2009 Nissan Altima

TRIED TO START MY CAR ONE DAY AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE CAR WAS LOCATED IN FRONT OF MY CHILDREN'S SCHOOL . AFTER GETTING A DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT IT WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED FOR THE PART BECAUSE TONS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE PROBLEM BUT THE WARRANTY RAN OUT JUNE 29, 2015. HOW WOULD I KNOW THAT THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE IF THEY DO T CONTACT ME? NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $1100

BEWARE TO ANYBODY WHO DRIVES A 2009 OR 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER, IT WILL DECIDE TO NOT START AND STRAND YOU - SEVERE ISSUE. IT'S ESCL (ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK: YOUR CAR ACTS LIKE IT WAS BROKEN INTO AND / OR STOLEN), WHICH IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WHICH THEY REFUSE TO PUT ON THE RECALL LIST, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LISTED ON NHTSA'S SERVICE BULLETIN (NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION). AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF SAME ISSUE FOR CONSUMERS, SOME NISSAN SERVICE CENTERS PAID FOR IT UNDER LIFETIME WARRANTY OF THE CAR, SOME DID NOT. VERY INCONSISTENT! THE SAME ITEM FOR MURANO WAS LISTED ON THE RECALL LIST, YET NOT ALTIMA. NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE TO 6 YEARS FOR ALTIMA, CONVENIENTLY MINE EXPIRED 2 MONTHS AGO (NO NOTIFICATION OF ISSUE AND / OR EXTENDED WARRANTY). IT WILL COST ME ALMOST $1,000.00 TO REPAIR THEIR DEFECT (WHICH I'M GRUDGINGLY PAYING AS I NEED MY CAR AND THEY KNOW IT)! TIME FOR A CLASS ACTION STANCE (MAYBE MORGAN & MORGAN), SO TIRED OF THE LITTLE GUY BEING SCREWED BY THESE BIG COMPANIES! I LOVED THIS CAR UNTIL SUNDAY, I NOW FEEL VERY UNSURE OF ITS RELIABILITY, NOT TO MENTION THE MONEY PIT IT MAY BECOME...GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HAD A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK UNIT THAT RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE FOR MY WIFE AS DRIVER AND HER PASSENGERS. SHE HAD TO GET STRANDED AND HAVE IT TOWED BEFORE THE THIRD DEALER WE SAW ABOUT THE PROBLEM COULD DIAGNOSE THE ROOT CAUSE. SHE WAS IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION THREE HOURS FROM WHERE I WAS LOCATED WHEN THE PART MALFUNCTIONED AND FEARED FOR HER SAFETY. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THIS MODEL HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES IN ITS HISTORY WITH THIS PARTICULAR PART TO THE POINT THAT NISSAN EXTEND THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY UNTIL APRIL OF 2015 - ALL ACCORDING TO A SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE THIRD DEALERSHIP I WENT TO. WHEN MALFUNCTIONING, THIS UNIT RENDERS THE VEHICLE ABSOLUTELY MOTIONLESS AND PRESENTS AN IMMEDIATE UNSAFE AND HAZARDOUS SITUATION TO THE DRIVER AND ALL PASSENGERS. THE DEALER SUGGESTED I CONTACT NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WHICH I DID AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE IN FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE, WHO DENIED MY REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE COST OF THE PART. I DID NOT REQUEST TOTAL REIMBURSEMENT AND THOUGHT WE COULD WORK THIS OUT IN GOOD FAITH, BUT TO NO AVAIL AND MY GESTURE WAS DISMISSED. NISSAN KNOWS THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE AND EVEN EXTENDED THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR, THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED NATIONWIDE ON ALL APPLICABLE VEHICLES. THIS MAY BE THE REASON WHY NISSAN EXTENDED THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY ON THIS PARTICULAR PART BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND PROBLEMATIC. I BELIEVE THAT NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THE PART ON THE ALTIMA MODELS AFFECTED AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER BECAUSE THEY KNOW AND ARE AWARE THAT THE COMPONENT PART IS HAS A HISTORY OF BEING DEFECTIVE, UNSAFE, AND UNRELIABLE.

WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER BEING DRIVEN AN HOUR PRIOR TO THE MALFUNCTION. THE KEY FOB INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START OR RESPOND TO THE START BUTTON. THE KEY FOB UNLOCKS/LOCKS THE CAR. UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL LOCK THAT KEEPS THE CAR FROM BEING STOLEN OR STARTED WITHOUT THE KEY FOB. THIS IS, FROM WHAT I DISCOVERED, A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSANS AND IN MY VIEW A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. NISSAN HAS MADE THIS A WARRANTY EXTENSION INSTEAD OF A SAFETY RECALL FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. WITH NO WAY TO TELL WHEN AND IF A STEERING LOCK WILL FAIL IT IS A GAME OF CHANCE THAT MANY NISSAN OWNERS ARE LOSING. IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, AND PURCHASED YOUR CAR USED, IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT YOU WILL NOT KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE UNTIL ITS ALREADY TOO LATE. ON TOP OF THAT, SINCE IT IS A WARRANTY IT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE. WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU ARE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND IT FAILS THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT NISSAN WILL NOT FIX IT FOR FREE.

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AT 60,000 MILES FROM A NISSAN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE PUSH BUTTON DOES NOT START THE CAR. SOMETIMES IT DOES START AND WILL GO OFF BY ITSELF. THE SHIFT TICK IS LOCKED AND WON'T CHANGE GEARS. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN AND THEY BOTH SAID NOTHING CAN BE DONE. SO I AM PAYING FOR A CAR THAT DOES NOT WORK. WHEN IT DOES TURN ON I HAVE TO PRESS THE LOCK RELEASE ON THE SHIFTER FOR IT TO ENGAGE INTO DRIVE. DANGEROUS REALLY. NO ACCOUNTABILITY

STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY FAILURE LEFT US COMPLETELY STRANDED. WE RETURNED TO OUR CAR AND THE START BUTTON DID NOTHING. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I WAS ABLE TO RETURN WITH A HAMMER AND AFTER STRIKING THE INTERLOCK SEVERAL TIMES, IT STARTED WORKING. THE ONLY PERMANENT REPAIR FOR THIS IS TO PAY THE DEALER $1,000 TO REPLACE THE MODULE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT COULD LEAVE MY WIFE STRANDED RANDOMLY AT ANYTIME OR ANY PLACE THAT SHE DRIVES THE CAR. NISSAN HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY, BUT THIS FAILED 6 MONTHS AFTER IT EXPIRED... THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL