Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Drove car to gas station and after filling with gas car would no longer start. car did not recognize key fob. the steering lock is broken and requires $800.00 to repair. spoke with tow truck driver who took car to dealer and they tow a lot of these to the shop each week with the same problem. incident is not isolated. *tr

Drove car to store. leaving the store and started to start the car. the car would not start. it had a key light indicator on the dash board and a lock notice on the ignition switch. the car was completely locked down. the car has a keyless entry. the batteries were good in the vehicle and the font. had to call a tow truck and take to the dealership. very big inconvenience as wife uses the vehicle to go to work. *tr

Car won't start due to the electronic steering column lock being defective. *tr

I drove to walmart 5 miles from home with no problem. i came out of walmart and the car will not start. it was towed to the dealership where i was told the ignition switch was bad. i paid $900 to fix it.

After replacing the battery the vehicle will not start / tow vehicle to dealer and got an estimate of $1150.00 for the steering lock sensor . i am disappointed and ask if i had to take a certain procedure to replace the battery dealer service advisor respond no ......what happened the? no answer. *tr

Upon arriving back to car after attending church it would not start. steering wheel was not locked, ignition light would not come off of lock, battery was good. had to have vehicle towed. left us stranded. talked to nissan dealership in austin and said it was probably steering lock mechanism as have had several problems with 2009 nissan. said it was not under warranty and would cost around $1,000. upon researching found this is a very common problem! why not a recall? *tr

I drove my altima to the shopping center, the vehicle was running fine, there was no sign of a mechanical problem. i parked the car. when i came out about 30 minutes later the car would not start. the key light was flashing. changed the battery in the key fob but the car still would not start. appears to be a steering column lock issue. i had to have the car towed to a dealer. five days later i am still waiting for the nissan dealership to fix it. although nissan has extended the warranty there needs to be a recall. it is reprehensible that nissan continues letting people be stranded when the company is aware of this failure with the vehicle. *tr

The steering lock unit cause the car not to start. there is a defect with the unit. i have contacted nissan and have open two case files(case#16923576 & case# 19538658) only to be told that there is a recall for this issue but not for my vin#. last night i was stranded at work in a dark parking lot for 4 hours because my car would not start and it is still in the parking lot. i called nissan only to be told the same thing that there is no recall for my vin#. nissan knows that there is a problem with this steering device and should be recalling all of the cars. to fix this problem is around $1200.00 which i do not have. i am the consumer who purchased the vechicle and it is the responsibilty of manufactor to fix and repair there defects. i google my issue on you tube and found several videos with people having this same issue. to get my car started i have to remove the dash under the steering wheel and beat on the steering lock unit until it unlocks so that the car will start.i am 63 year old female and this is something i should not have to do to start my car. what if this locks while i am driving, will someone have to die before this problem is fixed. enough is enough i am afraid to stop and turn my car off for fear it will not start. this has been an on going problem that began 12/23/2014 and continues every day.

2009 nissan altima 2.5s coupe. car started fine in the morning, then failed to start (did not crank) after sitting in parking lot for 1 hour. yellow "intelligent key" and red "security indicator" light were lit on dash, otherwise no other indications on the dash. tried jumping battery and changing key battery, no luck. called local nissan dealership, they suspected steering interlock issue, stated that there was a warranty extension on this. had vehicle towed to dealer. they confirmed it was the steering interlock and fixed it under warranty. nissan is supposedly reimbursing for part of the tow charge also. fortunately, car was still within the warranty time limit. dealer stated there was no recall issued, "nissan figured if there was going to be a problem, it would occur within a certain time period". i was lucky to be near home and dealership when this happened, could have been worse. not sure why they wouldn't issue a recall on this type of thing. *tr

Car would not start after work on 12/16/14. locks worked fine and doors unlocked. tried jumping car battery and changing batteries in key with no success. had car towed to local nissan dealership that night. after looking at car on 12/17/14, local shop advised the issue to be the electronic steering column lock. after reviewing this to be a common issue, so common nissan extended warranty for this model for this part to 6 yrs unlimited miles (my car has about 80,000 miles). i ask the service advisor at the nissan dealer was there any recall on this part because of all the issues with it. i was told no and it would cost $1196 to repair it. so i call nissan consumer affairs for any chance of covering under this warranty. nissan stated they would not do anything until i had a dealer review the issue. dealer confirmed issue. but i was fully denied was told the warranty had expired october of 2014 and they could not do anything, with the large volume of complaints here and nissans own admission of known issue by extending warranty for this model year and part, something more needs to be done. im very disappointed with nissan. since 2007 i have purchased 4 nissan an at this point i will never spend my hard earn money on another nissan please spread the word on how nissan is treating their so called "valued customers'. *tr

The car was driven to a doctor's appointment. when we returned to the car, it would not start. we jumped the battery and nothing would happen. no lights would turn on in the car and the brake was very hard to push down. we did some research online and found that there was a huge problem with the steering mount. we attempted to get it started the next day by following directions online but no luck. we had it towed and found out it was in fact the steering mount. it is a large expense, impacted by the fact that the car had to be taken to a nissan plant to be reprogrammed, adding an additional 280 dollars. this part needs a mass recall! *tr

The electronic steering column lock failed, preventing the engine from starting and resulting in me getting stranded. well-known issue with vehicle - was not recalled, but an "extended warranty" for the defective part was offered (now expired, requiring a $900 fix by nissan). defective part 48700-jf00 (versions a-c). entire part removed from future models. due to lack of a recall, several owners (myself included) were not informed of the "extended warranty". those that did receive a letter were told "if you are not currently experiencing this condition, you should do nothing." additional information about this issue and the letter that some owners received is available at www.nissanassist.com. *tr

The car would not start and a dash light indicated a small key. when i pushed the start button nothing happened. it was diagnosed as an electronic steering column lock (escl). after researching the issue, i found that this is a known issue with this particular make/model/year of nissan specifically (2009 nissan altima). as a result of this knowledge, nissan placed that part under extended warranty. that however does not appear to be enough, since many of the issues don't begin until after the extended warranty is up, as in our case. the cost of the repair is approximately $1,100.00. i contacted both the dealer and nissan directly for assistance, asking that they cover the part, especially since the extended warranty had just expired in august. of course, they chose not to help in anyway. it's my understanding that when this part fails it does not give much if any warning. you simply come out to start your car one day and it does not start or attempt to turn over. nissan choosing to extend the warranty on a part we knew nothing about having issues, does us no good. a recall however would be more appropriate, i feel, in this situation. many drivers are having the issues after all warranties have expired and the cost is theirs to cover. when it's a known defective part, that does not seem fair. *tr

My original incident date was not correct and i did not include the vin# of the vehicle so i am submitting an updated complaint date complaint filed: 12/08/2014 component(s): electrical system , engine , steering date of incident: 11/27/2014 nhtsa id number: 10662919 as previously stated i drove my 2009 nissan altima 2.5s to work on 12/04, i drove my 2009 nissan altima 2.5 se to work and it started up just fine. however, when i went to leave work for the day the car would not turn over. the keyless remote allowed me to lock and unlock my car, but the car did not start. instead an error code shows that the electronic steering column lock (escl) mechanism was malfunctioning. also, there is a yellow key icon on the left side of the dash that intermittently flashes no key. there were no prior warning that the part was about to fail including any lights on the dash panel. i was left stranded trying to find a way home. due to being in a parking garage i had to leave my car for several days waiting for a tow truck with clearance to enter the garage. since i cannot afford to pay the repairs at this time i have been a month with no car. nissan is still refusing to repair my car indicating that it falls outside of the warranty extension period. which is interesting considering there is a detailed letter explaining the warranty which clearly states, "nissan has decided to extend the nissan new vehicle limited warranty, as it applies to the escl unit, from 3 years / 36,000 miles to 6 years / unlimited miles, whichever comes first." - http://www.nissanassist.com/web/escl_warranty_extension/programdetails.php?menu=61 basic math shows that 6 years from 2009 would be 2015 not 2014. so i am still not certain as to how i am outside of the warranty period. seeing as how my claim was originally filed in 2014 this should make me eligible for repairs under the covered warranty.

Nissan altima 2009 escl (electronic steering column lock) part is faulty and failing on the nissan altima 2009. nissan is aware of this problem and the fix and has documented more information here: http://www.nissanassist.com/web/escl_warranty_extension/faqs.php?menu=62. they state "nissan has determined that on a small number of vehicles, due to a manufacturing irregularity that has since been corrected, the escl may malfunction after the steering column is locked and could prevent the engine from starting." a petition on change.org (https://www.change.org/p/nissan-motor-company-recall-the-2009-nissan-altima-to-replace-defective-steering-lock-system) has received 409 supporters before it was closed. additionally, further information has been collated here: http://2009nissanaltimarecall.wordpress.com/. hundreds of people are affected, unhappy customers. nissan is being uncooperative now that the warranty extension which is warranted up to 6 years from the purchase date is expiring. in my case, i bought a 2009 nissan altima from a nissan dealer and had no idea about this problem until i got stranded three separate times between december 2014 and january 2015. please demonstrate your respect for customer safety and recall the 2009 nissan altima to replace the defective steering lock system which is leaving nissan customers stranded. *tr

Car would not start after a school meeting on evening of 12/1/14. locks worked fine and remote start would still start vehicle, but would kill again after hitting start button. tried jumping car battery and changing batteries in key fobs with no success. had car towed to local shop next morning on 12/2 for review. after looking at car on 12/3, local shop advised the issue to be the electronic steering column lock. after reviewing this to be a common issue, so common nissan extended warranty for this model for this part to 6 yrs unlimited miles (my car has just under 75,000 miles). called my dealer (who i purchased car brand new and have all regular oil/service maintenance done there) and asked about it. my 6 yrs expired on 11/22 (9 days prior to issue) so would have to call nissan consumer affairs for any chance of covering under warranty. nissan stated they would no't listen to me until i had a dealer review the issue. had to pay local shop for their diagnosis and incurred another towing expense to get to my dealer (which is the closest) 30 miles away. dealer confirmed issue and in order to get my car back as i needed to use, i authorized repairs (over $1200 for just the repair). submitted my claim then to nissan for all my incurred expenses (which was $1500) but was fully denied. was told 9 days is the same as 3 years over the warranty in their eyes and they can no't do anything, including even covering the additional towing and diagnosis fees incurred to meet their requirement of the dealer to review. seeing the large volume of complaints here and nissan's own admission of known issue by extending warranty for this model year and part, something more needs to be done. very disappointed in nissan. *tr

When trying to start my son's 2009 nissan altima 3.5se coupe, it will not start and displays a yellow key icon on the left side of the dash. we reviewed the car's manual, which states the light is an intelligent key malfunction. we changed the key faub battery and tried removing and reinstalling the battery, as some others suggested, but still nothing. after reviewing several different web sites, i see this is a common issue with 2009 nissans/altimas. from reading different owner's comments and complaints, i believe it will be an issue with the steering lock and will have towed to nissan tomorrow. i am surprised with so many comments over the same issue, there is not a campaign to fix? i've been a faithful toyota patron all of my life and this is my first nissan. not good a first impression!! *tr

My keyless remote will allow me to lock and unlock my car but when i go to start the car, my car will not register my keyless remote. it is not the battery of my car or the remote or any blown fuses; those were all checked as well. apparently multiple people have complained about this same exact problem. nissan has an extended warranty for this problem but only for so long. this issue has left a lot of people, including myself, without a vehicle or sometimes stranded. *js

I drove my 2009 nissan altima 2.5s to work on 11/27 and it started up just fine as usual. however, when i went to leave work for the day the car did not start. the keyless remote will allow me to lock and unlock my car, but when i go to start the car, it will not register my keyless remote. an error code shows that the electronic steering column lock (escl) mechanism was malfunctioning. also, there is a yellow key icon on the left side of the dash that intermittently flashes no key. the ignition is indicating that the steering wheel is locked although i can turn the steering wheel. there are or were no prior warning that the part was about to fail including anylights on the dash panel. i had to leave my car in the garage and was stranded for sometime trying to find a way home. my car is still sitting in the garage as i cannot afford to pay the repairs at this time. after doing further research into the issue i have come to see that multiple people have complained about this same exact problem. a very disturbing factor since nissan is aware of the problem, and for some customers has issued an extended warranty for this specific problem. although either issuing a recall or removing the part from the later manufactured models to avoid this from occurring again. hopefully, my vehicle does not fall outside the extended warranty window as nissan is not assisting with the repairs. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while driving at 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician diagnosed that the steering wheel lock column failed. the vehicle was repaired. however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000. the vin was not available.

The electronic steering column lock malfunctioned leaving the vehicle unable to start. this issue needs to be recalled before someone is stuck in an unsafe situation. *tr

I tried to crank my car this morning (push start) my anti-theft light on my dashboard came on and it would not crank. the lights came on in my car but the car would not crank at all. tried everything i could do and made calls but it will not crank. *tr

My wife parked her 2009 nissan altima 2.5s and turned off her engine on 11/15/14.the next day when she went to start her car, it refused to start, giving her an error code that the electronic steering column lock (escl) mechanism was malfunctioning. there was no way to get around the problem and we eventually had to tow the car to the dealership to get it fixed. my wife was lucky, in that she was somewhere safe when she was stranded. but, since she had no prior warning that the part was about to fail, she very easily could have been stranded somewhere much less safe. nissan is aware of the problem and has issued an extended warranty for this specific problem for the 2009 altima, while issuing a recall for all other models with this part. unfortunately, our vehicle fell outside the extended warranty window and nissan will not help with the repair. i find it very disconcerting that nissan would prefer to have its customers figure out that they have a problem by getting stranded in possibly dangerous situations than issue a recall to ensure that the problem never happens in the first place. i am asking that the nhtsa makes nissan issue a recall for this problem so that others are not put in potential danger. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stopped and the engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the wiring was laying on top of the motor. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was unknown.

I got into my 2009 nissan altima 2.5 s and i pushed the start ignition button and my car would not start. it was the steering column lock set that controls the entire vehicle's starting capabilities. i had to pay for a tow truck to come tow my car way across town to a auto-nation nissan dealership in farmers branch, texas on the corner of welch road and high way 635. they said that this should be covered on the extended warranty and it is not however this is a recall item that nissan should cover the cost for all of their customer's who purchased this rotten vehicle in the first place with this built in obsolescence or designed to break down and shut down on the owner and "leave them stranded" why would you knowingly allow this defect on all of these million's of manufactured defected "junk" of a car why would you nissan allow this piece of sh_ t vehicle to be made knowing that this would be a "huge inconvenience to the customer vehicle owner? i was told by nissan autonation's [xxx] that the cost for repairing this piece of junk of a poorly and cheaply made car would cost me $849.00 plus tax. what the [xxx] is the matter with you people? are you out of your f mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I went to osh with my kids. when we got back in the car it wouldn't start. sat in parking lot for two hours. had to have car towed eventually. problem was a faulty steering lock control unit. looked online - apparently hundreds of people have had this problem with the 2009 altima (and imagine all the ones who haven't posted online). if you do a search in yahoo for "steering lock control unit," 2009 nissan altima automatically pops up. they need to be recalled. it's not safe to have a car with a known problem that will cause it not to start and leave you stranded. eventually, someone is going to get stuck somewhere and be hurt or killed. *tr

My vehicle begin to not start properly around november 2014. it has since got to the point that it will not start, due to a malfunction of the electronic steering control lock. i found this out after some trouble shooting and research. i also found that this is a known issue with this vehicle and yet a full recall was never made, due to it being labeled as not a safety issue. my wife and 18 month old son were stranded in 14 degree weather for over 3 hours today and the wind chill was below zero. i do not understand how a company like nissan can get away with saying this malfunction is not a safety issue. nissan has acknowledged the issue, but claims it will not be covered as our car is out of warranty. we never received anything stating that there was possibly a defective part on our car. there are numerous complaints about this online and i'm sure several have already filed complaints here as well. nissan now wants us to pay out of pocket for an authorized dealership to diagnose the problem that we have already diagnosed, i find this to be an unacceptable business practice, which indicates they are more concerned with money then the welfare of their customers. i have had several vehicles that had recalls and never once was i required to pay to have it checked out. *tr

Vehicle would not start after short visit to convenience store. problem believed to be "ignition lock cylinder" as many other complainants have already attested to. a continuing serious physical safety issue that should be recalled immediately. nhtsa has dropped the ball on this one! *tr

Vehicle did not start. vehicle was successfully jumped, driven for one (1) hour, then turned off, and then failed to start again. vehicle was towed to mechanic. mechanic diagnosed the problem to be a faulty brake pedal ignition switch, which is identical to nissan service bulletin # ntb10-139. vehicle was taken to pine belt nissan, 111 highway 36, keyport, nj, 07735-1424, who fixed the car and recommended i contact nissan corporate for any reimbursement. corporate nissan, under confirmation number 315521 (spoke to raven), stated that "they are not in a position to pay for the parts", even after i told them that i would pay the labor. nissan knowingly has put out a defective brake ignition switch that could cause the car to fail (not start) at any time, and will not work with the customer financially to replace the defective part with a good one. the vehicle was beyond its warranty time/mileage.

There is a plug under the dash board close to the steering column that comes lose. the car will not start when this happens. this is a common problem with other altima owners. *tr

Steering lock - not able to start vehicle. *tr

Will not start. lights come on but engine won't start. *tr

I was trying to start my car and it would not start. the switch which allows the car to know you are pushing the brake did not work (push button ignition). i tried to put my key in the slot to start the car, but the car does not start if the car does not sense the brake is being pushed. this is a huge hazard. good thing i was not stranded somewhere. i called nissan with no help at all. a search on the internet revealed this is a problem that has not been addressed. the part number replaced is intermotor sl2110. please respond with your investigation on this. thank you. *tr

In the september of 2014, the power door locks stopped working (would not open/close with the use of either the remote or the button on the driver door). at first it was the front and rear passenger doors, but then over the next 1-2 weeks both driver side door locks stopped working as well. the vehicle was not in any accident nor exposed to excessive water/fire/etc around this time. when i had it evaluated at the nissan dealership, i was told the door actuators had broken, but given no explanation as to how/why this would happen for all 4 doors at the same time. due to the high cost of repair (quoted $250 per door), i have not had these fixed. now, nearly 9-10 months later, the locks remain completely unresponsive to the keyless entry remote and the power lock button on the driver's door, and must be manually locked/unlocked. *tr

Have had several issues with my 2009 nissan altima. i bought it november 2012. by february 2013, i replaced tires. was sold a car with incorrect license plates that owed registration fees to dmv. i almost got towed and didn't know why. between february and november 2013, i replaced brakes, another set of tires, third brake light twice, and battery. may 2014, took it to rogers & rogers dealership for an oil change. maintenance other light and tires on. (car was bought with a flashing tire maintenance light on) mounts and struts were replaced and was advised to replace sensors. august 2014, car wouldn't start again. steering lock unit needs to be replaced. it's not covered under extended warranty. rear left window doesn't work either. everything adds up to over $3000. *tr

car will not start.dash display illuminates "no key",which is a "fob" type system which has a start button.this happened multiple times over the past 2 weeks.car left at mike eardman nissan of merritt island ,fl today for replacement of the electronic lock module under the dash.nissan warranty extension for up to 72 months just for this issue,a known problem.not a recall yet. better not be a "diagnostic" fee for this.somebody needs to step up and demand a recall for this issue.it is all over the internet for the past several years,affecting 2009-2010 nissan altima's. *tr

The car will not start. all electrics work, car and key fob batteries are new, but when you press the start button the car won't start. this 'gimmick' of a key-free vehicle is fundamentally defective and an internet review shows thousands of nissan altima owners having the same problem. common wisdom says that the anti-theft steering lock is engaging when it should not and the repair cost is @ $1,000. nissan should be required to fix this on recall as they did so on other vehicles and made changes to newer altima models to address the problem. the effect is that i can't use my car at all even though it is in excellent condition in every other way. *tr

Car will not start.dash display illuminates "no key",which is a "fob" type system which has a start button.this happened multiple times over the past 2 weeks.car left at nissan of medford,ma today for replacement of the electronic lock module under the dash.nissan extended the warranty for up to 72 months just for this issue,a known problem.not a recall yet.better not be a "diagnostic"fee for this.somebody needs to step up and demand a recall for this issue.it is all over the internet for the past several years,affecting 2009-2010 nissan altima's. *tr

2009 nissan altima intermittently will not start. car will only click over and unable to shift car into neutral. air conditioning and radio work, but when you press on brake to start car nothing happens. dealers were unable to duplicate problem, but have been got caught out many times when car would not start and had to notify aaa. this is a common problem with many nissan's and it is not covered under any warranty or recall. *tr

Car will not start after pressing brake + start button. the steering wheel locks and the brake pedal becomes stiff. only after trying multiple times will the car actually starts. *tr

Car doors unlocked normally , the dash showed a yellow key light blinking , no response to pushing the ignition button. car locks and unlocks with the remote . headlights worked battery was charged full. exited the door , locked the car , unlocked the car , entered in - held the remote close to the ignition button. the dashboard still showed yellow key light blinking . pushed ignition button no response. upon googling there was a suggestion to removed negative from battery wait for a 5 minutes , reconnect and try . same results after connecting the battery. one article suggested to move the adjustable steering up and down vigorously . i released the steering button underneath the steering and moved the steering up and down. pushed the ignition button and the engine started. drove to the dealer who refused to do correct the problem stating that at the time the dealer inspected the vehicle everything was fine. he did not want to see the video i captured showing the yellow key light blinking. *js

Three months after installation of a new (dealer provided) battery, the positive terminal and cable had to be replaced due to heavy corrosion. the original car battery failed because of heavy corrosion around the positive terminal as well. the dealer service department said that the harness and cable should have been replaced at the time of battery replacement and do not know why this wasn't recommended. they stated that these batteries routinely vent excess gas that should condense into the battery compartment. they did not address the issue that heavy corrosion re-accumulated in a very short period of time (shorter than recommended maintenance intervals for the car). further, this is not the first time i have heard of an altima battery issue as my sister had to replace her battery twice as well. i would like the nhtsa to investigate if this is a repetitive issue with these batteries as this could lead to a safety problem if the car were to spontaneously shut down during driving due to battery malfunction. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled. when the contact applied the brake pedal and pushed the ignition button, the vehicle restarted and resumed normal operation. the failure occurred nearly 30 times. an independent mechanic stated that a sensor was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Vehicle would not start. appeared not to be a battery issue. vehicle was towed to the dealership where i purchased the car. however, car started and electrical system seemed fine. subsequently (after a discussion with the service person), it seemed apparent the there was a wheel lock switch assy failure (which is under a formal recall). i was told that the part is severely backordered. i then decided to return in a few months (during the next oil change) and attempt to schedule a warranty replacement per the formal recall. however, the dealership (grubbs nissan in hurst, texas) told me that "since the switch was not broken now, that they would not be able to honor the warranty". i was given a phone number to call corporate. after some research on the web, it appears that my warranty request should have been honored (especially since i already was stranded and had to pay for towing once before!). i will call corporate on monday, but wanted to file this official complaint (if you look on the web, you can note countless people in the same situation with mixed results (obviously, very poorly communicated from corporate out to the dealerships or very poorly complied with at the dealerships (whichever is the answer, it is not acceptable). thanks for listening, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The steering lock control unit is jammed and is causing the car not to start. nissan will not assist with the fix. this is a common and known issue with this vehicle. *tr

On the morning of 2/19/14 6:00 am proceeded to start car to use in walking distance. both remote batteries were changed within 30 days previously by dealer. every command on remote seem to work except that the car didn't recognize the remote to start the car. there were "no key" symbols on the dash. the car just returned from a hundred mile trip. thank god it didn't happen then. missing work, towing charges, big inconvenience. nissan is responsible for this under recall!!! *tr

When returning to my car after work on february 14th, 2014 the engine would not start using the automatic start intelligent key system in my 2009 nissan altima. upon doing research, i found this is a highly common issue with the 2009 nissan altima model. there are also various independent petitions and class action suits being filed by individuals who have been affected by the same part malfunction. in fact, the complications involving the electronic steering column lock (escl) mechanism was so common that nissan did not implement this part into the 2010 or in any future altima vehicles. in addition (and in effort to avoid a recall situation) nissan north american, inc issued a warranty extension - "as it applies to the electronic steering column lock unit to 6 years/unlimited miles." furthermore, nissan also sent a technical service bulletin to all service shops on how to handle this problem concerning 2009 altima's. ultimately nissan north america, inc. denied my request to utilize a buy back program toward their 2009 altima and also denied me any further details as to how they reached their decision. the regional specialist said she could only say 'arbitration decision(s) are always based on the service history of vehicle. too close, it is in my opinion nissan has monopolistic controls on consumers in this situation. only a nissan dealership/service shop can diagnose the escl malfunction, as it requires a nissan product specific scan tool, and it is their company's arbitration department who facilitates all legal decisions at which are typically not in favor of the consumer. i do not believe a service history of vehicle is material information in this scenario. nissan should be obligated to buy back any-and-all 2009 nissan altimas when asked to do so by their consumers who purchased this product in good faith. updated 04/07/14

Replaced battery in fod still want crank says no key. *tr

This is probably the coldest day we have had in east texas this winter especially when including the windchill factor. i came home at 5:45, parked my car in the garage, and went inside. when my son when to start the car at 9:30, it would not start. it would not recognize his key, he woke me up and we tried mine, it still will not start. we spent the next four hours disconnecting the battery, manually moving the car in and out of the garage, and even tried to jump start it as suggested on this site. nothing worked. the car will not recognize the key and has the key light flashing in the top left corner. there was no warning and i am grateful after reading all of the complaints on here that it went out in my garage. we have narrowed it down to the steering lock module failure. the battery is only 2 years old and all the lights work, the car just won't start because it won't recognize the key fob. i'm going to call the dealership where i purchased this car this morning but i am very concerned about the lack of availability of this part and how i am going to get alternate transportation until this is fixed. this is a known problem with this part and was covered by warranty which was extended for unlimited miles for this part only. currently, the part is not available due to high level of failures across the us. part is susceptible to higher failure in extreme cold weather. nissan you need to make good on this or it will be the last car many of us will buy from you. *tr

I was trying to get to the er and when i went to start my car the word "key" flashed on and the car will not start!!! i have already had to have the transmission replaced at 98k miles..now i am stranded and mathews nissan in clarksville, tn says they will be glad to help for a price. i explained to them it was an emergency and they suggested " i call a friend".. said they didn't build it and i wasn't paying them for the car, i was paying the bank and to call nissan if i had a problem with how they were built!!! terrible service and unreliable car!!! still haven't gotten medical attention!!!! thanks alot nissan!!!!!!! *tr