Problems with 2009 Nissan Maxima STEERING

Warranty just expired after 5 years. few months later, the telescoping steering wheel started making grinding noises and will not telescope back and forth unless i manually push or pull hard. got quoted $850 for a repair, but i refused to pay that much to get it fixed as it is not my fault. i see many 2009 nissans having this problem and i am extremely disappointed in the manufacturer to not recall this! this might be my last nissan as i already had 3 nissan batteries, my alternator replaced and my driver's seat frame replaced! i can't wait until my car loan is paid off! *tr

I am a single 34 year old white female. i have a 2009 nissan maxima and i was downtown cincinnati at 2:00 am. i walked to the car from a business nearby and got into my car and it would not start. there was a light on the top left of the dashboard that was yellow and said key. i attempted to start it again and nothing. i contacted a friend who helped me try to jump it; thinking it may be the battery and again nothing. i was very upset that i was stuck in downtown cincinnati, now with a friend trying to help. i ended up spending a $100 on a taxi to get home and now today i find out thus is going to cost me $900. this car only has 56,000 miles on it. i should be able to feel safe. i no longer do. i hope nissan thinks about recalling this issue bc according to many online testimonies this is happening a lot to 2009 nissan maxima owners. i'll have to say i won't buy another. i had a toyota before this and i'll go back go being a loyal toyota customer. thank you for your time. *tr

My wife was leaving home from work late nite and the car would not start i came down and jump the car and it was not the battery the key would not register at all. it was almost as if it did not recognize the key. i still have to get the car towed today which is already 150 plus the dealer is saying to fix it will be 500 plus. are you serious nissan as soon as i get it fixed at the dealer im trading it in. this is the second time something has happen with that steering wheel. *tr

The steering wheel lock issue is leaving maximas stranded unable to start the car with these symptoms: what happens is when you try to start the car, without warning, the electric lock fails to unlock sending error message to the bcm. the car will not start in this case and will flash the intelligent key warning in the cluster. *tr

I started my car just fine this morning but on my way to work i stopped at a store and the car did not want to start back up. i changed out the battery for the push start key and the car battery. this problem from what i have been reading is an issue with the 2009 maxima 370z and the gtr. they have the same parts for the ignition systems. please fix this problem. i'm from texas but work as a contractor in pennsylvania. i love my maxima and it's a shame that i have been stuck in the cold for 5 hours trying to get a tow truck and talking to my insurance. thank you. *tr

The vehicle was left parked at my job parking lot and when i went to leave home after work the car simply didn't want to start. the vehicle had to be towed to the nearby dealership which stated that the issue is related to the steering lock control unit. he was not able to state why it happened just that it just happens suddenly without reason and now it's going to cost approx. $1000 to fix. you can only imagine how much this may cost if this is a common issue with these cars and there is no real cause why it happens per the technician at nissan's of burleson stated. *tr

I bought my maxima in april of 2011. it was pre-owned with about 14000 miles. the telescopic and tilt functions for the steering wheel stopped working. my steering wheel is stuck in the lower position making a bit difficult to drive specially when i have to back up; it actually feels a little bit dangerous. i will be getting it fixed next week. since nissan denied my claim for then to pay for this. i spoke with nissan consumer affair specialists and they came back telling me that it is not covered in the warranty anymore and that it will be up to me to get it fixed. obviously, when i first called them i understood that the warranty was over. i was hoping they would see this as a serious issue seeing there are many complaints from other consumers already related to the tilt and/or the telescopic motors going bad. the cost for this repair is $975. i wouldn't mind spending this on tires and brakes, but the failure of this motors so early in the life of this car is unacceptable. i am surprised of nissan not having initiated a recall campaign for this. very disappointing. this is my third nissan but because of the way they seem to care for issues of their customers it maybe the last one. *tt

My steering tilt stopped working about a week ago (august 2013). the power tilt makes a grinding sound and will not go into the up position but rather gets stuck on the lowest level. i had to force it back up manually in order to enter/exit the car and to drive with the steering wheel at the proper level. i turned off the comfort settings and have tried not to change any of the other settings until i can get this issue looked at by the dealership or fixed. my husband and i both drive the vehicle so this has been an inconvenience for both of us. even with the comfort settings off, the tilt still changes position at times (possibly because of unlocking from the driver's side door? i read something about that happening from one of the forums). i purchased my nissan as a pre-owned certified car in april of 2012 with 32,900 miles on it. i have only had the car just over a year so this is very disappointing. i've read several forums that this is a common problem but that nissan has not addressed it with a re-call. i am hoping my issue will be covered under my extended warranty and if so, it should only be a deductible of $50.00 according to what others have said on the forums. however, out of pocket this part can cost upwards of $600.00. *tr

Steering wheel made grinding noise then froze in lowest position. *tr

Got in the car to go home from work and pushed the start button. the steering column went down like normal then a grinding noise in the steering column was made. at that point, the steering column had to be raised manually with quite a bit of pressure. so much so i was almost afraid the airbag may deploy. has never worked, like it did when i bought it new, since. still makes a noise when its suppose to go up or down but never moves on its own. *tr

Was driving and steering wheel started grinding and moving. took to dealership and cost over $800.00 to replace two motors steering wheel. they turned it off so it stopped moving on it's own. still making grinding noise. they need to issue a recall as this has happened to hundreds of cars and is causing accidents. shame on nissan for just wanting to collect the money, because you can't even order the parts on your own to have someone else repair. *tr

Tilt motor on steering wheel froze in lowest position. replaced by dealer for $435.68, after dealer refused to honor extended warranty. *tr

The steering lock module stopped working. i was unable to start the car, the steering wheel and brakes were locked. the keyfob battery was fine, as was the car battery. i hear that this is a known issue with 2009 nissans. i just bought the car 7 weeks ago. had to have it towed to a dealer. they diagnosed the problem. have to wait 3 days for the part. total cost - approx $900. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact stated that after shutting her vehicle off the steering column would not move up or down. the contact then restarted the vehicle and the steering column dropped lower than normal. the vehicle was later taken to the dealer. after diagnosis, they advised her that the steering column fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 55,000.

I had just stopped by another office in minneapolis to pick up a piece of equipment. it was my last order of business of the evening. i was about 30 minutes from home. i went back out to my car and it would not start. i spent about 2.5 very stressful hours trying to get it started. i had my 17 year-old bring me my other fob, i replaced batteries in the fob, i looked up problems in the manual. i had to have my car towed back to the nissan dealer. to my dismay, they told me it was a common issue and it cost $850 to fix. since that day, i have been researching the internet to read about similar problems and it turns out they are everywhere! nissan maxima, altima, 370z...all 2009 to 2010 model years. nissan needs to recall and give me my money back! *tr

In my travel to work i arrived at the local gas station to fuel up. afterwards, i got back in and tried to start my car and it would not start. the "key indicator" was the only light that was showing on the dash and the work "lock" was showing on the push to start button. i end up having to call a roll back to tow my car to the nearest nissan dealership which is out of state and caused me $200. once i arrived, the nissan employee told me that it was the car lock steering that was preventing the car to start and that it was going to cost $866 to repair. i had to option but to pay because i need my car to go to work. i have researched this problem and discovered this has happened to several other people that own nissan maxima's and other nissan makes. this part should be recalled because it's frequently happened to others resulting in all being stranded. i had no indication that this was going to happen. it happened sudden. *tr

Parked at grocery store. on return key not recognized by keyless push starter. after 2 hours of trying to start engine in minus 15 degree celsius, i called for a tow truck and waited for another hour. towed to nissan dealership. left on lot as it was after hours. next morning nissan technician advised steering lock module. $605.00 to replace. *tr

Upon attempting to start the car, ignition would not change from "lock" to "acc" or "on". intelligent key warning lamp was lit steady on dash. steering wheel column was not locked. all power and other functions worked (lights, door locks, etc). battery is fine. dealer found steering lock control module part 48700-9n00a faulty and replaced with steering lock control module part 48700-9n00b. similar part on nissan gtrs was recalled, part number 48700-jf00a or 48700-jf00b, being replaced by 48700-jf00c same part number is failing for nissan 370zs as well, same years and same part number 48700-jf00a or 48700-jf00b, yet they are not being recalled. this problem is also occurring in nissan maximas and nissan muranos in all models of nissan this part was removed in mid 2010 due to consistent failure. the part costs approximately $500 from nissan, is usually out of stock and back ordered, and costs another $400-$500 to be installed at a dealer. there should be a make-wide recall for all models for this part. failure of this part strands the driver with no warning of impending failure. how can aelectronic part mounted inside the passengers compartment fail so often at less than three and a half years of service? *tr

Car was turned off and parked in a parking lot for 3 min. while i went to the atm machine. when i returned to the car it would not start. warning light would come on, so i checked the owner's manual to look up the signal and it was the steering lock. had to call a tow truck to have car towed to dealers for repair. *tr

The steering wheel lock malfunctioned stranding my in a parking lot without any warning. the automatic lock mechanism locked the wheel and did not allow even allow me to start the car. when looking this up this is a very well known problem for several different nissan models. in fact the exact same part as already been recalled on two different models. apparently there has not been enough complaints on the maxima for them to find this an issue forcing them to address it like there were with the others. i called nissan and they agree that the exact same part was recalled due to safety concerns but not on the 2009 maxima because the government has not made to recall it yet. so i just got stuck with a 1000 bill by the dealer to fix an unnecessary steering wheel lock column which is known to be faulty and has been recalled but not yet in this exact model. this is outrageous. this needs to be addressed soon. *tr

Steering wheel stuck on lowest position. *tr

Went into the store, came out and my car would not start. the key symbol kept showing up, steering column was in the locked position & the brakes were locked as well. had to get the car towed to local nissan dealership where they informed me after some diagnostic tests that the problem was the steering lock mechanism. this is a part recalled on the 2009 370z & gtr nissan models but not for the maxima or altima. this is a huge safety concern & luckily i was somewhere close to home otherwise my son & i would have been stranded in freezing cold weather. nissan took this part out of their 2010 models so it obviously is a faulty part. kind of shady that they have not recalled it yet, especially with this being a huge safety concern. *tr

Car is stranded because the steering wheel lock is faulty. looked it up and nissan has a faulty part that is in several cars and they are letting people get stranded and charging them $1200 dollars to fix the issue. should be a recall issue. *tr here is lots of background http://forums.maxima.org/7th-generation-maxima-2009/658823-steering-wheel-lock-issue.html

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact stated that he took the vehicle to the dealer for a tire repair and was informed that the steering lock needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 115,000.

I was stranded in a parking lot with freeezing temperature. nissan had to replace the steering lock assembly to the tune of $800. it is a part that has been recalled on the gtr. it has been documented on the 370z. they have done nothing on the maxima or altima. owners of the 2009 are told to remove the fuse to take this part out of the equation and not get stranded. nissan has replaced this part on 2010 vehicles and newer. they should reimburse anyone who has to make this repair. it is a part that is not necessary in this vehicle. proven by nissan having their techncians remove the fuse in 2009 maximas, altimas, 370z and gtr. the faulty part has been proven to exist in the 2009 gtr, 370z and maximas. nissans changing of the part in 2010 and newer vehicles is a direct admssion of their guilt. *tr

Steering wheel tilt motor failed, grinding gear noise and when preset button is pressed, steering wheel goes all the way down. pushing the up control for tilt only produces gear grinding noise, steering wheel will not go up. *tr

On the morning of 1/8/13 i drove my 2009 nissan maxima to my commuter parking lot, and realized that i didn't completely park in my space after turning the car off. i proceeded to start my car with the push stop/start but nothing happened. as soon as i realized my vehicle wouldn't start, i became very upset because i just purchased the vehicle last january and only had a powertrain warranty that was still active. i immediately contacted the service department of the nissan dealership i purchased the vehicle from and complained, while crying lemon law. the service technician attempted to help me start the vehicle while over the phone and after realizing what the issue may be, he explained that there is a common issue with the 2009 nissan maxima's that he believes the computer module in the steering column had gone bad. i asked if nissan had recalled that part since it was a common issue, his answer was no and informed me it's going to cost around $750 just to purchase the part, and with labor around $900-$1000 to repair. i said if this is a common issue with my model, then why didn't nissan recall that part. the service technician had no explanation other than mentioning, it hasn't happened to enough people yet which i feel is completely absurd! this is a huge safety issue as my vehicle wouldn't start without any indication, or warning beforehand. please help! *tr

The steering column locked up and would not start the car. the electric lock failed to unlock sending error message to the bcm. the car completely locked up and would not start. there was no warning this would happen. it is my understanding that nissan knows this component is a problem and even recalled it on other models, but not on the maxima. its an exteremely expensive fix and should be recalled if they know it is a problem. i got stranded in bitter cold temperatures with a 2 month old baby. this part needs to be recalled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the test results showed a faulty steering lock unit which caused the failure. the dealer replaced the steering lock unit. the failure mileage was 37,600.

Steering/brake lock failed to disengage with attempted engine start up. key indicator light and security lights flashing on dash. steering lock required replacement after car was towed to nearest nissan dealership. this repair was not covered under warranty which had expired 7 month earlier. on line research would suggest this is a fairly common occurrence; a nissan service bulletin has apparently be published for this issue as it was referenced by the service department providing the repair. *tr

After vehicle was started, a grinding noise was heard and the tilt and telescoping of the steering wheel became inoperable. the steering wheel is stuck at the lowest position and the instrument panel cannot be seen while driving. this makes it uncomfortable because my legs are pressed against the steering wheel and could be a safety issue. there is a service bulletin out for this, but dealerships will not address it. the cost is roughly $800 to repair and there are multiple failures of this part(s) from what i have read on different forums. *tr

I parked my car, to pick up something from the store, and when i came back to start my car, it would not start. i checked on forums.maxima.org and saw that this is a common problem, because of the steering wheel lock. i had to get my car towed, because i was stranded, and now waiting for the diagnosis for the issue, from nissan repair shop. *tr

On december 17, 2012 i had driven from my house to the gym. there was no issue with my car and when i went to leave my car would not start. my nissan maxima has a push start ignition and when i pushed the button nothing happened. in the display it kept indicating the yellow key light and the red key security light. i had the car towed to the local nissan dealer who told me the steering lock assembly had failed. if i wanted this fixed it was going to cost me $800.00. i asked the service department if this was a common failure at the mileage the car was at and i was told it was not common. researching the problem it seems that this issue occurs regularly for a 2009 nissan maxima around this mileage range. i was told the warranty does to cover this and it had expired a year earlier. i believe if this is a common problem then it should be a recall item. *tr

The steering wheel lock will malfunction without any indicator rendering the car unable to start. *tr

The steering wheel lock issue is leaving maximas stranded unable to start the car with these symptoms. what happens is when you try to start the car, without warning, the electric lock fails to unlock sending error message to the bcm. the car will not start in this case and will flash the intelligent key warning in the cluster. this is a known common problem with this model and a $1000.00 repair. it is obviously a design flaw. this should be a recall. *tr

Steering wheel lock/ignition part failed just out of warranty. part# 48700-9n00b. *tr

I bought a 2009 brand new nissan maxima so i wouldn't have car issues for at least 4 or 5 yrs. 3 1/2 years later my stupid car left me stranded. i was dropping off movies (in & out) middle of the day with all my windows down when all of a sudden it wouldn't start. i noticed a yellow key light /symbol was on (left side) at first didn't worry called aaa they tried everything the manual said to do. with no luck called nissan they said it sounds like its not recognizing the key and i had to tow it over. now dealer says it has a internal failure in the steering lock assembly needs to be replaced. (fault code b2612) totaling $800.00 w/ labor. i declined service and to top it off my windows are stuck. (down) i'm mad/pist/frustrated don't think its fair that i have to pay $800 to start my car 3 1/2 year old car. came home to get other quotes and complaints hoping someone else can help me. i found out i'm not the only one with this problem there's alot of maxima owners with the exact same issue. my mileage was getting close to 30,000 and that's when this problem seems to happen. nissan is eliminating steering lock 2010 models. im very disappointed with nissan thinking of trading in car don't want to deal with these kind of issues again. someone please help!! not fair!! *tr

Power tilt started moving and grinding on it own and stopped when the gears stripped out in the down position. the tilt motor has failed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact started the ignition, and noticed that the automatic tilt steering wheel locked in the lowest downward position and would not maneuver out of the adjusted setting after several attempts. the steering wheel malfunction caused difficulty whenever driving. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defective steering wheel tilt motor. the approximate failure mileage was 61,000.

The vehicle wouldn't start. 3 days later we found out that the vehicle is not starting because of the steering lock control unit. dealer continues to argue that this part is not covered under the warranty. based upon information found on the internet this is a frequent issue with the nissan murano, altima, and maxima. *tr

We noticed a strange noise when we started our 2009 nissan maxima and realized it was the steering column making the noise and that it was having trouble going up and down. it would just keep trying to move until you hit the button on the side of the steering column. (the button where you adjust how you want your steering wheel.) within that day, the steering column tilt quit working. when we brought it in to the dealership we were told that the steering wheel tilt motor needed to be replaced. i was told that there are no recalls issued on this and we are out of warranty. the dealership said the only thing we can do is call nissan and see if they will pay or split the cost of this repair as i pointed out that there seems to be numerous occurrences of this type of steering column failure. at this point i have called nissan and have been issued a case number. we have paid for the repairs but are hopeful that nissan accept at least partial responsibility and refund us some of the repairs... *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. while parked, the contact attempted to adjust the steering wheel and was unable to because the steering column remained locked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the motors in the steering column would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph the steering column failed, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis. the contact was informed that the telescopic motor would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified, but offered little assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 33,000.

After starting my car i heard a loud grinding/whining noise coming from the steering wheel. the automatic tilt/telescopic steering wheel was stuck in the up position and failed to lower to the memory set position. the loud and distracting noise would happen every time i started the car and only stopped after manually trying to adjust the steering wheel, which did not work. the steering wheel is stuck in a position that so that i cannot see the gauges or speedometer properly which is dangerous when driving. after doing some research i have found this to be a common problem and nissan should issue a recall to fix this dangerous defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the steering wheel was in a locked position and would not unlock. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnosis. the dealer stated that they needed to replace the gear box motor. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 47,000.

The automatic tilt steering wheel motor made a grinding noise then failed to move the wheel. this model has an automatic entry/exit system that moves the wheel up and down every time you enter/exit the vehicle. the tilt mechanism attempts to lower the wheel whenever i start the car. this has put the steering wheel in a position that is extremely low and will not raise. this has made steering difficult and blocks the view of the instrument panel. *tr

We bought our maxima brandnew in july of 2009. loved everything about until this past june of 2012. our first problem was some clitching electrical wiring. the outside mirrors wouldn't move up and down when we put the car in reverse. this would happen off and on while we took our trip out of town in june. after we came back my husband made a appointment to get it checked out, but because the outside mirrors were working again we just let it be and didn't follow up with the nissan service department. in july of 2012 i was sitting in my parked car when i was ready to leave, i started my car only to hear this awful sort of grinding noise. i had a tow company come to tell that my battery was "dead". which i was surprised, because my car is just 3 years old and i only had 24577 miles on it. the towing company charged my battery for me to make it across the street to autozone, where i got a new battery. i remember the last time when i brought in the car for service, the lady was telling me that i needed to drive my car more often due to the battery being "low". which i thought was strange, i mean how inconvenient is that to have to drive you're car every day, because if you don't the battery just "dies" on you?! my last incident with my car happened this past monday 09/17/2012 when i turn my car off, suddenly i hear again this awful grinding noise coming from the panel. come to find out after i called the nissan dealer that it was the steering column and that the motor need to be replaced and this is happening 2 months after my warranty ran out! i called nissan dealer, they told me to bring it in. seeing my car is 3 years old..to me it should be a recall factory issue! and i shouldn't have to pay for it! they say this is a common problem? i don't think so! nissan need to make this steering column a recall issue! because it is a dangerous defect. *tr

Steering wheel tilt motor grinds and remains in the down position. understand special bulletin ntb09-094 is posted. the car is precariously challenging to drive with the steering wheel in this position which also makes it dangerous to see the dashboard with the wheel in the way. too many complains on this problem. nissan should issue a recall on the telescopic motors in this car asap. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the steering seized without warning. the failure occurred while driving 35 mph. the steering wheel was difficult to turn. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the rack and pinion failred. the rack and pinion was replaced. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was not available.

Please investigate the occurrence rate of my complaint!!! the automatic tilt steering motor became inoperable and locked in the lowest down position upon starting the ignition. the car is uncomfortable to drive when the steering wheel is in the lowest position even when the automatic seat adjustments are set to the lowest position. i do not have full view of the dashboard instruments. nissan has a tsb (technical service bulletin) on the issue and the dealer tells me it is something they are seeing more and more in the maxima and murano models. my maxima is just 29 days past the warranty expiration date. nissan must recall vehicle model year 2009 (nissan maxima) to repair the tilt steering motor at their cost. the repair costs to the consumer is over $600. i believe it is a safety issue and could result in improper steering by the driver resulting in an accident/injury/death. thank you *tr