Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the key lock mechanism failed and prevented him from starting the vehicle. the contact turned the key numerous times in the ignition. the vehicle also stalled numerous times due to the failure. the vehicle had to be towed more than once. in addition, the contact removed the plastic casing under the steering wheel to try to maneuver the vehicle. the manufacturer indicated that the coverage for a manufacturer extended warranty to address the repair expired for the vin two weeks ago and they refused to provide a remedy. the dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

Electric steering lock failed and rendered car useless and unable to start. wheels locked in place. the car was parked. nissan ultimately removed the mechanism in further generations of cars and denies all responsibility after an arbitrary 3 year warranty extension. no science behind the 3 year warranty extension and no help past the deadline. cars continue to fail beyond the initial 3 year warranty and become inoperable unless a >$1000 repair is performed. a car not starting is a safety issue depending upon where this issue occurs.

I went out to start my car and it would not start. the nissan intelligent key warning light was on which the manual warns of a malfunction with the electrical steering lock system. the car will not start and so i will have to have it towed to the dealer to have it fixed. when i check to see if it is on recall it does not appear to be however there are numerous complaints just within the past few weeks of this problem . i think nissan should look into this and recall the faulty part.

Went to get gas vehicle wouldn't start. called dealer and concluded electronic steering lock was defective causing car not to start. had car towed to dealer since car out of extended warranty had to pay $933 to dealer for repair. this problem is quite common and had it fixed in a short time. this needs to be a recall. herba nissan of johnstown ny completed repair.

My vehicle was parked at a gas station after getting fuel. i attempted to start my vehicle but had no response from push button start. after some online investigation i found that nissan had a defective electronic steering column lock causing the issue. this defective part left me stranded. the service advisor at the dealership i ended up at told me that this is a very common problem on models within a certain range with of vins. i contacted nissan consumer affairs and they acknowledged the issue and informed me they had now obtained an upgraded part to prevent this issue. if this is a known defective part that places owners of these vehicles in a position of being stranded at any time in any types area it then becomes a safety issue. nissan should be responsible enough to insure the safety of their customers and replace this part on the vehicles involved.

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

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.

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 .

Electronic steering column lock failure. thankfully i was at work when this happened, so i was in a lit parking lot. however, this would have been very dangerous if i was stranded, as the car is completely inoperable once this occurs.

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.

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

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

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.

Ignition failed. car failed to start. discovered it was the steering lock control unit. was told by nissan that the warranty expired june 1, 2015, but to take it to a dealership and that there was a possibility that the warranty would be extended because of customer loyalty. vehicle was towed to suntrup nissan and the repair took place. i was told that i would get reimbursed following a fair review of my case. the claim was immediately denied and following a discussion with the regional consumer affairs specialist, megan, it was denied in part because the car had not been to a dealership for service since 2011. i feel that i was mislead and mistreated and given an unfair review because i failed to take my vehicle to the dealership for repairs. the reason for not taking the vehicle to a dealership is because the vehicle has not ever required any major repair work in the past. internet search revealed that hundreds of other nissan owners had the same problem with 2009 altima's and there was a petition to get this part recalled.

Car was working just fine. drove it to an appointment. when done with the appointment, came out to car and it wouldn't start. the key fob worked, as it would lock and unlock the doors, the car just wouldn't start. when i tried to push the start button, a little orange key light came on. googled the light... found hundreds of complaints that the 2009/2010 altimas had electronic steering lock issues, that nissan refused to cover the cost, and that replacement was very expensive. had to get my car towed to an authorized dealer, who confirmed i needed electronic steering lock replacement. the cost was $1,033, not cheap at all. so disgusted there is so much information about this being an extremely common problem in this car, and there not being a recall to fix it or at least cover it.

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.

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?

I was leaving work as i approach my vehicle which was parked in the secured lot; i used my smart key to unlock the door in which it did. and when i entered my vehicle it did not start. the indicator on the dash was showing representation of no key in the vehicle but my key could still lock & unlock the doors. i proceeded to change the battery to my smart key 3x and to no avail did that fix my situation.

Car was parked in grocery store parking lot. car would not start. dashboard warning indicated key icon. had car towed 50 miles to nissan car dealership. electronic steering lock unit (eslu) replaced. total cost: $1006 and one sleepless night.

Wife went to drive to work in morning car would not do anything. turn over or sense the key. she tried other key and same thing nothing. googled issue and nissan admitted there is a issue with electronic steering lock column. instead of fixing issue they just extended warranty in hopes that when not if it went out warranty would be up. called nissan north america they told me car is over warranty but if i take it and get it diagnosed and there are no other problems they may help cover repair cost. did just what they said local dealer confirmed it was my electronic steering locking unit. called nissan back they called dealership and confirmed. they then called me back and said we cant do anything its out of warranty. why make me pay more then say oh no we cant help you. so i had to wait for nisasan to tell me either yes or no they would help after they said no i called dealership to go ahead with work they no longer had part another 2009 came in with same problem. my local dealership is coast nissan of san luis obispo. car gave no warning escl was going out and once it goes out your stranded this is a issue nissan should have addressed but would rather save money and not fix defective issues.

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!!!

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

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.

Electric steering wheel lock (ecsl), is well-known defect that is known across all 2009 nissan altima, maxima, and early 2010 350z. i was filling up at a gas station when my car did not start. i was left stranded at a location that was unsafe location due to this defect. this lock would not allow me to start my vehicle nor go on accessory mode, thus i was not able to roll up my windows. i was not informed of this defect or extended warranty. my extended warranty expired last month. nissan north america rejected my claim to repair this problem.

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.

We purchased this vehicle brand new in 2009. on 11/18/2015, my wife became stranded in a shopping center parking lot because the vehicle would not start. after research online, we discovered that the problem is the steering lock mechanism. when the mechanism fails, it generates a fault in the computer that disables the vehicle. nissan has known of the problem for some time and extended the warranty, but did not notify owners. there are hundreds if not thousands of similar complaints online. the failed part is 48700-jf00a. let me stress that nissan has known of this part defectiveness for years, but has not been proactive to avoid owners from being stranded. the vehicle was obviously stationary when this problem was realized.

Vehicle was parked, stationary when i went to start it. nothing happened when start button was pressed. the car was recognizing the key fob, due to the fact that when i didn't have it, it was saying no key. however would not start even when fob was present. contacted nissan service department, they said it was a common problem, after googling the issue i was surprised at how many sheer numbers of the same exact thing was happening. $1200 later, my car is fixed just because of a faulty steering column lock, which even the private mechanic stated was a big problem, adding that nissan responded by changing the lock on the 2010 and up models, however not compensating any current owners. mechanic also advised that the part is so faulty that it will go out again in time. im taking car back to dealer the car had 50k on it when i purchased this should have been replaced under warrant i cant afford 1200 bucks if not fixed im not paying for a lemon car

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the push to start button failed to function. the contact had to make numerous attempts to maneuver the push button start and after multiple attempts, the vehicle was able to restart. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering wheel lock mechanism failed and needed to be replaced. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

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

Car won't start due to failure of the electronic steering column lock.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to push the vehicle over to the side of the road with other consumers who stopped to help the contact. the vehicle was unable to be restarted. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence due to the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

Car won't start at all. tried two different key fobs with working batteries, and also tried plugging them into the key fob port, but no luck. after searching online i realized the "ignition steering wheel lock failure" is extremely common with 2009-2010 nissan vehicles. i'm waiting for a tow truck at the office because i can drive home from work!

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. when the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the push to start feature failed to start the engine without warning. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

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

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

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

Drove car to blaney elementary school in elgin sc. after leaving school got in car pushed brake and pushed start button and got nothing! yellow key light was on. had vehicle towed to nissan dealership. was told today that the electronic steering column lock needs to be replaced and the cost is $1208!!!! googled the problem and see that thousands of other nissan owners are having the same problem! nissan needs to step up and issue a recall on this now! i will never buy another nissan again!

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

Escl locked up with no warning. car would not attempt to start after getting gas because the system thought the escl was engaged. stranded at a gas station pump for 3 hours until a tow could be done to a dealer.

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

Turned off my car to get gas when i went to restart it wouldn't turn on. had the car towed to dealership to get diagnostics completed as recommend from nissan. i see this as a major safety issue as i'm a single woman stranded in a bad part of the city waiting helplessly for a tow truck. then had to ride along with a stranger (tow truck driver) to the dealership. results came back as steering lock unit needed to be replaced. filed a case with nissan to have this covered as they put out an extended warranty for this part. the case was denied because they said the warranty expired in march '15. i now have to pay $1008.21 that other customers didn't b/c their issue fell within the warranty time. it makes no sense that some customers are being covered while other are not b/c their issues happened earlier. nissan has clearly recognized this part as an issue and are now not treating all customer's fairly. they said that i should have received something in the mail about this and it was all over their website. well, i didn't get anything in the mail & i'm not sure if most people are looking into how their car is going to breakdown in the future so i was never aware of this until it happened.

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

Beware to anybody who drives a 2009 or 2010 nissan altima. for no reason whatsoever, it will decide to not start and strand you - severe issue. it's escl (electronic steering column lock: your car acts like it was broken into and / or stolen), which is clearly a manufacturing problem which they refuse to put on the recall list, even though it's listed on nhtsa's service bulletin (national highway traffic safety administration). after researching this issue, there are thousands of complaints of same issue for consumers, some nissan service centers paid for it under lifetime warranty of the car, some did not. very inconsistent! the same item for murano was listed on the recall list, yet not altima. nissan extended the warranty on this specific issue to 6 years for altima, conveniently mine expired 2 months ago (no notification of issue and / or extended warranty). it will cost me almost $1,000.00 to repair their defect (which i'm grudgingly paying as i need my car and they know it)! time for a class action stance (maybe morgan & morgan), so tired of the little guy being screwed by these big companies! i loved this car until sunday, i now feel very unsure of its reliability, not to mention the money pit it may become...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Tried to start my car one day and it would not start. the car was located in front of my children's school . after getting a diagnosis from the dealer i was told it was the electronic steering column lock. i was later told that it was an extended warranty issued for the part because tons of people are having the problem but the warranty ran out june 29, 2015. how would i know that the part was defective if they do t contact me? now they want to charge me $1100

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

Without warning the vehicle would not start after being driven an hour prior to the malfunction. the key fob indicator light comes on but the car will not start or respond to the start button. the key fob unlocks/locks the car. upon researching the issue online, i discovered that the issue is with the electronic steering control lock that keeps the car from being stolen or started without the key fob. this is, from what i discovered, a known issue with nissans and in my view a major safety issue. nissan has made this a warranty extension instead of a safety recall for reasons unknown. with no way to tell when and if a steering lock will fail it is a game of chance that many nissan owners are losing. if you are like me, and purchased your car used, it is safe to say that you will not know about the issue until its already too late. on top of that, since it is a warranty it has an expiration date. which means that if you are unfortunate enough to no know about this and it fails there is a good chance that nissan will not fix it for free.

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