2009 Nissan Altima Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
MY CAR WILL NOT START THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENS IN 2012 THEY CHANGED MY CAR BATTERY AND IN 2013 IT WOULDN'T START AFTER WORK AND I TOWED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHANGED THE STEERING AND BREAK LOCK MECHANISM AND NOW 2016 MY CAR WON'T START AND IT IS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK AND NOW THERE IS NO WARRANTY, SO IT IS COSTING ME ABOUT $900 TO 1,000 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING OR THAT SHOULD HAVE A LIFE TIME WARRANTY.
INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT LIGHT UP AND CAR WILL NOT START, IT DOESN'T CRANK, NOT EVEN A CLICK FORM THE STARTER, THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT LOCK. SEEMS TO BE THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) AS I GOOGLED FOR SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF OTHER OWNERS. NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 6 YEARS ON THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER CAUSE THEY KNOW THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. THEY SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR A WELL KNOWN DEFECT INDEFINITELY. IF THIS HAPPENS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IS A VERY SERIOUS LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE. HTTP://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20150219214832/HTTP://WWW.NISSANASSIST.COM/WEB/ESCL_WARRANTY_EXTENSION/PROGRAMDETAILS.PHP?MENU=61
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE INTELLIGENT KEY MALFUNCTION INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
2009 NISSAN ALTIMA WOULD NOT START AFTER SHUT OFF WHICH REQUIRED A TOW TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP ( AUTO FAIR NISSAN TEWKSBURY, MA). PAID $119 FOR DIAGNOSTIC WHICH CONFIRMED A FAULTY ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) UNIT. PURCHASED AND REPLACED THE UNIT. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A RECORD NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, THE UNIT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. RECEIPTS AVAILABE
MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT A GAS STATION AFTER GETTING FUEL. I ATTEMPTED TO START MY VEHICLE BUT HAD NO RESPONSE FROM PUSH BUTTON START. AFTER SOME ONLINE INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT NISSAN HAD A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK CAUSING THE ISSUE. THIS DEFECTIVE PART LEFT ME STRANDED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP I ENDED UP AT TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON MODELS WITHIN A CERTAIN RANGE WITH OF VINS. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE AND INFORMED ME THEY HAD NOW OBTAINED AN UPGRADED PART TO PREVENT THIS ISSUE. IF THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART THAT PLACES OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES IN A POSITION OF BEING STRANDED AT ANY TIME IN ANY TYPES AREA IT THEN BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE. NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THIS PART ON THE VEHICLES INVOLVED.
ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK FAILED AND RENDERED CAR USELESS AND UNABLE TO START. WHEELS LOCKED IN PLACE. THE CAR WAS PARKED. NISSAN ULTIMATELY REMOVED THE MECHANISM IN FURTHER GENERATIONS OF CARS AND DENIES ALL RESPONSIBILITY AFTER AN ARBITRARY 3 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION. NO SCIENCE BEHIND THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION AND NO HELP PAST THE DEADLINE. CARS CONTINUE TO FAIL BEYOND THE INITIAL 3 YEAR WARRANTY AND BECOME INOPERABLE UNLESS A >$1000 REPAIR IS PERFORMED. A CAR NOT STARTING IS A SAFETY ISSUE DEPENDING UPON WHERE THIS ISSUE OCCURS.
CAR WON'T START DO TO A DEFECTIVE ESCL ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK. THE CAR LEFT ME STRANDED AFTER WORK AT MIDNIGHT. THE CAR IS USELESS IT DOES NOT START. I WAS NEVER INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ESCL.
I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHEN "INTELLIGENT KEY" WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON DASHBOARD. I CONTINUED TO MY WORK PLACE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, IGNITION SELF START WOULD NOT WORK AND I HAD TO CONTACT AAA TO BRING CAR TO DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THIS WARNING LIGHT IS ON, THE CAR MAY LOCK UP AT ANYTIME. I WAS TOLD THAT I OUGHT BE DRIVING SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES AT THE DEALER INDICATED THAT MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS CAR HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, IN FACT THAT DAY THERE WERE THREE 2009 ALTIMAS IN THE SAME AREA GOING TO THE SAME DEALER WITH THE "SMART KEY" LOCKING THE CAR. NISSAN IS GOING TO REIMBURSE $800.00+ DOLLARS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM, YET THEY HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED AN OFFICIAL RECALL. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING FOR ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH THE RISK OF HAVING THE CAR LOCK WHILE IN MOTION.
MY DAUGHTER WAS STRANDED IN A NOT SO GREAT AREA WHEN HER CAR WOULD NOT START DUE TO A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSAN ALTIMA'S ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL). NISSAN DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE, BUT INSTEAD OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY IF THE PART FAILED, WITHOUT NOTIFYING CONSUMERS. THIS IS SHAMEFUL ON NISSAN'S PART TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE STRANDED IN POSSIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. THE REPAIR WILL NOW COST HER BETWEEN $1000 AND $1200
STEERING LOCK CONTROLER IS BROKEN AND ITS A COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL ALTIMA AND NISSAN DOESN'T TAKE RISPONSIBILITY
THE ELECTRIC WHEEL LOCK SYSTEM FAILED RENDERING MY CAR NON OPERATIONAL. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT IT WILL FAIL AND IS NOT DUE TO MAINTENANCE NEGLECT. WHEN IT FAILS IT DISABLES THE IGNITION SYSTEM TO THE CAR SO YOU CANNOT EVEN SWITCH TO THE ACCESSORY FUNCTION. IT CAN ALSO LEAVE THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE LOCKED POSITION MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE THE CAR. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND TRY TO START IT.
I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY WARNING LIGHT WAS ON WHICH THE MANUAL WARNS OF A MALFUNCTION WITH THE ELECTRICAL STEERING LOCK SYSTEM. THE CAR WILL NOT START AND SO I WILL HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED. WHEN I CHECK TO SEE IF IT IS ON RECALL IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE HOWEVER THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS JUST WITHIN THE PAST FEW WEEKS OF THIS PROBLEM . I THINK NISSAN SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AND RECALL THE FAULTY PART.
TODAY THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROL LOCK WENT OUT. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE IS NOT A RECALL TO COVER THIS DEFECTIVE PART. CLEARLY NISSAN HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS IS A PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE HAD RECALLS THAT EXPIRED. THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE THAT AN OWNER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR. THIS IS STRICTLY A DEFECT IN ELECTRONICS SYSTEM. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MY WIFE AND 4 YEAR OLD WERE STRANDED ON DAYS WHERE THE HEAT IN MEMPHIS CAN REACH INDEXES OF 115 AND IT CAN GET AS COLD AS 10 DEGREES?
WENT TO WORK CAR, WILL NOT START WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE WORK. STANDARD FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. NO WARNING IT WAS GOING BAD.
WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING WHAT SO MANY NISSAN OWNERS HAVE NOTED ONLINE... THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM HAS MALFUNCTIONED. (THE KEY LIGHT IS ON, THE STEERING WHEEL WON'T LOCK, DOORS STILL LOCK/ UNLOCK). THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION ONLINE. IT IS ELECTRICAL, SO ALL OUR PROPER MAINTENANCE PERFORMED MEANS NOTHING. OUR SITUATION WAS THE 90 YEAR OLD GRANDFATHER STRANDED AT THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT FOR 2.5 HOURS. ONCE HE RETURNED TO THE CAR, IT WOULD NOT CRANK. THE CAR IS JUST NOW TO 90,000 MILES, AND NOW WE LEARN THAT NISSAN WAS AWARE AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR A TIME, AND NOW IT HAS EXPIRED. THERE WAS NO NOTICE SENT OUT NOR WAS THERE AN OFFICIAL RECALL. OUR $1000 REPAIR BILL FOR A COMMON PROBLEM SPANNING SEVERAL YEARS AND SEVERAL MODELS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. PLEASE FORCE THEM TO DO A RECALL!!! IT'S A WIDESPREAD, KNOWN ISSUE THAT THEY ARE ALREADY AWARE OF.
WHILE I WAS AT WORK AND DONE WITH MY SHIFT I WENT OUT TO MY CAR AND PRESS THE BREAK AND PUSH THE PUSH START BUTTON IT DID NOT START IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL LOCK IS DEFECTIVE I COULD'VE BEEN HURT OR KILLED OR PUT IT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF I HAD NO ONE AROUND ME TO HELP ME OUT. MY LIFE WAS PUT AT RISK WITH A CAR THAT WOULD NOT START. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND IT HAPPENED IN A RULE AREA OF CALIFORNIA WHICH IS THE SEARNE VALLEY WHICH IS ALMOST ALL DESERT. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE VALLEYHIGH NISSAN IN VICTORVILLE CALIFORNIA AND THEY ARE QUOTING ME $947 TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE KEY FOBS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000.
MY 2009 NISSAN ULTIMA WAS PARKED IN MY WORK PARKING LOT AND WOULD NOT START KEYLESS ENTRY PAD MOUNT FUNCTION AND HAD THE LOCK STEERING GAVE ME PROBLEMS AND IT WOULD NOT START I FELT ENDANGERED BECAUSE EVERYONE AT WORK LEFT AND I WAS ALL ALONE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK.
CAR WOULD NOT START DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK THUS LEAVING MYSELF AND PASSENGERS STRANDED FOR HOURS. THIS IS A LATENT DEFECT IN THE CAR, AND A KNOWN ISSUE, WHICH NISSAN HAS ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED BY EXTENDING THE WARRANTY FROM 3 TO 6 YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY THE ISSUE ONLY OCCURRED AFTER THE 6 YEARS SO WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. NISSAN NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH STRANDED DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS.
WHEN LEAVING TO GO HOME FROM AN EVENT FOR MY KIDS, THE CAR WOULD NOT AND COULD NOT START. THE KEY LOCK SYMBOL (RED) AND LOCK SYMBOL (YELLOW) WERE LIT ON THE DASHBOARD. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK WHICH MANY HAS BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RECALL WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS. *TR
MY CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER I PARKED IT ON A CITY STREET, I WAS STRANDED AT NIGHT! AFTER THANKFULLY BEING ABLE TO SAFELY GET A RIDE AND LEAVING MY CAR, I HAD TO GO BACK TO MY CAR THE NEXT DAY. I HAD CHANGED THE KEY BATTERY THINKING THAT COULD BE REASON, BUT THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO CALL A TOW COMPANY TO BRING MY CAR TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. I LEARNED THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 2009 ALTIMAS, BECAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK HAD FAILED. I NEVER WAS NOTIFIED AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS WAS A BAFFLING AND FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AND I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IGNITION KEY FAILED TO TURN TO THE ON POSITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START, AND AN UNKNOWN KEY SYMBOL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
THE DATE WAS 12/7/2016. MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA FAILED TO START AT THE END OF MY SHIFT AT WORK. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT WHAT I HAD WAS A FAULTY ESCL. I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL CAR. THE CAR FAILS TO EVEN TURN ON THE TO THE ACC MODE. NISSAN KNOWS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR ONLY 72 MONTHS AND HAS REFUSED TO MAKE A RECALL SINCE IT INVOLVES A PARKED CAR. THE TEMPERATURE FOR TODAY WAS 26 DEGREES AND HAD I BEEN SOMEWHERE FAR FROM HOME WHERE MY FATHER COULDN'T PICK ME UP THEN I'D BE STRANDED IN THE COLD TO FREEZE. THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE CAR MAY FAIL TO START IN AN UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOOD OR OTHER UNSAFE CONDITIONS. NISSAN NEEDS TO EITHER RECALL OR EXTEND THEIR WARRANTY ON THE ESCL.
ESCL REPLACED AFTER FAILING TO ALLOW PUSH BUTTON START AND FAILED AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER.
THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) HAS BROKEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND MY CAR HAS BECOME A GIANT BRICK AND I CAN'T EVEN PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO MOVE IT. I WALKED OUT TO START MY CAR FOR WORK ONE DAY AND I FOUND OUT MY CAR WAS DEAD.
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Quick Summary
The 2009 Nissan Altima has 169 Electrical System complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.