2009 Nissan Altima

DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK WIDESPREAD DEFECTS IN THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) CAN DISABLE THE PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION. THE ESCL'S PRIMARY JOB IS TO KEEP THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UNTIL YOU BRING YOUR KEY FOB IN RANGE OF THE VEHICLE. IT'S MEANT TO PREVENT THEFT. ONCE THE ESCL DETECTS THE YOUR KEY FOB, IT UNLOCKS THE STEERING WHEEL AND LETS YOU GO. EVEN WITH THE FOB PRESENT AND WORKING, THE ESCL WON'T DETECT IT AND, THEREFORE, WON'T RELEASE IT'S IRON GRIP ON THE WHEEL. 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. THE PROBLEM CAN BE QUITE EXPENSIVE TO FIX. A NEW ESCL WILL SET YOU BACK ABOUT $1100 AND IT TAKES A COUPLE HOURS OF EXPENSIVE-MECHANIC-WORK TO REPLACE. THAT'S NOT TO MENTION THE COST OF A TOW TRUCK, OR THE SAFETY ISSUE OF BEING COMPLETELY STRANDED WHERE YOUR CARS TO STOP WORKING. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR DRIVERS WHO ARE IN REMOTE OR DANGEROUS AREAS. I PERSONALLY WAS ATTENDING A PRENATAL DOCTORS APPOINTMENT WHEN I LEFT TO FIND MY CAR WOULD NOT START NOR GO IN NEUTRAL, I WAS STUCK FOR 4 HOURS WAITING ON A TOW TRUCK 30 20 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME SO THIS WAS VERY SCARY FOR ME. I HAD TO PAY $50 THANKS TO TRIPLE A TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED- I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR TWO WEEKS WHILE I TRIED WORKING WITH NISSAN TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS ONLY TO BE TOLD MY EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED FEB. 2015 (THIS OCCURRED JANUARY 2016). THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $1100 TO REPAIR ONLY A FEW WEEKS AFTER CHRISTMAS. WHY THE DECISION FOR A EXTENDED WARRANTY VERSES A RECALL I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ONE FOR THE SIMPLE FACT IT COMES WITH NO WARNING, SO HOPEFULLY YOUR NOT IN A BAD AREA OF TOWN. ...UPDATED 01/25/16 *BF

MY CAR WAS STATIONARY IN A GROCERY PARKING LOT AND PUSH BUTTON STARTER WOULD NOT START. IT WAS THE DEAD OF WINTER WITH SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES. THE DASH DISPLAYED AN ILLUMINATED KEY INDICATING THERE MAY BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE INTELLIGENT KEY, SO I REPLACED THE BATTERY IN BOTH KEYS AND THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. I THEN TRIED TO JUMP THE CAR WITH NO SUCCESS. SO I GOOGLED "CAR WON'T START, 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA" AND THAT OPENED THE FLOOD GATES. I READ TONS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PART MALFUNCTIONING ON THE 2009 TO 2011 NISSAN. WHEN I FINALLY TOWED MY CAR TO THE DEALER, GUESS WHAT--I HAD THAT VERY ISSUE, SOMETHING CALLED THE "STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION". DURING MY RESEARCH, I EVEN READ AN ARTICLE THAT INDICATED NISSAN WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND HAD EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTY TO HELP, BUT THAT EXTENSION ENDED IN MARCH 2015 AND NISSAN WOULD NOT COMPLETE A RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. I SAY IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. AGAIN, MY CAR STOPPED ON ME IN THE DEAD OF WINTER IN THE MIDDLE OF A COLD SNAP. WHAT I ALSO READ WAS THAT NISSAN KNEW THAT AT LEAST 50% OF THESE CARS MANUFACTURED WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CONSUMER ON THEIR OWN TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I VIEWED YOUTUBE VIDEOS WHERE TONS OF CONSUMERS WERE DOING DESPERATE THINGS TO AVOID SPENDING THE $1000 FOR THIS REPAIR. THEY WERE PULLING THEIR FUSES FOR THE STEERING LOCK SYSTEM. THEY WERE PULLING OUT THE PART AND BANGING ON IT. THEY WERE STICKING A SCREW DRIVER IN THE PART TO RELEASE THE STUCK MECHANISM TO GET THE CAR TO START. IT'S A SHAME THAT NISSAN IS AWARE THAT THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE AND HAS THE TENDENCY TO GET STUCK, RESULTING IN DISABLING THE PUSH BUTTON STARTER AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN CAR, ESPECIALLY NOT A 2009 THROUGH 2011. I WOULDN'T OWN ANOTHER NISSAN IF THEY WERE GIVING THEM AWAY. THIS COMPANY IS UNETHICAL.

MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT A GAS STATION AFTER GETTING FUEL. I ATTEMPTED TO START MY VEHICLE BUT HAD NO RESPONSE FROM PUSH BUTTON START. AFTER SOME ONLINE INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT NISSAN HAD A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK CAUSING THE ISSUE. THIS DEFECTIVE PART LEFT ME STRANDED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP I ENDED UP AT TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON MODELS WITHIN A CERTAIN RANGE WITH OF VINS. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE AND INFORMED ME THEY HAD NOW OBTAINED AN UPGRADED PART TO PREVENT THIS ISSUE. IF THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART THAT PLACES OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES IN A POSITION OF BEING STRANDED AT ANY TIME IN ANY TYPES AREA IT THEN BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE. NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THIS PART ON THE VEHICLES INVOLVED.

ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK FAILED AND RENDERED CAR USELESS AND UNABLE TO START. WHEELS LOCKED IN PLACE. THE CAR WAS PARKED. NISSAN ULTIMATELY REMOVED THE MECHANISM IN FURTHER GENERATIONS OF CARS AND DENIES ALL RESPONSIBILITY AFTER AN ARBITRARY 3 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION. NO SCIENCE BEHIND THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION AND NO HELP PAST THE DEADLINE. CARS CONTINUE TO FAIL BEYOND THE INITIAL 3 YEAR WARRANTY AND BECOME INOPERABLE UNLESS A >$1000 REPAIR IS PERFORMED. A CAR NOT STARTING IS A SAFETY ISSUE DEPENDING UPON WHERE THIS ISSUE OCCURS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT THE FUEL STATION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPUTER BOX IN THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000. UPDATED 02/18/16*LJ *CN

DAUGHTER USED CAR TO GO TO WORK, PICK MY SON AND FOURTUNATELY DID NOT HAVE EVENING CLASSES. WHEN SHE WENT TO VISIT FRIEND THE CAR WOULD NOT START,AND IT IS FREEZING OUTSIDE. LUCKY SHE WAS HOME. 3 NISSIANS WE HAVE PURCHASED OVER 10 YEARS. VERY DISSAPOINTED ABOUT NO RECALL, CONSIDERING ALL THE COMPLAINTS I SEE POSTED..NO MORE NISSIANS FOR ME..

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK UNIT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000. UPDATED 04/06/16*LJ *CN

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK MODULE IN MY 2009 ALTIMA LOCKED LEAVING ME STRANDED AND UNABLE TO START MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. NISSAN RECEIVED SO MANY COMPLAINTS THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR A LIMITED TIME (TO 2014). I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS DATE FROM A NISSAN DEALER WHERE I'VE TAKEN IT FOR EVERY SERVICE AND WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE UNTIL I COULDN'T START MY VEHICLE AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I FILED A CLAIM WITH NISSAN AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO REIMBURSE ME THE $1076 I PAID OUT OF POCKET STATING THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF MY VEHICLE WAS INFORMED BY MAIL OF THE ISSUE (MY CAR HAD JUST ONE PREVIOUS OWNER WHO PERFORMED ALL MAINTENANCE AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP). THIS INFORMATION WAS NEVER PASSED ONTO ME. NISSAN IS SAYING THAT SINCE THEY INFORMED THE LAST OWNER, THEY ARE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE AND ARE REFUSING REIMBURSEMENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT NISSAN NEEDS TO ADDRESS. THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY OR THEY SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THIS PART INDEFINITELY. NISSAN SHOULD ALSO BE CONTACTING THEIR CONSUMERS TO NOTIFY THE CURRENT VEHICLE OWNERS OF THESE SERIOUS TYPES OF ISSUES. CONTACTING A PREVIOUS OWNER IS NOT ENOUGH. THIS IS OUR THIRD NISSAN BUT I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER WITH BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THEIR CONSUMERS IN CASES SUCH AS THESE. HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS SAFETY AND RECALL PARTS THAT YOU KNOW ARE DEFECTIVE AND COULD LEAVE PEOPLE IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS!!

I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY WARNING LIGHT WAS ON WHICH THE MANUAL WARNS OF A MALFUNCTION WITH THE ELECTRICAL STEERING LOCK SYSTEM. THE CAR WILL NOT START AND SO I WILL HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED. WHEN I CHECK TO SEE IF IT IS ON RECALL IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE HOWEVER THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS JUST WITHIN THE PAST FEW WEEKS OF THIS PROBLEM . I THINK NISSAN SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AND RECALL THE FAULTY PART.

MY CAR STARTED JUST FINE WHEN LEAVING MY HOUSE, I DROVE IT TO A GAS STATION, PARKED AT THE PUMP, TURNED OFF ENGINE AND FILLED UP MY TANK. UPON RESTARTING MY VEHICLE, THE ENGINE NEVER TURNED OVER, CAR WILL NOT START, OR RECOGNIZE KEY FOB. MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE RED CAR ICON WITH A KEY INSIDE OF IT WAS BLINKING "SECURITY DEVICE ICON" AS WELL AS THE ORANGE "NO KEY" WARNING LIT UP ON CONSOLE. EVEN AFTER DEPRESSING MY BRAKES, THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND. I HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO TOW MY CAR, AS IT STILL WILL NOT START.