2009 Nissan Altima

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THIS IS PROBABLY THE COLDEST DAY WE HAVE HAD IN EAST TEXAS THIS WINTER ESPECIALLY WHEN INCLUDING THE WINDCHILL FACTOR. I CAME HOME AT 5:45, PARKED MY CAR IN THE GARAGE, AND WENT INSIDE. WHEN MY SON WHEN TO START THE CAR AT 9:30, IT WOULD NOT START. IT WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE HIS KEY, HE WOKE ME UP AND WE TRIED MINE, IT STILL WILL NOT START. WE SPENT THE NEXT FOUR HOURS DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY, MANUALLY MOVING THE CAR IN AND OUT OF THE GARAGE, AND EVEN TRIED TO JUMP START IT AS SUGGESTED ON THIS SITE. NOTHING WORKED. THE CAR WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY AND HAS THE KEY LIGHT FLASHING IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER. THERE WAS NO WARNING AND I AM GRATEFUL AFTER READING ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS ON HERE THAT IT WENT OUT IN MY GARAGE. WE HAVE NARROWED IT DOWN TO THE STEERING LOCK MODULE FAILURE. THE BATTERY IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND ALL THE LIGHTS WORK, THE CAR JUST WON'T START BECAUSE IT WON'T RECOGNIZE THE KEY FOB. I'M GOING TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THIS CAR THIS MORNING BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF THIS PART AND HOW I AM GOING TO GET ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION UNTIL THIS IS FIXED. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS PART AND WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY WHICH WAS EXTENDED FOR UNLIMITED MILES FOR THIS PART ONLY. CURRENTLY, THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO HIGH LEVEL OF FAILURES ACROSS THE US. PART IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIGHER FAILURE IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER. NISSAN YOU NEED TO MAKE GOOD ON THIS OR IT WILL BE THE LAST CAR MANY OF US WILL BUY FROM YOU. *TR

I WENT TO RUN AN ERRAND AND WHEN I CAME BACK OUT TO MY CAR FROM THE STORE, IT WOULDN'T START. I FOUND THAT THE "NO KEY" WARNING LIGHT WAS LIT ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE SECURITY WARNING LIGHT WOULD TURN ON WHEN I TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE. WHEN I PUSHED THE START BUTTON, NOTHING HAPPENED, IT STAYED IN THE "LOCK" SETTING. AFTER TRYING EVERYTHING I COULD THINK OF (WITH NO TOOLS AVAILABLE), INCLUDING USING BOTH KEYS, TO GET THE CAR TO START AND READING THE OWNER'S MANUAL I REALIZED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT GOING TO START. I WAS ABLE TO GET A RIDE HOME AND RESEARCHED THE ISSUE WHERE I FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, ALONG WITH THREADS ON FORUMS DESCRIBING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. I HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE NISSAN KNOWS THAT THIS IS A FAILED PART AND HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS AS THIS FAILURE RENDERS THE CAR INCAPABLE OF STARTING AND SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS FAILURE. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN ABOUT PAYING FOR MY TOWING BILL SINCE, IF THERE WAS A RECALL, I COULD HAVE DRIVEN MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHILE IT WAS STILL WORKING TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED PROACTIVELY INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BE STRANDED AND CHARGED FOR A TOWING BILL. *TR

TRYING TO START MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA, IT WOULD NOT START!!! THE BRAKES WERE ALMOST STUCK AND THE CAR SIMPLY WOULD NOT START! THE LIGHTS IN THE CAR TURNED ON WITH OUT A PROBLEM SO I KNOW IT WASN'T THE BATTERY, PLUS I CHANGED IT 2 YEARS AGO. AFTER READING MANY MANY REVIEWS, 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE START BUTTON, NOW I HAVE TO PAY TOW COMPANY TO TAKE TO DEALER AND PAY SO MUCH MONEY. PLEASE PLEASE NISSAN HELP REPLACE THIS!! *TR

WOULD NOT START, ELECTRONIC LOCKING MECH MALFUNCTION....PREGNANT WIFE GOT STRANDED WITHOUT WARNING IN NEGATIVE DEGREE WEATHER.....SAFETY ISSUE.....NOT TO MENTION , TOW BILL, TIME LOST FROM WORK, AND MAKING ARRANGEMENTS,OBTAINING,PAYING FOR ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION, WHILE THE PART IS CURRENTLY ON BACK ORDER FOR GOING ON 2 WEEKS NOW......LUCKILY WIFE WAS ONLY 30 MINUTES FROM HOME OR COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE BUT WAS STILL POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS GETTING STRANDED IN NEGATIVE DEGREE WEATHER. *TR

WHEN I TRIED TO START MY CAR IT WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. EVERYTHING WAS LOCKED UP. AAA TOWED IT TO THE DEALER WHERE IT HAS BEEN FOR 9 DAYS. THE AUTO MANAGER AT ED HOWARD NISSAN IN VENICE, FL TOLD ME ANOTHER ALTIMA IS THERE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN CANNOT TELL ME HOW LONG I WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE PART TO COME IN. INSTEAD OF RECALLING THE CAR, NISSAN GAVE THIS PARTICULAR PART A MILLION MILE WARRANTY. MOST FRUSTRATING IS BOTH THE NISSAN DEALER AND NISSAN CORPORATE RELATIONS HAVE REFUSED TO PROVIDE A LOANER OR REIMBURSE ME FOR A RENTAL WHILE I CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR MY CAR TO BE FIXED. BAD SITUATION ALL AROUND. *TR

CAR WILL NOT START. THIS MODEL USES THE INTELLIGENT KEY SYSTEM WITH PUSH BUTTON START. THE KEY IS ACTUALLY DETECTED BY THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKS. BUT THE START BUTTON IS NOT ENABLED AND THE CAR DOES NOTHING WHEN TRYING TO START. LIGHTS, ELECTRICAL AND BATTERY TESTED FINE. TOWED CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND THE STEERING LOCK MODULE HAD FAILED. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS PART AND WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY WHICH WAS EXTENDED FOR UNLIMITED MILES FOR THIS PART ONLY. CURRENTLY, THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO HIGH LEVEL OF FAILURES ACROSS THE US. PART IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIGHER FAILURE IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER. ETA FOR PART DELIVERY IS UNKNOWN AND DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME AGAIN IN 2 WEEKS! NISSAN DID PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR DUE TO THE PART SHORTAGE. MY VEHICLE IS A 2009 MODEL YEAR BUT THIS PART HAS A PROBLEM ALSO IN THE 2010 AND 2011 MODEL YEARS FOR ALL NISSAN VEHICLES PER THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. *TR

THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH A "SMART" KEY-LOCKING SYSTEM AS WELL AS A "SMART" IGNITION SYSTEM. THE KEY FOR THE CAR IS A WIRELESS FOB THAT WHEN AROUND THE VEHICLE WILL ALLOW THE CAR TO BE UNLOCKED AND STARTED. THE KEY WILL ALLOW THE CAR TO START, WHEN THE KEY IS DETECTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE ISSUE THAT AROSE WAS DUE TO A MALFUNCTIONING PART, THE PART WAS AN: ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK. THE PART FAILED DURING A SPELL OF COLD DAYS THAT AFFECTED MY STATE. DURING THE FIRST FEW DAYS BEFORE THE PART ULTIMATELY MALFUNCTIONED THE CAR BEGAN SHOWING ERROR LIGHTS FOR MANY SYSTEMS. THE CAR INDICATED THAT DOORS WERE OPEN, THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WERE APPLIED (WHEN THEY CLEARLY WERE NOT), THE INTERIOR LIGHTS IN THE CAR WOULD RANDOMLY COME ON WHEN DRIVING (AS IF DOORS WERE OPENING) AND FINALLY THE INDICATED THAT THE SMART KEY SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE CAR ULTIMATELY FAILED ON A COLD NIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO ENTER THE CAR, BUT THAT WAS IT. THE CAR DID NOT RECOGNIZE MY KEY AND THE CAR WAS RENDERED USELESS. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE CAR ON, OR EVEN SWITCH IT TO ANY STANDBY MODE. BECAUSE THE CAR DOESN'T HAVE A TRADITIONAL KEY YOU ARE UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND PUSH IT IN NEUTRAL. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, AND DEPENDING ON HOW THE TIRES WERE LOCKED INITIALLY DETERMINES THE ONLY DIRECTION THAT THE CAR WILL MOVE. WHEN I CONTACTED NISSAN ABOUT THE ISSUE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE ISSUED A "WARRANTY EXTENSION" ON THAT SPECIFIC PART ONLY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THEY KNOW A PROBLEM EXISTS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT I WAS ALSO TOLD BY NISSAN THAT THE PART IS ON BACKORDER AND ON RESTRICTED RELEASE. THEY HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT THEY CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. THIS ISSUE IS VERY REAL AND DANGEROUS. PEOPLE WILL BE LEFT STRANDED IN THEIR CAR. UNLESS THE PART FAILS THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE PART WILL GO WRONG. *TR