2009 Nissan Altima

WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2009. ON 11/18/2015, MY WIFE BECAME STRANDED IN A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. AFTER RESEARCH ONLINE, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM. WHEN THE MECHANISM FAILS, IT GENERATES A FAULT IN THE COMPUTER THAT DISABLES THE VEHICLE. NISSAN HAS KNOWN OF THE PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY OWNERS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. THE FAILED PART IS 48700-JF00A. LET ME STRESS THAT NISSAN HAS KNOWN OF THIS PART DEFECTIVENESS FOR YEARS, BUT HAS NOT BEEN PROACTIVE TO AVOID OWNERS FROM BEING STRANDED. THE VEHICLE WAS OBVIOUSLY STATIONARY WHEN THIS PROBLEM WAS REALIZED.

OUT OF NO WHERE, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, MY STEERING LOCK BROKE, TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT START THE CAR. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP (ONE THAT I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH). THEN I WAS TOLD I HAD TO REPLACE THIS PART WHICH WOULD COST $1200.00. IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT MY WARRANTY EXPIRED ON AUGUST 25, 2015. THIS OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 11, 2015. NISSAN WAS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ON NOTICE THAT THIS PIECE WAS MALFUNCTIONING IN THE 2009 NISSAN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PUSH TO START BUTTON FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE CONTACT HAD TO MAKE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO MANEUVER THE PUSH BUTTON START AND AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

NISSAN KNOWN STEERING LOCK FAILURE ISSUES. I WAS STRANDED AT GAS STATION AT 1AM BECAUSE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN AFTER GETTING GAS. NISSAN IS AWARE OF ISSUE, EXTENDED THE WARRANTY BUT DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF POTENTIAL PROBLEM. NOW IT IS OUT OF EXTENDED WARRANTY BY 4 MONTHS AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY 1K FOR BEING STRANDED IN DARK AT 1 AM FOR KNOWN FAILURE ISSUE THEY DID NOT NOTIFY ME ABOUT.

FLARE AND SLIP ON HIGHWAY MERGE. INTERMITTENTLY SHUDDER, SURGE AND VIBRATE WHEN ACCELERATE FROM 0-30 OR DECELERATE FROM 30-0 IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS BELT TYPE(CVT) TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT 'S LOGIC IS NOT SYNCHRONIZED WITH GAS THROTTLE INPUT. IT IS NOT AS PRECISE AND RESPONSIVE AS STEP AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION USED BY NISSAN'S INFINITI OR GMC AND TOYOTA ETC. THEREFORE, IT WILL CREATE MANY DANGEROUS DELAYS IN HIGHWAY MERGE SCENARIO FROM 0-60, WITH POTENTIAL OF GETTING HIT AT 60 MPH SPEED.

WHEN PURCHASING SUCH VEHICLE SALES REP AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE ADDED EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE PART(STEERING LOCK ) NEEDED, HOWEVER ON 11-10-15 NISSAN REGIONAL OFFICE SAID OUT OF COURTESY ADDED TO WARRANTY DUE TO THE FACT OF KNOWING THIS WAS A FAULTY PART. STEERING COLUMN LOCK, LOCK UP ON SAID VEHICLE WITHOUT OFFER OF EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SAID PART. DUE TO THE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE THERE SHOULD OF BE A RECALL, RATHER THAN EXPECTING CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. SAID VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY

THE STEERING LOCK ACCORDING TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WAS FAULTY AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. UNFORTUNATELY OUR CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. ENDED UP COSTING US $1300 TO REPLACE. CALL NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY DID NOTHING BUT MAKE US WAIT 5 DAYS TO TELL US THEY WILL DO NOTHING.