2009 Nissan Altima

DROVE MY CAR LIKE I NORMALLY DO. I PARK. RETURN TO MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE RED KEY WARNING LIGHT WAS FLASHING COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL. NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUSH THE START BUTTON. MY STEERING COLUMN LOCK MALFUNCTIONED. MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED A LOT WITH 2009 NISSAN ALTIMAS. THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS BUT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT LAST YEAR AND I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

LEFT ME STRANDED IN 98 DEGREE HEAT. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED ONLY TO FIND OUT ONLY THE DEALERSHIP COULD DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. FOUND OUT IT WAS A STEERING LOCK ISSUE THAT HAPPENS TO MOST 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA'S. NISSAN HAD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, KNOWING IT WAS AN ISSUE, BUT NOT A RECALL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED BEFORE MY CAR HAD THE PROBLEM. I'VE CONTACTED NISSAN CORPORATE ONLY TO HAVE THEM TELL ME "SORRY, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED". NO KIDDING. SO, ABOUT TO HAVE TO SPEND $1,000 FOR A REPAIR THAT SHOULD BE A RECALL.

CAR WAS PARKED SO MY SPOUSE COULD RUN AN ERRAND. WHEN HE WENT TO START UP THE CAR, THE ENGINE WOULDN'T TURN OVER AND THE STEERING DIDN'T WORK AT ALL. THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCK MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM IN SOME NISSANS THAT HAD BEEN ADDRESSED IN MORE RECENT YEAR MODELS. IT COST $961.33 TO FIX!!! THE STEERING MODULE ALONE COST $679.44. I AM OUTRAGED THAT THIS "RECURRING PROBLEM" ISN'T THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL.

I PARKED MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY AFTER COMING HOME FROM THE GYM. ABOUT 45 MIN I LEFT OUT TO GO TO WORK. I TRIED TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT COME ON. MY PUSH TO START BUTTON LOCKED LIGHT APPEARED AND A PICTURE OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES WITH ARROWS POINTING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY COULD NOT HELP...I HAD MY CAR TOWED OVER TO PEP BOYS THEY STATED IT WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND THAT I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR BUT THEY WENT AND FIXED IT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND STATED THAT I OWED THEM 850 DOLLARS. I WAS VERY UPSET THAT THEY DID NOT UPDATE ME BEFORE FIXING IT. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND NOTICE THAT IT WAS A RECALL ON 2009 NISSAN ALTIMAS STEERING LOCK BUT THEY SUSPENDED IT. I WAS VERY UPSET BECAUSE I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE BY PHONE,MAIL OR EMAIL THAT IT WAS A RECALL ON MY CAR. I REALLY HOPE THEY THEY ISSUE ANOTHER ONE AND SOME HOW I CAN GET MY MONEY BACK BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR AN ISSUES THAT WASN'T MY FAULT.

STEERING LOCK BECOMES STUCK (WILL NOT ALLOW CAR TO BE STARTED). THIS HAPPENS FOR SEEMINGLY NO REASON. MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED AS WELL. ONLY OPTION IS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED AND HAVE THE STEERING LOCK REPLACED. NISSAN ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION OF 3 YEARS WHICH EXPIRED IN JANUARY 2016. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO REASON THAT THIS SHOULD HAPPEN AND NO REASON THAT THE FIX SHOULD NOT BE COVERED INFINITELY. COULD HAVE BEEN STUCK ON THE HIGHWAY OR A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANYWHERE. ADDITIONALLY, THE FIX IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE (>1,000 --- SEE ATTACHMENT). THIS IS NO WEAR & TEAR ISSUE. THIS IS A FAULTY PART. NISSAN KNEW ABOUT IT. THEY SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL LOCK ESCL. WHEN IT FAILS, YOU INSTANTANEOUSLY, WITH NO WARNING CANNOT START YOUR VEHICLE. THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO TOW CAR TO A DEALER, WHICH WILL CHARGE YOU A LARGE AMOUNT ($1000 OR MORE) TO REPLACE IT. THIS SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF AN IMMEDIATE RECALL AS THIS HAS LONG BEEN A PROBLEM. MINE FAILED SOON AFTER THE WARRANTY EXTENSION EXPIRED. WHY ALLOW UNLIMITED MILEAGE, YET NOT UNLIMITED TIME? THE CAR HAS BEEN UNMOVED FOR MONTHS NOW WHILE PAYMENTS ARE STILL BEING MADE ON IT.