Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima STEERING

Drove to work in the morning, parked my nissan altima in the parking lot. when i went to leave for lunch the car would not start. the brake was extremely stiff and pushing the start button did nothing. i called the local nissan dealer - they immediately thought it could be the steering lock module if that was it i would have to have it towed. once towed to the dealership they confirmed it was the steering wheel lock module had malfunctioned. they admitted they have seen 4 others in just this month for the same issue. the part was ordered and should have arrived in 3 business days. after a week i was notified the part is on back order and they do not know when they will have it in to fix my car. i contacted nissan consumer affairs to ask for help, they declined stating it is all a case by case basis they won't help to pay for the part, repair or a rental car. it has now been 23 days and they still don't know when or if they will get a part to fix my car. i am stranded without a means to get to and from work. nissan needs to recall this part or help cover the costs for those affected. after extensive research there are tons of people going through the same issue. the same part was recalled for the nissan gtr why not own up to your crappy part and take care of the customers. *tr

Intelli key indicator light began illuminating two days ago. last evening after dinner vehicle would not switch out of "lock" stranded in 15 degree temps waiting for tow for 2 hours. nissan service advisor knew exactly what problem was. he called me later tonight to confirm electronic steering lock needed replacing. $800.00+. nissan surely will recall "faulty" door handle springs at .50 cents a whack, but give me a break. it's time nissan own up to the numerous 2009's that are having this part fail. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering column lock mechanism caused the vehicle to become inoperable. the contact also stated that the key fob warning light illuminated. the contact attempted to personally remedy the failure by replacing the battery in the keyless entry remote but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the steering column needed to be replaced but the part was not readily available. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while parked, the vehicle would not start. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised that the steering lock assembly would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 45,400. *tr

Car would not start / computer lock / car had to be towed. *tr

My daughter stopped to fill up with fuel and when she tried to start the car the brake and steering wheel remained locked. *tr

2009 nissan altima - key warning light illuminated and car failed to start. car was towed to nearest nissan dealership where it was determined by diagnostic testing that the steering lock mechanism failed and needed to be replaced. total estimated cost of repair with parts and labor is $1,100.00. manufacturer will be contacted during business hours tomorrow. total miles at time of incident was 64,000. *tr

I parked my car at work, and when i went out 8 hours later to go home it wouldn't start. they key light was illuminated, and when i tried to start the car, it kept saying lock. my husband tried testing the battery, etc. the car ended up having to be towed to the nissan dealership 50 miles away($200). once the car was looked at, the dealership determined that the steering lock assembly needed to be replaced, and the total with labor would be approx $850. they also told me that it was on back order. the fact that the item is on back order, and that there are a ton of other complaints about this same issue tells me that nissan needs to recall this part!!! i am waiting for a call back from nissan regarding this issue. *tr

I came office on 18th jan in my car and when i was heading back it didn't started. i towed my car to nissan dealer and they said after diagnosis that car's steering lock controller is faulty and is not recognizing the key and need to be replaced: final charges : $830, well clearly from the posts that its not one time incident and nissan is aware of that . they should make a recall for this . its just 3 years old car and i have to pay such a hefty amount when i cared my car like a baby. *tr

I drove to work, and parked my car. 8 hours later, i got in my car to go home. tried starting it, but the key indicator light was on, the brake wouldn't push in, and the car wouldn't start. i had to have the car towed to the nissan dealership. they determined that the steering lock unit needed to be replaced. the part was on back order which seemed fishy to me, so i did some research. it seems that 100's of other nissan altima owners have had the same problem in the past year. nissan north america, inc informed me that there is no recall, and i should contact the national highway adminstration to have a recall put into affect. this could be a serious safety issue, and needs to be addressed. thankfully i was at work when this happened, but what if i was in the middle of nowhere, in the freezing cold, and my car wouldn't start. the steering lock unit should be recalled! i had to pay over $1,000 to have this part fixed, and since the part was on backorder, i didn't have a vehicle for an extended amount of time. please help the 100's of people affected by this faulty part!!! *tr

Parked the vehicle , it was not parked straight, got right back in to park straight, car would not started, got towed to hall nissan chesapeake, told i needed a steering lock control and cost was 620.00 got on google and read all the complaints, there should be a default, a recall, we must stand together , please help! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the key warning light illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was determined that the steering lock mechanism failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure and current mileages were 35,000. the vin was not available.

Drove to work in the morning without any problems. tried to start my car at the end of the day. car would not start. the intelligent key warning light was on. called the dealership. they suggested trying my other key fob. i had someone bring that to me, but the car still wouldn't start. with no other options, i had the car towed to the dealership (for $165, which included an extra $75 fee to have the car removed from a parking garage). they diagnosed the problem as a faulty steering lock assembly and replaced it for $624.91. i filed a complaint with nissan and was offered a $250 service credit for a future repair, which would need to be used in only 6 months. when i indicated that this was unacceptable, the manufacturer would not offer any other compensation, nor acknowledge that others were having the same problem. given that there is no warning for this problem which renders a less than 4 year car completely inoperable, nor is there any way to prevent this problem from happening, this part needs to be recalled! keyless entry is one of the reasons why i bought this car..... now it's my biggest complaint. *tr

Drove car a few minutes down the road, parked and went inside for aprox 15 mins. came back out and car would not start. no key light was flashing on dash but key fob was in car. got the spare as well and still would not work. plugged in fob, disconnected car battery. all would not work. stuck in the cold with my three year old daughter! had to have car towed to nissan dealership ($100) and part was steering lock mechanism. part was on back order! nissan refuses to recall this! it's ridiculous. they no longer use this part on their cars yet refuse to recall costing us a lot of money! repair bill at nissan dealership was $753.09 plus $100 tow so $853.09!! i will never buy another nissan. luckily dealership was able to get nissan to cover my rental car since i went a week without a car. unacceptable. *tr

My wife was about to head home from work in the afternoon. the key fob unlocked the car like usual but the car was unresponsive in her attempt to start it. the key light was illuminated on the dash. we tried a number of things but the push-to-start button wouldn't change out of the 'lock' position - even to go to 'accessory' mode. i had the car towed to a local nissan dealer which informed us that the steering lock unit malfunctioned and will have to be replaced. the car will not be able to start up until it is fixed. the part is not under warranty and costs close to $500. my final quote was $864 from the dealer. the car will have to be reprogrammed, so there is no way to circumvent the dealer's cost. nissan needs to own up to their mistake and recall this defective part. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the engine failed to start when engaging the push-to-start switch. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer, who informed the contact that the steering lock mechanism would need to be replaced. the required part was ordered and the vehicle was scheduled for repairs when the part would become available. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

The intelligent key warning light illuminated as i arrived at my office on the morning of 1/14/13. when i attempted to start the vehicle that afternoon, the push-start ignition remained in the "lock" position and the vehicle would not respond to repeated start attempts. break lights and headlights continued to function correctly. called local nissan dealership and they instructed me to have the vehicle towed. after an hour, the nissan service advisor contacted me with notice that the steering wheel lock control unit had failed and they estimated the total repair cost to be at $900.00. the dealership did not have the part in stock, but they were able to locate another dealership who was able to courier it over the following morning. i contacted nissan north america on 1/23/13 and they refused to offer any compensation relative to the costs associated with this repair. this is a part that should have been recalled at least a year ago based on its apparently rampant history of failure for other altima owners. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering lock mechanism failed. the contact attempted to start the vehicle by engaging the push-to-start button but to no avail. in addition, the intelligent key malfunction indicator light was illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, who performed a diagnostic test, and advised the contact that the steering lock mechanism failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the vin was unavailable. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 42,000.

The car would not start with my smart key. i have had the car for three years and there were no mechanical issues with the car. but after turning it off to go inside, i came back out and it would not start. i had the car towed to nissan dealer and the service tech already new the problem, told me the part was on back order, and that it would take three weeks to fix, on top of the 800+ bill to fix it. this problem is frequent and i feel there should be a recall or at least a reimbursement for service done on the vehicles. *tr

Car was driving fine earlier in the day, and came home to park the car in the driveway. got back in the car to head to my night job, and car would not start. it would not even switch to accessories position. called the nissan dealership and they gave me some tips on how to start the car, but none worked. had to get he car towed to nissan. it took 2 days before they could look at it on a saturday. i was told my steering lock unit had malfunctioned and would cost me $747 before taxes to get it fixed. also, the part was on back order (1100 other people need the same part) and there is no eta on the part. i still do not have my car back and have been having to find ways to and from work. *tr

On 01/09/2013, i drove my grandmother to an appt. and came home. five hours later, i got into the car and it would not start. i made some calls and researched online and discovered many other complaints about the same problem, the steering lock mechanism isn't working. the little yellow key appears on instrument panel. i have brake lights and replaced the battery in both the car and the key fob. nothing helped to start my car. the steering wheel isn't locked so it moves freely and the ignition button illuminates but will not leave the lock position. i placed a phone call to the number provided by conroe, tx. the "consumer affairs specialist", [xxx], hung up on me!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Car would not start. yellow key light and flashing red key light on panel. seemed like a security anti-theft problem but it turned out to be a faulty steering lock mechanism. a $700 repair. and, what's worse is, there was no recall for this item even with many complaints reported. this was recalled on other nissan models (cube, 390, etc) but no on the altima. not happy. *tr

I started my car to leave for work around 6:30am and left to get gas before continuing to work. i was able to drive the car to the gas pump and turn off the engine without incident. when i attempted to start the engine after pumping gas the car failed to start. i noticed that there was an indicator in my dash that i had never seen. it was a red indicator that i would later find out showed a problem with my steering lock mechanism. the car would not move past the "lock" stage and i had to promptly have it towed to the nissan dealership. i later found out that this repair would cost almost $800.00 before taxes. after researching, i have found that there have been many similar claims in the past few months. i would just like for my case to be known with others that have had a similar position. *tr

I went to the valero in cabot, ar to get gas this past wednesday morning before i was to go to work, and when i got back into my car and it wouldn't start. the intelligent key indicator light was on, and would not start. i could not press the brake it was very stiff and the start button would not come out of the lock position i read the owners manual, called the north little rock nissan dealer, and realized there was nothing i could do except have it towed to the dealership. this is a 2009 model with 55,000 miles, and i take great care of it. the mechanic called me later and said i need a new steering lock unit. he said it would cost about $1200.00 to repair, and he said it isn't covered under warranty, and there was no recall, and to let him know what i wanted to do. this is faulty equipment from nissan and this issue could not have been prevented by anything i could have done or not done. not only do i not have 1200.00, but i have 3 kids and a job i that i need to get back & forth to. i have been stranded for 3 days now, i have missed work because i don't have another mode of transportation, my insurance covers nothing except $75 for the tow, and i have spent countless hours on my phone with nissan. i'm without car, no way to get to work to support my family, and do not have enough groceries to survive the w/e !!! there should already be a recall on this, as i have read & been told by nissan this has happened to 08,09,10 models. there definitely needs to be a formal recall on this part because it has affected too many people and it could easily result in death if the lock out takes place in traffic.. i have been unable to get the dealer to work with me, much less return my calls or emails. i may very well lose my job if i have to take off work anymore, because i do not have another means of transportation... pathetic. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the start button for the ignition failed and the intelligence key warning light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering lock unit needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 101,000 and the current mileage was 104,000. *tr

I went to work on the 7th for 11-7 shift. when i try starting my car to leave on the 8th @ 7:07, it would not start. the yellow warning key came up on the dash. the lights, locking the car works, the horn works. i call aaa they could get it started. i called nissan after i took the car home as i have stuff in it that i couldn't leave at a shop. they said i should take it to a nissan dealer and let them know the cost and what the problem was. i went on line and search it up only to find so many with this same or very similar problem. i call back nissan and let them know it is not an isolated problem am having. the dealer knew what the problem was in less than 30min. it was the steering column need to replace. now i spend $910 and nissan telling me they can not finance it as there is no recall on the part. please, everyone, let us join together and claim what is ours. *tr

Drove the car into work just fine. seven hours later when i was leaving to go home car would not start. key light was on in dashboard but nothing would happen. jumped the battery, reset the batter, even took out the battery to get it tested. still nothing. finally paid $70 to get it towed to nissan dealership (less than 3 miles) and it is the steering lock control unit, which cost $978 to replace. apparently this happens when it is cold out. nissan needs to recall these vehicles and reimburse everyone who have had similar issues. i will never buy another nissan and you bet i'm going to tell everyone i know!! *tr

My wife drove the car to her class and parked it on a parking lot. the car couldn't be started (push button couldn't start the car) when she was done with the class and wanted to get back home. the yellow key light showed on the left top panel and red security light flashed. the fob key still worked in locking/unlocking the car doors. the aaa was called and they came to try to jump start the car. it didn't start. the car had to be towed to the nearest nissan dealership. they found it was the steering wheel lock assembly problem. it cost $700 to repair it. i called nissan north america and was told the part has not be on the recall list. *tr

I just wanted everyone to know that this same situation happened to me a couple of days ago and it is not a cheap cost ($~1000). i called nissan (1-800-647-7261) and made a complaint and they are going to reimburse me 50%. it should be a 100% but it's better than nothing. i encourage everyone to call them and make a complaint and file a complaint with your local better business bureau and the attorney general office. they must recall this defective part! *tr

Veh was driven for a period of time and then stopped to get gas. veh would not start again. a yellow key indicator came on the dash and vehicle still would not start. had it towed to dealer and diagnosed as the steering lock module. *tr

On a cold jan day(below freezing) a notoriously common problem with the 2009 nissan altima occurred. the steering wheel actuator failed adding to the 1000s of other reported steering wheel actuators already posted on this web site. seems this problem happens 1-3 year old cars in colder weather. the car will not start nor can the steering column be unlocked which complicates the towing. the "push to start" key fob that nissan has engineered is nothing but problems. there is not a mechanical steering lock as you would have in a normal key operated car and the locking of the steering wheel occurs as a theft security device. if this happens while driving the impact could be deadly. the company has not recalled the car for this and it will take a serious injury lawsuit for nissan to understand the product they put on the highway puts all at risk. don't buy a car with this type key start mechanism from nissan. the cost to repair is 1100 dollars............ *tr

The yellow key light came on as i was driving to my destination. when i went to leave, i was able to unlock my doors but could not start the car. lights were working but was not able to engage brake pedal or push the button to start the car. tried to jump the car off thinking it was the battery, but did not work. had the car towed to the dealership and found out today that the steering lock assembly had to be replaced. there were no other warning signs only the yellow key light. this is a very costly repair. i have seen many other complaints of this same problem and do not understand why there has not been a recall. i found that there was a recall for this very problem on the 2009 nissan 370 z. *tr

1. i drove to church on a sunday morning and parked the car. when leaving church, the car showed a yellow key light and would not start. i had the car towed to love nissan dealership in st. albans, wv the following day. i was told by the dealership service repair person that they found an internal failure/malfunction of the steering lock control unit. the invoice says ....... b26e9 lock malfunction, found internal failure of steering lock control. this repair, i was told, was not covered under the warranty i had and cost me $767.72. why was this repair/breakdown not covered in full or part by a warranty or by nissan? 2. in mach 2013 in a second mishap, i had to call roadside assistance. this same vehicle locked (without me doing it) with the remote key laying in the center cup holder. nothing was in the cup holder other than the remote key and a small piece of paper. the car had to be unlocked by the towing company as i was outside a store in charleston, wv. could there be a faulty wiring/electrical problem with this car? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering lock actuator failed, preventing the vehicle from being started. the contact had to have the vehicle towed to the dealer and the steering lock actuator was replaced. the failure and the current mileage was 60,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the intelligence key malfunction warning light illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the electronic steering column lock needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage and current mileage was 59,000.

Vehicle would not start, had to be towed to dealer. it was determined that the steering wheel actuator had failed. the cost to replace the actuator is appx: $800. in researching this problem using a google search, it appears to be a wide spread recent issue with the nissan altima. this problem can happen at any time, however, it seems to be a cold weather issue. the actuator is defective and should not be failing in a 3 year old vehicle. *tr

Cold day 2009 altima started fine. went to work, but at lunch time tried to start car and it would not start. fob key would still open locks and was acknowledged buy car and lights still worked so it was not battery or key. brake lights also worked. yellow key light on dash was lit and steering wheel and gears were locked. car was towed on flatbed to dealer. dealer initially said it may be just fob key reprogramming. however after 4 hours they found the problem to be the steering lock switch. cost $700 dollars to repair!! nissan recall this part now and reimburse customers! *tr

Went to go start my car and the intelligent key indicator light came on. couldn't start in neutral. had to get it towed to the dealer. dealer was able to start the car in the morning. they were able to replicate the issue by stopping and starting numerous times. it appears that the steering lock unit was failing. after researching online determined this is a common and costly problem, but there is no re recall for it. very dangerous. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. the dealer was notified and advised the contact to jump start the vehicle and have it towed to the dealer for diagnosis. the contact searched the internet for reasons why the vehicle would not start and settled on the fact that the failure was caused by a steering lock mechanism failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 64,000.

Went to start vehicle and it did not start. had to have it towed to dealership for $90. was told it was not covered under warrenty and my car was out of warranty by 2 months. advised to call consumer affairs. waited 13 days with repeated phone calls just to be told they will not warranty the repair with no written explanation. repair cost $757 and is only warranteed for 12,000 miles. was told repair would take 3 days but they had my car for 21 days because the part was on back order. by the way, my car was also in for 2 recall issues: head gasket and master brake cylindar. pretty big issues! i was also told by service manager that if i had all my service done thru them instead of outside source they would have covered the steering lock issue. sounds a little fishy to me. they need to recall this problem!!! or at least have a manual over ride. *tr

9:30am - started car. proceeded to drive 35 minutes. stopped car, went in the house for 20 minutes. came out, got in car. will not start. the following was observed: 1. intelligent key will unlock and lock the doors, trunk, sound alarm. 2. small "key", yellow in color symbol illuminated on the dash. 3. start button does nothing, will not move from the "lock" position. failure: steering lock control module (342.99 + tax cnd). took it apart, reset the gears, back in action (for now). canadian customer. *tr

This appears to be a cold-weather related issue with the steering lock module. the dealership stated they have seen more and more of these problems now that it has become cold. the cost to replace this defective part, from the dealership, is approximately $1,000. http://www.carproblemzoo.com/nissan/altima/2009/steering-failed-problems.php. *tr

The night before everything was working fine. i was 1300 miles from home visiting relatives. i got out of my car turned my car off and locked it up as usual. in the morning, i got back into my car to go some where and my car would not start the yellow key indicator light was illuminated in the left side of the car i could not press the brake it was very stiff and the start button would not come out of the lock position. after researching via the internet i have found that there is a very common problem with all 2009 makes of nissan and the steering lock mechanism malfunctioning after having the car for approximately 3 years and the car being under 50,000 miles this part has been recalled in other models of nissan but not in the 2009 models. although i understand this repair at a dealer can run upperwards of $1,000.00, i was lucky my dad's mech did it for around $600,00.there definitely needs to be a formal recall on this part because it has affected too many people and it could easily result in death if the lock out takes place in traffic, not a nice feeling to be 1300 miles from home and having a major problem. *tr

Went to go start my car and the intelligent key indicator light came on. couldn't even use the back up method to start the car. had to get it towed to the dealer. couldn't do anything with the car and was left in an abandoned lot. not a very safe place to be stuck. also, there wasn't a warning prior to this. from the sounds of it there are many others that have had this issue at right around the same mileage mark. i think it's time for nissan to consider a recall. this is absolutely ridiculous. i have my car at the dealer now and from the sounds of it will be in for a repair of around 1,000 or more. will not be buying a nissan again unless the do something about this. *tr

we drove the car to dr.'s office. when going to leave, the push start button failed to start car. ended up having car towed to our local mechanic, who called up to the closest nissan dealer and they recommended to replace brake sensor, that wasn't the problem. than we had it towed again up to nissan dealer 45 miles away, ended up being the steering lock unit failed and had to be replaced. they ordered the part which was on back order. finally car was ready 13 days after incident. final cost was $848. car has always been well taken care of and maintained on a regular basis. this defective part should be recalled! *tr

Steering lock unit on jan 2, 2012, i drove my car to work. i did not notice at that time any lights on however 5 hours later i go to start my car and it would not start. it was at that time i noticed the yellow key light. i had never seen it before. i tried jumping the battery and when that didn't work i went and bought a brand new battery. still, i got no results. i towed the car to nissan to find out that my steering lock unit went out on the car. i too am baffled by the fact that there has not been a recall on this part as it has been a common issue with a lot of customers. this is my first nissan and i am extremely unhappy knowing there has been so many documented issues yet nissan has done nothing to rectify the situation. *tr

My car was running fine and received a warning light that the battery needed to be replaced in my intelligent key fob. went to start car and it would not start and the warning light still appeared. we replaced battery in fob and still the car would not start. after talking with dealer we find that the steering lock mechanism going out was a very common problem and they had 5 incidents of it just this week. after doing more research and seeing how common the problem was we are wondering why this year make and model has not made the recall list yet. problem cost between $600-$1000 to repair. *tr

Tried to start my car before work and it would not start. keyless entry still worked and lights would turn on. tried jumper cables, but that did not work either. car has keyless ignition and when i would try to start it, a light on the dashboard indicated the key was not registering. called dealership and was told to try new key batteries; bought new key batteries ($8), installed them, no change. called dealership back and was told to have car towed to dealership ($88). after inspection, was told "diagnosis found stored codes for steering lock failure. replacement needed" ($740). fortunately, my car did not just turn off while i was driving, but when i found these other reports (http://car-and-safety.com/nissan-370z-safety/nissan-370z-2009.htm#steering) i decided i better also report mine; sounds like an on-going issue that has been/could be dangerous for others. *tr

I got into my car after work(12-27-12) and noticed the yellow key light on the dash. the car started and drove just fine. then the next time i went to start my car (12-30-12) the car wouldn't start. i couldn't do anything. got the car placed on a trailer and hauled to the nearest nissan repair shop and my steering column lock mechanism needs to be replaced which is an awfully expensive fix. to top things off, this part is on back order so i know i'm not the only one with issues. *tr

Was out shopping at costco, came out of store and car would not start. intelligent key indicator light was displaying on the dash. the brake pedal would not depress and push button would not start the car. tried to manually override by inserting the key fob in the slot - still would not start. as i was stranded had to call husband to come get me. had him bring other key fob, still would not work. had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership as car is completely disabled and will not run. *tr