2009 Nissan Altima

I WENT TO DRIVE HOME AFTER WORK AND WHEN I GOT INTO THE CAR THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL EXCEPT FOR THE INTELLIGENT KEY AND SECURITY INDICATOR LIGHTS. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT EVEN START TO TURN OVER. I NOTICED ALL OF THE LOCKS AND HEADLIGHTS STILL WORKED SO I KNEW IT WAS NOT AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED IN THE DAYTIME AND I WAS NOT LEFT, STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND/OR I HARSH CONDITIONS, THOUGH I HAVE READ ON FORUMS ABOUT OTHERS WHO WERE NOT SO LUCKY. UPON CALLING THE TOW TRUCK AND BEING TAKEN TO THE NISSAN SERVICE STATION, I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THERE THAT MY CAR PROBLEM COULD BE CAUSED BY EITHER A MALFUNCTION TO THE KEY FOB OR WITH THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT IT SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE PROBLEMS THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER CUSTOMERS HAD WITH THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL. THE NEXT DAY, I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPT. THAT IT WAS INDEED THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL (PART #48700-9N00B) WHICH WAS RESPONSIBLE OF THE CAR NOT WORKING. MY CAR IS NOT EVEN 3 1/2 YEARS OLD AND LOOKING AT THE ACCUMULATED MILEAGE, HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN EXTENSIVELY. THIS, COMPOUNDED WITH THE FACT THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF NISSAN CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PART MALFUNCTION ON THE SAME EXACT YEAR AND MODEL OF CAR WITH THE EXACT OR CLOSE MILEAGE IS VERY TELLING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE PART. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A CAR AS YOUNG AS MINE/THE OTHERS INVOLVED SHOULD BE HAVING A MAJOR AND EXTREMELY COSTLY MALFUNCTION SUCH AS THIS ONE. CLEARLY THIS PART IS FAULTY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *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

03/06/2013, MY HUSBAND ATTEMPTED TO PICK ME UP FROM THE TRAIN STATION, AND MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE WOULD NOT START. WE CONTACTED THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHOM GAVE US A COUPLE OF OPTIONS, PLACE THE KEY IN THE PORT, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND GET THE SPARE KEY, NOTHING, WORKED! SO THE LAST OPTION WAS TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. FIRST, IT HAD TO BE TOWED THERE, A DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE, IT WAS STATED THAT STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT WAS NEEDED, THIS WAS A WHOOPING $800.00. NOW I READ THE FORUM ON THIS AND THIS IS A MONOPOLY, EVERY ONE WHOM COMMENTED WHOSE MILEAGE WAS BETWEEN 30, 000 TO 60,000, THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. NOW THIS DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE RECALLED IF YOU ADD UP EVERYONE WHOM HAS SPENT $800 OR MORE TO GET THIS PRICE FIXED AND IS TRULY OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. ITS REALLY SHAME THAT PEOPLE WHOM WANT A NICE CAR HAVE THE PAY SUCH AN EXPENSE, THIS WAS MY FIRST CAR IN 10 YEARS AND WAS REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF AND STILL AM AND HAVE RECOMMENDED OTHER NISSANS TO MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY BUT MY I AM TRULY UPSET THAT ONLY AFTER HAVING MY CAR LESS THAN A YEAR, I HAD TO INCUR SUCH A MAJOR EXPENSE LIKE THIS ONE. PLEASE RECALL THIS! WE NEED A STOP TO THE MADNESS!!!!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCK FAILED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE CONTACT TOM MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO START THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ENGAGED ERRONEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK UNIT MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,050. *TR

WHILE OVER 700 MILES AWAY FROM HOME IN MINNESOTA WINTER WEATHER, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER TRYING TO JUMP THE BATTERY, CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON RADIO, ETC.. I WAS STRANDED AND HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED THE NEXT DAY TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM (PART NUMBER 48700-9N00B) HAD BROKE NOT ALLOWING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK SO CAR WOULD START. THE CAR ONLY HAS 34,545 MILES ON IT, HOWEVER, AGE OF CAR IS 3 YR 5 MONTH SO NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT AN ALARMING NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS DUE TO THE SAME ISSUE WITH REPAIRS RUNNING $1,000 ON AVERAGE HAVE BEEN FOUND. I AND OTHERS FEEL THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED OR COVERED MY THE MANUFACTURER. IT IS UNREASONABLE THAT HIS PARTICULAR PART WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACE AS MANY TIMES AS IT HAS. BY LEAVING CONSUMERS STRANDED AND UNABLE TO OPERATE THEIR CARS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART NOT ONLY BECOMES NUISANCE, BUT IN MY OPINION, A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

STARTED THE CAR ONE COLD MORNING AND IT RAN FINE. STOPPED FOR COFFEE AT STARBUCKS CAME OUT AND THE CAR DID NOT START, DID NOT CLICK, DID NOTHING. TURNS OUT, THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER WHICH COST $85.00, THEN EVALUATED $120.00, THEN REPAIRED FOR A BROKE STEERING MECHANISM LOCK $940.00. I RETURNED TO REVIEW THIS PROBLEM ON LINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME CONDITION. I AM ALSO TOLD THIS WAS CORRECTED FOR THE 2010 MODELS. WHY IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS CONDITION? I PLAN TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP TO RECOVER MY MONEY... *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

2009, NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. WOULD NOT START, YELLOW ILLUMINATING KEY IN LEFT HAND CORNER. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP SAID COULD BE ONE OF 3 THINGS. I TOLD HIM I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT WAS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM. HE CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM. COST WOULD BE 900 WHICH INCLUDED A FREIGHT FEE OF 50.67. FIRST TIME EVER FOR A SHIPPING FEE AT A CAR DEALERSHIP. MILEAGE IS 60,149. *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 THE START BUTTON FOR THE IGNITION WOULD NOT START THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING LOCK LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE STEERING LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER RESPONDED AS IF THIS WAS AN ISOLATED ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,915. UPDATED 3/28/13 *CN UPDATED 05/10/2013 *JS