2009 Nissan Altima

HI, I'M [XXX] FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES LIVING IN ABU DHABI AND I HAVE A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA WHICH I NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES EXCEPT THIS ONE. IT STARTED WHEN I WOKE UP IN THE MORNING AS USUAL GOING TO WORK AND TRYING TO START THE CAR BUT IT DID NOT START, I OPENED THE HOOD TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF IT WAS FROM THE BATTERY BUT I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING UNUSUAL AS I ALREADY HAD MY BATTERY CHANGED BEFORE 3 MONTHS AGO, THEN I DECIDED TO CALL NISSAN WORKSHOP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AND THEN AFTER TRYING TWO COUPLE THINGS ASKED FROM THE NISSAN SUPERVISOR I FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. LATER ON THEY DECIDED TO SEND A TOWING CAR TO ME AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE WORKSHOP AFTER THAT THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE COST WILL BE AROUND 1100 $ FOR REPLACING THE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY !!. AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS IN THIS SITE OF THE SAME PROBLEM I DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAIN ABOUT STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY ISSUE HOPPING TO RECALL THIS PART FROM NISSAN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE STEERING LOCK SENSOR BURNED OUT AS DESCRIBED BY THE SERVICE CENTER AT WEST COVINA NISSAN IN CALIFORNIA. AS I WAS RESEARCHING TO VERIFY THAT IN FACT IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK SENSOR, I FOUND THAT THERE WERE MANY NISSAN OWNERS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS I, THE SENSOR BURNED OUT AT ABOUT 70K MILES ON THE VEHICLE. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IF THIS SENSOR HAD BURNED OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THE POTENTIAL DANGER AND DEFECTIVE PART. THE REPAIR IS ABOUT $750.00. WHICH I PAID. *TR

IN THE EARLY MORNING OF MARCH 6, 2013, I ATTEMPTED TO START MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA (MILEAGE 46027), BUT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD (NO CRANK OR OTHER SOUND). I NOTED AN ILLUMINATED KEY SYMBOL IN THE DASH. I PROCEEDED TO CHECK (1) THE CAR BATTERY - IT WAS FULLY CHARGED, (2) INSERT THE KEY IN MANUAL SLOT - IT WOULD NOT CRANK/START, (3) RELEASE GEAR SHIFT AND MANUALLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL - IT WOULD NOT CRANK/START, (4) USE THE SECOND REMOTE KEY - IT WOULD NOT CRANK/START, (5) PURCHASE A NEW ENERGIZER BATTERY FOR THE REMOTE KEY - ALL TO NO AVAIL. EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP; I WAS ADVISED THAT STEERING LOCK (REPLACEMENT NISSAN PART NUMBER 48700-9N00B) HAD FAILED AND GIVEN AN INITIAL ESTIMATE OF $915 TO REPLACE THE UNIT. LUCKILY. THE FINAL COST OF THIS JOB WAS REDUCED TO $769. AFTER FURTHER ONLINE RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT NISSAN HAS A VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN BULLETIN (DATED MARCH 2010) TO REPLACE THE SAME STEERING LOCK WITH THE IDENTICAL PART NUMBER ON THE 2009 NISSAN GT-R (THIS CAR'S ORIGINAL BASE PRICE WAS $76,840). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE START BUTTON FOR THE IGNITION FAILED AND THE INTELLIGENCE KEY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000. *TR

INCLUDE MY 2009 ALTIMA 2.5SL TO THE GROWING LIST OF STEERING COLUMN ELECTRICAL SHORT PROBLEMS. I TOO HAD JUST TURNED OFF THE CAR AND 20 MINUTES LATER RETURNED TO FIND IT WOULD NOT START. BRAKE FELT DEPRESSED WHEN I FIRST PUT MY FOOT ON IT. PUSHED THE BUTTON AND NOTHING HAPPENED. TRIED THE KEY IN THE DASH SLOT, AND NOTHING. CALLED DEALER, HE TOLD ME TO TRY AND JUMP START WITH CABLES AND THAT DIDN'T WORK. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALER. WAS TOLD IT WAS THE VERY COMMON ELECTRICAL STEERING COLUMN SHORT, AND THE FIX WAS 1100.00. LUCKILY I HAD PURCHASED A SERVICE CONTRACT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2011. PAID DEDUCTIBLE OF 100.00. THIS ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE A NISSAN RECALL. DEALER TOLD ME THE PROBLEM IS ON THE RECALL LIST FOR THE 370Z, BUT HAD NOT MADE IT YET FOR ALTIMA. I DID SEE THROUGH RESEARCH AND A FRIEND WHO WORKS FOR NISSAN, THAT THEY CHANGED THAT WIRING IN THE MODEL YEARS THAT FOLLOWED. *TR