2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE WARNING LIGHT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, WHICH INFORMED THE CONTACT TO SHUT-OFF THE VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NISSAN OF BRADENTON (1611 CORTEZ RD W, BRADENTON, FLORIDA 34207) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHIFT INTERLOCK WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,000.*DT*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FREEDOM NISSAN OF SOUTH BURLINGTON (1095 SHELBURNE RD, SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT 05403, (802) 864-7400) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 154,000.

THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID HAS CEASED TO FUNCTION SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, PUTTING ME AT EXTREME DANGER. IN THE FIRST CASED, THE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER UNIT WAS THE DEFECTIVE PART, ON THE SECOND OCCASION, IT WAS THE IGNITION COILS. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, PLACING ME AT GREAT RISK AS THE VEHICLE SEIZES UP WITHOUT WARNING AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY.

IN 2013, I WAS STRANDED AT WORK LATE AT NIGHT DUE TO A FAULTY STEERING WHEEL LOCK. I GOT INTO MY CAR AND WENT TO START IT AND THE KEY LIGHT WAS LIT ON THE DASH AND MY CAR WOULDN'T START. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY TO REPLACE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK. THANKFULLY, I WAS STRANDED IN A SAFE PLACE ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M A SINGLE FEMALE. IT'S NOW 2017, AND I FIND MYSELF IN THE SAME SITUATION. THANKFULLY, I NOTICED THE ISSUE EARLY WHILE IT'S STILL DAYTIME. I'M NOW WAITING FOR MY CAR TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS A FAULTY STEERING WHEEL LOCK. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK ONLY HAS A LIFE SPAN OF 4 YEARS SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. IS IT NORMAL FOR A PART TO JUST MALFUNCTION AFTER ONLY 4 YEARS? WILL I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING STRANDED AGAIN 4 YEARS FROM NOW FOR THE THIRD TIME? MY CAR IS SERVICED REGULARLY AND TAKEN CARE OF SO I WON'T BE STRANDED. IT'S TROUBLING THAT REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT MY CAR IS SERVICED AND TAKEN CARE OF, I CAN BE STRANDED ANYWHERE.

THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR TO DETECT AN OCCUPANT AND ENABLE/DISABLE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG FAILED. THIS IS AN ITEM CRITICAL TO OCCUPANT SAFETY THAT IS NOT A WEAR-AND-TEAR ITEM AND ONE WHICH SHOULD REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS WILL NOT WORK AS INTENDED WHEN OCCUPIED BY AN OCCUPANT OF THE APPROPRIATE WEIGHT PER THE SENSOR'S SETTING. IT IS APPARENT THAT MANY ALTIMA VEHICLES, MODELS BEFORE AND AFTER MY 2009 YEAR MODEL, HAVE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE SAME EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE COMPONENT. NISSAN IS NOT WILLING TO ADDRESS THIS ITEM VOLUNTARILY; THEREFORE, NISSAN SHOULD BE ORDERED BY THE NHTSA TO REPLACE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONENT THROUGH A RECALL. FAILURE OF THE NHTSA TO ACT WILL LIKELY LEAD TO MANY INJURIES OR FATALITIES DUE TO THE FAILURE OF A PART WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE A LIMITED WARRANTY AND WHICH NISSAN, AS A RESPONSIBLE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER, SHOULD REPAIR/REPLACE AT NO COST TO ITS CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED ITS VEHICLES DUE TO THEIR ADVERTISED SAFETY RATINGS.

I WAS ON MY WAY TO PICKUP MY WIFE AND THE FOR SONE REASON THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOCKED . I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE OR SOMETHING GOT STUCK IN THE CAR. I PRESS ON THE BUTTON TO START ,NOTHING AND TRY TO TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL ,STILL NOTHING. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND BACK IN ,NOTHING ,SO I DID THIS FOR 30 MINUTES UNTIL FINALLY GAVE UP. I HAD TO RUSH TO GET OUR OTHER CAR TO PICK HER UP. LUCKILY, TRAFFIC WAS OKAY. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN TO SEE IF THEY CAN DO ANYTHING ,STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM. I CONTACTED THEM AT THIS SAME DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE PARKING LOT OF OUR APARTMENT.

MY DAUGHTER STOPPED AT A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP BEFORE GOING TO WORK ONE MORNING. WHEN SHE RETURNED TO HER 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID SHE OPENED THE DOOR REMOTELY WITH THE KEY FOB AND TRIED TO START THE CAR AND THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE STEERING COLUMN HAD LOCKED AND A YELLOW KEY LOCK LIGHT HAD COME ON THE DISPLAY. READING THE OWNERS MANUAL, SHE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE WITH THE KEY FOB BATTERY. LUCKILY, I WAS STILL AT HOME AND WAS ABLE TO BRING A SPARE FOB TO HER. USING THE SPARE,THOUGH,HAD THE SAME RESULT: NO IGNITION. WE CALLED AAA AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALERSHIP "CONFIRMED, CHECKED AND FOUND THE STEERING LOCK IS FAULTY, REMOVED AND REPLACED. CLEARED ALL CODES AND REPROGRAMMED BOTH KEYS". PARTS REPLACED WERE 1 48700-JF00D LOCK STEERING AND 2 48703-06F0A SCREW-STEERING LOCK, LIGHTENING MY WALLET BY $948.33. THREE DAYS LATER WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP A DRIVABLE VEHICLE WITH A FUNCTIONING STEERING COLUMN. DURING THE TIME WE WERE WITHOUT THIS CAR WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME INTERNET RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND FOUND OUT THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH 2007-2011 ALTIMAS WITH AVERAGE MILEAGE AROUND 80,000, ( THIS ONE HAD 83,909) THAT NISSAN ACKNOWLEDGES DOES EXIST,AND YET THEY WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL. FROM OUR SEARCHES OF MANY WEB SITES (INCLUDING SAFERCAR.GOV) WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FREQUENTLY REPORTED, YET STILL THERE HAVE BEEN NO STEPS TAKEN TOWARD RECTIFYING THE PROBLEM. AS AN ALTIMA OWNER I AM LEFT WONDERING WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR NISSAN TO FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A LEGITIMATE SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AND ANY PLACE.