Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima STEERING

This is very frustrating, specially finding out that so many people are going thru this too and nissan knowing it is a problem and just offering a temporary warranty extension not just recalling the part. the steering lock warranty just expired 4 months ago and i find it very weird that i had taken the car to the dealer just 2 weeks ago for an oil change and replaced the batteries for the key, the light with the key symbol was turning on and thought it was just he new batteries in the key, then it happened my car went dead and wont start, towed it to the dealer and the bill $1,100m come on the car is only 6 years old and still making payments. now my car is sitting idle as i can't afford this. nissan needs to pay for this.

Vehicle was parked, stationary when i went to start it. nothing happened when start button was pressed. the car was recognizing the key fob, due to the fact that when i didn't have it, it was saying no key. however would not start even when fob was present. contacted nissan service department, they said it was a common problem, after googling the issue i was surprised at how many sheer numbers of the same exact thing was happening. $1200 later, my car is fixed just because of a faulty steering column lock, which even the private mechanic stated was a big problem, adding that nissan responded by changing the lock on the 2010 and up models, however not compensating any current owners. mechanic also advised that the part is so faulty that it will go out again in time.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. when the key was inserted in the ignition switch, the steering ability seized. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering column lock was damaged and needed replacement. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

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.

We unfortunately are joining the growing ranks of 2009-10 nissan altima owners who experienced failure in the steering control unit. we were fortunate it happened in our own alley. i'd stopped the car to unload groceries and when i tried to start it again, it only let me open and lock the doors. otherwise, it was frozen and blocking the alley to all our neighbors. we'd been on a trip in january 2015 that would have been disastrous if it happened then. (less than 36 hours after the long road trip my husband had a heart attack. if this failure happened during that drive, he wouldn't be alive today.) we had no idea there was an issue with our 2009 nissan until it happened. this car (and two other nissan vehicles) had been totally reliable. nissan responded saying our warranty expired in feb 2015 and didn't cover the almost $1200 cost in any way. we feel robbed and abandoned by nissan. once we researched this, we're very concerned this issue has happened to so many 2009-10 owners. this is a safety issue and should be a recall! we were looking at another nissan and are doing better research into competitors before we take that step.

I was in a parking lot, about to leave from plasma center. entered vehicle and attempted to start up. would not start. looked up warnings of key symbol and car symbol. referenced to steering lock failure. was never able to get vehicle cranked. numbed var battery and changed battery in fob. still nothing. had vehicle towed home. contact end nissan who stated warranty is out. please help.

Car wouldn't start, left me stranded i was stationary at the time in the snow with my kids.

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 vehicle was parked and would not start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electric steering column lock was damaged and needed replacement. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 57,000.

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

On 11-4-2015 after returning home from work that evening i parked my 2009 nissian altima in front of my residents,on the following morning 11-5-2015 i went to get in my vehicle to go to work but the car would not start, it appeared as though the car was searching for my key fob because the lights on the dash was aluminated with the picture of the key encircled,after trying for about 30-45 minutes i gave up and had to call my employer to inform them that i would be late not only was i late for work but i also had to have the vehicle towed to a mechanic to find out after the diagnostic test that the steering lock failure was the problem, after speaking with a service adviser on several occasions and getting no resolve and 750.00 later i'm out of pocket for a faulty mechanical steering lock mechanism.as i researched all the possibilties and realized that this part is known to be a faulty part it's very apparent that nissian is aware of the ongoing problem with this particular part this is not an isolated incident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. the failure occurred without warning. the electronic steering key light illuminated after the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000.

I couldnot able to start the car , it was showing the lock light and key malfunction lights are displaying. it would be basically a steering lock issue.

The steering lock columm actuauator goes abd causing the car to not start and leaving driver and passengers stranded. nissan refuses to replace or recall the part. it is a dealer only part that costs $1,000+ to fix. nissan cares more about quantity than quality at their plants and fail to quality control check their vehicles. reference this forum: http://www.altimaforums.net/steering-column-lock-escl-t21569p2.html

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.

I had a failure in the steering column sensor for my 2009 nissan altima resulting in my car being unable to start. my car had been parked while i was at work and there were no indications this would happen. this is an issue that has been widespread enough for nissan to extend the warranty, which ended oct 2014. my issue occurred 11/1/15. i paid out of pocket to take a cab, get my vehicle towed, and then fixed. i submitted a complaint (case # 20709999) and was informed nissan would do nothing about this issue. i had the car serviced at ricart nissan in columbus, oh.

Stranded at night in parking lot 10/30 due to car not starting. had car towed to nissan and repaired 10/31 (steering wheel lock column malfunction). cost 800+$. not covered in warranty, although the warranty extension letter states: "nissan believes majority of its owners will not experience this unique condition" contradictory, if you ask me. the next day (october 31) the car would no longer accelerate. had it towed back to nissan dealer, where they said i was missing a transmission fuse? did not charge me to replace said missing fuse.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while the ignition was turned to the on position, the vehicle failed to start without warning. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel seized and needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

2009 nissan altima would not start. dealer said that it was an issue with the steering lock mechanism being stuck. went to nissan usa's website and saw that a lot of people were having this issue, and it has been talked about all over the internet. so many complaints about this very issue that it looks like nissan extended a warranty covering the cost to fix the problem if this happened to your vehicle. the caveat, they only extended this by 6 years. took it to the dealer and they told me it was the steering lock. i called nissan, and they told me that i missed the coverage by two months. if there are so many people having this very issue, why isn't there a recall. it's a clear product defect.

I have an 09 altima and the steering lock module has gone bad. started it up for work got left stranded. had to have it towed home, and did some internet work and there are a lot of complaints about this locking up on people leaving them stranded. nissan extended the warranty to 6 years but the part goes after the warranty ends. if you searched the internet there so many complaints about this. i called the dealership and they said it's a common problem with these cars. so why are we being stranded for a faulty part than nissans all knows to well. and it's not cheap to fix this either. why are we paying for their craftsmanship. there are a lot of stories of women, children bring stranded. as i was one (female) that had to find a way to tow my car home. please hear us we need help, we need your help.

Car deesn't start, it is because of faulty steering lock system. nissan extended warranty on this part but didn't do recall. it has happend to many people and yesterday i was stranded and my car wouldn't start. the repair is costly and nissan is not paying for it.

I went drop kids off at the bus stop came home cut car off went in the house not even three minutes came outside to start car nothing happens ,brakes are hard,car does not start the key symbol comes on the dash to the left, start switch says lock,engine won't budge, the vehicle was stationary. *tr

There was a malfunction with the electronic steering column lock. i went to start my car and it would not start. the electronic steering column lock needed to be replaced.

The electronic steering column lock issue is prevalent in nissan altima model year 2009-2010 and nissan has failed to take responsibility for this known issue. i experienced the issue conveniently outside of nissan's "extended warranty claim period" and as a result i am stuck with a $1000 repair that i have taken full financial burden from. this was a known issue that should have been fixed by nissan under a recall as this is in fact a safety concern because nobody should be concerned about their car not starting especially if they are in an uncomfortable situation and need to get to safety quickly. this issue occurred while the vehicle was stationary and that by no means excuses it from being a safety concern, because it is very much a safety concern. http://www.nissanproblems.com/trends/steering-wheel-locks/

My 2009 nissan altima 2.5 sl started without a problem. stopped at the store, was in there for 10 minutes. came out, my car wouldn't start. it would lock and unlock, lights worked, but wouldn't start. attempted fixing for 2 days by driving up to the parking spot with a bunch of tips and tricks online but ended up towing my vehicle to nissan dealership and spent $800+ to get it fixed. refer below links for similar complaints, should have been a recall http://www.nissanproblems.com/trends/steering-wheel-locks/ http://www.carcomplaints.com/nissan/altima/2009/electrical/car_wont_start_key_anti-theft_light_blinking.shtml

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel seized without warning. the failure occurred once. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering lock mechanism failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the keyless ignition failed to operate. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the steering wheel lock was replaced. after the vehicle was serviced, the intelligent key failed to start the ignition. the vehicle was not repaired for the second time but the details were not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 81,000. updated 02/19/16*lj updated 5/20/18*jb

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

Received notification from nissan in the mail that the steering column lock control unit can break causing the vehicle not to start. this event occurred to me on 10/08/2015 resulting in a towing bill, rental car fee and a repair fee at nissan. nissan consumer affairs will not reimburse since vehicle is outside warranty period even though they admitted in their corporate letter that this malfunction is a known issue. vehicle was parked at the time of the occurrence.

Electronic steering column lock replaced for $974.97. bought car new 9-7-09. warranty for this known problem extended to 72 months/unlimited mileage. it failed on 10-7-09, one month after warranty expired. these vehicles should have been recalled.

Car was parked for 8 hours, went to start and nothing would happen, key light on dash was light. steering wheel was not locked. battery ok, fob working opening door locks.

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.

I been having problems with steering for some strange reason y car would not start there was no warning sign of anything.this is very un-safe i was stranded with my daughter in the car late night. i thought it was my key fob that was low in battery ,but no luck i was stuck for hours trying to figured what was going on with my car.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering wheel seized and the key warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

I got in my car fine this morning with my key fob, but the key light was on when i got inside. when i pushed the break to push the button trying to start my car it would not turn on. the light stayed on lock. the steering wont budge and the break is locked. my car is in park and the wheels are straight.

I purchased my vehicle from diamond valley honda. i have only had my car for about 6 months with a 90 day warranty. my car was working absolutely fine on 9/7/2015 (labor day) until the evening my ignition locked. i read the manual and it stated that my key may need to be reprogrammed, but i did have a spare and when neither worked i towed my car to my dealership. a day and a half went by and they ran a diagnostic test on my car stating that the starter locked, but that they did not have the proper system in fixing my car in which they had to tow it to nissan to be fixed. my dealership waved the diagnostic test, but wanted to charge me for towing to the nissan dealership. i refused, because i towed my car to the place it needed to be taken to and i was not going to be charged to simply have my car taken across the street. the nissan dealership wanted to charge me 120.00 to run another diagnostic on my car, but i explained to them that my dealership did one and told me what the problem was, but they continued to come up with excuses as to why they needed to run it through their system. i was extremely frustrated that not only i was unable to get to work, but that my dealership was unable to fix the problem. i pleaded with nissan to do payments, because this was my only source of transportation, but they refused and stated that i needed the entire payment of 850.00 to walk off the lot with my car. upset and extremely emotional that i just purchased this car and now have to come out of pocket to pay this obscene amount of money, i have to push back my car payment along with my registration and insurance payments. i feel that my dealership cheated me, for not being able to fix a car that was purchased from them. i have read many reviews and feel that nissan should recall this, because no car with the proper keys should lock on persons thinking it's in theft mode.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while the vehicle was being serviced at a dealer, the steering wheel seized. the dealer informed the contact that that the sealing lock needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

I went to start the car and nothing was working and a red key sign showed up in the dash. i tried changing the batteries in the keyfob (which had already unlocked the car before replacing the battery) and it still wouldn't work. i had to have it towed to a dealership and they said it is the steering lock mechanism. i googled this and it is apparently a well known issue with 2009 nissan altimas and yet nissan had stopped the warranty. this is ridiculous that they no longer fix a known issue or have found a way so that this will not happen o to customers who still have 2009 altimas.

I haven't been happy since i had my car, which i purchased in 2012 with 45, 0000 miles at the time of purchase. i complained about so many things every other month i was going to get it checked. when you hit a bump you can here something loose underneath the front end of course i seemed like the only crazy one hearing the noise. then when i took it back again i was told the sway bar arms need to be replaced when this was a problem when i first purchased the car they just ignored now my warranty is expired . the steering lock was one issue and i was told through the dealership that there was not a recall on my car. until i contacted you guys i was told that there was a recall. now when i drive the car at a certain speed it starts wining and slows down to 60 mph with the gas pedal to the floor i am furious because i was traveling on the interstate 4 different times going out of town and this happened. someone could have ran into the back of me. i changed out the air filter thinking that may have been the problem but no it continued. also sometimes the car wouldn't start i was told by nissan i needed a new battery and i had it checked by someone else they said the battery was fine. the passenger sensor light stays on when an adult is sitting there. now my sister 2013 nissan altima transmission is gone and she only had the car almost two years and we were complaining about the issue with the car going a certain speed and making noise. i went to nissan and they told me my car can be put on the machine, but i would have to pay to have it checked. too many people having the same problems with these cars.

It won't start because of steering lock they said (service center ) need to change, i ask them if it is still under warranty.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. after opening the door with the key fob, the vehicle failed to start as the key warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was towed the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the electronic steering column lock was damaged and needed replacement. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

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

I had stopped at the grocery store and went to get back in my car and it would not start, it would not even recognize the key. my key fob would unlock, lock & pop my trunk but my car acted like it wouldn't accept my key fob. my steering wheel was not locked & it has been towed and sat overnight & its still not locked, my electronic steering wheel lock has gone out on my car & with all the research i have done i found out several other people are having the same problem. nissan extended the warranty on this part to 6 years but it seems all these failures are happening after that 6 year mark has been hit. nissan is well aware of the problem and released a bulletin on it but not a recall, i believe with all the problems that everyone is having that a recall should be issued i was quoted 800-1000.00 to fix this problem. this is evidently a faulty part installed by nissan and they should make it right

On 8/3/2015 i went to the grocery store drove my car perfectly well. when i was ready to go home my car would not start. my steering wheel was locked. i had to call a tow truck since the dealership was closed. next day i call nissan since i saw so many postings about this issue opened a claim, and they told me i would have to take the car to get a diagnosis from the dealership and call them back with the findings, because i was out of warranty as of march 3,2015. i took the car payed a tow truck again then had to pay $130 for the diagnosis only to find out they could and would do nothing! i had to pay $1007. and they claimed i was out of warranty for over 41 months. how is it that they know its a malfuntion, and they get away with no recall! i will never purchase another nissan vehicle

Steering lock does not disengage and the car does not start, something wrong with electronic control unit.

Got in my 2009 nissan altima monday 07/27 would not start. had towed to dealership. steering lock system was replaced. wednesday 07/29 got in my car again would not start. took to dealership again. changed brake plug. friday 07/31 car would not start again so took back to dealership for the 3rd time and they fixed and sent me on my way. car with key symbol still blinking on my car so not sure it is fixed yet...updated 10/05/15*bf *cn

On 07/15/15 i received a call that my brother in law had died i stop and pulled over to regroup from crying i shut the car off and my car would not start back up, light was flashing intelligent key and also saying key was not in the car which this is called electronic steering column lock failure i had to have to car towed on top of everything else i was dealing with call pearson nissan in ocala fl told them what the car was doing and mention to them about the extended warranty that i had ran across and they stated they didn't know what i was talking about. i don't under stand why wasn't i notified by nissan about this problem i like my car but if this don't get resolved i will not buy another nissan car. upon doing some research i discovered a lot of people have had this same problem and complaint

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while parked, the vehicle failed to start with the key fob. the contact stated that the key warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the electronic steering column was damaged and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 96,000. ma 10/25/15 *cn

My 2009 nissan altima has been failing to start daily since 07/13/2015. it takes me 20-30 minutes to get car started. key fobs appear operational. while pressing the break & push button to start the car, the radio comes on but the car doesn't start. it makes a clicking sound & won't do anything. i have to wait a few minutes & retry several times before starting.