2009 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

I WAS TRYING TO LEAVE WORK AFTER HAVING NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR STARTING AND IT WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY. I AM THE ONLY ONE WORKING IN THE HOME AND IT IS APPROACHING CHRISTMAS. I NOW HAVE NO CAR TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK DUE TO THE STEERING LOCK BEING FAULTY. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I SEEN THAT SEVERAL OTHER NISSAN MODELS FOR 2009 WERE RECALLED FOR THE EXACT SAME PART NUMBER. HOW WERE ALL MODELS THAT HAVE THIS PART NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL???

ON THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, AFTER WALKING OUT OF TARGET, I UNLOCKED MY CAR AND FOUND MY CAR WOULD NOT START WITH THE KEY FOB. MY STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I WAS A FEMALE STRANDED ALONE IN A TARGET PARKING LOT. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF TRYING TO GET MY CAR TO START, A WOMAN WITH LITERALLY A BABY ON HER HIP OFFERED TO USE JUMPER CABLES. THEN A MAN CAME TO HELP WHEN HE SAW HER HELPING ME. IT WAS NOT A BATTERY ISSUE, SO THE JUMPER CABLES DID NOT HELP. I WENT INTO THE STORE AND REPLACED MY KEY FOB BATTERY JUST IN CASE. IT WAS NOT A KEY FOB ISSUE. TWO HOURS LATER, MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND CONFIRMED IT WAS A STEERING LOCK ISSUE. MEANWHILE, I'M RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND RECURRING ISSUE WITH 2009 NISSAN ALTIMAS. HOWEVER, SINCE MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT UNDER THE RECALL, IT WAS NOT COVERED. IT IS THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, MY ONLY FAMILY IS OUT OF TOWN, AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE OVER $400 FOR A KNOWN ISSUE THAT IS NOT BEING RECALLED OR TAKEN CARE OF. I AM FORCED TO PAY OR I DON'T HAVE A DRIVABLE CAR OR A WAY TO SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY FOR THE HOLIDAY. I WAS PUT UNDER IMMENSE FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS DUE TO THIS SITUATION.

LEAVING FROM WORK I GOT INTO MY VEHICLE AND NOTICED A YELLOW KEY INDICATOR LIGHT. I PROCEEDED TO STEP ON MY BRAKE TO START MY ENGINE AND MY CAR DID NOT START. ONCE DOING RESEARCH ABOUT THE PROBLEM I BEGAN TO SEE THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH OWNERS OF THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. I THEN LEARNED THAT MY CAR WOULDN'T START DUE A FAULTY STEERING COLUMN LOCKING THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS STOPPED ME FROM PUTTING MY CAR IN THE ON POSITION OR CONTROLLING MY GEAR SHIFT. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS IN A SAFE PARKING LOT BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM COULD'VE CAUSED A HUGE INCONVENIENCE OR PUT ME IN DANGER. NISSAN REFUSES TO RECALL THIS PART AND CONTINUES TO PUT MANY NISSAN OWNERS IN THIS UNSAFE SITUATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO THE RUSTY WALLACE NISSAN (865-687-6111, LOCATED AT 4515 CLINTON HWY, KNOXVILLE, TN 37912). THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND RECALL ONCE BEFORE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAME PART WAS REPLACED IN 2014 AND AGAIN IN 2019 BY THE SAME DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *PM*JB

MY WIFE DRIVES OUR 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S TO WORK ON 3RD SHIFT AND ON HER LUNCH BREAK GOES TO HER CAR AND TAKES A NAP WITH THE CAR RUNNING AND WAS COMPLAINING TO ME FOR A MONTH OR MORE THAT SHE HAS THIS SMELL IN HER CAR LIKE A "GAS SMELL" AND ALSO WAS COMPLAINING OF BEING TIRED AND NAUSEOUS WHEN I SPOKE WITH HER ABOUT IT. I NOTICED HER CAR WAS ABNORMALLY LOUDER WHEN SHE STARTED IT AT HOME AND IT HAD NOT BEEN RUN THAT DAY. I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THIS IS FROM A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND MY WIFE AND I ARE VERY LUCKY SHE WAS NOT KILLED FROM THE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING SHE WAS RECEIVING WHILE SITTING IN HER CAR WHILE IT WAS IDLING ON HER BREAK. THE EXHAUST FUMES WERE BEING BROUGHT INTO THE CAB OF HER CAR FROM THE CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD, THRU THE VENTS FROM THE OUTSIDE HVAC AIR DUCTS UNDER THE HOOD IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I NEVER COULD SMELL A "GAS SMELL" WHICH I ASSUMED SHE MEANT GASOLINE OR POSSIBLY A COOLANT SMELL FROM A LEAKING HEATER CORE AND SO I BLEW IT OFF UNTIL I MYSELF HAD TO USE THE CAR AND I QUICKLY REALIZED IT WAS AN EXHAUST GAS SMELL SHE WAS SMELLING AND IT NEARLY CAUSED ME TO BECOME UNCONSCIOUS WHILE DRIVING AT WHICH TIME I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND RETURNED HOME WITH THE CAR. I RESEARCHED THIS SAME EXHAUST GAS LEAK WITH THIS CAR AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON BUT HAS YET TO TRIGGER A RECALL . MOST LIKELY DUE TO NO ONE BEING KILLED FROM THE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AND THANK GOD MY WIFE WAS NOT THE FIRST. I WILL BE ORDERING A COMPLETE EXHAUST SYSTEM NEW FOR REPAIRS AS TO NOT MISS ANY UNSEEN ISSUES WITH THE CAR HAVING 101,000 MILES . I DO EXPECT COMPLETE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE BILL FROM NISSAN .

I AM HAVING A STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILURE ON MY 2009 NISSAN. THERE ARE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL FOR OTHER 2009 NISSAN ( NOT SURE WHY) WHICH MAKES NO SENSE. THE CAR DID NOT START WHAT SO EVER AND STUCK WITH A TODDLER IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING NISSAN MADE THAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF.

WE ARE OWNERS OF ONE OF THE "MELTING DASH" ALTIMAS MODEL YEAR 2009. THE GLARE THAT THE DASH PROJECTS ONTO THE WINDSHIELD IN SUNNY CONDITIONS IS A SAFETY HAZZARD. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, WE HAVE ALMOST HIT OTHER CARS OR PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE BAD REFLECTION IN THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE MELTED DASH. WE HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN, BUT THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN FIXING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE BEFORE ANYONE IS KILLED OR INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.

THIS VEHICLE WILL NOT OPERATE IF IT'S DRIVEN FOR MORE THAN 45 MINUTES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE POWER TRAIN GOES INTO A NEUTRAL MODE. IT THEN REQUIRES A PULL OVER ONTO A FREEWAY TO ALLOW IT TO COOL DOWN FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL WORK. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS OUTSIDE. WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS LOWER THAN 50 MILES PER HOUR IT DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. PER THE NISSAN MECHANICS THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE CVT AND THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE CVT. WE HAVE TRIED A TRANSMISSION COOLER BUT THAT DOES NOT WORK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT REQUIRES THE VEHICLE TO BE STOPPED AND TURNED OFF FOR 20 MINUTES WHICH CAN BE A BIG SAFETY PROBLEM AS IT WOULD REQUIRE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY OR, IF ABLE, SITTING IN THE VEHICLE IN AN UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE CVT TRANSMISSION HAS GIVEN ME MAJOR PROBLEMS AFTER DRIVING FOR 60+ MILES. UP UNTIL THEN IT DOES FINE JUST AS IT HAS ALWAYS DONE AROUND TOWN DRIVING. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR AND HALF OF DRIVING THE VEHICLES STOPS ALLOWING YOU TO GO OVER 40 MPH AND I FOUND THAT THIS IS CALLED 'LIMP MODE' WHICH IS TO PROTECT THE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAR IS NOT EVEN GETTING OVER HEATED WHATSOEVER AT ALL. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED BY NISSAN AND THOUGHT THIS WOULD FIX THE ISSUE BUT NO SUCH LUCK. WHEN YOU HAVE A CAR THAT YOU GOT BRAND NEW AND HAVE TAKEN CARE OF IT AND LOW MILEAGE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE SOMEWHERE THAT IS MORE THAN AN HOUR AWAY. MY CAR IS UNABLE TO BE TAKEN ON ANY ROAD TRIP WHATSOEVER. I HAVE HAD MYSELF IN SOME UNFORTUNATE SITUATIONS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS GOOD TO GO ON A ROAD TRIP THE NEXT DAY AS I HAD EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM AND WAS ASSURED THAT I COULD SAFELY MAKE THE TRIP. LOW AND BEHOLD SIXTY MILES OUT OF TOWN I COULD ONLY GO 40MPH ON A HIGHWAY WITH A 75 SPEED LIMIT. NISSAN DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR ME. I WAS 100 MILES AWAY FROM ANYWHERE I COULD GET HELP WHICH IS ALL NISSAN TOLD ME TO DO WAS BRING IT IN TO A DEALERSHIP! I DID JUST THAT BEFORE MY TRIP TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND IT WASN'T FIXED. WHAT AM I TO DO?

THERE'S A LOUD CRUNCHING AND CRACKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT. I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I HEARD THIS. I ALSO FOUND LOOSE BALL BEARINGS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDER THE WHEEL. IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS THE TOP RUNG OF THE SPRING HAS BROKEN OFF ON BOTH SIDES. UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATOR RECALL 09 V 35800