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Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima STEERING

On average, the 2009 Nissan Altima starts to “feel” problems with the STEERING and its various aspects after 84 555 miles.

Components Affected by STEERING Issues

We have classified the 807 complaints from 2009 Nissan Altima about STEERING into the following categories.

COLUMN 2

Recently reported STEERING problems on 2009 Nissan Altima

At any given time or place, our 2009 nissan altima would lock up. the brake pedal was hard as a rock, or the steering wheel would totally lock up. sometimes it would happen in july on a nice warm day, or in january when your driving across the country at 20 below. this is a huge and dangerous problem, please help us before somebody else gets killed. this problem always happened to our car when it was parked and turned off.

I live in the country and was prepared to leave town to visit my sister. i pack my car and get ready to leave (my car was in perfect condition in my garage all night) i went to start my car and nothing! i assumed the battery at first but the lights would turn on. i called nissan and i was told my steering wheel lock device needs replaced. i was told that i would have to tow my car in, pay for parts and labor. i ask nissan, if this is so common then how was i not notified of this? i learn this device was put in place for protection against car theft and designed for the key fab to undo the lock up. my car was not in threat of being stolen, and my key fab would not allow the engine to start. i was left stranded for no reason and without warning. i start researching that i am not the only one. there are hundreds effected by this faulty device. i can't believe nissan has not recalled or set out notice to warn people, or offer an extended warranty. i watch a video on how to trick start the engine. you pull down the bottom of steering wheel and tap the metal lock device with a hammer. this allows my car to start some times. i've been stranded out of town, at a grocery store, and in the middle of no where all due to this defective device. what if it goes out while driving and causes an accident and/or death? i'm scared and upset until nissan does the right thing to fix this

Steering wheel lock the specialist said that she was unable to help me out with the repair that i am needing done for the second time since the recall is expired. the point i am trying to get across to nissan in tennessee is that the part they put in my car in november of 2011 was more than likely a recall or a defective part since it went out again for the second time and i only have 71,000 miles on the car. even the dealership where my car is waiting to get repaired said that it is very rare that this part to go out twice. with the dealership saying that makes me come to the conclusion that the steering wheel lock that was put in my car was a recall/defective part since it went out again and i was never notified that there was a extended recall for the steering wheel lock or i would have taken my car in and had it checked out. now this repair is going to cost me $1344.80 and i think that is ridiculous!!! i am seeing on www.carcomplaints.com of other 2009 nissan altima owners are having the same problems with their vehicles as well. other owners are getting help to repair their vehicles for this part and other owners like myself are not getting help. i am glad that nissan in tennessee reimbursed me for the repair in november of 2011 but i need something resolved for the repair that needs to be done now!! i don't want to have to trade in my car since it is paid off and only has 71,000 miles but i also do not need this car leaving me stranded somewhere with my 5 year old son either for the third time especially at night time anywhere!! i am retired from the post office and only receives a check once a month and i am a single mother. so yes this kind of repair is way too expensive for me to afford! please help me with this issue asap, i dont want to be left stranded again with my son!!

Nissan altima recall morning of december 31 2015, my car was not able to start. it was not able to go to acc or on mode even when the keyless entry was recognized. i called triple a for a jump start but they were not able to jump start the either. so i got it towed to the nissan dealership for an diagnose and repair. while i was waiting i did some research on my phone looking for what might the problems may be. i kept seeing "steering wheel lock control module failure", which repair cost averaged around $1000 to 1300. hoping this was not the issue, after receiving the diagnoses, it was that... i asked if the extended warranty was still valid but they said the warranty ended on july of 2015... i was very disappointed. not just because the warranty ended but since my commute to school and work is very short, my mileage on the car is less than 45000 miles on a 2009 car and on a low mileage car like this and having to do a expensive repair like this on a small module that does nothing compared to its cost. i am very disappointed. i was not able to make it to my family in san diego for new years and stuck with long waits, expensive repair, and traffic that day. i hope nissan notices this common issue on the car and recalls the all potential cars for the same issue. hopefully i can get my money back with the recall.

While driving back to work from a lunch break, i noticed the"key warning" light illuminated. when i arrived l put the transmission in park then shut off the engine. proceeded to exit the car then to lock the car. nothing happened. tried again and had the same result. tried to restart car and had the same result. electronic key with a new battery did not work. all electronic mechanisms did not work.

My car was stationary in a grocery parking lot and push button starter would not start. it was the dead of winter with sub zero temperatures. the dash displayed an illuminated key indicating there may be something wrong with the intelligent key, so i replaced the battery in both keys and the car still would not start. i then tried to jump the car with no success. so i googled "car won't start, 2009 nissan altima" and that opened the flood gates. i read tons of complaints about this same part malfunctioning on the 2009 to 2011 nissan. when i finally towed my car to the dealer, guess what--i had that very issue, something called the "steering lock malfunction". during my research, i even read an article that indicated nissan was aware of the problem, and had extended their warranty to help, but that extension ended in march 2015 and nissan would not complete a recall because it was not a safety issue. i say it is a safety issue. again, my car stopped on me in the dead of winter in the middle of a cold snap. what i also read was that nissan knew that at least 50% of these cars manufactured would have to have this part replaced and decided to leave the consumer on their own to pay for the repair. i viewed youtube videos where tons of consumers were doing desperate things to avoid spending the $1000 for this repair. they were pulling their fuses for the steering lock system. they were pulling out the part and banging on it. they were sticking a screw driver in the part to release the stuck mechanism to get the car to start. it's a shame that nissan is aware that this part is defective and has the tendency to get stuck, resulting in disabling the push button starter and they won't do anything about it. i will never, ever, ever buy another nissan car, especially not a 2009 through 2011. i wouldn't own another nissan if they were giving them away. this company is unethical.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and unknown warning lights illuminated. the contact mentioned that the dealer was contact and informed her that the warning light was regarding that the steering wheel seized. the contact stated the steering wheel was stiff, the brakes and the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

Our 2009 altima, left us stranded in a remote location. the car was parked and turned off. we have aaa so we didn't have to pay for towing. but we thought it was something simple like battery, or batteries in the remote key. research has shown us that is a known problem with this specific year make and model of vehicle. and nissan is clearly not helping they're customers with this safety issue . we where luckier than some people that have been stranded in worse places, with children and no warning. this fix is costing us $894.00 at the nissan service , i filed a case with nissan they refused to help, so we where stuck once again with our car at the service center with a $105.00 diagnostic charge. so we couldn't take it somewhere else for less expensive repair. they caught us hook, line, and sinker .

On 12/26/15 i received a phone call from my mother stating that my 2009 nissan altima would not start and the intelligent key icon appeared on the dashboard. after she replaced the battery in the key fob to still only find out that the car still wont start. i contacted my local nissan dealership for them to tow my car to their location. once my car was towed and they inspected my vehicle i was told that the problem was the steering unit control lock. after doing some research i found that this was a common problem for all 2009 nissan altima and this particular part was replaced in all 2010 altima. furthermore, there was an extended warranty issued for 8 years unlimited mileage which expired on 9/25/15 for 2009 nissan altima for the same problem. so, when i asked the dealer about this they told me that i was out of the parameters and it will cost me $951 + tax. so, immediately i became upset i asked the dealer why i wasn't informed of this information when my car is regularly serviced at nissan. they told me that sometimes the consumer is not informed. as a customer who is at nissan several times a year and every 2-3 months for routine oil changes i think i should have been informed of the extended warranty. i followed up with nissan consumer affairs and filed a claimed and was told it takes three days for them to make a decision regarding paying for my vehicle to be fixed. it has only been 24 hours since i spoke with nissan and i am waiting for a decision to be made. i believe that this unfair to the consumer if the information was never given to the consumer via the dealer and you have service records to prove it. what i also found out from nissan consumer affairs is if you aren't the original owner of the vehicle you will not receive notification unless the dealer tells you about it.

Merry christmas nissan! thanks for making it a memorable one. i drove to a relatives home the day after christmas. the car was parked on a city street. when i went to leave, the car would not start or do anything. a yellow key symbol appeared. the car would not start, nothing was happening. the brake was very stiff. no ability to shift. no radio or dash lights would work. i had to have the vehicle towed to a local nissan dealership. electronic steering lock failure at a cost of $900.00. i was then told by nissan dealership that nissan was well aware of the issue and they had added an extended warranty to fix the bad part but it had expired earlier in 2015. i only went to dealership 3 times with sterring lock issues previously only to be told that it was my fob not the steering lock. i have 2 fobs and questioned how 2 would be having issues. never a good answer or option. never was i told there was bad part that was covered under warranty! shady business, the part should be recalled for safety and negligence. what if it stopped working and locked while i was actually driving? i travel for work and what if it stopped in a bad area leaving me stranded? what if it was extreme cold or heat? the issue is that nissan knows about a bad part but have left customers to pay $900 to fix their bad part leaving people in danger. there are countless stories online about this same issue. nissan changed the part in approx 2010. they need to own their mistake and stop leaving people stranded in harms way. i don't understand why nissan is allowed to make a bad part, know that the bad part will disable the car and leave people stranded without any notice. the consumer gets insult to injury and has to pay for nissan's mistake at a $900.00 cost. again, merry christmas nissan.

Was stuck at work over the weekend. car did not work. intelligent car key remote changed new battery and still did not work had to tow to dealer nissan , was told to run a diagnostic test on the car , and found out the electronic steering lock is not working. ive checked online and found out alot people have the same promble that i had. the cost to replace cost about $1200. since too many people have the same problem. nissan should have recall all the 09 model . i want nissan reimburse the cost of replacing new lock.

Dear sir/mam, my 09 altima broke down on christmas eve night in front of a friend's house, blocking friend's cars in garage, and cannot start no matter what. after 6hrs trying and contacting, finally found a towing company can come onsite at that hour on a holiday night, snowy and rainy. the dealership concurred my research that this is caused by a defective part - the electric steering lock failure, on all 2009 altimas. however, nissan extended the warranty on that to 5 years instead of a recall, and they refused to cover any of my loss in this case simply because the extended warranty expired 4 months ago, for a defective part... a lot of victims like me formed a website and more being reported every week as we speak. we are trying to start a class action case against, meanwhile, we are encouraged to tell our stories here too. best regards,

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start and the steering wheel would not unlock. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering lock assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000.

My daughter went to start her 2009 altima upon exiting a walmart and car would not start or respond. car uses a smart key to start and instrument panel displayed key problem. raining and cold she tried many options without any success. i told her to call aaa and have it towed to premier nissan. the next day they determined it was the steering column control unit and it would have to be replaced. they said nissan is aware of the problem and extended the warranty to feb. 2015 and this date has passed therefore i would have to pay $1,093 for the repair. nissan should have had a recall to correct this. this is a safety hazard depending on where you get stranded with no prior warning. a company like aaa can not even help you except to tow you. there needs to be a recall! i would think this could happen while you were driving and cause the steering to lock.

My wife and i purchased a 2009 nissan altima in october 2009 and did not encounter any major issues until a few days ago. on 12/17/2015, my wife was left stranded in a parking lot outside a grocery store at night due to unable to start the car. we tried using a key fob with a good battery and jump starting the altima, but it would change the car from 'lock' mode to 'on' mode (where the car can be started). we did extensive research, and found there were a tremendous number of 2009 nissan altima owners that had encountered the same issue, some stranded on the highway, and some in snow with kids. many people post on blogs and youtube about this issue. we ended up having the car towed to a nissan dealership for examination for $110, and their diagnosis result confirmed that the steering lock mechanism (part # 48700-9n00b) needed to be replaced ' they quoted us $1152 for part ($650) and labor. the part is for sales for $360 on amazon.com. nissan usa was well aware of this issue, and they extended the warranty on the steering lock mechanism part for 3 years. however, we have not received any notice from them about this. as our car is 10 weeks out of the extended warranty window, nissan usa won't cover the repair expenses. as a nissan altima owner for 13 years, we felt betrayed by nissan ' they were supposed to keep the owners informed on this issue and should have issued a recall, or worked with the oem provider and dealers for a cost effective solution. instead, they have kept the 2009 nissan altima owners in the dark, until many of them got stranded in danger. we sincerely urge you to investigate this issue, and help us and other fellow 2009 nissan altima owners. as of 12/2/2015, a google search of '2009 nissan altima steering lock failure' yielded 46,600 results. sample online posts about the issue: http://goo.gl/nmyzji https://goo.gl/xul95h *tr

I left church today to get in my car only to find that my car would not start. i had to incur towing expenses for a defect that nissan is aware of that stops working with no warning, leaving nissan customers stranded. i was informed that the steering lock column is the problem. the steering lock column has been shown to be a defective part which is causing thousands of nissan customers to be stranded and expensive out of pocket cost. the part needs to be recalled but instead was extended to six years only, which did not allow for the part to be replaced unless it was showing signs of being broken. this part costs $650.00 and labor runs about $350.00. nissan needs to recall this part for 09 nissan altimas. this continues to be an issue for 2009 and 2010 nissan owners.

Steering lock assy. became defective while away from home and had to be towed to nissan dealer, was told the new assy. had warranty good for 12month/12000miles after repairs were made. this may be a safety feature for the car itself but becomes a safety hazard for the occupants if it breaks down in a hazards area away from home or in a area of bad weather itself. the dealer informed me that there was an extended warranty of 72mons.or unlimited mileage added to the original 36mon./ 36000miles for this part. i was not notified or aware of this add-on. so it seems there was reason for concern by the car maker by adding the additional warranty. it was a out of pocket expense for me and no guarantee the car would not brake down again since i do not know if the new replacement part is any better than the one that broke! my car was beyond the additional warranty. i do not trust the car, it could break down at a really unsafe location next time if there is a next time. i need security for me and my family! thank you p.s. the car had been turn off luckily in a post office parking lot, but would not re start under any circumstance when we were ready to go on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering lock assembly failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

Steering lock failure.

When driving my car to work, i stopped for a drink; after coming out of the store, my car would not start, either with the remote fob or by placing the fob in the key port. i had aaa tow my car home so i could try jumping the car, replacing the battery in the key fob, then replacing the battery in the car with a brand new one. at that point, i saw the "key ignition" light on the dashboard. pressing the ignition button does nothing, but the door locks respond to the key fob and the lights work fine. i searched the internet and found myriad complaints about this same issue, that it was related to the steering wheel lock mechanism. it should be noted that my steering wheel has never locked in place when the care is turned off. concerned about the status of my car, my neighbor told us that a friend had had the same situation, with the same error message, and he was able to get the part and labor serviced at no cost to him.

Car left me sit due to steering wheel lock needing replaced. it affects the push start ignition and the brake pedal too. upon researching, i found that this was a common problem and that nissan fixed some at no charge but others had to spend $1000 and up to repair it. there are copious amounts of complaints regarding this same issue and i suspect that nissan are fixing some to appease those who are pushing for a recall. my vehicle was stopped at a rest area on the pa turnpike to use the restroom and when i returned the car would not start when i pushed the button. the brake was also very hard to push. the key fob battery light came on and the key fob holder in the dash also was flashing. i started looking for ideas to help us on the internet and right away the steering wheel lock information came up with pages and pages of complaints regarding this same repair. we had car towed to closest dealership to have them diagnose it as the steering wheel lock. i cannot believe with all the complaints online that this has not been recalled. what if that would start a fire?

12-13-2015 failed electronic steering lock which stranded us on the side of the road with the windows down exposing personal items and our personal safety for a part the manufacture has recognized as faulty and extended the warranty until 120 days before the part fails. 715 times? does someone have to die in a snow storm or get hit on the interstate before action will be taken on this? the part by itself was $715 from the dealer. make this problem right before someone dies if they haven't already.

I went out to start my 2009 nissan altima. it has a push to start button. it wouldn't start. to much avail we had to have it towed to the dealership. they confirmed our thoughts, it was the steering wheel lock that went bad. nissan apparently has known about this issue as they extended the warranty on this part to 6 years unlimited miles. mine went out 6 months after the extended warranty. this could be a serious issue if you were stranded somewhere without being able to get your car started. this part needs to be recalled.

The steering lock has failed. i wasn't sure what was wrong at first but then after researching, i found this to be a known problem. i was stuck in a car that would not start in below freezing temps. after watching a couple of youtube videos, i was able to get my car started and able to get it home where it is still sitting. please advise if my car is under the warranty on this part.

I pulled in to the gas station late night december 9,2015, and after filling up, the car refused to start. when tested it showed that the battery was fine. the car was towed to the dealer (even the tow company worker had the same problem with the same make and model car). true to the worker's experience, the dealer told me the car had a steering problem. this is a very expensive undertaking, and extremely inconveniencing. needs to be recalled from the number of complaints i read.

My car would not start and the intelligent key warning light was on. this happened with no warning (the car drove fine 1 hour before). i was stranded and had to get the car towed to the nearest dealership. the problem was the infamous escl unit (electronic steering control lock). i was informed that the warranty had been extended to unlimited miles and 5 years...and expired 6 months ago. $1028 worth of repairs later the car will start again. no help from nissan.

Steering lock control unit failure. though vehicle is in good condition this is default from nissan side where the system is unable to recognize its own key. due to the software failure and lock down of steering, car cannot start and we are forced to go to dealer who will just rip off customer $1000 just to rectify there mistake during manufacturing.

Dec 7, 2015 climbed in car at 8 am, would not start. the key light was on but the dash did not light up as normal when you put your foot on the brake and push the start button. could not get it out of the "locked" position. called local dealer and he offered no help, nor ideas of what could be wrong. told me to "bring it in". didn't even tell ne how to unlock the gear so i could push car out of garage. took 2 calls to get this info. checked online for issues, found escl problem, called dealer back. only then did he remember something about that issue. my car is 7 weeks out of warranty, great shape, 68164 miles. called nissan and spoke with consumer affairs, filed complaint. received a call the next day that they were "considering" my issue/concern/complaint. told me they would have an answer in 3 days. why not give me an answer when they called?

Steering lock unit failed. car will not start or even turn over. nissan extended warranty on the unit, but i and alot of others feel it should be a recall. they didn't notify me of this problem and i had car in for recall for a different issue when they found the problem with these units and warranty on this was still in effect. luckily i was at home and not stranded somewhere. by tapping on unit with a hammer it started to work i just hope it doesnt fail during driving and lock the steering while driving

Our 2009 nissan altima hybrid died without warning. we were unable to turn the car on, nothing on the dashboard lit up except a yellow key symbol. the lights, locks, and key fob continued to work, however. i researched the issue we were having and discovered a number of consumers had similar problems with their nissans. it is a manufacturer's defect with the steering lock which renders the car inoperable, apparently. this is not normal wear and tear. our car gave no indication of something being wrong. it has only about 64,000 miles on it and we have had no major issues previously, and no indication that anything was wrong prior to it dying. when i contacted nissan of marlboro, ma, the individual i spoke with diagnosed the problem over the phone. he said he was 99% certain it was the steering lock. this was confirmed once we brought the vehicle in for repair. for him to diagnose the problem accurately over the phone, they must see this issue often enough. only further solidifying that nissan is aware that there is a manufacturer's defect. i was told however, that despite nissan being aware of the problem, we had missed the deadline for the extended warranty which ended in june 2015. again, this is not due to normal wear and tear. our car was in perfectly good condition until the moment it simply stopped working. when i contacted nissan consumer affairs to report the problem, i was also made aware that the reason we never heard of the problem was that they had the previous owner, michael something, listed rather than us. so the mailing may have gone to him, not us. we purchased the car from nissan of woburn as a certified pre-owned vehicle. by the time i spoke with the second individual from nissan, our information was updated and she claimed nissan can not guarantee that recall information is mailed to the correct owner.

I parked my car when arriving home one night, i noticed the intelligent key light was lit, but didn't think anything of it. i came out to my car the next day to take it to work, i noticed that the light was still lit and tried to start my car, but it wouldn't start. so i replaced the batteries in my intelligent key because the light was on. i tried to start my car, but it still didn't start. i got the car towed to nissan and learned that it was the steering column lock that needed to be replaced for over $800. my car only had 50,000 miles on it at the time, so i did some research and learned that there are many complaints about this part and it should be recalled. i learned that there was an extended warrenty through november 2014, but i didn't drive the vehicle enough to have this problem sooner for it to be covered by the warrenty.

My family and i were stranded in the middle of the night last week for several hours for my car to be towed cause the engine would not start and jump start the battery did not work. after towed it home and research / diagnostic, found out that it is a well know that the steering lock box is defective. however, calling nissan dealer about it and will not make the recall on the part. my car just die after 5 years. 3 months after the extended warranty. my dealer will not fix it and nissan will not assist to get it fix either. they keep wanting me to bring it to the deal for diagnostic, when in-fact it is obvious that the steering lock bock is disabled the car from starting. i brought it in, and they kept telling me no recall and want me to pay for it (almost $1,000), yet recommending me to fix other issues saying it could have been tune up needed that why my car would not start.. ugh!!!

He 2009 nissan altima has a defective "steering lock" which causes owners to be unable to start their vehicles. this defect can affect owners of the 2009 nissan altima without warning and without cause. when this issue occurs the only way to resolve the issue is to have the car towed to a nissan dealership to have the faulty steering lock replaced. the car cannot be started at all. thus, owners of the 2009 nissan altima continuously find themselves stuck in very inconveniant circumstances with no ability to drive their car. this can be very dangerous for drivers who are in remote or dangerous areas. nissan is very aware of this issue. they have extended the warranty of the 2009 nissan altima steering lock to 6 years with infinite miles. that warranty expired may 2015. nissan says they mailed notices, but cannot produce a copy for me to see, nor can they provide the date it to me or proof that they indeed did mail it. due to this known issue and defect, i was stranded, had to have car towed to dealer, paid $1167 for the repair, and nissan wont reimburse me.

Takata reca my car is not that old and not that many miles on it to brake down. got stop late at night at a parking lot and car was totally dead. aaa couldn't fix it so had to get it towed to the dealership because they are the only ones who could fix the problem of a electronic steering lock.

I purchased my brand new 2009 nissan altima 2.5s on april 14, 2009. on november 30, 2015 i was stranded after dining in at a restaurant to find that my car would no longer start. i read the manual and it stated that the electronical steering column was locked and it would need to be serviced at a nissan dealership. i contacted a local dealership in pine bluff, ar and was given an estimate of $961.01. i contacted nissan corporate about the problem to see if they could assist me with the issue and was told that my warranty expired in april 14, 2015. the warranty was originally 3 yrs/36,000 miles then was extended to 6yrs/unlimited miles. the representative told me there was never a recall on it. the issue i have with that is, altima owners were never notified of this problem when in fact nissan knew there was a problem because they extended the warranty from 3 to 6 years. how would an owner know there was ever an issue with the electronic steering lock until they've experienced it? something should be done, nissan should be held accountable.

I parked my car went into the store everything worked just fine before i got out, but when i came out my car wouldn't do anything! i was stranded, after reading the owners manual i found it was the steering lock unit! if i had been on the (wrong side of town) it could've been even more dangerous than it already was! i called the this simple part is $764 plus labor! after reading many complaints online this part should have been recalled as it was on the 350z

Around 90,000 miles, my 2009 nissan altima se wouldn't start. it turned out to be the steering lock mechanism that had an issue. this wouldn't allow the push button start to work. this problem could only be fixed by a nissan dealership and it cost just over $1,000. i searched the internet to find out if this was a common issue and to make sure that this was a decent price and it turns out that there are thousands of nissan owners that have had the same issue plus probably ten times more that didn't bother writing about it. i believe that nissan should recall these since it seems to be an issue with this piece that nissan has put into their car.

The steering lock failed, and i could not start my car. i had to have my car towed to the topeka nissan dealer to have it fixed. it cost $973.00

Steer lock my car had the steer lock failure. car was parked and would not recognize key. car would not start. nissan created an extended warranty for the one specific item for 6 years unlimited mileage. this failure occurred 161 days after the warranty expiration. nissan or dealer would not provide any assistance.

The electronic steering wheel lock system didn't engage on my 2009 altima. this would not allow the car to be started. nissan extended the warranty on this part but mine expired in august of 2015. i feel this is a safety issue as you could be stranded at anytime anwhere with this issue and should have been a recall. there was a bad snow storm in denver on sunday when this occurred and if it had happened up in the mountains cross country skiing i would have been stuck in a very unsafe situation. i contacted nissan and they said they will not do anything for me as the extended warranty has expired. however they never contacted me stating it would be covered and had i know i would have taken the vehicle in before it left me stranded without a car for 4 days. i had to get the car towed to the dealership to get it worked on. this issue is so bad they had to order the part and won't get it in until 2 days after i had brought it in to get fixed. someone needs to look into this before people start getting hurt or worse stranded and die somewhere.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering column lock failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

I will never buy a nissan again. i really liked my car until the steering wheel locking system went bad. my son and i were stuck in a parking lot with no help, in a not so good area. i then had to get a tow truck and get to a shop. where then at the shop i was told they couldn't do anything because is had to be done by nissan. we then had to find a way to get the car to a nissan dealer. then when i started looking this issue up on my 2009 altima i see that is has happened to lots of others and nissan won't help or make a recall for it. then come to find out, surprise, surprise, the warranty ran out on june of this year. nissan never even gave a second glance at helping cover it when they know that this is an issue. $1000.00 later i have a list of thousands of dollars of things that they said need to be done. funny, had them checked, not at all issues like they said.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering lock system needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 30,000. the vin was unavailable. updated 02/19/16*lj updated 02/25/16.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. a warning light illuminated and displayed a message. the contact was stranded for over an hour. the contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering lock control unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

Takata recall-thanksgiving eve stranded with a key/keyfob unable to start car on lock. november 2015-cincinnati, oh (highland/ridge) parking lot i thought it was the key fob not working. had a kind women take me to a store to purchase and / replace my 2032 battery within key fob. still did not work. read the manual several times including contacting the dealership to assist in working through any unknown issues that i might have not discovered or tried. came back out and tried to start the car, a key light was flashing on the dash, brake was hard to press. the car still would not start. i was forced to have car towed to dealership several hours later. while waiting, i googled the result, i was shocked at all the complaints on the same malfunction."

On november 24 2015 at 7:35 a.m. i attempted to start my car and nothing happened! it was not the battery or the key fob. the car was parked in my parking garage.

Car was turned off (stationary) while i was in drive thru atm lane. steering lock mechanism locked and car would not start. while i waited over an hour to be towed to dealer, many bank customers were unable to use atm - very embarrassing! dealer said warranty expired 3.5 months ago and cost will be $850! research shows numerous problems with this mechanism/model reported to nissan but no recall!

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering wheel failed. the steering wheel locked and prevented the keyless ignition from starting the engine. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted. the approximate failure mileage was 122,000.

Car was parked in an apartment complex. it wouldn't start, the steering wheel was locked, and you couldn't changed it to neutral to position it for jumper cables. found it it was a steering lock failure. had car towed to my house, where we took the car apart to try and fix it ourselves. ended up taking out a fuse to get it working. while this isn't a direct hazard (accident, injury, or death), this has happened to too many people for it to not be looked into. nissan is unwilling to help. more and more people will become desperate and jerry-rig their cars to avoid paying $800-$1000 for repairs. that is the bigger hazard. you will continue to have unlicensed people looking at youtube for ways to "fix" their own cars, probably creating more issues. then you will get the accidents, injuries, and deaths you need to investigate nissan. please don't let it get to that point.

Electronic steering lock mechanism failed when car parked. this caused steering lock to be stuck in lock mode. failure of this mechanism does not allow car to start and car must be towed. mechanism did not fail due to security reasons or electrical issue. part replaced ($500 part) and vehicle running fine now. there are many documented reports of this mechanism failing in 2009 nissan altimas, and there have been no product safety recalls to my knowledge

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