Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My 2009 nissan altima had a defective electronic steering lock unit that rendered the vehicle unsafe and unreliable for my wife as driver and her passengers. she had to get stranded and have it towed before the third dealer we saw about the problem could diagnose the root cause. she was in an unsafe location three hours from where i was located when the part malfunctioned and feared for her safety. the service advisor said this model has had several issues in its history with this particular part to the point that nissan extend the original warranty until april of 2015 - all according to a service advisor at the third dealership i went to. when malfunctioning, this unit renders the vehicle absolutely motionless and presents an immediate unsafe and hazardous situation to the driver and all passengers. the dealer suggested i contact nissan consumer affairs which i did and spoke with a representative in franklin, tennessee, who denied my request for reimbursement of the cost of the part. i did not request total reimbursement and thought we could work this out in good faith, but to no avail and my gesture was dismissed. nissan knows this part is defective and even extended the original warranty. according to the service advisor, there have been problems with this part and it should be recalled nationwide on all applicable vehicles. this may be the reason why nissan extended the original warranty on this particular part because they knew it was defective and problematic. i believe that nissan should replace the part on the altima models affected at no charge to the owner because they know and are aware that the component part is has a history of being defective, unsafe, and unreliable.

Dashboard is melting, sticky and is discoloring inside windshield. the sun reflects off sticky dash. brown sticky substance won't clean off. electrical display behind the steering wheel goes off and on. mostly is off.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the keyless ignition failed to start after numerous attempts. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Steering lock assembly failure left us completely stranded. we returned to our car and the start button did nothing. after researching the problem, i was able to return with a hammer and after striking the interlock several times, it started working. the only permanent repair for this is to pay the dealer $1,000 to replace the module. this is a safety issue because it could leave my wife stranded randomly at anytime or any place that she drives the car. nissan has extended the warranty, but this failed 6 months after it expired... this should be a recall

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. after opening the door with the key fob, the vehicle failed to start as the key warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was towed the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the electronic steering column lock was damaged and needed replacement. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the steering lock mechanism failed and the driver was unable to start the engine. the contact indicated that the failure had occurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who indicated that the steering lock mechanism would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 133,000.

On 8/3/2015 i went to the grocery store drove my car perfectly well. when i was ready to go home my car would not start. my steering wheel was locked. i had to call a tow truck since the dealership was closed. next day i call nissan since i saw so many postings about this issue opened a claim, and they told me i would have to take the car to get a diagnosis from the dealership and call them back with the findings, because i was out of warranty as of march 3,2015. i took the car payed a tow truck again then had to pay $130 for the diagnosis only to find out they could and would do nothing! i had to pay $1007. and they claimed i was out of warranty for over 41 months. how is it that they know its a malfuntion, and they get away with no recall! i will never purchase another nissan vehicle

The anti-theft light is on and the car is not recognizing the key. now i can't start the car and it was parked somewhere not as safe as should be. there are plenty of complaints on this issue with no recall. the problem lies in the steering lock control unit. they are charging me over a thousand dollars to fix!

Steering lock does not disengage and the car does not start, something wrong with electronic control unit.

My 2009 nissan altima has been failing to start daily since 07/13/2015. it takes me 20-30 minutes to get car started. key fobs appear operational. while pressing the break & push button to start the car, the radio comes on but the car doesn't start. it makes a clicking sound & won't do anything. i have to wait a few minutes & retry several times before starting.

Car would not start and had to be towed to nissan dealer to have faulty steering lock mechanism replaced for $1100.00. and of course outside warranty period all out of pocket expense on a issue that should have been taken care of by nissan as this is obviously a manufacture issue and bad parts out in car, this same issue has happened to thousands of other 2009 nissan altima owners.

The electronic steering column lock failed - the car would not start. this is a well documented and widespread, major defect issue with 2009 altima models.this apparent defect is well documented on internet forums. the car needs to be towed to a dealer, and a new steering column lock installed. approximate cost $1,000. the problem is very widespread. nissan extended the warranty on this part only to 6-years. my failure occurred at 6-years, 2-months. most failures appear to occur just after 6-years. rather than issue a 6-year extended warranty which recognizes a problem exists, nissan should have issued a recall because this problem is so widespread. luckily for me, this happened close to home and in warm weather.

Drove car to work everything ran fine. went on break and got in car it would not crank. the indicator light appeared( yellow keyless light) on the left side. looked it up in my car manual and it says steering electrical problem call nissan. so now im stuck without a car and i am still making car payments. this sucks. i've been reading other comments about issue. it seems that this has happened a lot. supposedly there was an extended warranty that only lasted up until feb. but its now july, so i guess im assed out. smdh!! this car needs to be recalled asap

My car was not starting. it was indicated as no key. i called nissan customer care. they told that my cars warrenty expired on march 2015. my cars first registration date is november 2009. i have heared that the ecsl of nissan altima is having 6 years of warrenty. but i am told by the nissan authorised dealer - pinnacle nissan scotsdate phoenix that my warrenty expired. my car have not completed its 6 year and i am wondering how the warrently would void. i have replaced the part from my pocket as well, i am really disappointed. it would be great if nissan can refund the cost of replacing the part. thanks, binu.

Truly cant believe nissan consumer affairs, on 6/30/2015, my electric steering column lock went out. i called consumer affairs on 6/30/2015, to see if its part of this extended warranty, ( which i found out though google), rep explain mine expired on 6/3/2015, and i needed to tow it to dealership. which i did, and found out that was the problem, so i called back on 6/30/2015, and ask since it was less than a month will they help with the cost. on 7/1/2015, i had to call 4 times and message nissan though facebook to even get a call back from the regional consumer affair agent, when she finally called back an hour before the dealership service dept. closes, she explain they wouldn't help with any cost. the cost to fix this problem, that nissan knew about since 2009, would be 1,000 dollars. personally i don't have the money to fix it, at this point of time it is sitting at the dealership, i'm missing work everyday because of an issue that could have been avoided if nissan took responsibility of there failure.

Got into my car & it would not crank. brakes were pressed & stayed in lock position. after turning the steering wheel back & forth it started.

Car could not be started and had to be towed to a nissan deal where they charged me $900.00 to fix. this is a defective part, electronic steering column lock, that nissan knows about. they extended the warranty for this part and have it listed on the nissanassist.com website. it is specific to the 2009 altima and maxima. they refused to help with cost in anyway because the warranty expired 2 months prior...even though they know it is a big enough issue to have the extended warranty on it. if the part is defective...why put any time frame on it. do a recall, or fix them as it happens.

My car will not start. it is a push to start system and the nothing happens when i attempt to start my car. turns out that i have a defective steer lock switch and this is a very common issue in the 2009 nissan altima. this is a safety concern and should be recalled.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while in park, the vehicle failed to start. in addition, the security indicator warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 98,000.

Car will not start and battery is fine. appears to be a known defect with 2009-2010 altima related to the steering lock sensor and happens just out of warranty. apparently because it is not deemed a "safety issue" the nhtsa is not mandating a recall. however, this is a safety issue as my dog and niece were locked in the car and we could not open it because this defect shut down the entire electronic system. make nissan replace this defective part before someone is injured or killed.

Steering column locked and has to be replaced. car will not turn on at all. had to get it towed to dealership where they are trying to slam me with a $1100 repair bill. car was bought in feb 2009, and extended warranty for said specific part ended feb 2015.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the key light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to a dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 99,000.

Got out of vehicle to run in to the store, got back in the vehicle and it would not start.

Electronic steering column lock failure. engine would not turn over and electronic key warning light (yellow) lit. car would not start and left stranded. resorted to rapping on the escl box mounted under the steering column which works with varying degrees of success. nissan is aware of the issue and extended the warranty of the part but, to the best of my knowledge, never attempted to contact or notify owners of the need to replace this part. my warranty for this part expired in october 2014, but it was unknown to me since my first issue was may 2015. nissan dealer estimates $1016 to repair.

On may 1, 2015 my vehicle would not start. i had to have the car towed to a nissan dealer. my 2009 nissan altima's electronic steering column lock (escl) system failed 4 months after the warranty extension expired.this is a known issue that according to nissan "happening to only a small number of vehicles". if the number is so miniscule then why not issue a recall?? i cannot imagine what i would be dealing with if i experienced this failure away from home or traveling. i thank god that my family and i were at home. *tr

I have a 2009 nissan altima. apparently nissan is fully aware of the issues that the electric steering column lock is having. nissan chose to extend the warranty instead of recall the part. knowing that the majority of the effected altima owners would fall outside that warranty. of course now my steering column has malfunctioned even though nissan states that this would not be an issue for majority of car owners. they know this is a huge problem. i have found thousands of write ups on the internet. it is unfair to the altima car owners. nissan is not taking responsibility for using defective parts. they have since discontinued using these parts, and left nissan altima car owners holding their dirty little secret. the one car we have can not function, and they are asking for over$1000 to repair it. issue: the car will not drive because of this malfunction and defective part. please help us the 2009 nissan altima car owners g *tret this part fully recalled by nissan. thank you! *tr

driver side door lock stop functioning with the remote keyless entry fob. this is the only door that stopped working all the other doors function as intended. i believe it is a malfunction of the lock regulator. *tr

I went to start my car and an amber light with a key came on my dashboard. my car would not start. the car had to be towed to a nissan dealership where it was determined it was a malfunction of the escl(electronic steering column lock). the repair cost me 893.90. there was an extended warranty on this so nissan new it was a problem. the warranty ended 3 months ago. nissan will not pay for the repair. this is my 4th nissan. *tr

My car wouldn't start after leaving work, couldn't figure out what was wrong, until i did a google search. i contacted corporate nissan, who informed me that the warranty expired two months ago, exactly, and i would have to have it diagnosed by a nissan repair before they consider covering faulty parts. i had my car towed to the nissan repair, who confirmed that the power steering lock was faulty and needed to be replaced for $1020.00. nissan mechanic said that it is a known problem with 2009 and 2010 altima's. i reported back to corporate, who said they would "investigate" my claim, and assured i would be contacted two days ago. never received a call, despite several attempts to reach them, and convenient for nissan that the department i need doesn't have an available telephone number. *tr

My car wouldn't start after work and couldn't figure out what was wrong, until i searched the internet for some help, and found that this is a known problem with altima's from 2009 2010. i contacted corporate nissan, who informed me that the warranty expired two months ago, exactly, and i would have to have it diagnosed by a nissan before they consider covering faulty parts. my car was towed to the nissan repair, who confirmed that the power steering lock was faulty and needed to be replaced for $1020.00. nissan mechanic said that it is a known problem with 2009 and 2010 altima's. i reported back to corporate, who said they would "investigate" my claim, and assured i would be contacted two days ago. never received a call, despite several attempts to reach them, and convenient for nissan that the department i need doesn't have an available telephone number. *tr

I was at the storage unit cleaning it out when i came out and the car would lock and unlock, but the brake was hard to push down, and with you pushed the start button it will not come out of the lock position. the car will not crank up at all. *tr

I went to start my car to go to work and the ignition locked and the car would not start. needless to say i was late for work because of this incident and had to rely on someone else for a ride. i called the dealer ship and they explained to me that the steering lock probably failed on the car. i had to have the car towed to bowser. i got a called today confirming it was steering lock failure and that it would cost almost a thousand dollars to fix. i did some research and found that this is a common problem with the car. i asked the dealer ship if they have had many other cars with this problem and they explained that they have. as i continued to do more research, i found that this is an engineering flaw on nissan's behalf. i do not believe i should have to pay for an engineering flaw that should have been a recall in the first place. *tr

I drove to pick up my daughter from the babysitter and i parked my car alongside the curb. it was less than 10 min and we went to the car and it would not start. i performed my usual routine when starting it...insert key in slot...press foot down on brake...then press the ignition start button and it still would not start. i tried the same routine a second time only to no avail. finally on the third time...my instrument panel displayed a yellow key and a red key and it the ignition button stayed in the lock position. i eventually called a tow truck and when he arrived he knew exactly what it was. i was informed by the tow driver that it was a steering wheel lock issue and the only reason he knew was because i was his 6th nissan in over a three day span. apparently...nissan is aware of this issue but refuses to acknowledge this issue as a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the contact attempted to use the spare key to start the vehicle; however, it failed to start. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the steering lock module would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 83,902.

I had no electrical service in the vehicle at all, the ignition would not turn on the steering wheel was locked. *tr

I finished work late at night during a snowstorm, only to find that my car would not start and i had to get a tow. nissan later explained that the cause was a defective electronic steering column lock (escl) unit. because this malfunction occurred a few months after the 6 year extended warranty, in addition to waiting hours for a tow truck in a snowstorm, i was then forced to pay $1000 to fix nissan's defective part.

My daughter, age 24, stopped by a local walgreens after working as a personal trainer. it was late evening and the temperature was 15 degrees. she went to start her car (push button start) and it wouldn't start. she waited for 2 hours before someone could come help. this is an issue nissan is well aware of and has admitted is due to a "manufacturing irregularity". it's not a matter of if the part will fail but when the part will fail. while the car may be stationary, it none the less puts the driver at risk. *tr

Airbags light for both passenger and drivers side came on indicating that they will not deploy. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while parking the vehicle, the theft system locked without warning and prevented the vehicle from starting. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the theft system needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 58,690.

Electronic steering column lock (escl) failed while car was parked. this could certainly be a safety issue if it occurred late at night or in a dangerous area. the dealer said there was a short in this. could this have caused a fire? could they have fixed the short without charging me $993.65 because it was 3 months past the 6 year extended warranty? car has only 26466 miles on it. the starting mechanism which senses the brake being depressed had failed previously, and fixed under warranty, when i was far from home at a lakeside. two electrical starting failures on the same vehicle. from their web site: your nissan vehicle is equipped with an electronic steering column lock (escl) unit that locks the steering wheel when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is turned off to help prevent theft. on some vehicles, due to a manufacturing irregularity that has since been corrected, the escl may malfunction after the vehicle is locked and could prevent the engine from starting. this condition, should it occur, will only occur when attempting to start the vehicle, and not while driving. although nissan believes the majority of owners will never experience this unique condition, to assure your continued satisfaction and confidence in your vehicle, nissan has decided to extend the nissan new vehicle limited warranty, as it applies to the escl unit, from 3 years / 36,000 miles to 6 years / unlimited miles, whichever comes first. access to complete information and instructions including a reimbursement claim form will be available at www.nissanassist.com on april 1, 2013. *tr

On a very cold day (o degrees f), the steering lock control unit failed and car could not be started. car needed to be towed to dealership and the steering lock control unit replaced at a total cost of $1106.98. *tr

Just finished a 13 hour shift at work when i went out to my car to head home. the key fob opened the doors but would not allow the ignition to start. i had the car towed to the dealership and they told me it was a steering wheel lock failure, which nissan is well aware of. i spoke with two dealerships which told me this is indeed a chronic issue. i submitted a claim to nissan consumer affairs which they denied since my warranty had expired 8 weeks prior. when i returned to the dealership they again advised me to complain to consumer affairs as they had 5 cars come in for the same problem in the 4 days that my car was there. i again called consumer affairs who told me again that my claim was denied on the grounds that the warranty was expired, they would not budge on this. i had to argue with the representative for 15 minutes before he would have his supervisor call me back, still waiting for that call. nissan is very aware that this part is defective and expect the consumer to eat the costs when the part inevitably fails. they say that this is not a safety concern, but do not take into account the possibility of being stranded. nissan does not stand by its product or its consumers. *tr

Went out this morning, started my car, drove it to the supermarket, came out and the car won?t start. according to the intelligent key warning light information in the manual, it says i have to contact the dealer. looking at other posts here and other sites, this is a known problem that nissan doesn't recognize as a recall problem. i just hope i don?t get ripped off too much for the repair. *tr

After moving my car to shovel snow, i parked it. i came out 2 hours later and the car would not start. electronic key worked, interior lights worked, horn worked, alarm worked but it would not start. i pressed the start button and nothing. we tried to jump start it thinking the battery might be a little weak but nothing!!! now after 2 days of research and missed work the problem is in the lock steering column. i now have to tow the car to the dealership and god knows how much this will cost me. thank heaven the car just didn't die while i was driving it! the car isn't even paid off yet and has only 40,000 miles...i hope your agency will do something for all the people out there like myself, that pay good hard earned money for something, only to buy a defective piece of junk.if it was only me, i'd suck it up and move on but its hundreds of us and if other altima owners aren't complain now, don't worry they will!!! *tr

Went out to start car, and would not start. key fob allows me to open and lock car, but i am unable to get my car started. i am being told that this is a common issue for the 2009 altimas, what with the steering column locking, and not being able to start. nissan has been aware of this problem, and still no recall. i will have to pay to have this vehicle towed, and possibly have to pay over $1000.00 to have repaired. this issue usually occurs after 55,000 miles, but i am just at 33,000. please wont you help those of us with this issue with a recall ! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the engine stalled and the vehicle failed to start with the push to start button function. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the starter, the fuel line, and the steering column were replaced, but failed to repair the vehicle. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 83,000.

The electronic steering column lock suddenly failed, resulting in the inability to start the car. i had to tow the car to the dealership to find out that the issue is out of warranty and would cost be $900+. after researching the issue, i found thousands of similar experiences with the 2009 altima and it is clear that nissan is well aware of this issue and they have not issued a recall. i was stranded, away from home, and had to rearrange my entire day while coming out of pocket a large sum of money which i, quite frankly, do not have. i submitted a warranty extension reimbursement form to nissan who turned around and told me that i was out of luck. i was referred to the nissan consumer affairs who confirmed that i was out of luck. i never received any notice that there was a recurring issue with the 2009 nissan altima, otherwise, i would have taken the car in to correct the problem before it became a problem. i am only 3 months outside of their extended warranty to be eligible for a reimbursement. it appears to me that nissan is aware of this problem but refuses to stand by their product. *tr

After stopping at the store my car no longer would start. i live in texas where it is hot, this is a danger to be stuck and no way to fix it. the key light popped on. apparently after research it is noted nissan is aware of the electronic steering lock problem. if there are so many issues why not recall the part instead of leaving motorist stranded. if the part malfunctions there is no way to move the car. i'm not sure where it is ok to charge 1200 dollars knowing your part is defective. this problem has left me stranded 3 different times. *tr

The steering wheel lock is defective in cold weather for a number of the 2009 altima. i had no warning or idea this was an issue until i was stranded with my car not starting due to a known issue with the cars. nissan will not pay for the repair as i am 3 months outside the extended warranty. this issues is very troublesome as you can not use the car, it has become a pile of scrap. this needs to be a recalled by nissan and fixed at their expense. the two truck driver told me this was the 3rd one this month with the same issue. *tr

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