2009 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY CAR WOULD NOT START THE IGNITION AFTER LOCKING IT. EVEN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WON'T COME UP. FORTUNATELY I WAS IN THE CITY AND COULD GET IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) HAD GONE CORRUPT. WHEN I SEARCHED ON INTERNET, IT APPEARED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA MODELS. HOWEVER THERE IS RECALL ISSUED BY THE COMPANY. I HAD TO GET THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK REPLACED AT MY OWN COST, WHICH WAS OVER $700. I WAS LUCKY THAT IT HAPPENED WITHIN CITY LIMITS. HAD I BEEN AT A REMOTE PLACE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A LOT OF TROUBLE. THIS IS A CLEAR CASE OF NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY. WHEN IT IS KNOWN THAT ESCL IS A PROBLEM FOR 2009 ALTIMA'S THEN THE COMPANY SHOULD AT LEAST GET THE PART REPLACED. UTTERLY DISAPPOINTED WITH NISSAN. IT'S CERTAIN THAT I'LL DEFINITELY NOT BE BUYING A NISSAN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

MY DAUGHTER 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA WHICH SHE BROUGHT FROM TURNERSVILLE NISSAN IN TURNERSVILLE NJ FEB LAST YEAR 2016 HER CAR WOULD NOT START COME FIND OUT IT WAS STEERING WHEEL LOCK DEFECT WHICH WAS RECALL FOR THAT THEY TELLING HER RECALL DATE ENDED THEY KNOW GOING CHARGE HER 900 DOLLARS FIX IT IF KNEW RECALL SHE SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED IT AT NISSAN PLACE AS OF 1 DAY AGO FOR RECALL PROBLEM AND IF NISSAN KNEW OF RECALLS WITH STEERING THEY SHOULD LET PERSON KNOW WHEN PURCHASE CAR OF ANY RECALLS SHE SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED FOR THIS AN IF SHE WAS DRIVING THAT DAY SHE COULD GOTTEN HURT WHEN CAR JUST DID NOT START AND SHOULD NOT BE A TIME FRAME ON RECALLS THEY TOLD HER SHE MISSED IT THAT WHY SHE HAVE PAY I DISAGREE. *TR

MY CAR WOULDN'T START, WITH NO WARMING OR INDICATOR. THANKFULLY, FOR MY SAFETY, IT WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE OVERNIGHT, HOWEVER, THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS SITUATION. I LOOKED THROUGH THE MANUAL AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CAR HAS A DEFECTIVE STEERING WHEEL LOCK THAT WILL COST AROUND $1,000. THIS IS A COMMON AND KNOWN PROBLEM WHICH NISSAN IS APPARENTLY AWARE OF, SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THEM RECALL THIS PART.

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK MALFUNCTIONED, LEAVING THE CAR ENTIRELY INCAPABLE OF STARTING. THE CAR HAD BEEN SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS AT WORK, SNOW HAD STARTED TO FALL AND IT DIPPED INTO FREEZING TEMPERATURES. I WENT TO LEAVE WORK LATE AT NIGHT ONLY TO FIND I COULD NOT START THE CAR DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS. THE KEY FOB ALLOWED ME TO UNLOCK AND LOCK MY DOORS, AND THERE WAS POWER TO THE CAR AS THE INTERIOR LIGHTS POWERED ON, BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT I HAD A KEY (AND A SPARE KEY) PRESENT. INSERTING IT IN THE KEY SLOT DID NOTHING. IT WOULDN'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO START IF I PUSHED THE "START" BUTTON. NISSAN QUOTED AROUND $1100 TO REPAIR THE CAR ONCE I MANAGED TO GET AHOLD OF SOMEONE AT THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. NOT HAVING $1100, I REPAIRED IT BY BANGING ON THE ESCL WITH A WRENCH UNTIL THE ESCL DISENGAGED, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO POWER THE CAR TO THE "ON" POSITION, STARTED THE CAR, AND PULLED THE FUSE FOR THE ESCL TO PREVENT IT FROM ENGAGING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. IT HAS STARTED UP EVERY TIME SINCE I'VE DISABLED THIS PART, BUT IT TOOK SOME MAJOR RESEARCH ON MY PART TO FIND A WORKAROUND. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE FULLY RECALLED, IN MY OPINION, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS BEING A PROPRIETARY NISSAN PART AND SAFETY HAZARD. HAD I NOT HAD A COWORKER WAIT BEHIND WITH ME TO GIVE ME A SLOW AND SLIPPERY RIDE HOME (TOW TRUCKS HAD 3 HOUR WAITS THAT NIGHT DUE TO ICE), I'D HAVE FOUND MYSELF FROZEN, AND THEN WHO KNOWS WHAT BEING THAT ALL BUSINESS SHUT DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I WAS AT A GAS STATION IN A UNSAFE AREA (HIGH CRIME) AND MY CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP. MY CAR WENT INTO "LOCK MODE", AFTER RESEARCH THE STEERING LOCK CAN MALFUNCTION ON THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. LOOKS LIKE THE WARRANTY USED TO BE 8 YEARS AND IT WAS CHANGED TO 6 YEARS. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE 8TH YEAR FOR ME. I WAS TERRIFIED BEING STUCK WITH NO RIDE. IT TOOK ME AN HOUR TO FIND SOMEONE TO PICK ME UP. I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR OVERNIGHT. IF THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WHY WAS THE WARRANTY SHORTENED? OR WHY IS THERE NOT A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THIS PART? BEING STRANDED FOR AN ISSUE THAT IS THE MANUFACTURERS FAULT IS UNACCEPTABLE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARED IN MY LIFE THAN I WAS LAST NIGHT. I SAT IN MY CAR WAITING FOR A TOW. I AM A FEMALE AND I HAD MULTIPLE MEN APPROACH MY CAR. TERRIFIED. UNSAFE. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MUCH WORSE BUT IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND UNDER WARRANTY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMALLY LOUD NOISE FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS FAILED AT TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

DROVE HOME FROM WORK ONE DAY WITH NO ISSUES. THEN A COUPLE HOURS LATER, I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND THERE WAS A STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION MAKING THE CAR IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN ON. COST TO FIX WITH TOW NEARLY $1200.

I WAS READY TO GO HOME AT THE LIGHTRAIL STATION AND I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO START. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND COLD, PLUS THE STATION IS IN A NOT-SO-SAFE PLACE. I HAD TO CALL MY WIFE TO COME WITH OUR 5 WEEK OLD INFANT IN HER CAR TO GET AAA. THE AAA GUY COULD NOT FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEN WE TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALER. AND WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT DAY TO FIND OUT THAT THE STEERING LOCK WAS BAD. AND IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE TO NISSAN AND THEY DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL. INSTEAD NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR ESCL. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS PAST THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. AND I HAD TO PAY OVER $1100 TO FIX SOME DEFETIVE PART. SHAME ON NISSAN. NOW THERE WILL BE LESS DIAPER FOR MY BABY AND DEFINITELY WON'T BE A NISSAN CUSTOMER AGAIN.

AFTER MY 4.5 HR. SHIFT AT THE HOSPITAL, I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR & IT WOULDN'T START. IT SHOWED "NO KEY". I HAD BATTERY POWER BUT THE OWNER'S MANUAL SHOWED THAT THE FOB WAS NOT CONNECTING TO THE CAR. I WAS STRANDED AND IT WAS BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES. THE NEXT DAY AFTER CHANGING THE BATTERIES IN THE FOB, MY SON BROUGHT ME TO THE CAR. STILL NO STARTING IT. WE HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO A DEALER WHO PROCEEDED TO CHARGE ME $1301 DOLLARS TO FIX. IT WAS THE "DEFECTIVE STEERING LOCK MODULE" (EXACT WORDS ON THE BILL) AND I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. THE DEALER DIDN'T KNOW WHY MY BATTERY WAS AFFECTED BUT IT WOULD NO LONGER HOLD A CHARGE. WHEN I LOOKED ON EBAY FOR THE STEERING PART, IT WAS $350. NISSAN CHARGED ME DOUBLE. I ASKED THE DEALER WHY THE DOUBLE CHARGE, THEY SAID "WHO KNOWS, CALL NISSAN." WHEN I ASKED WHY THIS "DEFECTIVE PART" WAS NOT RECALLED, THE REPLY WAS "NISSAN OFFERED AN EXTENSION ON THE WARRANTY. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED." THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THERE WAS NO WARNING OF IT'S GOING OUT AND NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT IT.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). I AM WRITING ON BEHALF OF MY 80 YEAR OLD PARENTS. THIS 2009 ALTIMA IS THEIR ONLY VEHICLE AND SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. AT WORK LAST WEEK, MY MOTHER WAS HEADED HOME TO CHECK ON MY FATHER WHO HAS RECENTLY HAD A STROKE. HER VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. AFTER CONVERSATIONS WITH DEALERS WHO ARE 75+ MILES AWAY, WE DETERMINED THAT HER STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM HAD FAILED. THIS RENDERED THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THIS PART WAS REPLACED FOR $1055, (NOT INCLUDING TOWING FEE, $327). THIS IS THE SAME PART THAT NISSAN HAD ISSUED AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY" ON FOR 6 YEARS WITH FREE REPLACEMENT AND UNLIMITED MILEAGE RESTRICTION. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY HAVE YET BEEN UNCOMPROMISING THAT THIS IS NOW AN OUT OF WARRANTY REPAIR. STILL YET, THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PART FOR FAILURE AND NEVER CONTACTED MY PARENTS REGARDING THIS POSSIBLE ISSUE. THIS CAR HAD 43,989 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A WORN OUT CUSHION ON A SEAT THAT COULD EASILY BE OVERLOOKED IF FAILURE OCCURRED. INSTEAD, THIS RENDERS THE VEHICLE UN-OPERABLE AND COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT A TIME OF GREATER NEED. IF THE PART HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WAS DISCONTINUED ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE ALTIMA, WHY WAS IT NOT RECALLED? THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS A BANDAID ON A LARGE WOUND. PERHAPS THE LOW NUMBER OF MILES NEVER LET THIS CAR BE CYCLED AS OFTEN IN ORDER FOR THE FAILURE TO OCCUR PRIOR TO THE 6 YEAR CUTOFF. STILL YET, A BILL OF NEARLY $1400 HAS BEEN GENERATED FOR TWO SENIOR ADULTS WHO LIVE ON A FIXED INCOME, BUT DO STILL RELY ON THEIR VEHICLE. AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY SHOULD COVER THEIR EXPENSES. IT HAS BEEN AN INCONVENIENCE, BUT COULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING A TIME OF MEDICAL NEED FOR THEM. PLEASE HELP, IF POSSIBLE. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, [XXX] C/O [XXX] *DL