Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When my daughter went out to start the vehicle,the security system for the steering column lock/unlock would not allow the car to be started due to it saying that the steering column was locked when it actually wasn't.this seems to be a very common problem in all of the 2008-2009 nissan altimas.it has been at the nissan dealership for 5 days now,and they are telling me it will be another 5 days before they can get the part needed due to it being on backorder.these cars should be recalled by nissan before someone gets stranded.the only thing that can be done when this relay quits is to have the car towed to the closet dealership.this repair costs around 1000.00 (labor,parts,towing),and that is if and when they can get the part. *tr

Car was driving perfectly fine, parked at a friend's house for 2 hours and then got in it to leave and it wouldn't start. the key warning light was on, and the lights on the dash indicated that the key was not in the car even though it was in the ignition hole. after speaking with the technician, it is the steering lock mechanism and needs to be replaced. my issue is that there was no warning at all, it was below 30 degrees outside and i was unable to get my children home. were i not at a friend's house, i would have been stranded somewhere with two small children in the middle of winter. there was no warning at all that this was going to happen, no warning lights, no signals to indicate to me that something needing replacing or fixing. and it's an $800 dollar fix with parts and labor... there needs to be a recall, this is ridiculous. apparently this happens after about 2-3 years in this year make and model. *tr

The key warning light appeared on the dash; replaced batteries in both of the keys and the warning light disappeared. one week later, with no additional problems or warning, i parked the car to go to a doctor appointment and when i returned less than 1 hour later, i was able to get into the car, but the brake would not depress, the steering wheel would not lock, and the car would not start. car will not go into accessory mode either nor does the other key start the car. *tr

Leaving work to go to lunch and my altima wont start. push button start not responding and will not move from lock position. changed the battery to my car along with battery for key. still nothing. after doing research on the internet i found that my problem is the steering lock control module, which seems to be a big problem for several other people as well. my brother was able to locate the steering control module and held in the start button, and the break and at the same time he tapped on the module and my car started. we were able to drive it home thankfully without calling a tow truck. 100% without a doubt that is the problem with my car and it will need replaced. i am scared to drive my car anywhere because i don't want to get stranded somewhere. i started my car the next morning and it did start, who knows how long it will last until the part fails again. i will need this replaced but really feel as through nissan should be doing something about this problem due to the hundreds of people with the very same problem. *tr

Walked out of work and the key indicator was illuminated on my dashboard and the car would not start. after replacing the key fob battery, checking the actual car battery, and trying my spare key fob, i had to have the car towed to the dealership. i was informed that the steering wheel lock needed to be replaced. this is a known issue and manufacturing defect for this model (can happen at any time regardless of mileage, wear and tear etc) and a casual google search returns countless issues of the very same thing. if nissan cares about their customers, a recall should be in order. *tr

My husband went out to start the cars in the morning before work. the nissan altima would not start. the brake was firmly pushed and the brake lights came on. we have replaced the key fob batteries and the fuse for the engine starter. the key fob locks and unlocks the vehicle, but the car will not start. the desk shows a small yellow key symbol in the top left corner. we have contacted a mechanic about having the car towed. it seems several others have had this issue and nissan is doing nothing about it. i will never, ever, ever purchase another nissan. *tr

I would like to add my 2009 nissan altima to the growing list of owners who've experienced the illuminated key of death. i've had the car for 4 1/2 months and the vehicle had 34,900 miles on it. noticed the illuminated key on friday, researched it and saw it said call the dealer in the manual. saturday the light was off so i figured i was good. had a major snowstorm saturday. sunday, went to the shopping center, parked and went inside. came out an it was dead. i knew exactly what it was from reading the hundreds of reports on it. had it towed to the dealer on monday. he had the parts and back on the road later that evening. only $950 poorer and aggravated that i only purchased this "reliable" vehicle 4 months earlier. this is definitely my first and last nissan. when you see that key, or even if you don't, its not a matter of if you'll break down, but when and where. nissan, you suck! step up to the plate and at the very least, cover the repairs and towing. i know you don't give a rat's [xxx] about your customers but do the right thing. a nissan will never be in my driveway. 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 key less entry remote button seized in the locked position and caused the engine to not start. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage was 60,000.

On saturday morning, my wife took my son to the library, the car started with no issues, when they left the library she could not start the car. she called me to come help her, we changed the batteries in the key fob, i tried to jump-start the car, i checked the fuses, but it would not start. i made sure the fob was still communicating with the car by pressing the buttons and everything seemed to be working fine. finally, after trying everything i could, we called the nissan dealership, and they had us tow the car to them, and said they would not get to it until monday. well monday morning comes and they called my wife to tell her the steering lock unit failed, and it would cost ~$1000 to replace. of course i am ticked so i decide to research this issue and realize it is very common in the 2009 altima?s, which makes me even more ticked, because nissan doesn't seem to care if they leave my wife and son stranded because they built their car using garbage parts. and yes they know because, more times than not, this part is out of stock and the newer cars don't use it. so this sounds like a very nasty scam by nissan. i have sent letters to my state's attorney general, nissan motor company, and this database...we need a recall. stand behind your product! *tr

As with dozens of other complaints online, when i attempted to start my 2009 nissan altima (which had been sitting with its engine off for no more than five minutes), the key illuminated on the dashboard, the steering and brakes felt unresponsive, and the car would not start. late, cold, and rainy the night of the incident, the car was towed to the dealership the next morning. the dealership diagnosed the problem as a failed steering lock unit--a result that is unsurprising to anyone who types those symptoms into a google search. for the small fee of $900, my car was back on the road two days after the incident. given the frequency with which this appears to be happening to other owners, there is little doubt that this a manufacturing defect that presents a significant risk of injury should the car not start in a remote area or in the path of traffic. *tr

I left work on february 6th and went to drive home, but my car would not start. my car is push button start and it did detect my key as i was able to unlock my car. when i pushed down on the brake to start my car it was very hard to push. my car would not start and a key warning light came on. the local nissan dealership came to my work and had to disengage the steering wheel lock control unit in order to drive it back to their shop. they said that the car was unsafe to drive, except back to the dealership. they determined that it was a failed steering lock. this is an anti theft component of the car. my estimate was $662.00. the part was on back order at that time and they did not know when it would be in. nissan did not offer me a rental car and i was without a car for a week. the part came in a week later and the car was fixed that day. my bill was $662.03. this steering wheel lock defect is a safety hazard as it could have happened while driving the car. there is no guarantee that it will not happen again either. after doing some research i found that nissan changed this part of the altima when making the 2010 models. i noticed a lot of people with the same issue after researching. this malfunction should be looked into further by nissan and in my opinion it needs to be a recall. it's understandable when normal wear and tear issues happen to your car, but an issue like this is a defect and needs to be paid for by nissan. my car is of course out of warranty at this time. below is a website that i came across when doing research and found a lot of other people with the same issue: http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2009/nissan/altima/steering/problem.aspx. *tr

I parked the car and locked it with intelligent key. came back, was able to enter the car without any problems, used the key to unlock the doors. while inside, the dashboard had two warning lights on: key light(yellow) to the far left corner and flashing security light(red) to the far right. the car would not start. ignition button is on lock and the steering is stiff unable to turn. engine seems to be locked, no other lights are on. i have tried everything by the owner's manual and nothing works. i called the dealers and they told me that i would have to get it towed to the dealer and quoted me $600 to fix the problem, parts will take a couple of days, no guarantee problem will not happen again. for a recent bought vehicle, there are many issues with the car's intelligent key and in this case i have been left stranded in the middle of nowhere. towing charges and everything will make amount close to $1000. *tr

On a regular day, i drove my car to work in the morning. and it was parked at my workplace parking lot (luckily). in the evening, my keyless entry got me inside the car. but the brakes wouldn't engage and ofcourse, the push button wouldn't start the car. there is an amber light with a key sign inside it flashing on my dash screen. lights would turn on so i was convinced it must not be the battery. when i looked it up in the car manual, it's supposedly an intelligent key sign. since it was around 7:30pm, i couldn't get it towed immediately to the dealer workshop since they were closed. the next morning, i got it towed and the dealer workshop diagnosed it as "steering wheel lock unit needs to be replaced" and it would cost a whopping $850 (not including towing). not just that, the part is back-ordered! so my car is in the workshop indefinitely as of now! i bought this car from a certified pre-owned dealer just six months ago and i have the seven year limited warranty on it too. the workshop said that this is not something my warranty can cover! my current mileage is 26000. and nissan is supposed to be reliable? this problem is not something i have brought to my car and when i researched it on this very website, hundreds of other nissan altima users have the same problem. this is clearly a manufacturing defect and i truly hope nissan address this problem asap and reimburse our hard earned money. *tr

The vehicle had no problems driving into work in the morning. end of work day, return to the car to find out that it wouldn't start. the amber light with "intelligent key" logo had turned on and the vehicle was immobilized. checked the battery of the intelligent key and it was perfectly operational. check batter of the car, and it was working fine as well. since the car wouldn't start, no other option but to call for towing service. spent hours in the cold waiting for the truck. the following day nissan service ran a diagnostic and determined there was electrical problem that triggered the vehicle immobilizer and needed steering lock unit replacement. parts and labor and tow cost over $900. the nissan mechanic hinted at the problem being a manufacturing defect, but refused to say it directly as it puts nissan liable. part is strategically not covered under warranty. found out from the nissan folks that numerous cars came in with the same problem. got onto the internet and found so many more nissan altima owners with the same problem. clearly a manufacturing defect and nissan needs to recall the part and fix it for all affected users of the car. i am happy that this happened while my vehicle was stationary. i think this is very dangerous if it were to happening while driving. i request nhtsa to investigate this problem asap and help to issue a recall for several hundreds (maybe thousands) of user affected. nobody wants to lose their hard earned money for no fault of theirs. *tr

Last monday feb 4 i went out to start my car an go to work . nothing happened. it didn't even recognize my keyfob. the key light was lit up on dash. i had my battery in my car replaced and my keyfob battery replaced. after further research i found that its the steering control lock that was failing. i called my local nissan dealer in owensboro ky and they said the part was on back order and didn't know when it would be in? i have been without a car for over a week . [xxx] at nissan in owesboro said no rental cars where available. i have a small child and i work so i need my vehicle in working order. i called nissan customer service and she said i would only be refunded if the part was recalled which it isn't. so i have to pay out of pocket for the part, labor, and $90 to have it towed 22 miles to owensboro to be fixed. im sorry but in my opinion its not my fault it failed. i paid over $12,000 for the car now i have to pay another $800.00 to be fixed? that's unacceptable! something needs to be done! 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 she attempted to start the vehicle but the vehicle did not recognize the key. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 65,000. the vin was unavailable.

Car was found to not start. battery had power, no other obvious issues. car was inoperable for the weekend. towed vehicle to nissan dealership. battery tested low and was later replaced. however, the steering lock was found to be defective and needed to be replaced. battery replacement is understandable being that the car is more than 3 years old. lock steering mechanism however resulted in the car being inoperable. parts for the lock steering mechanism totaled $534.19 plus labor which totaled $282.88. total bill with new battery was $1,037.64. considering all failures listed on this page of this same part, a recall should be considered. nissan apparently has recalled other steering locks similar to this on gtr models. *tr

Electronic steering lock assembly failed preventing the car from powering on or starting. it took almost two weeks for the dealership to receive the replacement part. from my research, it appears that many other people have experienced the same part failure. the part was not covered under the power-train warranty and was almost $900 to get repaired. nissan recommended we report the issue for a possible future recall. *tr

I had driven the car from home to the gas station approx. 5 miles from home. i turned the car off, filled the car with gas and upon starting the car to leave the car wouldn't start. a red key light came on in dash.car used to be towed to dealership. it was there that it was found to be a steering lock malfunction. that cost me a total of 1000.61. 402.50 in labor and 538.81 in parts plus tax and misc. the pats was on back order. i just got my car back after a week because the part was overnighted. otherwise they estimated me getting my car back after the 8th of feb. when asked about a recall i was told it was unknown but also that this part was unusual for backorder. *tr

Attempted to start car with "push to start" ignition. car sensed key, but i was unable to start ignition although i stepped on brake while pressing button. lights work in car. steering wheel is locked. car starts with autostart using fob key, but when tries to put car in drive it shuts off. attempted to put key in slot and push "start" button, but that attempt was also unsuccessful. previously car was working fine. *tr

Car wouldn't recognize key in it, but could unlock doors and trunk, and would not start. car was towed to nissan and they found the steering lock control module not communicating with ikey reader. tech installed new ikey reader and cleared theft codes. *tr

My daughter and 2 year old were trying to get home under an ice storm warning. the push button start did not operate. they were stranded in the cold under a severe weather warning. nissan says the steering wheel lock controller caused the failure and would not communicate with the intelligent key fob and start button. there is not a method to override the push button with a mechanical key. this is a known problem for the 2009 altima. my altima has only 37,500 miles but is past the 3-year warranty period. the repair was $803. the service writer at the dealership stated that he expects a recall in the near future because of the frequency with which they see this faulty module. the part was changed in 2010 but nissan refuses to replace the bad ones in the 2008-2009 models. *tr

I stopped for lunch at a fast food establishment and at this point everything with the car was fine. after i ordered and got back into my car, i tried to start it. the car would not start. the key light appeared on the dash. after calling the nearest dealership, they suggested replacing the battery in the keyfob. i did replace battery and placed the keyfob in the alternative start port. the car would still not start. after trying to jump the car battery, it was determined that i needed to tow the car to the dealership. the dealership confirmed that this problem was caused by the steering column lock mechanism. this malfunctioning part left me stranded in a parking lot during a snow storm. upon searching the internet, it appears that nissan has issued recalls on this part in other vehicles and have stopped using this part in new vehicles. there are also hundreds of reports of this part failing in my model and year. this problem has the potential of immobilizing a car during severe weather, leaving the driver and passengers stranded. *tr

Dropped my son off at school, when i returned to the car, it would not start at all. the car recognized my key was present but push button did nothing. manually using the key slot would not start the car either. had to have the car towed and am being told that will cost $800-1100 to fix steering lock and that parts are on back order. doing an internet search i have found literally hundreds of complaints on the same defect over the past three weeks. this did occur on a very cold day, about 10 degrees at the time. *tr

The nissan intelligent key warning light came on and we were unable to start the car. a new battery was placed in the car last fall and the key fob batteries were replaced july 2012. i searched the internet for possible problems and found numerous reports of the same situation. the problem reported was a failed steering lock unit. i contacted the nissan dealer and they indicated we would need to have the car towed to their shop. they found that the steering lock control module did in fact need to be replaced. they mentioned they have had at least 15 instances of this same problem at their shop alone since the weather turned cold this winter. we specifically purchased this car new in 2009 so that our teens would have a dependable car to drive. we did not want them stuck somewhere unable to get home, especially in the winter. i contacted nissan consumer affairs and they indicated that there is not a recall for this steering lock. the dealership instructed me to hold onto our repair recent should it become a recall. *tr

Amber 'intelligent key' light started appearing on and off. finally vehicle refused to engage starter and whirring noise indicating steering lock is functional no longer happens. vehicle needs to be towed and research indicates the problem is common in 2009 altimas and other nissan vehicles. repair quotes online appear to be in the $900 range. nissan needs to accept responsibility for this problem and issue a recall. *tr

Trying to start vehicle, yellow key warning light came on and car would not start. this happened without warning and i was stranded at lunch 15 minutes from work with no way to get back. the steering lock unit failed to disengage. this part should be recalled since the same part (i've heard) was recalled on other nissan models and can leave anyone in a dangerous situation. *tr

Wife's 2009 altima would not start. as others have stated, the little key light on the dash lit up. we had the car towed to our dealer, and they told us the steering lock control had failed. having no choice, we then ordered the part, only then to find out that it was on back order and they could not estimate when the part would be available. the estimated repair bill was going to be about $750. when i got home that evening, i searched the internet and was amazed at how many cases exactly like ours are occurring. the next morning, i filed a formal complaint with nissan of north america. they have put all owners of 2009's in jeopardy and obviously knew there was a problem as the part was changed out in late year 2010 cars built. our final results are better than most of the others we have read about. between nissan and our dealer, they covered the repair which was done as the part did arrive, as well as our car rental while the dealer had the vehicle. my advise is to file a formal complaint like we did and to be persistent. an attorney i know said we should contact the state attorney general and/or the local tv stations trouble shooters, because publicity and legal action are exactly what nissan doesn't want. *tr

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

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

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

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the intelligence key malfunction warning light illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 85,320.

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

Car failed to start, intelligent key would not work. aftermarket remote start system was used to start car and drive home, perhaps 15 miles. next day, remote start system was used to start car and drive to dealer, 40 miles away. after about 15 miles, everything died while on the interstate and had to coast to the shoulder. car was then towed remainder of way to dealer. diagnosed as defective steering lock and replaced. dealer said aftermarket remote start system probably timed out, which is why it died on the interstate. *tr

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the intelligence key malfunction warning light illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician stated that the electronic steering column lock needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 73,000. the vin was not available.

When i attempted to start the engine the car failed to start. i noticed that there was an indicator in my dash that i had never seen. it was a red indicator that i would later find out showed a problem with my steering lock mechanism. the car would not move past the "lock" stage and i had to promptly have it towed to the nissan dealership. this repair cost $800.00 before taxes. i have found that there have been many similar claims in the past few months. i would just like for my case to be known with others that have had a similar position. i hope to be reimbursed for this issue as its a obviously a mechanical malfunction and not something an owner should be held liable for. *tr

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that all attempts to start the vehicle with the intelligent key failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that the steering lock mechanism needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the failure and current mileage was 16,501.

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

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

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

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

Parked car turned it off then when i returned the car would no longer do anything. it is a push to start and is not controlled with a key. so therefore when i got out of the store and returned to the car it no longer worked. it is said that this happens frequently to '09 altima's yet they can not find the parts to my car. *tr

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while parked, the engine failed to start when engaging the push-to-start switch. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised that the steering lock control unit needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 28,887 and the current mileage was 29,500.

[xxx], atlanta, georgia my daughter's 2009 nissan altima did the same thing. she came over for a visit and upon leaving her car would not crank. my husband and i did all of the troubleshooting according to the manual to no avail. i called the dealership where she purchased the vehicle and he immediately knew what the problem was. he wanted to sell here another altima, because nissan knew this was an issue, so they stopped putting this mechanism on the 2012 models. nissan who has a good standing and have millions of cars on the road should do right by consumers who purchased their vehicles and had this problem. i am going to send this complaint site to my local news station and try to put some fire under nissan. this is ridiculous and other consumers need to be aware of this problem. the repair cost of our nissan altima was $919.00. i see several differences in the repair cost too. we cannot sit by and let consumers continue to be charged substantial amount of money for repair cost when nissan know there is a problem with the steering lock mechanism. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Have had this car for 2+ years now, lived in arizona and florida. i now live in maryland. this morning was slightly colder than normal, with sleet coming in last night. my wife attempted to start the car this morning while i was away at work and could not get it to start. looking at the dash indicators, it showed the orange intelligent key light on, and when i tried to start the car, the ignition button would not switch out of lock. tried to get the car into neutral, but brakes appear to be firm in place and will not unlock the shifter out of park. looked online for a few solutions, but none have worked so far (unhooking battery, moving the steering column). called the nissan dealership near here and they want me to tow it in before they can even guess at the cause (which i would have no issue with if this was an uncommon thing, but there are numerous reports of this online, most pointing to the same thing: a shoddy part that i need to pay $500 plus labor to replace ). eventually this will have to get fixed, but what is most disheartening is the fact that this could have happened anywhere and left my wife stranded for some time. i just lucked out and it was sitting at home. mileage is ~21k. *tr