Wife's 2009 altima would not start. As others have stated, the little key light on the dash lit up. We had the car towed to our dealer, and they told us the steering lock control had failed. Having no choice, we then ordered the part, only then to find out that it was on back order and they could not estimate when the part would be available. The estimated repair bill was going to be about $750. When I got home that evening, I searched the internet and was amazed at how many cases exactly like ours are occurring. The next morning, I filed a formal complaint with nissan of north america. They have put all owners of 2009's in jeopardy and obviously knew there was a problem as the part was changed out in late year 2010 cars built. Our final results are better than most of the others we have read about. Between nissan and our dealer, they covered the repair which was done as the part did arrive, as well as our car rental while the dealer had the vehicle. My advise is to file a formal complaint like we did and to be persistent. An attorney I know said we should contact the state attorney general and/or the local tv stations trouble shooters, because publicity and legal action are exactly what nissan doesn't want.
2009 Nissan Altima steering complaints
Page 26 of 30: complaints 731 to 760 of 859, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The vehicle had no problems driving into work in the morning. End of work day, return to the car to find out that it wouldn't start. The amber light with "intelligent key" logo had turned on and the vehicle was immobilized. Checked the battery of the intelligent key and it was perfectly operational. Check batter of the car, and it was working fine as well. Since the car wouldn't start, no other option but to call for towing service. Spent hours in the cold waiting for the truck. The following day nissan service ran a diagnostic and determined there was electrical problem that triggered the vehicle immobilizer and needed steering lock unit replacement. Parts and labor and tow cost over $900. The nissan mechanic hinted at the problem being a manufacturing defect, but refused to say it directly as it puts nissan liable. Part is strategically not covered under warranty. Found out from the nissan folks that numerous cars came in with the same problem. Got onto the internet and found so many more nissan altima owners with the same problem. Clearly a manufacturing defect and nissan needs to recall the part and fix it for all affected users of the car. I am happy that this happened while my vehicle was stationary. I think this is very dangerous if it were to happening while driving. I request the federal safety agency to investigate this problem asap and help to issue a recall for several hundreds (maybe thousands) of user affected. Nobody wants to lose their hard earned money for no fault of theirs.
On a regular day, I drove my car to work in the morning. And it was parked at my workplace parking lot (luckily). In the evening, my keyless entry got me inside the car. But the brakes wouldn't engage and ofcourse, the push button wouldn't start the car. There is an amber light with a key sign inside it flashing on my dash screen. Lights would turn on so I was convinced it must not be the battery. When I looked it up in the car manual, it's supposedly an intelligent key sign. Since it was around 7:30pm, I couldn't get it towed immediately to the dealer workshop since they were closed. The next morning, I got it towed and the dealer workshop diagnosed it as "steering wheel lock unit needs to be replaced" and it would cost a whopping $850 (not including towing). Not just that, the part is back-ordered! So my car is in the workshop indefinitely as of now! I bought this car from a certified pre-owned dealer just six months ago and I have the seven year limited warranty on it too. The workshop said that this is not something my warranty can cover! My current mileage is 26000. And nissan is supposed to be reliable? This problem is not something I have brought to my car and when I researched it on this very website, hundreds of other nissan altima users have the same problem. This is clearly a manufacturing defect and I truly hope nissan address this problem asap and reimburse our hard earned money.
I parked the car and locked it with intelligent key. Came back, was able to enter the car without any problems, used the key to unlock the doors. While inside, the dashboard had two warning lights on: key light(yellow) to the far left corner and flashing security light(red) to the far right. The car would not start. Ignition button is on lock and the steering is stiff unable to turn. Engine seems to be locked, no other lights are on. I have tried everything by the owner's manual and nothing works. I called the dealers and they told me that I would have to get it towed to the dealer and quoted me $600 to fix the problem, parts will take a couple of days, no guarantee problem will not happen again. For a recent bought vehicle, there are many issues with the car's intelligent key and in this case I have been left stranded in the middle of nowhere. Towing charges and everything will make amount close to $1000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. The contact stated that when he attempted start the vehicle, the engine failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The failure was located at the steering assembly. The dealer replaced the steering assembly. The failure mileage was 50,126 and the current mileage was 50,400. Updated 03/04/13
I drove to work, and parked my car. 8 hours later, I got in my car to go home. Tried starting it, but the key indicator light was on, the brake wouldn't push in, and the car wouldn't start. I had to have the car towed to the nissan dealership. They determined that the steering lock unit needed to be replaced. The part was on back order which seemed fishy to me, so I did some research. It seems that 100's of other nissan altima owners have had the same problem in the past year. Nissan north america, inc informed me that there is no recall, and I should contact the national highway adminstration to have a recall put into affect. This could be a serious safety issue, and needs to be addressed. Thankfully I was at work when this happened, but what if I was in the middle of nowhere, in the freezing cold, and my car wouldn't start. The steering lock unit should be recalled! I had to pay over $1,000 to have this part fixed, and since the part was on backorder, I didn't have a vehicle for an extended amount of time. Please help the 100's of people affected by this faulty part!!!
I had driven the car from home to the gas station approx. 5 miles from home. I turned the car off, filled the car with gas and upon starting the car to leave the car wouldn't start. A red key light came on in dash.car used to be towed to dealership. It was there that it was found to be a steering lock malfunction. That cost me a total of 1000.61. 402.50 in labor and 538.81 in parts plus tax and misc. The pats was on back order. I just got my car back after a week because the part was overnighted. Otherwise they estimated me getting my car back after the 8th of feb. When asked about a recall I was told it was unknown but also that this part was unusual for backorder.
I was left stranded in the freezing rain/sleet this past saturday. After a couple of hours of trying everything, my car was placed on a roll back and took to a local garage. I was told it was the steering lock control unit and would be between $600-$800 dollars to get it fixed. I was also told the part was not in stock,so my mechanic will have to call daily to check on it. I'm furious at nissan. This is actually my 5th nissan to own. I will not purchase another one.
Car was found to not start. Battery had power, no other obvious issues. Car was inoperable for the weekend. Towed vehicle to nissan dealership. Battery tested low and was later replaced. However, the steering lock was found to be defective and needed to be replaced. Battery replacement is understandable being that the car is more than 3 years old. Lock steering mechanism however resulted in the car being inoperable. Parts for the lock steering mechanism totaled $534.19 plus labor which totaled $282.88. Total bill with new battery was $1,037.64. Considering all failures listed on this page of this same part, a recall should be considered. Nissan apparently has recalled other steering locks similar to this on gtr models.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. The contact stated that the key warning light illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician stated that the failure was located at the steering lock control unit. The steering lock control unit was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 71,996 and the approximate current mileage was 72,000.
Last sunday my vehicle was unable to start with the fob key. Had car towed to nissan and was told that it was the steering lock system. Was told the part is on back order and will received in approx 3 wks. Also, the cost would be $930 before tax. My car is 38,000 miles and no longer under warranty. Because my windows were accidentally lowered due to someone holding down unlock button on fob and they were unable to close my windows since my car failed to start, they are also saying I have to pay a daily storage fee since they are unable to leave my car outside due to all the windows being down.
Drove to work in the morning without any problems. Tried to start my car at the end of the day. Car would not start. The intelligent key warning light was on. Called the dealership. They suggested trying my other key fob. I had someone bring that to me, but the car still wouldn't start. With no other options, I had the car towed to the dealership (for $165, which included an extra $75 fee to have the car removed from a parking garage). They diagnosed the problem as a faulty steering lock assembly and replaced it for $624.91. I filed a complaint with nissan and was offered a $250 service credit for a future repair, which would need to be used in only 6 months. When I indicated that this was unacceptable, the manufacturer would not offer any other compensation, nor acknowledge that others were having the same problem. Given that there is no warning for this problem which renders a less than 4 year car completely inoperable, nor is there any way to prevent this problem from happening, this part needs to be recalled! Keyless entry is one of the reasons why I bought this car..... Now it's my biggest complaint.
I woke up for work and went to start my car and it would not start, I noticed there was a red key light on so I went to change the battery for the key and the car still would not start. I looked through my owners manual to see if there was anything I was missing and no luck! I had to have my car towed to the local nissan dealer and was advised they would run a diagnostic test to see what it was. I was then told that my steering lock module had failed and would need to be replaced in order for the car to work. I was told that with tax the bill would be $834. I was in utter shock and was given no explanation except for I've seen this happen with other nissans and its to be expected! I don't understand how my cars works 1 day then not the next. It seems to be a pattern with this car and I am absolutely shocked to see how many people are experiencing this same problem! A recall is needed!
Car was driving fine earlier in the day, and came home to park the car in the driveway. Got back in the car to head to my night job, and car would not start. It would not even switch to accessories position. Called the nissan dealership and they gave me some tips on how to start the car, but none worked. Had to get he car towed to nissan. It took 2 days before they could look at it on a saturday. I was told my steering lock unit had malfunctioned and would cost me $747 before taxes to get it fixed. Also, the part was on back order (1100 other people need the same part) and there is no eta on the part. I still do not have my car back and have been having to find ways to and from work.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. The contact stated that the steering column lock mechanism caused the vehicle to become inoperable. The contact also stated that the key fob warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to personally remedy the failure by replacing the battery in the keyless entry remote but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the steering column needed to be replaced but the part was not readily available. The manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start using the keyless entry. Also, the contact stated that the intelligent key warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the steering lock mechanism needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 29,000.
I stopped for lunch at a fast food establishment and at this point everything with the car was fine. After I ordered and got back into my car, I tried to start it. The car would not start. The key light appeared on the dash. After calling the nearest dealership, they suggested replacing the battery in the keyfob. I did replace battery and placed the keyfob in the alternative start port. The car would still not start. After trying to jump the car battery, it was determined that I needed to tow the car to the dealership. The dealership confirmed that this problem was caused by the steering column lock mechanism. This malfunctioning part left me stranded in a parking lot during a snow storm. Upon searching the internet, it appears that nissan has issued recalls on this part in other vehicles and have stopped using this part in new vehicles. There are also hundreds of reports of this part failing in my model and year. This problem has the potential of immobilizing a car during severe weather, leaving the driver and passengers stranded.
Went to start vehicle and it did not start. Had to have it towed to dealership for $90. Was told it was not covered under warrenty and my car was out of warranty by 2 months. Advised to call consumer affairs. Waited 13 days with repeated phone calls just to be told they will not warranty the repair with no written explanation. Repair cost $757 and is only warranteed for 12,000 miles. Was told repair would take 3 days but they had my car for 21 days because the part was on back order. By the way, my car was also in for 2 recall issues: head gasket and master brake cylindar. Pretty big issues! I was also told by service manager that if I had all my service done thru them instead of outside source they would have covered the steering lock issue. Sounds a little fishy to me. They need to recall this problem!!! Or at least have a manual over ride.
The car would not start with my smart key. I have had the car for three years and there were no mechanical issues with the car. But after turning it off to go inside, I came back out and it would not start. I had the car towed to nissan dealer and the service tech already new the problem, told me the part was on back order, and that it would take three weeks to fix, on top of the 800+ bill to fix it. This problem is frequent and I feel there should be a recall or at least a reimbursement for service done on the vehicles.
The lights,locks, trunk and battery worked fine but the vehicle refused to start. I contacted the dealership and was told the car would have to be towed in to access the problem. Amazingly they called me 10 minutes after it arrived and told me the issue was my steering lock which needed to be replaced and could no longer communicate with the "intelligent key". I was quoted a price of $841.00 and advised it was on back order and could not give me an estimated time of when it would be replaced. I went by the dealership the next day and was told there were 1500 of the parts I needed on back order. They still couldn't give me an estimated arrival date. Said it could be days, weeks or months. Sounds like a recall to me. I did some research and found that this is a common problem and nissan needs to replace these parts free of charge. This car had me stranded in cold winter weather and I am just lucky that someone was able to give me a ride home. This car is a 2009 nissan altima. If nissan does not correct the issue I can honestly say I will never buy another one again.
Steering lock mechanism $1200 bucks nissan better do something.
Car would not start / computer lock / car had to be towed.
My daughter and 2 year old were trying to get home under an ice storm warning. The push button start did not operate. They were stranded in the cold under a severe weather warning. Nissan says the steering wheel lock controller caused the failure and would not communicate with the intelligent key fob and start button. There is not a method to override the push button with a mechanical key. This is a known problem for the 2009 altima. My altima has only 37,500 miles but is past the 3-year warranty period. The repair was $803. The service writer at the dealership stated that he expects a recall in the near future because of the frequency with which they see this faulty module. The part was changed in 2010 but nissan refuses to replace the bad ones in the 2008-2009 models.
I went to the grocery store and came out and attempted to start my car. The intelligent key warning light came on so the car would not start. It was stuck in the lock position. Sent it to the dealer and $1100. This is ridiculous because this seems to be a common problem so why hasn't it been recalled? I was sitting outside in 13 degree weather with my infant son and they say it's not a safety issue. I was about to trade it in for a newer model but I will never buy a nissan again.
Steering lock mechanism failed leaving car stranded.
Car wouldn't recognize key in it, but could unlock doors and trunk, and would not start. Car was towed to nissan and they found the steering lock control module not communicating with ikey reader. Tech installed new ikey reader and cleared theft codes.
Dropped my son off at school, when I returned to the car, it would not start at all. The car recognized my key was present but push button did nothing. Manually using the key slot would not start the car either. Had to have the car towed and am being told that will cost $800-1100 to fix steering lock and that parts are on back order. Doing an internet search I have found literally hundreds of complaints on the same defect over the past three weeks. This did occur on a very cold day, about 10 degrees at the time.
Amber 'intelligent key' light started appearing on and off. Finally vehicle refused to engage starter and whirring noise indicating steering lock is functional no longer happens. Vehicle needs to be towed and research indicates the problem is common in 2009 altimas and other nissan vehicles. Repair quotes online appear to be in the $900 range. Nissan needs to accept responsibility for this problem and issue a recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start using the keyless entry. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer and was told that the steering lock actuator needed to be replaced. The contact stated the failure was a repeat occurrence. The computer was previously reset to correct the failure. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. The failure and the current mileages were 86,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 nissan altima. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician advised that the steering lock assembly would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 45,400.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2009 Nissan Altima?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history