NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Nissan Altima. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
I PURCHASED A NISSAN ALTIMA 09 AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES UNTIL 8/03/17. AS I WENT TO TURN THE CAR ON A LIGHT CAME UP ON THE DASH BOARD INDICATING THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING LOCK. I FIGURED IT WAS A QUICK FIX SO I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S A FAULTY STEERING LOCK AND ASKED FOR ME TO BRING MY CAR IN. I HAD TO CALL OUT OF WORK TO TRY AND RESOLVE THIS ONGOING ISSUE. I LOOKED ON ONLINE FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND COULDN'T FIND ANY BUT I DID FIND THAT MANY NISSAN ALTIMA 09 OWNERS WERE DEALING WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NO WARRANTY ON MY CAR BUT THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO FIX MY CAR SO I WON'T BE STRANDED AND WON'T HAVE TO PAY 600$ FOR A SMALL PART...
MY AIR BAGS DO NOT WORK ON THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE. THEY HAVE STOPPED WORKING FOR SOME TIME NOW. THE LIGHT IS STEADY BLEAKING ON THE DASH SHOWING ITS NOT WORKING.
THE PUSH-BUTTON STARTER SYSTEM FAILED, LEAVING ME STRANDED. THIS IS A STEERING LOCK ISSUE VERY COMMON TO THIS MAKE AND MODEL.
MY NISSAN ALTIMA WAS IN A 4+ ROLLOVER AT @65 MPH, WEST BOUND ON I-8 NEAR BOULEVARD CALIFORNIA ABOUT DAWN AND JUST EAST OF SANDIEGO . WHEN A SUDDEN RAIN DOWNBURST, THE CAR HYDROPLANED AND LEFT THE ROAD AND PROCEEDED TO ROLL 4+ TIMES. I HAVE YET TO SEE THE ACCIDENT REPORT. THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND NEITHER DID THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR BAGS. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR BAGS DEPLOYED BUT THE PASSENGERS DO NOT RECALL THEM AIRING UP. USAA HAS THE VEHICLE IN SANDIEGO SOMEWHERE. I FEEL THE PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IN A MULTIPLE SIDE ROLLOVER.... THE OCCUPANTS WERE AT HUGE RISK BUT FOR THE GRACE AND HANDS OF GOD, THEY WALKED AWAY, THOUGH I FEEL THAT THE CHP SHOULD HAVE FORCED A 4 YOUNG ADULTS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, INSTEAD EVERYONE LEAVING THE SCENE AFTER GATHERING LUGGAGE AND SUCH. INJURIES ARE UNKNOWN, BUT TYPICAL OF BEING ROLLED AT HIGH SPEED NUMEROUS TIMES, BEING SHAKEN, BRUISED, SKELETAL ALIGNMENT DISRUPTED ETC...
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE GOES INTO LIMP MODE AND THE SPEED DRASTICALLY DECREASES AND LOSES ALL POWER! THERE IS NO WARNINGS.
THE WON'T START DUE TO THE STEERING WHEEL WON'T LOCK SO THE CAR WON'T START
THE CAR WILL NOT START. THE DASH LIGHTS AND RADIO COME ON AND THE "ON" INDICATOR IS LIT WHERE THE PUSH BUTTON IS. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE DOES NOT START.
TRAVELING UP HILL MY CAR LOSES POWER AND GOES TO SOME KIND OF SAFTY MODE AND ITS VERT SCARY IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN' IN THE CAR
THE NISSAN ALTIMA'S CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE IN A YEAR. ALSO, THE STRUTS HAVE CRACKS IN THEM AS WELL.
FRONT STRUTS HAVE CRACKS IN THEM. ALSO, THE CAR IS ON ITS CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
COMING HOME FROM FLORIDA IN 2013, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. WE WERE ABLE TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO ANY FASTER. ONCE WE STOPPED AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR 15-20 MINUTES, WE WERE ABLE TO GO ANOTHER 100-150 MILES BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TWICE DRIVING HOME FROM MURFREESBORO. WE WENT TO FLORIDA FOR VACATION THIS YEAR AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY THERE AND ON THE WAY HOME. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AND TALKING TO SOME MECHANICS, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE ONCE THE ENGINE GETS HOT THE CAR LOSES ALL POWER. NO WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND ONCE YOU STOP THE CAR AND LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN IT RUNS FINE
STEERING WHEEL LOCK UNIT FAILURE. MY CAR WAS ALL OF THE SUDDEN DEAD AT HOME DEPOT THE OTHER DAY AND THIS WAS THE SECOND TIMES IT HAPPENED. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED BUT I WAS ABLED TO START MY CAR THE NEXT DAY SO I THOUGHT IT WAS OK. UNTIL COUPLE DAYS AGO IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND THIS TIME I HAD TO TOW MY CAR TO THE SHOP TO HAVE IT CHECK. THE SHOP CHECKED IT AND TOLD ME IT WAS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK BOX PROBLEM. I HAVE SEARCHING ONLINE AND HERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM HAPPENING TO THEIR 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS ISSUE SND HAVE NISSAN TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I GO UP. HILL I LOSE POWER CANT DRIVE UNTIL THE TRANMISSION COOLS DOWN
FUEL PUMP WENT OUT MILEAGE #135828 ON MY ALTIMA 2009 2.5S. INITIALLY THE CAR WOULD FEEL LIKE IT WAS GOING TOTALLY USUALLY AFTER EXCITING THE FREEWAY. IT TOTALLY WENT OUT WHILE PARKED. IT WOULD TRY TO TURN OVER WITH NO LOCK.MODELS 2.5L 4 CYLINDER AND 3.5L V6 YEARS 1993 / 2002-2013 MILEAGE 136212 HAVE BEEN RECALLED. IS IT POSSIBLE TO INVESTIGATE THE 2009 2.5S?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND DECELERATED. THE RPMS WERE BETWEEN 4 AND 5. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK, AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. WHEN THE CONTACT BEGAN DRIVING AGAIN, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO PULL AND HESITATE, FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS, AND THE TRANSMISSION MADE A WHINING NOISE AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (NISSAN ALTIMA IN SCHERTZ, TX) AND WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD HAD TO PAY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 157,000.
TAKATA RECALL CAN'T DRIVE TOO FAR CUZ LOSING POWER AFTER HOUR....WE CANT GO TO FAMILY VACATION ON LONG TRIPIF ITS LOWER THAN $200 THAT'S OK BUT IF IT'S CVT TRANSMISSION IT'S WAY OVER MY BUDGET IT'S COST OVER $5,000......I LOOK OVER ON GOOGLE N SEEN A LOTS OF PPL HAD THIS PROBLEM.....
DASH BOARD IS MELTING
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON REGULAR ROADS ABOUT TO GET ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WITH ALL FUNCTIONS PERFECTLY WORKING. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT ACTIVATE BY THE TOGGLE SWITCH, HOWEVER THE HAZARD BUTTON WOULD ACTIVATE THEM. THEN MY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF ON THEIR OWN(THIS WAS AT 2 AM IN PITCH DARK AREA AND RAINING). I TRIED TURNING THE SWITCH ALL THE WAY OFF THEN BACK ON AFTER PULLING OVER, NOTHING WORKED EVEN WITH TURNING MY CAR OFF ENTIRELY THEN BACK ON. MY HEADLIGHTS WOULDN'T WORK, BLINKERS NOR MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR HAD ANY OTHER FAILURES. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DONE AS AN OPERATOR. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WENT WRONG AT THE FACTORY WHEN THE CAR WAS BUILT. I AM ONLY WRITING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS A HUGE CONCERN AS I HAD TO FIND MY WAY HOME WITH ONLY MY HAZARD LIGHTS BLINKING EVERY OTHER SECOND. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART THAT FAILED WAS A "BODY CONTROL MODULE IS $919.35, PART, LABOR" WHICH IS AN INSANE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR 1 PART. HOWEVER IT IS SO EXPENSIVE BECAUSE ONCE REPLACED THE ENTIRE CAR AND KEY FOBS NEED TO BE REPROGRAMMED BY NISSAN AND ONLY A AUTHORIZED NISSAN DEALER CAN ACQUIRE SAID PROGRAMMING TOOLS/SOFTWARE. SURE MY CAR IS A 2009 HOWEVER THE DEALER SAID THIS IS VERY UNCOMMON TO RANDOMLY SHORT OUT IN GENERAL BUT ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE OF HOW DANGEROUS THE EFFECTS CAN BE EVEN WITH THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. I LOVE MY CAR BUT ADDING THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT CONTROLS ALL THESE FUNCTIONS WITHOUT A FAIL SAFE IS AN AWFUL METHOD OF PRODUCTION. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE I FELT THE NEED TO SHARE IT WITH THE NISSAN OWNER COMMUNITY.
"TAKATA RECALL" ON THURSDAY, MAY 11TH, 2017, I LEFT FOR AN APPOINTMENT. AFTER THE APPOINTMENT, I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS A BIT STIFF. I TRIED THE BATTERY, BUT NO RELIEF. I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE IT TOWED. AFTER MUCH READING, I REALIZED THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH NISSAN.
STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED
VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND THE STEERING COLUMN WENT OUT. VEHICLE WILL NOT START, SEEMS THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HAS NOT HAPPENED.
AFTER LEAVING THE HOUSE FOR WORK MY CAR WOULDN'T START. I PAID TO HAVE SOME COME OUT THINKING IT COULD POSSIBLY BE BATTERY OR STARTER RELATED. COM TO FIND OUT NISSAN HAS ISSUED A ESCL SERVICE CAMPAIGN ON LIKE VEHICLES. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE AND THAT IT NEED TO BE FIXED. THANK GOD I WAS AT HOME WHEN IT HAPPENED OTHERWISE THEIR NEGLIGENCE COULD'VE LEFT ME IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. I NOW HAVE TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET FIXED BUT I'M NOW LEFT WONDERING WHAT ELSE COULD THEY BE HIDING. MY MOTHER HAS THE SAME CAR AND SHE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AS WELL.
STEERING IS LOCK AND IT DOES TURN ON AND IT NEVER DID THIS IT WORK GOOD
CPSC:MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN LITTLE OVER 2 MINUTES. WHOLE CAR BURNED. *BF UPDATED 05/10/2017*JS
TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD (1 HOUR+) IN WARM WEATHER (80 DEGREES+). VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY LOSES POWER, WITH RPMS NEVER REACHING ABOVE 2000, DRASTICALLY REDUCING ACCELERATION AND SPEED. DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, THIS CREATES A SERIOUS DANGER. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER TWO YEARS NOW.
MY NISSAN ALTIMA HAS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK. THERE IS A RECALL CAMPAIGN IN PLACE BUT MY VIN DOESNT QUALIFY EVEN THOU ITS ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALERSHIP IS ASKING 1003 TO FIX THIS. KINDLY HELP
I BOUGHT THE CAR AT ROUGHLY 54K MILES. APPROXIMATELY AROUND 62K, THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR. I WORK ON RESIDENTIAL AC UNITS. MY PRESSURES ARE EQUALIZED. I BYPASSED THE PRESSURE SWITCH TEMPORARILY DURING DIAGNOSTICS TO SEE IF THE PRESSURE SWITCH WAS THE ISSUE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED WHEN BYPASSED.THE ISSUE IS EITHER THE CLUTCH SPECIFICALLY OR THE COMPRESSOR IS BAD. HERE RECENTLY, I HAVE NOTICED A "JERKING" MOTION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS WILL BE THE SHIFT SOLENOID OR THE CVT. CVT FLUID IS GOOD. THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN GOING ON WITH 2009 ALTIMAS FOR OVER 8 YEARS NOW. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL? WHAT IS REQUIRED TO GET A RECALL IN EFFECT? THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS REGARDING CVTS, START/STOP PROCEDURES, AND AC PROBLEMS, BUT NOT ONE RECALL CONCERNING THIS HAS HAPPENED. NISSAN REFUSES TO HELP.
I PURCHASED MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA IN JANUARY OF 2017.. BY MAY 2017 I NOTICED AS THE CLIMATE CHANGED MY DASH WAS STICKY AND IF YOUR FINGER SCRAPED IT PIECES WOULD COME PFF.. I NOTICED MY DASH WAS MELTING AS THE SUMMER WENT ON AND IT WAS STICKY AND DUST OR A WASH CLOTH I USED TO CLEAN IT PARTICLES WERE STICKING TO THE DASH. WHEN THE SUN IS OUT THE SUN HITS SPOTS WHERE IT BLINDS YOU DRIVING DUE TO THE DASH MELTING..THE DASH SHOULD NOT MELT IN A CAR AND ITS A REAL ISSUE THAT NOW EVEN THOUGH I LOVE MY CAR I WANT TO GET RID OF IT DUE TO THE DASH MELTING.
TRANSMISSION BROKE AT 119,000, WAS FIXED, JUST UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. BEGAN WHINING, WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A TRANSMISSION COOLER, INSTALLED FOR $1,000+. NOW, AT 149,000 TRANSMISSION HAS BROKEN AGAIN. IT WAS IN MOTION WHEN IT ACCELERATION QUIT ON A CITY STREET.
SEVERAL THINGS ARE WRONG OR GONE BAD. NISSAN SUPPOSE TO BE AWESOME VEHICLES WITH GOOD REPUTATION BUT TELL YOU IF I HAD KNOWN OR COULD HAVE FOR SEEN ALL THE TROUBLE, WOW. 1. HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH STEERING WHEEL LOCKING, OK THAT WAS FIXED IT HAS DONE IT AGAIN. MODULE IS BAD. 2. HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION VERY COSTLY 3000, AND WAS TOLD THAT IN A COUPLE YRS WOULD NEED IT AGAIN. PUSH BUTTON START IS PART OF THE LOCKING ISSUE SO WHY IS THIS NOT FIXED FROM WHAT I HAVE READ IT'S AN ONGOING PROBLEM, ACTUALLY THE SAME ISSUES WITH MY 2009 ALTIMA IS EXACTLY WHAT THOUSANDS OF OTHERS ARE GOING THROUGH, WHY IS THIS NOT FIXED WHY ARE WE ALL STILL HAVING THESE PROBLEMS, MY CAR IS TAKEN ALL THE WAY TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN LOUISVILLE KY. OH ABOUT 45-TO AN HOUR AWAY, FOR ALL REGULAR MAINTAINING, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE OIL CHANGES. LIKE I SAID NISSAN SUPPOSE TO BE SUPERIOR VEHICLES THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE, I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE PRICE OF FIXING THE CAR EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND. TRADE IN ON IT SUCKS, RESALE PRIVATELY DOES TOO. SOMETHING NEEDS DONE, HOW MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ALTIMA
MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS LOCKED THE STEERING WHEEL DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL STEERING LOCK SYSTEM, WHICH IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITHIN THESE CARS. THERE WAS A RECALL BUT MOST OWNERS WON'T MALFUNCTION UNTIL FURTHER MILES LIKE MINES. I WAS AT MY PARENTS HOUSE VISITING "THANK LORD" WHICH WAS NOT THAT FAR FROM MY APARTMENT, WHEN I CAME OUTSIDE TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. WAS DUE TO THAT PROBLEM
I TRIED TO START NISSAN ALTIMA AFTER SHOPPING AND WOULD NOT START. STEERING WAS LOCKED UP AND TRANSMISSION.I WAS NOT IN THE SAFEST PART OF TOWN SO I WAS WORRIED FOR MY SAFETY.THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED TO ME SO I KNEW IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK UNIT GONE BAD AGAIN. FIRST TIME WAS 3 YEARS AGO AND IT WAS REPLACED FREE AT NISSAN DEALER THIS TIME IT COST ME $ 1009.56 AT SAME NISSAN DEALER. NEED TO RECALL SO THIS MATTER CAN BE FIXED. I CANT AFFORD A CAR THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE SAME $1000 PART EVERY 3 YEARS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD MELTED INTO A BLACK, STICKY, REFLECTIVE LIQUID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT VISIBLE DUE TO THE LIQUID REFLECTING THE LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS MELTING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MANUFACTURER THAT NISSAN HAD NO OBLIGATION TO REPAIR THE DASHBOARD BECAUSE THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 122,000.
THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT AIR BAG LIGHT OFF WON'T DISAPPEAR WHEN OCCUPIED.
LOCK STEERING HAD TO BE REPLACED.
REPLACED STEERING LOCK DECEMBER 6, 2013, AND AGAIN MARCH 7, 2017. HAS LEFT ME STRANDED TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. REPLACED WITH NISSAN PART THAT THEY KNOW IS DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO REPLACE WITH SAME DEFECTIVE PART AGAIN 3 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS LATER AT MY OWN EXPENSE THE SECOND TIME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A GLARE ON THE DASHBOARD OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH MADE DRIVING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GLARE IMPAIRED THE DRIVER'S VISION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD SEEMED AS IF IT WERE MELTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,239.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT UNKNOWN PARTS RELATED TO THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 05/10/17*LJ *CN
STEERING LOCK HAS BROKEN AND THERE IS NO WAY TO START MY CAR - IT LEFT ME STRANDED AT NIGHT AND I UNDERSTAND NISSAN WILL NOT HONOR A RECALL THAT THEY HAD FOR THIS BEFORE. I WAS PARKED IN A LOT WHEN IT HAPPENED. I HAD MY CAR TOWED, THEN IT WORKED BRIEFLY BUT HAS STOPPED AGAIN. THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC KEY WITH NO MANUAL OPTION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND YEAR AND THAT NISSAN CHANGED THE DESIGN BECAUSE OF THIS.
WHEN I LEFT THE OFFICE TO START MY CAR YESTERDAY EVENING ON 2/15/2017, I USED MY KEY FOB TO REMOTELY UNLOCK MY PARKED 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE THOUGH, THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION DID NOTHING. THE CAR DID NOT START, NOR WOULD IT SWITCH TO ACCESSORY MODE. ON THE DASH CLUSTER, AN AMBER COLORED "KEY" LIGHT LIT UP. THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION GLOWED ORANGE WHILE THE RING AROUND IT SAID "LOCK;" NOTHING SEEMED TO ALLOW THE CAR TO START. IT WAS AS IF THE KEY FOB WAS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE CAR. EVEN THOUGH I WAS REPEATEDLY ABLE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS REMOTELY FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE (THE CR2025 BATTERY INSIDE WAS NOT DEAD...) AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD WORK (THE CAR BATTERY WAS NOT DEAD EITHER...), THE CAR REFUSED TO START. I CONSULTED THE MANUAL AND VERIFIED THAT THE KEY FOB WAS INSERTED CORRECTLY INTO THE SLOT TO THE LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN - STILL, THE CAR REFUSED TO START. I CALLED AAA TO REQUEST A TOW SINCE NOTHING SEEMED TO LET ME START THE CAR. FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF I SAT IN BELOW-FREEZING TEMPERATURES WHILE I WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK I CALLED FOR TO ARRIVE. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED. MY SPOUSE MET ME AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE OTHER KEY FOB SO WE COULD TEST WHETHER MY KEY WAS THE ONLY AFFECTED FOB; UNFORTUNATELY, THE OTHER KEY FOB DID NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO START EITHER. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, OTHERS HAVE BEEN STRANDED TOO: HTTPS://2009NISSANALTIMARECALL.WORDPRESS.COM/2013/04/08/VICTORY-2009-NISSAN-ALTIMA-STEERING-LOCK-VOLUNTARY-RECALL/ WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME SHE HAD SEEN MANY SIMILAR FAILURES ON OTHER 2009 ALTIMAS - SHE ALSO TOLD ME IT COULD NOT BE DRIVEN UNLESS IT WAS FIXED FOR $1,200. NISSAN'S CARLOS GHOSN LEFT ME STRANDED WITH A BROKEN VEHICLE AND I AM NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER... I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN AGAIN.
STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILURE RENDERED THE CAR UNSTARTABLE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING LOCK WAS FAULTY AND THE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.
THE START PUSH BUTTON IGNITION AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY WILL NOT ENGAGE.. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE BRAKE PAD TO DEPRESS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I AM LEFT DEAD IN THE WATER WITH NO WAY TO START OR USE THE ACCESSORIES FUNCTION TO TURN ON THE RADIO OR ALLOW MY PHONE TO CHARGE IN THE BATTERY PORT. I WENT TO PICK UP MY FAMILY WENT TO START THE CAR AND THERE WAS NO RECOGNITION.
DROVE TO WORK FINE. CAR STARTED RIGHT UP. WHEN I TRIED TO START MY CAR AN HOUR LATER THE CAR COULDN'T START OR ATTEMPT TO TURN OVER. THE BATTERY IS BRAND NEW SO THAT WASN'T THE ISSUE. TURNS OUT THE ELECTRICAL STEERING CYLINDER LOCK IS BAD. TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET THE CAR TO START. CAR WAS STATIONARY BUT NOW I'M STRANDED.
I WAS UNABLE TO START MY CAR AND WAS LEFT STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT AT WORK FOR OVER 3 HOURS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. ONCE I GOT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH MY STEERING LOCK AND IT WOULD COST $1,300. I CAME IN 4 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT DUE TO AN INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON WHICH I FOUND OUT WAS A WARNING ABOUT THE PROGRAMING OF MY KEY AND WAS TURNED AWAY BY THE DEALER AND TOLD THAT THE LIGHT REALLY ISN'T A BIG ISSUE BECAUSE I AM ABLE TO START THE CAR. HOWEVER, 4 DAYS LATER MY CAR WON'T START AT ALL AND NOW I AM UNABLE TO GET TO AND FROM WORK AND I AM ALSO A STUDENT. I CALLED CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED AFTER 2015 AND THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO.
THE STEERING LOCK MODULE NEEDS REPLACED AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO LOCATION WITHOUT ANY ISSUE AND PARKED. ONCE I RETURNED TO THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START, WAS UNABLE TO JUMP START THE CAR. CAR WAS TOWED.
WIFE DROVE CAR TO WORK, GOT READY TO LEAVE AND CAR WOULD NOT START. SECURITY LIGHTS ON DASH WAS LIT UP . I CAME HOME FROM WORK TRIED EXTRA KEY FOB AND TRIED NEW CAR BATTERY, STILL WOULD NOT START. HAD CAR TOWED 25 MILES TO DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WAS STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY MODULE, A WELL KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THIS COST ME 1124.00 DOLLARS AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED IN A FACTORY RECALL. THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA IS NOTORIOUS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR ONLY HAD 68428 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.
MY VEHICLE WOULDN'T START AFTER FUELING AT A GAS PUMP.