOUNT. I DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR THE HOTEL AND TRIP CANCELLATION REIMBURSEMENT BUT STILL THEY ARE NOT READY TO BUDGE. I ESCALATED IT TO THREE LEVELS BUT TO NO EFFECT. THIS IS SAD. THERE MUST BE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL. MY CAR JUST HAS 60K MILES ON IT AND I FEEL CHEATED TO HAVE TO PAY $1100 FOR NISSAN'S FAULT JUST FOR THE REPAIR, LET ALONE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES I HAD TO INCUR TO BOOK HOTEL LAST MINUTE FOR TWO DAYS AND INCUR CHARGES FOR THE HOTEL STAYS FOR THE REST OF MY TRIP. MY HONEYMOON TRIP WAS SCREWED UP BECAUSE OF NISSAN AND THEY ARE SAYING THEY CAN ONLY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE PART WHICH IS ONLY HALF THE COST. I WILL SELL THIS CAR AS SOON AS I CAN AND WILL NEVER EVER BUY A NISSAN CAR AGAIN. BUT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS CAR RECALLED ASAP BEFORE IT LEADS TO SOMEONE'S DEATH.