Problems with 2009 Nissan Altima STEERING

On 12/28/2012 my 2009 nissan altima displayed a yellow key warning indicator on my dash board. thinking that it was my key battery, i had it changed and the light went away for 2 days. on sunday, 12/30/2012 it reappeared as i was driving to a christmas gathering. afterwards i went to my car and tried to start it up. the yellow key warning still appeared on my dashboard but no other response was seen from my car. i had to have it towed to a dealership here in tulsa, ok to have diagnostics run and it shows that its the steering lock mechanism has malfunctioned. after researching this and finding that this has been a problem in other years of the nissan altima, i find it unacceptable that this issue hasn't been addressed and the part hasn't been recalled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after attempting to start the vehicle using the push-to-start button. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where they advised her that the steering locking system failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 75,000. the vin was unavailable.

I went to start 2009 nissan altima car would not start. it was not something simple as a battery or starter and there was no way to start the car. it completely locked up. we ended up having to have the car towed and discovered that the steering lock unit was broken. the repair shop did research and testing and found out that this is a known issue from nissan with no recall. nissan indicated that this was not a safety issue and therefore no recall was necessary. our concern is that nissan knowing that they have a defective part, where they know their cars will not start at any given time without warning and in fact may potentially place their consumers in an unsafe situation. not to mention the cost of the repair is steep and it is a repair that the consumer is responsible for at no fault of their own. also another concern is if the replacement part is truly an "updated version" or still has the defect? is this bound to happen again at any given time not knowing when or where, and also rack up another costly repair? i have researched and came across multiple websites of hundreds of other altima owners that have had the same thing happen. *tr

On december 27th i was sitting in my car with the car on and everything worked fine i got out of my car turned my car off and locked it up as usual. later that evening i got back into my car to go some where and my car would not start the yellow key indicator light was illuminated in the left side of the car i could not press the brake it was very stiff and the start button would not come out of the lock position. after researching via the internet i have found that there is a very common problem with all 2009 makes of nissan and the steering lock mechanism malfunctioning after having the car for approximately 3 years and the car being under 50,000 miles this part has been recalled in other models of nissan but not in the 2009 models after speaking with a nissan representative and a nissan dealer i was advised to have my var towed to the dealer and have the malfunctioning part replaced at the cost of 1175.00 for the part the labor and towing. there definitely needs to be a formal recall on this part because in the last day i have read over 300 instances of the same malfunction happening to various nissan car owners that own the 2009 model. i am right now putting together a class action suit against nissan for the unfair treatment of there consumers and for overlooking a very serious defect in the product they are selling. also this repair is not covered under the warranty someone really needs to investigate this. *tr

[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

While driving my nissan 2009 altima today the warning light (yellow key) came on after hitting a pot hole, when i had to press on my brakes to stop at a red light the car killed and the red car warning light started flashing , when the car came to a complete stop i put it in park and tried to depress the start button. nothing happened, the car was not recognizing the intelligent key. the yellow key warning light means the steering mechanism is failing so the intelligent key won't work. so here i was sitting in the middle of traffic with a car that won't start and i cannot get out of park to put in neutral to push out of the traffic. i had to have the car towed. after much research i am finding this is an issue known by nissan they no longer put this part in the 2010 have done recalls for this on other models and years but not this one. this is a safetyy issue and should be a recall are they waiting for someone to get hurt before they issue a recall? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while parked, the vehicle failed to start and would not recognize the key in the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised that the steering lock module needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 101,000. the vin was not available.

It was the first chill in chicago and the car was parked in the street. when i tried to start the car it would only light up the intelligent key warning light in the dash indicating an issue with the intelligent key-less system. upon further research (a simple google search "nissan altima intelligent key warning light issues") indicated that is a very common issue with altimas and is related to the "steering lock" mechanism. i had to tow the car to the dealership and a quick call to the service department quickly confirmed that this was something they service frequently. the dealer himself indicated that the last part in their inventory was just fitted in another car. this is used certified nissan altima and the extended warranty did not cover the repair. the total cost of the repair was $1299.30. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the key-less entry system failed and the vehicle could not be started. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. the failure was located at the steering lock system and the contact was advised that the key-less computer needed to be reprogrammed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the consumer stated the vehicle would not start after multiple attempts, the dash read " no key". even though he tried the spare key and tried to jump start the battery, all attempts failed. the dealer informed the consumer it was not a wear and tear problem, and it was nothing that he did or didn't do to create the problem. updated 03/14/13 ...updated 04-03-13 *bf updated 04/12/2013 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to respond. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the steering lock module failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 60,200.

Vehicle wouldn't start, called a mechanic friend thinking it was the battery. he realized it wasn't the battery, it was the steering lock and he'd seen it before in nissan's. we finally had to call nissan and schedule an appointment and have it towed to the nearest dealership. it cost us $800. our mechanic friend says that in his experience nissan doesn't find this to be a "safety issue" so they won't do a formal recall. this is a 3 year old vehicle, and our warranty is already expired. obviously from the other posts, nissan is well aware of the problem. this isn't a brake or battery issue, there is no excuse for this happening on a 3 year old vehicle. we have tried contacting nissan to see if they would reconsider and pay for this since it is only 3 years old. they called back and said no, clearly the warranty has expired. this is just wrong on so many levels. the dealership knows it's a problem too, and tried to work with us the best they could. *tr

Drove my altima to work, as usual and parked at my work parking lot. once it was time to leave, got into my car to drive home but car wouldn't start. blinking key light in upper left and corner and car/key light in upper right hand corner. had to get vehicle towed to a nissan dealership by work (30 miles away from home). nissan has had my car for two days now and just figured out it was the faulty steering column actuator. quote given over the phone was $777 plus towing and car rental fees! why the heck is this not covered under a warranty if my car is only 3 years old and not even 48,000 miles!!!! so disappointed with nissan. i'm so thankful that i wasn't stranded by myself at night in a large city with no where to go - which is what would have happened when i was out of town just days before. i have friends with altima's and i sincerely hope this doesn't happen to them however, based on the number of people this has happened too, it's basically a guarantee that it will happen!!!! *tr

Our altima has failed to recognize our intelligent keys and will not start. the doors will lock and unlock. the alarm will sound and the trunk will open but the car will not start. i'm being told this is due to a faulty steering lock mechanism that has been recalled in some nissan models but not the altima. the part itself is $500 and the labor will take it to almost $1000 or more. this is completely absurd. what would happen if this happened to my wife and infant daughter on the wrong side of town. what if this part had failed when we were in the mountains or off the beaten path. if a part is going to be recalled in one model, it needs to be recalled in all models. this is extremely unsafe and to know that nissan is aware of this issue is unacceptable. we also own a murano that uses an actual key to start --- i'm considering replacing both after learning about this. i hope someone will respond to this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact was unable to start the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the steering lock mechanism would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 50,400.

My wife went out to go to lunch and the car would not start. the only thing on the display was a yellow indicator light that looked like a key. we called nissan dealership and after explaining the problem they said have it towed as the steering lock control module is bad. we had it towed and repaired cost 667.00 plus towing. if nissan knows that this is a issue potential to all 08 and 09 altimas, they should do a recall. if this had been an emergency and driving the car what then or if you needed to it for an emergency departure? wrong way to do business! *tr

On a recent cold morning i got into my 2009 nissan altima, at 7:00 am and drove son to school. came home and parked vehicle. got back in car at 3:00 pm and car would not start. the car had been fine that morning. push start would not get out of "lock" position. headlights, inside lights, brake lights all worked. steering wheel was not locked. would not get out of "park". battery was tested and not the problem. fuses were checked and brake switch checked and not the problem. looked on internet and found multiple incidents where steering lock mechanism was faulty on 2009 nissan altima, and was not engaging and therefore the car would not start and was locked by immobilizer. the only option is a $500.00 plus part from nissan and another $500-600.00 to install. car was towed to dealership at cost of $109.00 to me, and the estimate from the dealer to fix the now diagnosed steering lock malfunction was $1,100.00 making this a total cost of $1,209.00 on a vehicle that has less than $60,000 miles. i looked on the internet and found the following information by another dissatisfied customer : 1. nissan did a recall on their more expensive model nissan gtrs was recalled, part number 48700-jf00a or 48700-jf00b, being replaced by 48700-jf00c and called campaign id p0309. 2. same part number is failing for nissan 370zs as well, same years and same part number 48700-jf00a or 48700-jf00b, yet they are not being recalled. 3. this problem is also occurring in nissan maximas and nissan muranos however i could not find the part number. 4. in all models of nissan this part was removed in mid 2010 due to consistent failure. there should be a make-wide recall for all models for this part, not just the gtr because it's the most expensive of them. call 1-800-nissan 1 and complain, i am... *tr

Went to walmart came out of the store to find my car would not start. had to have it towed to nissan dealer which was around $200 and then the part for the steering lock assembly was $700. *tr

After our first real freeze of the winter (low 20's), the car was locked up for no reason. pressing the push button ignition, inserting the fob into the key holder, nothing will start the car. the brake pedal is heavy, no lights comes up on the instrument panel and the steering wheel is totally locked out. had to get the altima towed into a local dealership and come to find out it's a steering wheel lock out control unit that needs to be replaced. car just came off the 36month warranty in september'12 and i am now turning in the 39month lease and now a $1k repair. thanks nissan... also, had the nissan original battery replaced twice! original battery only has an 18month prorated warranty! not sure if it all relates somehow. this steering wheel lock control should be a manufacturer's responsibility to keep it for the life of the car. *tr

Steering lock that engages the engine malfunctioned when i tried to start the car. the car would not recognize the intelligent key, after watching a utube video i wiggled around the steering wheel not gently and the intelligent key was then recognized and i was able to start the car. now while driving the warning light for the intelligent key stays on. this seems to be an issue with nissan altimas 2007-2009 is there a recall on this? *tr

The steering lock assembly stop working, so because the car only start with the push button it was impossible to turn my car on. so i took my car to nissan and they said that i have to pay $1100 to change the steering lock assembly. and my car have only 48,449 miles. *tr

When i entered my car i noticed that the push brake light wasn't on like it normally is for the intelligent key start. i pushed down on the brake and it felt very stiff. a yellow key light kept flashing and everytime i would try and start the car it would stay in lock and wouldn't even try to start. i didn't hear the ignition, nothing. i tried to check the battery, i used a different key, i put the key in the slot and nothing worked. i was stranded. the car was working fine and had no previous indicators that something could go wrong. as i searched online for a fix i found many people who had the same problem and had to pay a huge amount of money to get it fixed. nissan promotes how safe, reliable and economical their cars are, but the anti-theft system of the steering wheel lock can disable the vehicle leaving a driver stranded with only one option, which is, to be towed to a dealer. this a serious safety flaw in the 2009 nissan altima. nissan was supposed to be a reputable company. however, with these types of malfunctions, and no support for their customers, i feel very unsatisfied and unsafe with my purchase. nissan needs to provide a recall and fix these sensor issues. *tr

After work my wife's car would not start. the intelligent key warning light was on but the push button was non responsive even with the fob in the key fob slot. we had the vehicle towed to the dealer and was told it the steering lock control unit had gone bad and is preventing the ignition swith from working. this part should be recalled by nissan since it prevents starting the car leaving you stranded.

Without any warning my 2009 nissan altima would not start. i could not depress the brake in order to start the car. the car recognized the intelligent key was inside the car, i could lock/unlock the doors and trunk, dome lights worked. basically i was stranded. i contacted the dealer i purchased car from (whom are not familiar with nissan vehicles) and an extended warranty, they had me troubleshoot. i called lock & key company, not familiar working with this nissan problem. called nissan dealer while waiting, they advised me a typical problem with this yr/make and i was at the mercy of nissan to repair, he forgot to tell me that it wasn't covered under any warranty program and no recall. vehicle towed to dealership/service dept i purchased car from, they towed to local nissan dealer. now they want $750 for repairs on something that even nissan is aware of (i called nissan no. america) and they will investigate if perhaps something else triggered the sensor to not work properly. my car will stay at dealer until i get an answer and the $750. it could have happened at any time, no warning lights, car didn't act up in any way. this poses huge risks, people could be stranded at night or on the side of a road. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was later towed to the dealer where they advised her that the power steering lock failed. the vehicle was repaired for the steering lock mechanism. the manufacturer was contacted and offered her the component at a lower price. the failure mileage was approximately 64,980. the current mileage was approximately 65,900. the vin was unavailable.

I got into my car to start it to realize it was locked down. i couldn't start it or even roll my windows down ! it ended up being the steering lock box and have had several problems with it since. i don't have that many miles on it and have heard of several others being recalled but not 2009 .... it needs to be !!! *tr

Upon attempting to start the car, ignition would not change from "lock" to "acc" or "on". intelligent key warning lamp was lit steady on dash. steering wheel column was not locked. all power and other functions worked (lights, door locks, etc). battery is fine. independent testing found steering lock control module part 48700-9n00b faulty. similar/same part on nissan gtrs was recalled, part number 48700-jf00a or 48700-jf00b, being replaced by 48700-jf00c same part number is failing for nissan 370zs as well, same years and same part number 48700-jf00a or 48700-jf00b, yet they are not being recalled. this problem is also occurring in nissan maximas and nissan muranos however i could not find the part number. in all models of nissan this part was removed in mid 2010 due to consistent failure. the part costs approximately $500 from nissan, is usually out of stock and back ordered, and also costs another $400-$500 to be installed at a dealer. there should be a make-wide recall for all models for this part, not just the gtr because it's the most expensive of them. *tr

Vehicle was parked and engine was turned off, upon return to vehicle to start engine with the intelligent key, steering wheel was locked and the car would not recognize the smart key even while inside the car or when it was inserted on the smart key port. attempted to jump vehicle but it was not the battery, car was towed to nearest nissan dealership, not selling dealership. part was back ordered so no vehicle or rental offer by warranty as the part itself is not covered by warranty, so this part and service totals approximates 1000.00, this does not include car rental of approximately 300.00 for a week, as i wait for the vehicle to be fixed. car insurance would not cover any part of either repairs or car rental as it was not in a car accident. i may add the vehicle shut off in an unsafe area; luckily, towing came right as it was getting dark. please consider recalling this part. *tr

I turn off my car to get gas and when i got back in my car it would not turn on i try to have a jump and that didn't work so i had my car tow to the dealership, i only had the car for 1 year. the dealer said i would need a new steering unit that will cost me 1300.00. this is not the first time for these nissan to have this issue and i feel a recall is needed. i feel like i been rip off by nissan and my dealership. *tr

Went out to start car in the am to leave for work and car wouldnt start. all electrics however still did,. steering wheel was locked i couldnt get it out of park. tried to jump it. that didnt work eitther. so we replaced the battery. that didnt work. still wouldnt start. dealer came and towed it to the dealership today. said its the steering lock assembly going bad. i need it replaced. its not covered under warrenty. 723.00 it will cost me. dealership stated they have had this issue with many many 2009 altimas.. why is this not a recalled part? *tr

2009 nissan altima coupe was in parking lot and would not start. the intelligent key warning light was on dash. had car towed to dealer. they advised steering lock control unit (part #48700-9n00b) was bad. this is a common problem on '09 altimas as well as 370z. dealer offered 10% discount and advised $600 total. i called nissan customer care and escalated to regional office. this is a real safety issue because who knows where and when you can be stranded. nissan has recalled this part on other models and discontinued this feature on subsequent models. this is a safety issue and something needs to be done! *tr

Steering lock unit malfunctioned. car would not start. *tr

My husband went to start his 2009 nissan altima one afternoon to pick up our daughter from the bus stop and the car would not start. it was not something simple as a battery or starter and there was no way to start the car. it completely locked up. we ended up having to have the car towed and discovered that the steering lock unit was broken. the repair shop did research and testing and found out that this is a known issue from nissan with no recall. nissan indicated that this was not a safety issue and therefore no recall was necessary. our concern is that nissan knowing that they have a defective part, where they know their cars will not start at any given time without warning and in fact may potentially place their consumers in an unsafe situation. not to mention the cost of the repair is steep and it is a repair that the consumer is responsible for at no fault of their own. also another concern is if the replacement part is truly an "updated version" or still has the defect? is this bound to happen again at any given time not knowing when or where, and also rack up another costly repair? i have researched and came across multiple websites of hundreds of other altima owners that have had the same thing happen. we sent a letter to nissan expressing our concerns but also wanted to make sure that this situation pertaining to the steering lock unit is brought up to your attention to be reviewed and considered as a recall. thank you for your time. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I stopped at a store and when i came back to my car it would not start. the steering column was locked and the car was no longer reading the intelligent key. there was no way at all to start car or even move wheel. i had to have car towed on flatbed to nissan dealer where i was told the steering column was locked and there was a malfunction. it cost $850 to fix. i think nissan needs to be ordered to recall this part. nissan knows about this issue as the newer nissan models no longer have this feature and continues to do nothing about it for altima owners. to make things more ridiculous, nissan actually recalled this part for other nissan models but continues to ignore the altima customers. this is also a known malfunction in the nissan 370z and again nissan ignores these owners. how can a company continue to force owners to fix an issue that is a malfunction and caused by nissan own improper installation at the manufacturing sight. complete lack of concern for their customers. i could have been stranded in the middle of nowhere even though nissan knows this is a common issue with this specific part in question. this is criminal to me. *tr

Car would not start and had to have it towed to dealer. the problem was steering lock faulty. for a car only 3 years old and well-maintained, i was not expecting a costly repair just out of warranty. i wondered if others had this problem and how to go about reporting and trying to get a recall for this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and no warning lamps illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering lock module was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 51,300 and the current mileage was 51,800.

I bought my 2009 nissan altima new and have done all the required maintenance. then i went out to the car to start it up and nothing. it was towed to the nissan dealership and i was told the electrical portion of the steering column was fried. it will cost me usd 800.00 to have fixed. the car is three years old! unfortunately this is a common problem with this year make and model yet nissan has not issued a recall or offered to fix the malfunction without cost. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated that he could not start the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic for inspection where they stated that the steering lock module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that they would repair the vehicle but it would be at the contact's expense. the failure mileage was 56,000. the vin was unavailable.

Car would not start. intelligent key warning light was lit up, brake very stiff, and steering wheel not locked. had to have the vehicle towed home. thought it was the battery so purchased and replaced the battery. that did not work. after reading multiple complaints on the internet i self diagnosed it as a malfunction of the steering lock. had to have the car towed to the dealer and as soon as the mechanic came out to the car he immediately diagnosed it as a bad steering wheel lock mechanism. part is not in inventory so car will be at the dealer for several days and it will cost me $800 to fix. this mechanic must see this often if he knew without doing anything to the car what the problem was. not too happy that i have a car i am still making payments on and have to pay $800 to fix a part that looks like should probably be recalled. probably no more nissans in my future. going to stick to the reliable toyotas! *tr

Steering lock that engages the engine malfunctioned when i tried to start the car. this could be very dangerous if the malfunction occured while driving because the entire electrical system was non responsive and the car would shut down, including brakes. this is a three year old car with one owner. all mantainance has been done and the vehicle has not been involved in any accidents.

This morning was very cold. i warmed my car up, went to vote. when i left the poll, i get to my car and it won't start, says that there is no fob in the car. the red security light is flashing. so i put the fob in the "doghouse" that is supposed to work as a back up method.. nothing.. still won't start.. disconnected the battery, reconnected and tried again.. nothing. did all my research to find many many page so complains about it.. it's the steering lock mechanism. seems they did away with that feature in late 2010 models.. guess they know why.. so now i'm stuck with a $700 bill for an issue hundreds of people are having. as a matter of fact, my car was the second 09 of the day with the same exact issue. coincidence?? i think not. *tr

I went to the store on sunday afternoon. i got back into my car and it wouldn't start. i read the owners manual and realized there was nothing i could do except have it towed to the dealership. my car is 3 years old and i take great care of it. because it was sunday, there was nobody at the dealership that could look at my car until the next day. the mechanic called me the next day and said i need a new steering lock. he said it was an electrical issue, but it is treated as a mechanical issue. that's funny because the mechanical warranty ran out 3 months prior, but the electrical warranty is a 5 year warranty. he said it isn't covered, they could not provide me with a courtesy vehicle, and that it would be $812+ to fix. 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 am i out $812+ for the part and labor, i was stranded alone, i have missed work because i don't have another mode of transportation, my insurance covers nothing except $75 for the tow (i paid $115), and i have spent countless hours on my phone with nissan. i'm out time, money, data (on my phone plan), a paycheck, and a car!!! i will never ever purchase another nissan! i really don't want the one i have now anymore! this faulty part should be recalled!!! there should be a way to override this if/when it happens so you are not just stranded. intelligent key??? yea right! *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 determined that the steering lock failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the issue. the failure and current mileages were unavailable. the vin was not available.

Drove car 35 miles with no problems. when ready to leave location, car wouldn't start. intelligent key would open doors & trunk but the ignition would not recognize the key nor the spare. the brakes were stiff, only light displayed on dash was intelligent key light. had to be towed to dealer. it took 2 days for them to figure out the problem. the lock steering had to be replaced. $600+ for the repair. *tr

My car it would not start. there was absolutely no activation of the ignition system. after following all trouble shooting advice in the car's manual, i towed the car to dealer where they stated an open circuit in steering control unit is not telling the control unit that the steering wheel is unlocked and ready to start. the steering lock control unit (part# 487009n00b) needed to be replaced. this is all part of the vehicle anti-theft immobilizer system. the cost to replace this unit was $1,062.90. i feel this is a serious safety flaw in the 2009 nissan altima. 1. this was a fully functioning car (except for anti-theft glitch) that left me and my daughter stranded in a very remote area. 2. nissan promotes how safe, reliable and economical their cars are, but the anti-theft system can disable the vehicle leaving driver stranded with only one option, which is, to be towed to a dealer because of ant-theft system glitches. 3. the car, being economical, should not require an over $1,000 repair because of an anti-theft device circuit malfunction. 4. there are several conditions that can occur that will result in the nissan altima becoming immobilized stranding drivers. i am stating only one. this is particularly dangerous especially to female drivers. 5. i feel that nissan should come up with an override code or device that will allow a driver to escape from potentially dangerous situations that were created by nissan's vehicle immobilizer system. especially when the car is fully functional except for an anti-theft immobilizing circuit falsely telling that the vehicle is not ready to start. i believe this is a serious safety flaw in their vehicle security system. *tr

Car only 3 years old. steering lock malfunction. was stranded. car won't even start. had to have towed. part is super expensive. how is this possible on relatively new car? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. the contact stated the engine failed to start and the battery warning light started to illuminate. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was equipped with a push to start ignition. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated the steering lock mechanisms failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 68,000.

I'm a female who was left stranded in a dark parking lot because car would not start. had to be towed. problem was steering wheel locking mechanism. $811.00 for repair and 75.00 towing. please recall. particularly scary because when i was playing around with remote trying anything to get the car to start, i rolled the windows all the way down with the remote and could not get them back up. so i was alone in a dark parking lot with the front windows completely rolled down waiting an hour for the tow truck. *tr

09 nissan altima just over 44k miles the steering wheel lock malfunctioned. no lights on dashboard, brake pedal very stiff, the vehicle will recognize that the key is inside and outside and is inserted at the location on the left side on driver and is able to lock and unlock but it will not start at all. towed to dealer and as i am over my 36k warranty but not over the 3 year warranty i had to pay over $800 to fix for a vehicle that is not even over 3 years old. i will not buy another nissan again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. while driving in a parking lot, the power steering seized without warning and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the electronic steering column lock was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000. the vin was not available.