2009 Nissan Altima Electrical System

DROVE CAR TO BLANEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ELGIN SC. AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL GOT IN CAR PUSHED BRAKE AND PUSHED START BUTTON AND GOT NOTHING! YELLOW KEY LIGHT WAS ON. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS $1208!!!! GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND SEE THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER NISSAN OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM! NISSAN NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS NOW! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN AGAIN!

TURNED OFF MY CAR TO GET GAS WHEN I WENT TO RESTART IT WOULDN'T TURN ON. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO GET DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETED AS RECOMMEND FROM NISSAN. I SEE THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS I'M A SINGLE WOMAN STRANDED IN A BAD PART OF THE CITY WAITING HELPLESSLY FOR A TOW TRUCK. THEN HAD TO RIDE ALONG WITH A STRANGER (TOW TRUCK DRIVER) TO THE DEALERSHIP. RESULTS CAME BACK AS STEERING LOCK UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FILED A CASE WITH NISSAN TO HAVE THIS COVERED AS THEY PUT OUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PART. THE CASE WAS DENIED BECAUSE THEY SAID THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN MARCH '15. I NOW HAVE TO PAY $1008.21 THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS DIDN'T B/C THEIR ISSUE FELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY TIME. IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT SOME CUSTOMERS ARE BEING COVERED WHILE OTHER ARE NOT B/C THEIR ISSUES HAPPENED EARLIER. NISSAN HAS CLEARLY RECOGNIZED THIS PART AS AN ISSUE AND ARE NOW NOT TREATING ALL CUSTOMER'S FAIRLY. THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED SOMETHING IN THE MAIL ABOUT THIS AND IT WAS ALL OVER THEIR WEBSITE. WELL, I DIDN'T GET ANYTHING IN THE MAIL & I'M NOT SURE IF MOST PEOPLE ARE LOOKING INTO HOW THEIR CAR IS GOING TO BREAKDOWN IN THE FUTURE SO I WAS NEVER AWARE OF THIS UNTIL IT HAPPENED.

BEWARE TO ANYBODY WHO DRIVES A 2009 OR 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER, IT WILL DECIDE TO NOT START AND STRAND YOU - SEVERE ISSUE. IT'S ESCL (ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK: YOUR CAR ACTS LIKE IT WAS BROKEN INTO AND / OR STOLEN), WHICH IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WHICH THEY REFUSE TO PUT ON THE RECALL LIST, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LISTED ON NHTSA'S SERVICE BULLETIN (NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION). AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF SAME ISSUE FOR CONSUMERS, SOME NISSAN SERVICE CENTERS PAID FOR IT UNDER LIFETIME WARRANTY OF THE CAR, SOME DID NOT. VERY INCONSISTENT! THE SAME ITEM FOR MURANO WAS LISTED ON THE RECALL LIST, YET NOT ALTIMA. NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE TO 6 YEARS FOR ALTIMA, CONVENIENTLY MINE EXPIRED 2 MONTHS AGO (NO NOTIFICATION OF ISSUE AND / OR EXTENDED WARRANTY). IT WILL COST ME ALMOST $1,000.00 TO REPAIR THEIR DEFECT (WHICH I'M GRUDGINGLY PAYING AS I NEED MY CAR AND THEY KNOW IT)! TIME FOR A CLASS ACTION STANCE (MAYBE MORGAN & MORGAN), SO TIRED OF THE LITTLE GUY BEING SCREWED BY THESE BIG COMPANIES! I LOVED THIS CAR UNTIL SUNDAY, I NOW FEEL VERY UNSURE OF ITS RELIABILITY, NOT TO MENTION THE MONEY PIT IT MAY BECOME...GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

CAR WAS WORKING JUST FINE. DROVE IT TO AN APPOINTMENT. WHEN DONE WITH THE APPOINTMENT, CAME OUT TO CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. THE KEY FOB WORKED, AS IT WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS, THE CAR JUST WOULDN'T START. WHEN I TRIED TO PUSH THE START BUTTON, A LITTLE ORANGE KEY LIGHT CAME ON. GOOGLED THE LIGHT... FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS THAT THE 2009/2010 ALTIMAS HAD ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK ISSUES, THAT NISSAN REFUSED TO COVER THE COST, AND THAT REPLACEMENT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE. HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED I NEEDED ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK REPLACEMENT. THE COST WAS $1,033, NOT CHEAP AT ALL. SO DISGUSTED THERE IS SO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BEING AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS CAR, AND THERE NOT BEING A RECALL TO FIX IT OR AT LEAST COVER IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. IN ADDITION, THE SECURITY INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEYLESS IGNITION FAILED TO START AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

THE ANTI-THEFT LIGHT IS ON AND THE CAR IS NOT RECOGNIZING THE KEY. NOW I CAN'T START THE CAR AND IT WAS PARKED SOMEWHERE NOT AS SAFE AS SHOULD BE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE WITH NO RECALL. THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT. THEY ARE CHARGING ME OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM FAILED AND THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO START THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INDICATED THAT THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

WIFE WENT TO DRIVE TO WORK IN MORNING CAR WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. TURN OVER OR SENSE THE KEY. SHE TRIED OTHER KEY AND SAME THING NOTHING. GOOGLED ISSUE AND NISSAN ADMITTED THERE IS A ISSUE WITH ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK COLUMN. INSTEAD OF FIXING ISSUE THEY JUST EXTENDED WARRANTY IN HOPES THAT WHEN NOT IF IT WENT OUT WARRANTY WOULD BE UP. CALLED NISSAN NORTH AMERICA THEY TOLD ME CAR IS OVER WARRANTY BUT IF I TAKE IT AND GET IT DIAGNOSED AND THERE ARE NO OTHER PROBLEMS THEY MAY HELP COVER REPAIR COST. DID JUST WHAT THEY SAID LOCAL DEALER CONFIRMED IT WAS MY ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCKING UNIT. CALLED NISSAN BACK THEY CALLED DEALERSHIP AND CONFIRMED. THEY THEN CALLED ME BACK AND SAID WE CANT DO ANYTHING ITS OUT OF WARRANTY. WHY MAKE ME PAY MORE THEN SAY OH NO WE CANT HELP YOU. SO I HAD TO WAIT FOR NISASAN TO TELL ME EITHER YES OR NO THEY WOULD HELP AFTER THEY SAID NO I CALLED DEALERSHIP TO GO AHEAD WITH WORK THEY NO LONGER HAD PART ANOTHER 2009 CAME IN WITH SAME PROBLEM. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP IS COAST NISSAN OF SAN LUIS OBISPO. CAR GAVE NO WARNING ESCL WAS GOING OUT AND ONCE IT GOES OUT YOUR STRANDED THIS IS A ISSUE NISSAN SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED BUT WOULD RATHER SAVE MONEY AND NOT FIX DEFECTIVE ISSUES.

CAR WAS PARKED IN GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT. CAR WOULD NOT START. DASHBOARD WARNING INDICATED KEY ICON. HAD CAR TOWED 50 MILES TO NISSAN CAR DEALERSHIP. ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK UNIT (ESLU) REPLACED. TOTAL COST: $1006 AND ONE SLEEPLESS NIGHT.

MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HAD A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK UNIT THAT RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE FOR MY WIFE AS DRIVER AND HER PASSENGERS. SHE HAD TO GET STRANDED AND HAVE IT TOWED BEFORE THE THIRD DEALER WE SAW ABOUT THE PROBLEM COULD DIAGNOSE THE ROOT CAUSE. SHE WAS IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION THREE HOURS FROM WHERE I WAS LOCATED WHEN THE PART MALFUNCTIONED AND FEARED FOR HER SAFETY. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THIS MODEL HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES IN ITS HISTORY WITH THIS PARTICULAR PART TO THE POINT THAT NISSAN EXTEND THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY UNTIL APRIL OF 2015 - ALL ACCORDING TO A SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE THIRD DEALERSHIP I WENT TO. WHEN MALFUNCTIONING, THIS UNIT RENDERS THE VEHICLE ABSOLUTELY MOTIONLESS AND PRESENTS AN IMMEDIATE UNSAFE AND HAZARDOUS SITUATION TO THE DRIVER AND ALL PASSENGERS. THE DEALER SUGGESTED I CONTACT NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WHICH I DID AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE IN FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE, WHO DENIED MY REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE COST OF THE PART. I DID NOT REQUEST TOTAL REIMBURSEMENT AND THOUGHT WE COULD WORK THIS OUT IN GOOD FAITH, BUT TO NO AVAIL AND MY GESTURE WAS DISMISSED. NISSAN KNOWS THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE AND EVEN EXTENDED THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR, THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED NATIONWIDE ON ALL APPLICABLE VEHICLES. THIS MAY BE THE REASON WHY NISSAN EXTENDED THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY ON THIS PARTICULAR PART BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND PROBLEMATIC. I BELIEVE THAT NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THE PART ON THE ALTIMA MODELS AFFECTED AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER BECAUSE THEY KNOW AND ARE AWARE THAT THE COMPONENT PART IS HAS A HISTORY OF BEING DEFECTIVE, UNSAFE, AND UNRELIABLE.

GOT OUT OF VEHICLE TO RUN IN TO THE STORE, GOT BACK IN THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START.

ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK (ECSL), IS WELL-KNOWN DEFECT THAT IS KNOWN ACROSS ALL 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA, MAXIMA, AND EARLY 2010 350Z. I WAS FILLING UP AT A GAS STATION WHEN MY CAR DID NOT START. I WAS LEFT STRANDED AT A LOCATION THAT WAS UNSAFE LOCATION DUE TO THIS DEFECT. THIS LOCK WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO START MY VEHICLE NOR GO ON ACCESSORY MODE, THUS I WAS NOT ABLE TO ROLL UP MY WINDOWS. I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS DEFECT OR EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED LAST MONTH. NISSAN NORTH AMERICA REJECTED MY CLAIM TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM.

MY CAR WILL NOT START. IT IS A PUSH TO START SYSTEM AND THE NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN I ATTEMPT TO START MY CAR. TURNS OUT THAT I HAVE A DEFECTIVE STEER LOCK SWITCH AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE IN THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH OTHER CONSUMERS WHO STOPPED TO HELP THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

ESCL LOCKED UP WITH NO WARNING. CAR WOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO START AFTER GETTING GAS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM THOUGHT THE ESCL WAS ENGAGED. STRANDED AT A GAS STATION PUMP FOR 3 HOURS UNTIL A TOW COULD BE DONE TO A DEALER.

ENGINE WITH PUSH BUTTON START WOULD NOT TURN OVER AFTER 3HR STOP AND A LONG DRIVE PREVIOUS TO STOP. BATTERY WAS TOTALLY DEAD, BUT AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO JUMP START IT DID TURN OVER. THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL DRAW ON BATTERY DURING STOP EITHER. STOPPED AT NISSAN DEALER TO CHECK THE STARTING SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT NORMAL. SERVICE TECH RECALLED THIS PROBLEM WITH MY PARTICULAR YEAR AND MODEL, AND SAID A BRAKE SWITCH AND SUB HARNESS ASSEMBLY SHOULD BE REPLACED, BUT AT $800+ COST I DECLINED OFFER. PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY LATER AND AS OF THIS DATE I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM, BUT EVERY TIME I START IT I CROSS MY FINGERS.

CAR WILL NOT START AND BATTERY IS FINE. APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN DEFECT WITH 2009-2010 ALTIMA RELATED TO THE STEERING LOCK SENSOR AND HAPPENS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. APPARENTLY BECAUSE IT IS NOT DEEMED A "SAFETY ISSUE" THE NHTSA IS NOT MANDATING A RECALL. HOWEVER, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS MY DOG AND NIECE WERE LOCKED IN THE CAR AND WE COULD NOT OPEN IT BECAUSE THIS DEFECT SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM. MAKE NISSAN REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED.

ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILURE. ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND ELECTRONIC KEY WARNING LIGHT (YELLOW) LIT. CAR WOULD NOT START AND LEFT STRANDED. RESORTED TO RAPPING ON THE ESCL BOX MOUNTED UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH WORKS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS. NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY OF THE PART BUT, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT OR NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE NEED TO REPLACE THIS PART. MY WARRANTY FOR THIS PART EXPIRED IN OCTOBER 2014, BUT IT WAS UNKNOWN TO ME SINCE MY FIRST ISSUE WAS MAY 2015. NISSAN DEALER ESTIMATES $1016 TO REPAIR.

I DROVE TO WALMART 5 MILES FROM HOME WITH NO PROBLEM. I CAME OUT OF WALMART AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD. I PAID $900 TO FIX IT.

THERE IS A PLUG UNDER THE DASH BOARD CLOSE TO THE STEERING COLUMN THAT COMES LOSE. THE CAR WILL NOT START WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS. *TR

DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK STOP FUNCTIONING WITH THE REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY FOB. THIS IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT STOPPED WORKING ALL THE OTHER DOORS FUNCTION AS INTENDED. I BELIEVE IT IS A MALFUNCTION OF THE LOCK REGULATOR. *TR

AIRBAGS LIGHT FOR BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE CAME ON INDICATING THAT THEY WILL NOT DEPLOY. *TR

STEERING LOCK - NOT ABLE TO START VEHICLE. *TR

CAR WON'T START AT ALL. TRIED TWO DIFFERENT KEY FOBS WITH WORKING BATTERIES, AND ALSO TRIED PLUGGING THEM INTO THE KEY FOB PORT, BUT NO LUCK. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE I REALIZED THE "IGNITION STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILURE" IS EXTREMELY COMMON WITH 2009-2010 NISSAN VEHICLES. I'M WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK AT THE OFFICE BECAUSE I CAN DRIVE HOME FROM WORK!