2011 Nissan Altima

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE PUSH START WAS PRESSED, THE BRAKES SEIZED AND THERE WAS NO ENGINE POWER. ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS NEEDED. THE SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN THE FAILURE RECURRED; HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,998. UPDATED 10/06/16*LJ *CN

I HAVE A NISSAN ALTIMA (2011) AND MY SISTER HAS A NISSAN MURANO (2013?). BOTH CARS REMAIN RUNNING WHEN THE "SMART KEY" IS REMOVED. MY CAR BEEPS 3 TIMES IF I GET OUT WITH THE KEY WHEN IT IS RUNNING, BUT NOT MUCH NOTIFICATION. I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM YET, BUT MY SISTER, IN HER 80'S, HAS LEFT HER CAR RUNNING FOR HOURS FREQUENTLY SINCE SHE BOUGHT THE MURANO (AT LEAST 5 TIMES). WE BOTH KEEP OUR CARS IN A CLOSED IN BASEMENT AND IF LEFT RUNNING COULD BE DEADLY. OUR BEDROOMS ARE DIRECTLY OVER THE GARAGE. IT SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLE TIMER COULD BE USED TO TURN THE CAR OFF IF THE KEY IS REMOVED FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES. AN OVER RIDE COULD BE PUT ON THE OPTION IF THE OWNER WANTS IT TO RUN LONGER FOR WINTER WARM-UPS OR WHATEVER. THE SOONER THE AUTO COMPLEX FIXES THIS THE FEWER RECALLS IN THE FUTURE. I REALLY WORRY ABOUT MY SISTER AND OTHERS NOT AS TECH SAVVY OR MAYBE WITH MEMORY/ATTENTION ISSUES. THE INCIDENT DATE ABOVE IS CLOSE TO THE DATE THAT I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, SINCE THIS ISSUE EXISTED THE DAY THAT I BOUGHT IT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE DANGER UNTIL MY SISTER REPEATEDLY LEFT HERS RUNNING UNKNOWINGLY. I'M SURE THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM MAY NOT BE NISSAN SPECIFIC AND ALL COMPANIES WILL NEED TO FIX IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *TR

THIS IS AN INCIDENT THAT HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES, MOST RECENTLY ON 2/23/15. CAR WOULD NOT START IN COLDER WEATHER. REPLACED BATTERY IN JANUARY OF 2014 FINE FOR AWHILE. HAPPENED AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2014. GOT JUMP START AND TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP. COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. STARTED FINE FOR SHOP. JANUARY 2015, INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN WHERE CAR WOULD NOT START. BROUGHT BACK TO REPAIR SHOP, SAID I HAD A FAULTY BATTERY. BATTERY REPLACED. FEBRUARY 2015, LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AFTER NEW BATTERY PUT IN, CAR STARTS FINE. STOPPED FOR GAS NOT EVEN 2 MINUTES LATER. TRYING TO START CAR AFTER FILLING UP, CAR WILL NOT START. STEERING WHEEL IS IN LOCKED POSITION, BRAKES ARE LOCKED UP, RED LIGHT FLASHING AS ON DASH AS IF THERE IS NO KEY IN THE CAR. LOCKS WERE NOT RESPONSIVE TO EITHER MANUAL BUTTON ON DOOR NOR WITH KEY FOB. IGNITION WOULD NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO TURNING OVER. NO LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. CAR WAS JUST DEAD. HAD TO TOW TO REPAIR SHOP, WHERE MECHANIC SAID BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. IT WAS BRAND NEW 3 WEEKS AGO!!!! STILL DON'T KNOW THE REAL ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. NO ONE CAN FIND ANYTHING ELSE WRONG WITH IT. HAVE READ SEVERAL OTHER POSTS WITH SIMILAR SITUATIONS AND IT SEEMS THAT NISSAN FIXING THE BCM IS THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO WORK IN THE LONG RUN. THIS IS SOMETHING THEY SHOULD BE MANDATED TO DO!!!! CAR IS BARELY 4 YEARS OLD AND HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR. RIDICULOUS! NISSAN NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THEIR FAULTY "NO KEY" IGNITION SYSTEM. *TR

I AM CURRENTLY IN THE ARMY. I AM CONDUCTING TRAINING AT FORT SILL, OK AND MY WIFE IS IN NORTH CAROLINA WHERE I ACTUALLY WORK. MY WIFE DROPPED THE KIDS OFF AT THEIR SCHOOLS AND WENT TO THE STORE WHERE THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND WAS HAVING NO ISSUES. WHEN SHE RETURNED TO THE CAR TO START IT, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED, BRAKES WERE LOCKED, DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ONE, HAD THE RED BLINKING CAR WITH KEY SYMBOL AND THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS SAYING LOCKED, SHE WAS STUCK IN TOWN, NO WAY TO PICK UP OUR KIDS, AND NO WAY TO GET BACK HOME. ENDED UP PAYING TOW TRUCK TO TAKE CAR TO THE HOUSE, CHANGED BATTERIES IN KEY FOB. CHECKED THE BATTERY, AND NOTHING HAS FIXED IT. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED NOW, I WOULD BE A LOT MORE FURIOUS IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY WIFE ALONG WITH BOTH OF MY SONS THAT ARE 4 AND 2. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK THERE IN THE COLD WITH NO WAY HOME AT THAT TIME. NISSAN NEEDS TO GET OFF THEIR BUTTS AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY ON THEIR CAR DEFECTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND POTENTIALLY BE A HAZARD IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE PUSH TO GET THIS ISSUE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET HURT. DO A SEARCH ON 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH STEERING WHEEL LOCKING AND NOT STARTING YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT ALL THESE COMPLAINTS.NOW MY WIFE HAS TO WAIT UNTIL I GET BACK FROM TRAINING TO GET THE CAR FIXED. GETTING IT FIXED HERSELF IS IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO MY 4 YEAR OLD BE AUTISTIC. I AM BEGGING FOR YOUR HELP AND TO LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY. *TR

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO START AND UNABLE TO BE SHUT OFF WITHOUT HAVING TO BE TOWED. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS A BATTERY ISSUE, BUT THE CAR ALMOST ACTED LIKE IT WAS ENCOUNTERING A SOFTWARE CRASH BOTH TIMES. I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE EXHAUST / CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED ON THE CAR. I'VE HAD SEVERAL MAJOR STEERING PROBLEMS. AT ONE POINT, A TIE ROD HAD TO BE REPLACED ON THIS CAR. THE LATEST STEERING ISSUE JUST OCCURRED IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. ON JANUARY 16, I TOOK A ROAD TRIP WITH MY FIANCE AND HER SISTER TO MEMPHIS, TN TO VISIT HER OTHER SISTER. ON THE WAY DOWN WE NOTICED THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW. WE REPLACED IT. HOWEVER, WE FOUND IT STRANGE GIVEN THE EXCELLENT MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR. AS WE DROVE, THE STEERING ISSUES RECURRED. WE FIGURED OUT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE SYSTEM. WE BOUGHT A LOT OF POWER STEERING FLUID IN ORDER TO MAKE IT TO MEMPHIS (THERE WEREN'T MANY MAJOR CITIES ON OUR WAY BETWEEN WHERE WE CAME FROM AND MEMPHIS, SO WE HAD TO GET TO MEMPHIS.) SEVERAL MECHANICS CONFIRMED THE ISSUE WAS THE RACK & PINION SYSTEM ON THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP THAT ULTIMATELY REPAIRED THE CAR MENTIONED THIS BRAKE WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL, NOT DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE, AND NOT DUE TO ROAD HAZARDS. SINCE THE CAR IS NOT OUT OF WARRANTY, I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF. GIVEN THE OTHER MAJOR REPAIRS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE SHORT TIME I'VE HAD THIS CAR, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE VERY DILIGENT MAINTENANCE I'VE BEEN PERFORMING ON THE CAR AND DESPITE THE MANY MILES ALREADY ON IT, I BELIEVE I'VE BEEN SOLD A LEMON. AS A RESULT OF THIS COSTLY REPAIR, I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO SELL A PORTION OF MY 401K. I ADDITIONALLY HAD ADDED EXPENSES SENDING MY FIANCE AND HER SISTER BACK HOME SO THEY COULD GO TO WORK, ROOM & BOARD, CAR RENTAL, AND LOST A DAY OF WORK. *TR

MY ALTIMA FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE START BUTTON AND EXHIBITED ALL ALARMS LIT ON THE DASHBOARD (INCLUDING ERRONEOUS INDICATIONS OF OPEN DOORS.) AAA SERVICE WAS FORBIDDEN BY AAA TO PROVIDE ANY SERVICE BEYOND BATTERY AND TOWING. AFTER BEING TOWED TO A TIRE SHOP, I BEGGED THE MECHANICS TO DETACH THE GROUND WIRE IN ORDER TO REBOOT THE COMPUTER. THIS WORKED! AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS CONDITION AND FIX WAS IDENTICAL TO ONES DESCRIBED IN SERVICE BULLETIN NTB12-041. MY COMPLAINT IS AGAINST THE DEALERSHIP (NISSAN BRIDGEWATER NJ) WHO FAILED TO APPLY THIS SOFTWARE PATCH WHEN IT FIRST APPEARED IN APRIL 2012 DESPITE MANY RETURNS I MADE TO THEM FOR ROUTINE WARRANTY SERVICE. THE OCCURRENCE OF THIS FAILURE AND CITATION OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN REPORTED BY SEVERAL USERS IN NISSAN USER FORUMS. THIS IMPLIES THAT OTHER DEALERS ARE SIMILARLY NEGLIGENT IN KEEPING CARS CURRENT WITH SERVICE BULLETINS APPLICABLE TO THEIR VEHICLE. *TR