Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering lock needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 67,000. updated 03/24/15*lj updated 10/19/2015*js

On monday, jan 26, ,2015 my nissan altima would not start or turn over due to the steering lock. i contacted nissan dealership to get assistance by describing what issue i was having with my car. i provided the following to service representative; my car would not turn over and the key symbol light is appearing on my dash board. i was told by the rep at nissan that i would need to have my car towed to the nissan dealership/auto nation asap. my car was towed on monday everning jan 26, 2015. my car was under warranty (so i thought), i contacted my warranty service and was told my warranty expired nov 26, 2014. on the auto nation invoice it says (replace steering lock and performed regsition on steering lock). my car repaired on tue, jan 27, 2015 and i was able to pick-up my car on wed, jan 28, 2015.the total repair cost was $1,067.47. *tr

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering wheel lock mechanism was fractured. the vehicle was completely shut off and did not restart. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who stated that the steering lock mechanism failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

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

My 2009 nissan altima did not start. my car was towed to the bay ridge nissan dealer. i was told that i had a steering column lock problem. they said that i might have a warranty but it was most likely expired. if i was to do other work on the car, they could make a pitch to the manufacturer to cover the steering column lock cost. to make a long story short, they told me that i had other problems, control arm, wheel alignment and service maintenance and i need to get it fix which total over $900. the warranty to fix the steering column lock would only apply if i was to agree to do this other "needed" work. the bay ridge nissan advisor told me that i would have to pay the full charge of the steering column lock $966.63 if i did not agree to do the other work. at the time this happened, i did not know that i had an extended warranty. i did not find out until after the car was fixed and a second problem developed. they took full advantage of my situation to sell me services i didn't need. i'm very angry about this. if anyone knows of a good lawyer, please let me know. the manufacturer should have informed their customers about the extended warranty and dealers should be honoring the extended warranty, not taking advantage of customer's bad situation to make a profit. i will never buy another nissan vehicle again. i contacted the nissan consumer affairs too and they turned a blind eye, saying that they "resolved" the problem. they would not give me a refund and said they spoke to the dealer. this is their idea of "resolved". this is totally not acceptable. no one is taking responsibility for this dishonesty, not the manufacturer, not the dealer, not even the nissan consumer affairs bureau. they are the worst car company ever with zero accountability for their defects. i hope no one will have to die before they decide to recall this defect. *tr

Steering wheel lock unit will no longer lock or unlock causing the car not to start. *tr

2012-i was headed to my car to drive home from work. my car wouldn't start. i tried jumping the battery and a few other things and nothing happened. it was winter in michigan and it was snowing and it was freezing out. after researching the make and model year, 2009 altima, i realized the problem was the steering column. my step father watched a youtube video to fix my car. he put a zip tie in to hold the column open so the car would start even though it cant lock now. which means, i cant use my automatic starter and i live in michigan were it's cold in the winter. i am thankful this didnt happen while out on back roads. in 2015 the zip tie broke and i was stranded once more during winter. it took several hours before i could get someone to help me. so i sat in my car with no heat and froze. it was blowing snow and it was 14 degrees out. who knows what the wind chill was. but, i was stuck one more time! my step dad once more came to the rescue. i had my hunting knife in the car so he jammed the column open and i drove it home that way. once home he put a bolt in the column to prevent it from locking up. i wish i would have known about this issue before i bought this car. i love my car but i hate that nissan wont stand behind their product. this is a serious issue and the part to fix it is about $1000! this is a known issue that nissan should fix. what if i was in the up and this happened? i truly want to know why the steering column issue is not considered a big enough issue for a recall!

My 2009 nissan altima steering lock had an internal failure. nissan failed to recall this part so no information was provided to consumers owning this make and model. i filed a complaint with nissan consumer affairs which they of course denied, but after several minutes of me requesting them to let me know when i was notified of the extended warranty regarding this part, i was told no letter was sent to me. i purchased my 2009 nissan brand new in 2010, so unless the nissan part went bad early in ownership i would have never had the opportunity to be covered under this so called extended warranty. to add insult to injury, this is a bad nissan part, they are charging $700 just for the part alone to be repaired, and only guaranteeing the part for 12 months, can't make this up. it appears that nissan made the adjustments in later models and that 2009 owners are left holding the bag. i understand parts going bad, and in some cases people are going to be stranded (as i was in a dangerous situation) due to unforeseen issues. but i would like for someone to explain to me why all of these people posting the same complaint (and there are tons) are being discriminated against by nissan that this (the part they built into the car) part is somehow different than most parts being recalled even at this very moment. shame on you nhtsa for not holding them accountable for this horrible business and safety issue. the car will not start without this part, because it is so expensive it is requiring people to try and repair this themselves, which is going to cause even further safety issues in my mind. we own 2 nissan's in my house, do all of our servicing there, we will never purchase nissan again.

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering wheel locking mechanism caused the vehicle to fail to start. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. in addition, the electronic steering column lock (escl) warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that wheel lock needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 65,000.

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the key system warning light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the electronic steering column box needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 38,000.

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

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.

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

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.

Car would not start due to failure of steering lock mechanism. contacted nissan dealership, they were aware of issue and indicated that it would need to be towed in for repair. repair and tow cost $1383.21. nissan nissan dealership stated nissan was aware of defective part (steering lock #48700-1nc1a) and to call 1-800-nissan1 for reimbursement. nissan is indicating the my vehicle is 2 months out of warranty. they are offering to pay 50% of the total bill. i feel this is a safety issue, due to being stranded, and potential for part to fail while the i in motion. due to the fact that they were aware of the defective part in their vehicle, nissan should have notified owners of affected vehicles. if they had we would have had the part replaced in advance of failure. *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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and an unknown light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the steering lock module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 95,000.

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while driving 30 mph, the steering mechanism and the lower control arm corroded. the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage and vin were unavailable.

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 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

I was parked at a store and the car wouldn't start. i looked up a temporary fix and was able to get the vehicle started. once i got home, i researched the problem and discovered that nissan knew what the issue was: the steering lock assembly was malfunctioning. this is an intermittent problem. it can occur anywhere or any time. nissan extended the warranty (just for that part) 6 years. the dealership informed me that they wouldn't honor the extended warranty unless they could duplicate the fault...and they would charge an $80.00 fee...just for a mechanic sitting in the car and starting it. and if i wanted to have the work done anyway, it would cost approximately $1200.00. obviously, i didn't leave the vehicle with them since i knew it would start at that time. the problem is, from every comment about the problem on nissan boards, from what the nissan dealership itself said, this is an intermittent problem. so the next time it happens i could be at work late at night. i could be driving across texas and stop for gas, then i'm stuck at a gas pump unable to shift into neutral to move the car. i (or my wife) could get stuck anywhere when this problem occurs again.

My entire dashboard is melting and it's very sticky.. the glare is a major concern that could possibly cause an accident. it doesn't matter if it's day or night it's difficult to see out of the windshield.

The electrical steering lock is a malfunction defect. it won't let you crank your car. and nissan won't issue a recall it will only extend the warranty and they won't replace it. it has to do with the security system of the car. hundreds of people are having issues. *tr

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the electronic steering wheel lock mechanism was defective. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic, who diagnosed that the electronic steering wheel lock mechanism needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 132,000. the vin was not available.

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

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 went to run an errand and when i came back out to my car from the store, it wouldn't start. i found that the "no key" warning light was lit on the dash and the vehicle security warning light would turn on when i tried to start the vehicle. when i pushed the start button, nothing happened, it stayed in the "lock" setting. after trying everything i could think of (with no tools available), including using both keys, to get the car to start and reading the owner's manual i realized that my car was not going to start. i was able to get a ride home and researched the issue where i found hundreds of complaints on the nhtsa website, along with threads on forums describing the exact same issue. i had to get the car towed to the dealership, where it was replaced free of charge because nissan knows that this is a failed part and has extended the warranty. however, there should have been a recall on this as this failure renders the car incapable of starting and since there seems to be a lot of people affected by this failure. i have contacted nissan about paying for my towing bill since, if there was a recall, i could have driven my vehicle to the dealership while it was still working to have the part replaced proactively instead of having to be stranded and charged for a towing bill. *tr

Trying to start my 2009 nissan altima, it would not start!!! the brakes were almost stuck and the car simply would not start! the lights in the car turned on with out a problem so i know it wasn't the battery, plus i changed it 2 years ago. after reading many many reviews, 2009 nissan altima are having issues with the start button, now i have to pay tow company to take to dealer and pay so much money. please please nissan help replace this!! *tr

Car will not start. this model uses the intelligent key system with push button start. the key is actually detected by the vehicle and the steering wheel unlocks. but the start button is not enabled and the car does nothing when trying to start. lights, electrical and battery tested fine. towed car to dealership and they found the steering lock module had failed. 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. eta for part delivery is unknown and dealership explained they would get back to me again in 2 weeks! nissan did provide a rental car due to the part shortage. my vehicle is a 2009 model year but this part has a problem also in the 2010 and 2011 model years for all nissan vehicles per the local dealership. *tr

When i tried to start my car it was completely dead. everything was locked up. aaa towed it to the dealer where it has been for 9 days. the auto manager at ed howard nissan in venice, fl told me another altima is there for the same problem. nissan cannot tell me how long i will have to wait for the part to come in. instead of recalling the car, nissan gave this particular part a million mile warranty. most frustrating is both the nissan dealer and nissan corporate relations have refused to provide a loaner or reimburse me for a rental while i continue to wait for my car to be fixed. bad situation all around. *tr

Would not start, electronic locking mech malfunction....pregnant wife got stranded without warning in negative degree weather.....safety issue.....not to mention , tow bill, time lost from work, and making arrangements,obtaining,paying for alternate transportation, while the part is currently on back order for going on 2 weeks now......luckily wife was only 30 minutes from home or could have been worse but was still potentially very dangerous getting stranded in negative degree weather. *tr

Car would not start due to failure of the steering lock device. *tr

Attempted to start car, and received "steering wheel lock" light - despite trying with both fobs (it was not a faulty fob). after half hour of trying, still can not turn car on due to locked steering wheel. engine won't turn, electrical system will not turn on, and car is stuck. have yet to contact dealer. *tr

The car is equipped with a "smart" key-locking system as well as a "smart" ignition system. the key for the car is a wireless fob that when around the vehicle will allow the car to be unlocked and started. the key will allow the car to start, when the key is detected inside the vehicle. the issue that arose was due to a malfunctioning part, the part was an: electronic steering column lock. the part failed during a spell of cold days that affected my state. during the first few days before the part ultimately malfunctioned the car began showing error lights for many systems. the car indicated that doors were open, that the emergency brakes were applied (when they clearly were not), the interior lights in the car would randomly come on when driving (as if doors were opening) and finally the indicated that the smart key system was malfunctioning. the car ultimately failed on a cold night. i was able to enter the car, but that was it. the car did not recognize my key and the car was rendered useless. i was unable to turn the car on, or even switch it to any standby mode. because the car doesn't have a traditional key you are unable to unlock the steering wheel and push it in neutral. the steering wheel locks up, and depending on how the tires were locked initially determines the only direction that the car will move. when i contacted nissan about the issue i was told that they have issued a "warranty extension" on that specific part only. it is obvious that they know a problem exists. i would also like to note that i was also told by nissan that the part is on backorder and on restricted release. they have so many problems that they cannot keep up with the demand. this issue is very real and dangerous. people will be left stranded in their car. unless the part fails there is no indication that the part will go wrong. *tr

Got home turned my car off went inside to get gift cards came back outside trying to start my car, but it wouldn't start, all i saw was a yellow key light. lights worked fine i tried moving the steering wheel and putting in neutral and trying to start but nothing. *tr

When i got into my car this morning, the steering column was locked up and breaks were hard to push. after trying a few times to start the vehicle, i noticed that the auto-theft must be on. i tried to put the fob in the manual ignition, but the fob got stuck and would not release. after several tries, the fob finally came out. the car still does not start and the auto-theft is still on. the battery is not bad because the car beeps when the door is open and the lights work. i am going to have to tow the vehicle in to get it repaired. there should be a recall on this problem. *tr