2009 Nissan Altima

MY ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK HAS MALFUNCTIONED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THIS MALFUNCTION DOES NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO RECOGNIZE THE KEY FOB, PREVENTING IGNITION. I WAS STRANDED IN A REMOTE PART OF A FOREST PRESERVE AND BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT START I HAD TO HIKE OUT 6 MILES UNTIL I GOT CELL PHONE COVERAGE AND COULD CALL FOR HELP. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ME PREVIOUSLY IN 2011. AT THAT POINT NISSAN HAD COVERED THIS REPAIR AS PART OF A LIFETIME EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK, BUT THEY DECIDED IN JANUARY 2016 TO CANCEL THIS WARRANTY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND "KEY FOB" WAS DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL); HOWEVER, THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

WHILE OUT SHOPPING, I RETURNED TO THE CAR AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I TRIED TO START IT. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. IT WAS DARK OUT, AND I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE STORE PARKING LOT, IN ADDITION TO IT NOT STARTING. WHEN TOWED TO DEALER, THEY SAID THE STEERING LOCK UNIT WAS BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE, I NOTICED THAT NISSAN KNEW THE STEERING LOCK UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, WHICH EXPIRED IN NOVEMBER 2014. MY PROBLEM IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THEY FIXED FOR HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS FOR FREE, BUT SINCE MINE HAPPENED LATER THAT 11/2014, THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT. NOW, I AM OUT ALMOST $1300 DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR. DEFECTIVE IS DEFECTIVE, REGARDLESS OF WHEN IT HAPPENED. THEY KNEW IT WAS DEFECTIVE, OR THEY WOULDN'T HAVE EXTENDED THAT WARRANTY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL LOCK DISABLED THE STARTER SO THAT I COULD NOT MOVE MY CAR. I WAS IN A WAL MART PHARMACY PARKING LOT WHEN THIS OCCURRED. MY WIFE IS UNDERGOING CHEMO-THERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER AND WE HAD TO WAIT ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE WE COULD GET A RIDE HOME. THE WAIT MADE MY WIFE FEEL WORSE CONSIDERING HER CONDITION.

"THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS A DEFECTIVE "STEERING LOCK" WHICH CAUSES OWNERS TO BE UNABLE TO START THEIR VEHICLES. THIS DEFECT CAN AFFECT OWNERS OF THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT CAUSE. WHEN THIS ISSUE OCCURS THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE IS TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE FAULTY STEERING LOCK REPLACED. THE CAR CANNOT BE STARTED AT ALL. THUS, OWNERS OF THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA CONTINUOUSLY FIND THEMSELVES STUCK IN VERY INCONVENIANT CIRCUMSTANCES WITH NO ABILITY TO DRIVE THEIR CAR. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR DRIVERS WHO ARE IN REMOTE OR DANGEROUS AREAS." THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA ON OCT 10, 2016. I WAS FURTHER DISAPPOINTED TO RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FROM NISSAN TO THE EFFECT THAT THEY KNEW THIS BUT THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED LAST YEAR AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN COVER THE COST FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT THAT IMPOSES GREAT DANGER.