Today my wife sent me a text to inform me that our 2009 Nissan Altima would not start. After telling her to change the battery in her wireless key FOB Key (stands for Frequency Operated Button) aka Intelligent Key system. She said the dealer said to do the same thing. After I told her where the batteries were she tried and then sent me another text to tell me it didn’t work.
When I got home I tried my key and had the same results. I noticed a key light on the dashboard. After researching the 2009 Nissan Altima User Manual I found the light on page 0-11 which referred me to page 2-13 which stated…
NISSAN Intelligent Key warning light:
The Intelligent Key warning light warns of a malfunction with the electrical steering lock system or the Intelligent Key system. After the ignition switch is placed in the ON position, this light comes on for about 2 seconds and then turns off. If the light comes on while the engine is stopped, it may not be possible to free the steering lock or to start the engine. If the light comes on while the engine is running, you can drive the vehicle. However, in these cases, contact a NISSAN dealer for repair as soon as possible. See NISSAN Intelligent Key (if so equipped) in the Pre-driving checks and adjustments section.
After a few quick searches for Steering Lock and Altima it didn’t take me long to find hundreds of complaints which all explained the same thing. “I tried to start my car and couldn’t. I took the car to the dealer who informed me that the Steering Lock was broken. It cost me $1200 to fix”.
Here are a few examples of what I found:
Complaint 1:
The car involved is a 2009 Nissan Altima. Vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle is 1N4AL21EX9_. Drove my car to an appt and when I came out it wouldn’t start. Tried jumping battery, did not work. Changed the battery in key fob and it still didn’t work. I brought my back-up key over to the car and that one did not work either. Had it towed to the Nissan dealer and they diagnosed it as the steering wheel mechanism and the part was on a 7-10 day back order. I paid an additional $50 to expedite the part. It took 7 days to get my car repaired. I contacted Nissan USA, described the situation and sent them a hyperlink that had anecdotes of steering issues from other 09 Altima owners and requested that they cover the repair. Someone from Nissan called me and I returned his call 2 times without a return call. On the third message I and told him I would escalate the call if I did not hear back from him. That prompted him to return my call and he stated they would not cover the cost because I don’t take my car to Nissan for scheduled service. I told him I was not going to rest until I get Nissan to cover this and he basically told me he had the final say. I am contacting my local news station and my state ag for resolution. Please do the same! I am out $960 for the repair. This issue happened on Tuesday, February 5, 2013.
Source: http://www.faqs.org/car/nissan-altima-2009/steering/
Complaint 2:
Drove to work in the morning, parked my Nissan Altima in the parking lot. When I went to leave for lunch the car would not start. The brake was extremely stiff and pushing the start button did nothing. I called the local Nissan dealer – they immediatly thought it could be the steering lock module if that was it I would have to have it towed. Once towed to the dealership they confirmed it was the steering wheel lock module had malfuntioned. They admitted they have seen 4 others in just this month for the same issue. The part was ordered and should have arrived in 3 business days. After a week I was notified the part is on back order and they do not know when they will have it in to fix my car. I contacted Nissan consumer affairs to ask for help, they declined stating it is all a case by case basis they won’t help to pay for the part, repair or a rental car. It has now been 23 days and they still don’t know when or if they will get a part to fix my car. I am stranded without a means to get to and from work. Nissan needs to recall this part or help cover the costs for those affected. After extensive research there are tons of people going through the same issue. The same part was recalled for the Nissan gtr why not own up to your crappy part and take care of the customers. The failure date was January 21, 2013.
Source: http://www.faqs.org/car/nissan-altima-2009/steering/
Complaint 3:
Our Altima has failed to recognize our intelligent keys and will not start. the doors will lock and unlock. the alarm will sound and the trunk will open but the car will not start. i’m being told this is due to a faulty steering lock mechanism that has been recalled in some nissan models but not the altima. the part itself is $500 and the labor will take it to almost $1000 or more. this is completely absurd. what would happen if this happened to my wife and infant daughter on the wrong side of town. what if this part had failed when we were in the mountains or off the beaten path. if a part is going to be recalled in one model, it needs to be recalled in all models. this is extremely unsafe and to know that nissan is aware of this issue is unacceptable. we also own a murano that uses an actual key to start — i’m considering replacing both after learning about this. i hope someone will respond to this.
Source: http://www.faqs.org/car/nissan-altima-2009/steering/#ixzz2MuvnVpz3
Complaint 4:
My 2009 Altima would not start. There was absolutely no activation of the ignition system. After following all trouble shooting advice in the car’s manual, I towed the car to dealer where they stated an open circuit in Steering Control Unit (ie., bad circuit) is not telling the control unit that the steering wheel is unlocked and ready to start (mechanically, the steering lock was functioning and unlocked). The Steering Lock Control Unit (Part# 487009N00B) needed to be replaced. This is all part of the vehicle anti-theft immobilizer system. The cost to replace this unit was $1,062.90. I feel this is a serious safety flaw in the 2009 Nissan Altima. 1. This was a fully functioning car (except for anti-theft circuit glitch) that left me and my daughter stranded in a very remote area. 2. Nissan promotes how safe, reliable and economical their cars are, but the anti-theft system can disable the vehicle leaving driver stranded with only one option, which is, to be towed to a dealer because of ant-theft system glitches. 3. The car, being economical, should not require an over $1,000 repair because of an anti-theft device circuit malfunction. 4. There are several conditions that can occur that will result in the Nissan Altima becoming immobilized stranding drivers. I am stating only one. This is particularly dangerous especially to female drivers. 5. I feel that Nissan should come up with an override code or device that will allow a driver to escape from potentially dangerous situations that were created by Nissan’s vehicle immobilizer system. Especially when the car is fully functional except for an anti-theft immobilizing circuit falsely telling that the vehicle is not ready to start when it is. I believe this is a serious safety flaw in their vehicle security system.
There are literally hundreds of these. 😦
I have ordered a tow truck and am sending the car to the dealer. I am pretty sure I know what the response is going to be and I am preparing to contact Nissan Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-Nissan1. I also expect to receive the same response that everyone else has – “Sorry bub, nothing we can do for you here”.
Since many of the complaints I have read so far are relatively recent I expect that they are reaching a breaking point and I expect more will be looking form more information. I hope this blog will serve as a central gathering point for this information. Since nobody has yet made any movement on a class action lawsuit I have already made contact with a law firm to learn more about how one starts a class action lawsuit. If you or anyone you know has had this same issue on the same model please comment below so that we can get in touch with you. So far I have engaged the following law firm to get the ball moving:
Tucker Cottingham
866-981-4800
Ask for Tucker
ctc@girardgibbs.com
http://www.girardgibbs.com/
Apparently Nissan removed this part from the 2010 Altima. I assume there was some knowledge of the parts failure (apparently there was a recall for the same part in the Nissan 370zs).
I doubt they will recall this. It’s too late. The part will arrive at the dealership in about a week there are so many being recalled.
I talked to a guy at Town North Nissan in Austin and he has 5 Altimas waiting for the part.
Nissan did eliminate the part in 2010 of course full well knowing the ticking time bomb for all the prior years’ cars.
What a nightmare.
I will continue to update this blog as I progress with Nissan Support. I will update with details such as part number and the explanation provided by Nissan for the failure. I look forward to learning more about this issue.
–Zane
Update 3/6/16:
After learning that the Warranty has been discontinued as of January 1st 2016 I have learned that everyone’s only hope is to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety administration. This is step one to teiggering a recall. Make sure you detail the dangers of this defect (e.g if the defect happened in the wild you could have died). If enough people share this level of detail they may open an investigation on this issue and demand a recall. If a recall is performed all users who paid for the repair will be refunded. Here is the form. Anyone can submit so have all members of your family at risk due to this issue submit.
2009 Nissan Altima Steering Lock Recall Petition 
I’m having the same problem with my 2009 Nissan Altima. Since I’m now outside the extended warranty period, it looks like I’ll have to pay to have it replaced. I’d certainly like to know if you do follow through with a class action suit. Thanks!
I would love to know also. They gave me $250 back on a $980 bill I provided. Yet I’ve seen where they have given the full amount back to some persons. Have no idea why, they said it’s determined on a case by case. That’s bull! It should be the same for everyone who has had to pay and can provide all the paperwork they require! This should be a recall at the least.
I had to pay over 1000$ and they told me it’s my problem.
Update 3/6/16:
After learning that the Warranty has been discontinued as of January 1st 2016 I have learned that everyone’s only hope is to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety administration. This is step one to teiggering a recall. Make sure you detail the dangers of this defect (e.g if the defect happened in the wild you could have died). If enough people share this level of detail they may open an investigation on this issue and demand a recall. If a recall is performed all users who paid for the repair will be refunded. Here is the form. Anyone can submit so have all members of your family at risk due to this issue submit.
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
My steering lock stopped working while I was at the store. I got into the car and then hit the PUSH button nothing happened period. I had to call a tow truck. I see numerous issues like that online. I had to walk home in the freezing cold on an unsafe road. Nissan refuses to pay for it even though there is a campaign out for some Nissan 2009 but it depends on the VIN that they will replace free of charge. The steering lock is not EVEN needed on the car but it cost almost 1,000 to replace the defective part with another defective part. This is wrong! My VIN number starts 1N4AL21E.
Hey I’m going through the same issue right I have a scheduled meeting with my lawyers this Friday. I’ll respond back with details after the meeting
Let me know if they recommend a class-action suit. I tried to start this a year ago but couldn’t find an attorney willing to take it up. As an automotive expert, I can also help in the case.
Just got off the phone with NISSAN and found out our best chance is to get a recall. Everyone who paid to have this fixed will get a refund. Please send details of this defect detailing the danger of this issue (e.g. you could have been killed if this failure occurred in the mountains) to the national highway traffic safety administration here https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
Getting enough complaints to show the extent of the problem is everyone’s only hope at this point. Please reply to confirm you filed a complaint. Good luck!
I just took my 09 Altima to the dealership Tuesday to get serviced today I had to have it towed home because it would not start. They gave me the diagnosic and never said anything about the problem I’m having now!!!
Update 3/6/16:
After learning that the Warranty has been discontinued as of January 1st 2016 I have learned that everyone’s only hope is to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety administration. This is step one to teiggering a recall. Make sure you detail the dangers of this defect (e.g if the defect happened in the wild you could have died). If enough people share this level of detail they may open an investigation on this issue and demand a recall. If a recall is performed all users who paid for the repair will be refunded. Here is the form. Anyone can submit so have all members of your family at risk due to this issue submit.
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
I am going through this nightmare for the second time. Back in November 2011 I had the steering wheel lock replaced and I had 36,000 miles and paid $700.00. Now my car has 70,000 miles and it is the steering wheel lock again and just got the quote today and it is going to cost me $1344.80 to repair. Please help with any info as to if anyone can point me in the right direction. I was seriously thinking about calling a local news station about this. Thanks In Advance
That sucks. Was there a warranty on the repair? Seems to me they should replace this for free. It’s obviously not a wear and tear type issue. Have you opened a case with nissanusa.com? Even if they don’t reimburse you, file a claim because it is then documented and you will be notified if they ever do a recall for this issue. Hope this helps. Good luck!
There was a 12,000 mile warranty on the repair that I had done in 2011.
Definitely going to contact Nissanusa.com and see what kind of bull they feed me. Again thank you so much for your response!
You’re very welcome! Nissan Consumer Affairs 800.647.7261 will need your VIN # and paperwork for your repair and the estimate for the new repair. They will give you a case number and investigate and contact you within 48 hours with a decision. I would search the sites and get as much information you can about cases that have been paid so you can have a good response for any BS answers they throw at you. I have spent hours researching this and trying to get Nissan to make this a recall and reimburse everyone. Feel free to email me directly if you have any questions or need any help. LMV145@gmail.com
My here was also an extended warranty for this problem that was issued on the 2009. You should be reimbursed under that warranty for the first repair. I wasn’t able to cut and paste the details but here is a link that has info on the recall. Your repair definitely occurred while that warranty was in effect. I would also argue that the replacement was also defective and should be replaced at no charge. Go get ’em and let us know how it turns out!
http://www.nissanproblems.com/trends/steering-wheel-locks/
Yes THANK YOU so much!! I have emailed my local news station and hopefully they will contact me back and take the story. I have allot to do Monday morning and hopefully I will get something done about this. I will continue to update this site and hopefully I will be able to help others as well!
Update 3/6/16:
After learning that the Warranty has been discontinued as of January 1st 2016 I have learned that everyone’s only hope is to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety administration. This is step one to teiggering a recall. Make sure you detail the dangers of this defect (e.g if the defect happened in the wild you could have died). If enough people share this level of detail they may open an investigation on this issue and demand a recall. If a recall is performed all users who paid for the repair will be refunded. Here is the form. Anyone can submit so have all members of your family at risk due to this issue submit.
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
Same problem here . Cost for repair over $1200 . So mad
Nissan ended up “cutting me a deal ” and only charging me $470 for repair . Took 4 days to hear back from them. Lady told me “she is very busy ” and cannot just focus on me . Although I am glad they helped , feel like I should not have had to pay for repair . I also asked them to look at my a/c .. Charged me $150 to tell me the compressor is blown and it is a $1200 fix….. Not a happy nissan customer these days .
Just got off the phone with NISSAN and found out our best chance is to get a recall. Everyone who paid to have this fixed will get a refund. Please send details of this defect detailing the danger of this issue (e.g. you could have been killed if this failure occurred in the mountains) to the national highway traffic safety administration here https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
Getting enough complaints to show the extent of the problem is everyone’s only hope at this point. Please reply to confirm you filed a complaint. Good luck!
The dreaded steering wheel lock problem happened on my 2009 Nissan Altima yesterday. Purchased the used car in Oct 2015 with 119k miles. Dealer of course made no mention of this problem. I managed to get the car started with a jump start. I have Multiple Sclerosis and just got out of hospital the day before. I am now stranded at home. There is no way I can pay $1000 plus to have this part replaced. What would happen to the car if I just removed the part and left it off? Would it cause other damage? Thanks for any response
If it started with a jump then its not a steering wheel lock problem. The car will not start period when the steering lock fails, that’s the point of it, to prevent theft. You may have a battery issue.
Just got off the phone with NISSAN and found out our best chance is to get a recall. Everyone who paid to have this fixed will get a refund. Please send details of this defect detailing the danger of this issue (e.g. you could have been killed if this failure occurred in the mountains) to the national highway traffic safety administration here https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
Getting enough complaints to show the extent of the problem is everyone’s only hope at this point. Please reply to confirm you filed a complaint. Good luck!
Come out of store. Would not start start button was Orange color breaks was hard had it towed to my mechanic. He said it was steering locking. Module
Just got off the phone with NISSAN and found out our best chance is to get a recall. Everyone who paid to have this fixed will get a refund. Please send details of this defect detailing the danger of this issue (e.g. you could have been killed if this failure occurred in the mountains) to the national highway traffic safety administration here https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
Getting enough complaints to show the extent of the problem is everyone’s only hope at this point. Please reply to confirm you filed a complaint. Good luck!
I have a 2009 Nissan Altima that I am Leasing. Last night the same thing happen to me. Red Key light is on and a Yellow/Gold Key light is on. The car will not start at all. Head lights come on, but the window will not come down or radio will not come on. Car is completely dead. Researched the problem and everything leads to this damm Steering thing.. I am at 100.000 miles now and believe I’m past the recall time. I refuse to pay for this on a lease car. Meanwhile, I’m losing work and pay.I going to take it to my mechanic to see if he can confirm if that is the problem and if it is and the recall warranty does not cover it or the Leasing company does not cover it the can take this car a shove it. I will never buy or lease another Nissan Again. Please let me know whatever you guys decide. I am with you. This problem is affecting the lives of million of people and something must be done. Pissed!!!
Update 3/6/16:
After learning that the Warranty has been discontinued as of January 1st 2016 I have learned that everyone’s only hope is to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety administration. This is step one to teiggering a recall. Make sure you detail the dangers of this defect (e.g if the defect happened in the wild you could have died). If enough people share this level of detail they may open an investigation on this issue and demand a recall. If a recall is performed all users who paid for the repair will be refunded. Here is the form. Anyone can submit so have all members of your family at risk due to this issue submit.
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
I have a 2009 Nissan Altima I drove my car to work on Friday May 6 2016 park my car got off that evening my car wouldn’t start every one try to help me but what everyone tried didn’t work then my husband took the dashboard a loose and tap the steering column lock it started up so many people having a problem with this Nissan needs a recall on it
I just us the same thing happen to my car this weekend, May 7. Drove my 2009 Altima that morning to run an errand and had no problems. When my husband got back in the car a few hours later it wouldn’t start. At first we thought it was the brake switch again, we had that replaced a few years ago, but after doing some reading it seems it is the steering lock. The brake lights come on and the yellow key light is on. Nothing happens when I push the ignition the radio doesn’t even come on. This is obviously a problem that Nissan should address and is not something that their customers should have to pay for. I am not thrilled to learn this is potentially a $1000 + fix.
I’m through the same problem with my Nissan Altima 2009. They asking $800 to fix the security system.. Help what should I do.
GET RID OF IT! I had this problem with my Altima within the first couple months of having it. It has been nothing but problems ever since. The worst being that when I drive long distance, the acceleration stops working on the freeway and won’t go past 40mph on the FREEWAY. Even with the pedal to the metal. So dangerous. Thank god I totaled it. Got an insurance payout and bought a BMW. NEVER getting a Nissan ever again.
Replace car remote battery.
Thank you for the good writeup. It actually used to be a
enjoyment account it. Glance complex to more added agreeable from you!
However, how could we be in contact?
Had the same trouble with Nissan Corporate, they said not their problem that the extended warranty on that part steering lock box was up in 2014 but told them I did not receive any notice of that warranty at all and they said they are not responsible for notifing car owners of extened warranties only recalls , My husband told them this matter is n ot over yet and we will persue the matter anyway we can. Nissan knows this part is faulty and refuses to pay for the item. I recommend no one to buy a Nissan , it’s too bad because I have had no other problem with this car now it sits and I can’t even sell it, Nissan told us to have the dealer diagnois the problem, well they know what the problem is, why should I pay them money to tell me what I already know. I have mechanics in my family and I already ordered they part and hopefully I will have it fix for way less than the dealer wants me to pay. Shame on Nissan for sticking it to their good customers, I hope they go down the tubes fast
My 83 year old friend was stranded to do to the same issue.
I’m currently dealing with this issue right now and Nissan doesn’t want to do anything about it. My car shut off while I was going down the highway and then wouldn’t start back up. I have been dealing with them, trying to get Nissan to pay for it and they said they can’t. I could have died. If I would have had my kids in the car it could have been really dangerous. I have a step daughter who can’t be in the heat because she doesn’t sweat and if she would have been with me she could have died. I’m going to hire an attorney but I would like some advise as to what I should do.
This is terrible! I was actually able to complain my way to only paying $450. Although I found this unacceptable still it was a lot better. They said since I have been a Nissan customer for so long they were able to do this for me and expected me to be thrilled . The whole thing is absolutely ridiculous. Especially since they’re giving us another faulty part to replace the faulty part we already had. I finally gave up fighting because I was getting so mad about it . Hope you have good luck with it!
Actually, your case is different and might get more attention than anyone else’s. For most people, the part fails when the car is stopped, but I always suspected that it might also fail when the car is moving, and this could be extremely dangerous since the transmission would fail to lock when the car stops, with no indication to the driver. The car could then roll down a slop or into traffic.
This this happen to you? Were you able to put the car in park after the failure? Try to remember.
I’ve worked as an expert in automotive cases before and would love to pitch into this one, provided some sort of legal action is started. You’d be ideal for this since your failure appears to be really dangerous.
It happened in September the 6th at 6:46 pm. I had just go into the highway headed to pick up my kids from my mother and it just died and I thought it was maybe my alternator, I wasn’t able to get the car to move so I just turned on my hazards and called my mechanic and he came to straight to were I was at and pushed my car to the side of the road to get it out of the way. Then he towed it to my house and while I waited for him to get to were I was at, I looked threw the owners Manuel to see what that light ment. It came on while I was driving probably about 20/30 minutes before it happened. That day my car acted like it didn’t want to start. When I googled the probably this web site came up and I was looking at all the complaints. Since Nissan didn’t want to help me pay to fix it, I decided I’m going to take legal action. I’m just waiting to call my lawyer till tomorrow because I wanted to talk to my family about it first and I have no clue as to were I need to start.
It’s awesome in favor of me to have a website, which is valuable in favor of
my experience. thanks admin
I am currently just now having this issue, I am a single mother it’s right before Christmas, I’m trying to save my money to give my son a good Christmas. I’ve been reading all the comments, everyone having this issue and Nissan not helping. It’s awful, and terrifying me I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, there is no way I can afford to get this part fixed, I work part time go to college and have a 7year old boy at home. Ugh. I’m just grateful he wasn’t with me when I got stranded because of the part. Now my main question is, I saw about the extended warranty, but I bought my car used in September of 2012, so I’m just guessing the extended warranty doesn’t apply to me. I seriously can’t believe that they have not recalled the part yet. My car is currently at my mechanics shop, thankfully I had a friend with AAA so I didn’t have to pay 50-80 for a tow. But in the mean time I’m without a vehicle, not sure how I’m going to get to school and work. Should I call Nissan and complain? Will that even help? Concerned Nissan owner.
Sorry to hear that this happened to you right before xmas. Unfortunately Nissan will do nothing so don’t give your hopes up and waste time complaining. I paid $800 for my part but I’m in Los Angeles so it may be cheaper near you. You just have to buckle up and pay it.
Luckily I got into a really bad accident and totaled my Nissan about a year after this happened to me. Never would I have thought in my life I would be grateful to have an airbag smash my face.
I had major issues with my Nissan. Not only the ignition interlock but also with the accelerator. I live in a mountain area and the acceleration would give out at 40mph even with the pedal to the floor. I would have cars and semis passing me at 80. It was terrifying. Needles to say that my replacement car was NOT a Nissan.
I got my bill reduced to one-half by threatening to sue Nissan. Once the car is fixed they’ll feel quite uncomfortable keeping your car there without your picking it up, and they’ll get (a little) more reasonable. But you must contact Nissan customer service and put up with their BS for a while.
I know going thru same hit it with players it unlocked going to try to trade good luck.
My car will not start! About three years ago Inroke down and bought the part which was $750. Three years later I am having the exact same problem! I am not happy! It should be a recall for this issue!!!
My 2009 Nissan Altima has just done the same exact thing to me on 11/20/16 took it to a body shop..had repairs done brought it home ..parked it went out to start it the next day and the yellow key flashed in left hand corner..red car with key inside it flashed. Replaced the car battery then replaced the key fob battery and nothing…..just replaced the transmission in July $2200.00 dollars.
I will never buy another NISSAN Altima Again!!! I went to the mall the day before thanksgiving and everything was fine. I got back to my car opened the door went to start the car and it would not start. I called AAA to see if they could assist me and they said that they could not. I had to get my car towed from the mall to 20 miles away to the NISSAN dealership because they are the ones authorized to fix it. The dealership called me back and said that it would be $1100 to fix it. I immediately called 1800NISSAN1 to see if there was something that they could do and they said No. The representative let me know that they are fully aware that the part is faulty and will leave you stranded anywhere with no warning and that they put an extended warranty on it, but it ran out 10/2015. NISSAN should be disgusted with the lack of care and safety that they had with this vehicle/part. The least that they could have done was provided monetary assistance with the part itself.
Hey Folks I also found this: https://chimicles.com/nissan-defective-electronic-steering-column-lock-class-action-lawsuit/ Please report your issues. Money talks. Make them pay!
I had the same experience as reflected in the above complaints. Dealer estimated fix would cost $1060.
A few months ago my CVT transmission failed. I learned that Nissan extended the warranty due to the same pressure you are contemplating. Good luck. I believe I can fix the part or at least disable it. I can’t afford the dealer fix or wait on the result. My last Nissan!
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woooooo look at this!!! They are even giving money back to people who paid for fixes
http://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2017/nissan-altima-maxima-steering-lock-problems.shtml
im so excited that I might get my 1100 back!!!! Has anyone following this post actually received their money back after submitting the requested info?
I’m so on it. I totaled my Altima 1 year ago. Thank god. But when I found out about the refund I called and they needed me to send a report of the repairs, proof of ownership and proof of my address. Luckily I got the repair done at a dealership so they had records. I had an old insurance card for proof of ownership. It will take a few weeks but I bug my case manager every couple days to get things going. I want my 1k back! Lol
Yes. I got my money last week, 1051.84. They didn’t give me any hassle. They called me two days after I submitted it and then it took almost 2 weeks for it to come it but I got it.
Steering lock module failed!!! Bought 3 nissans, 2009,2012,2013, won’t buy any more. Can’t get help. Very disappointing!!
Thanks to this blog post, i found out exactly what is wrong with my 2009 Altima AND the link to the service campaign! Thanks, internet! 😀
im having the same problem with steering wheel locked on my Altima. I just watched a video on you tube and ill try the steering lock mechanism bypass now. I haven’t called local San Antonio Nissan dealer yet but will be mad as hell if this turns out to be an expensive repair.
Nissan did issue a recall on this eventually, and those who paid for it earlier got reimbursed. Your dealer should offer you the same.
Yeah I got paid back the 1k it costed to fix.
Not everyone. They won’t reimburse me for it.
Yup this just happened to me I’m gonna have to call Nissan tomorrow and have it towed over there ugh
Thanks for the post, never imagined this would be such a common problem. It happened to me as well today where I had to leave my car in the parking lot of grocery store. I am assuming its going to cost me over $1000. Is there a way I can get Nissan pay for their faulty part? Has anyone recently got any reimbursement?
I paid $800 in LA and yes, they sent me a check a few months later. It’s a major disfunction. Just make a claim with Nissan and they will send it when you show proof of repair. I hate to have my car towed from a restaurant parking lot. Sucked. Good luck.
Nissan wouldn’t fix mine said they didn’t show any recall for my year but call and check. I ended up buying the part online and doing myself for way cheaper
What year was yours? Mine was 2008 Altima coupe. That car sucked. I used to have to drive 250 miles to work a month and it would crap out at 40mph on the freeway. Semis would tailgate me. Was so happy when I finally totaled it and got a bmw.
You can look up recalls online.. i had a 2008 Altima coupe i loved my car was so sad when it got totaled. But the car that i had the problem with was a 2009 Nissan Altima
In case you don’t know, Nissan eventually issued a proper recall on this issue. They’ll pay for everything at a dealer.
Nissan finally issued an active recall on this problem. Take your car to a dealer and they’ll fix it at no cost to you.