I was left stranded when the ECSL (steering lock unit) failed on my 2010 370Z. Nissan admits this problem exists on GTR, Altima, and Maxima for the same years. They offered a voluntary fix for their cars. Yet they REFUSE to repair my car. It is completely unusable as the car will not turn on. No AC, no anything. AAA can’t help and only towed the car to my house. This is the same unit they are replacing in other models. The same part has failed on my car.

Update from Mar 8, 2020: Nissan quoted: Labor 1.5 hours, and our labor rate is $170.00/Hr. Labor total is $255.00

Parts needed 48700-9N00B $452.32

Labor total $255.00 Parts total $452.32 Tax total $36.07

Total repair charges = $743.39

I found a replacement part that costs $63. Time to replace 30 mins. Fixed it myself.

Update from Dec 3, 2021: Buy 48708-9N00A. Same part as on a Nissan Altima / Maxima. Cost should be under $100 usd. Tells the BCM / ECU in a 370Z that the steering wheel is lock & it’s ok to always start. Mine hasn’t failed again in 2 years after replacing the part. Steering wheel won’t lock anymore- but so what? There’s other security systems to stop the car being stolen. Nissan removed the lock in later models of the 370Z anyway. Best wishes to 370Z owners.

HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH MY NISSAN 370Z NOW FOR TWO WEEKS, TOOK IT INTO NISSAN VEREENIGING, WHERE IT STAYED FOR A WHOLE WEEK, GOT IT BACK AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, THIS WAS ON FRIDAY 24 MAY 2019, DROVE IT HOME, NO PROBLEM. ON SATURDAY MORNING AFTER DRIVING TO WORK, ONLY TO STOP AT WORK AND THEN THE PROBLEM APPEARED AGAIN, WHEREAS I CONTACTED NISSAN AND TOLD THEM THAT THE FAULT PERSISTED, COULD NOT GET THE CAR STARTED AT ALL, NISSAN ARRANGED FOR A TOWING COMPANY TO FETCH THE CAR, HAD TO WATCH AS MY CAR WAS LOADED ONTO A TOW TRUCK LIKE A PIECE OF SH*T, WHICH IT IS NOT, I WAS HEART WRENCHING TO EXPERIENCE THAT, IT IS NOW TUESDAY, NOW THEY TELL ME THAT THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT HAS TO BE REPLACED, BUT IT CANNOT BE REPLACED ON ITS OWN, THEY WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THE STEERING COLUMN AS WELL, WHICH WILL COST ME A HEFTY 16 000 BUCK, I SEE THAT IN THE US THE CAR WAS RECALLED FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM, BUT HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA THEY REFUSE TO HAVE NISSAN REPLACE THE FAULTY STEERING LOCKING MECHANISM OUT OF NISSAN POCKET,WHICH IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR NISSAN OWNERS. I AM SITTING WITHOUT ANY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, NISSAN COULD NOT EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO OFFER ME A COURTESY VEHICLE FOR THE TIME THAT MY CAR IS AT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP. NISSAN VEREENIGING HAS APPARENTLY BEEN VOTED THE BEST NISSAN OF SOUTH AFRICA, THE SERVICE THAT WE ARE GETTING FROM THEM IS THE WORST POSSIBLE, IF THEY ARE THE BEST, I DON'T WANT TO FIND OUT HOW THE OTHER NISSAN DEALERSHIPS COMPARE. AND ALL THEY CAN SAY IS THAT WE ARE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. REALLY, I AM PAST FED UP WITH PEOPLE THAT CANT EVEN DO THEIR JOBS PROPERLY.

This is a constant problem for many Nissan and Infinity cars made around 2007 to 2013. Nissan knows of this issue and has only made minimal efforts to fix it. Nissan knows that this part is a bad design made poorly, but due to it being a "Security feature" there is no work around to the problem. The only answer is to buy a brand new part that cost around $600-$800.

If you bring the car into a dealership they will charge over $300 just for labor installing a piece that takes less that 30 minutes. While this part will not cause any crashes it will and has left people stranded anywhere if they simply turn the car off. Just by looking at the gears inside this part clearly shows how cheaply this vital part of the car is made. A car with only 70,000 miles should not need an $800 replacement for a part that only moves a plunger up and down. The part is nothing more than a cheap motor, gear and a circuit board but is costing people nearly a grand to replace.

December 20 had my car running in the driveway for an hour maybe, I don't drive it much in the winter.

So just 2 days ago I was enjoying the sound of my new exhaust system and puttering around the garage.

2 days later I jump into my Zed and wtf locked steering column, key icons flashing at me like Hal in Space Odyssey 2001. What if I had a medical emergency and, this well known failure, kept me from saving my life! This has never been brought forward by my dealership...Oh heads up, by the way....your nissan may not want to start. sometime maybe soon or soonish ....we...we just don't know.

I have a Nissan 370 Z and up to this point I really enjoyed the car that was until an known issue of the steering lock went out on my car and left me stranded for 16 hours. I called Nissan after I spent $1162.00 to try to get reimbursed. I was initially told I would not reimbursed which after reading online how some people were refused reimbursement initially I kept pursuing a reimbursement. Stephanie from a regional office called and basically tried to low ball me by offering $500 reimbursement. Below is a forum link for the known issue of the steering lock. Other customers were offered a full reimbursement but for some reason I am not. This is after I bought the car brand new and have been a loyal customer ever since. I therefore would like a full reimbursement. I feel that this is only fair. What if I had been stranded on the way to visit an Airforce buddy in Alamogordo NM in the middle of the desert with spotty cell phone service. 16 hours stranded could have easily turned into something much worse.This is a huge safety concern. My case file is 24957255.

I am looking to get a full amount of reimbursement from Nissan.

http://www.the370z.com/new-roadster-370z-owner/65272-attention-2009-2010-owners-steering-lock-wont-start-http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-warranty-scheduled-maintenance-servicing-repairs/47064-car-wont-start.html

I went to start my vehicle and it wouldn't start. I then noticed the wheel was not locked in place and moved freely. I checked the battery voltage which was good, and then disconnected the battery for 10 minutes as suggested on 370Z blog site in order to reboot computer. I put the master key in driver side door to let windows down. I changed the fob battery to no avail. I checked all fuses, which were found to be good. I then did my research and determined that the steering lock module has been recalled in several model years, but after contacting Nissan, my VIN was not included. I went off at that time, because if this module is faulty, how can they pick and choose which vehicles are subject to replacement by recall. I then discovered that from 2009 through 2012, all 370's, including the GTR, had this very same ongoing issue. I contacted the dealer to learn that this is an "out of pocket" fix to the tune of $1,100. Now my car is stuck in the driveway, windows down, and need some recourse. My last contact will be to Nissan USA complaint department before I file a BBB complaint.

Update from Oct 18, 2016:

Filed another complaint with safecar.com, NHTSA, and have heard back from no one. I was told by some third world country rep from 1-800-Nissan-1 that my VIN was not located in the Voluntary Service Campaign issued in March of 2013. Now, the car has to be flatbedded to the tune of $300 to the dealer until this is resolved. I am over it. How can they have a recall on some VIN numbers and not all of them, taking into consideration that the same steering lock unit was used on all of them in that date range?

Simply replaced battery in the car. Once finished car started fine. Went to start it the next morning and car didn't recognize intelligent key even when inserted. Start button wouldn't go out of "lock" mode, not even to accessory mode. Car had power, lights on dash and radio worked. Had it towed to local Nissan dealer where they diagnosed it as a steering column lock failure. There was a recall for my year, make and model but for some reason my VIN wasn't included in that. Called Nissan customer service about assistance and they weren't willing to help with the repair at all. I had to pay $1,237 for the repair out of pocket.

I was completely stranded when my "Steering Lock Selenoid" failed. The car was dead to the world and it took 4 hours to get a tow to the Nissan dealership. The dealership told me that this is a well known problem on 2009 - 2010 Z cars and that I need to make a complaint to Nissan North America. I did this yesterday - November 3, 2015. Today, I received a call from a representative would sound like she was 12. She asked me about who does my oil changes (Nissan?), rotates my tires, where do I buy my tires and who has been fixing my brakes. After I said that Nissan did everything but change the oil, she turned me down flat for any assistance for the steering lock problem. Unbelievably ridiculous waste of my time - maybe if I'd said Nissan has been changing my oil they would have approved it (?). Of course, she already knew she was turning me down - so I am furious at the waste of my time. I will have to pay the $1300 to get the car back. I will never EVER buy another Nissan product - and I will NEVER have a kind word for Nissan to anyone who asks. I could not be more furious about how I was treated by Nissan North America, who know they have a defective product and will not own up to it.

The steering wheel lock failed on 2010 370Z. When it fails it causes the car not to start or allow it to go into accessory mode, so even the windows cannot be rolled up or down when this happens, the car is basically dead. This is a known defect, nissan has taken the steering wheel locks out of the mid 2011 models and later due to their failure. Researching online has shown this happening to numerous people, so much so that there are many ways people are disabling this lock so they are not left stranded. I heard and read part was over oiled at the factory and is a defective part. This same part was failing in the Nissan's GTR model, and was recalled, but there was never a recall issued for the 370z.. It left me stranded and I had to pay towing to dealer. Thought it would be covered but it was not. It definitely should be covered. Nissan needs to make this right. They know its a problem.