Our 2009 Nissan Altima hybrid died without warning. We were unable to turn the car on, nothing on the dashboard lit up except a yellow key symbol. The lights, locks, and key fob continued to work, however. I researched the issue we were having and discovered a number of consumers had similar problems with their Nissan. It is a manufacturer's defect with the steering lock which renders the car inoperable, apparently. This is not normal wear and tear. Our car gave no indication of something being wrong. It has only about 64,000 miles on it and we have had no major issues previously, and no indication that anything was wrong prior to it dying. When I contacted Nissan of marlboro, MA, the individual I spoke with diagnosed the problem over the phone. He said he was 99% certain it was the steering lock. This was confirmed once we brought the vehicle in for repair. For him to diagnose the problem accurately over the phone, they must see this issue often enough. Only further solidifying that Nissan is aware that there is a manufacturer's defect. I was told however, that despite Nissan being aware of the problem, we had missed the deadline for the extended warranty which ended in June 2015. Again, this is not due to normal wear and tear. Our car was in perfectly good condition until the moment it simply stopped working. When I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs to report the problem, I was also made aware that the reason we never heard of the problem was that they had the previous owner, michael something, listed rather than us. So the mailing may have gone to him, not us. We purchased the car from Nissan of woburn as a certified pre-owned vehicle. By the time I spoke with the second individual from Nissan, our information was updated and she claimed Nissan can not guarantee that recall information is mailed to the correct owner.

- Acton, MA, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. While the ignition was turned to the on position, the vehicle failed to start without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel seized and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Ward, AR, USA

Without warning the vehicle would not start after being driven an hour prior to the malfunction. The key fob indicator light comes on but the car will not start or respond to the start button. The key fob unlocks/locks the car. Upon researching the issue online, I discovered that the issue is with the electronic steering control lock that keeps the car from being stolen or started without the key fob. This is, from what I discovered, a known issue with Nissan and in my view a major safety issue. Nissan has made this a warranty extension instead of a safety recall for reasons unknown. With no way to tell when and if a steering lock will fail it is a game of chance that many Nissan owners are losing. If you are like me, and purchased your car used, it is safe to say that you will not know about the issue until its already too late. On top of that, since it is a warranty it has an expiration date. Which means that if you are unfortunate enough to no know about this and it fails there is a good chance that Nissan will not fix it for free.

- Fayetteville, GA, USA

While on a 4 hour trip in the middle of the summer, the engine would wine and then suddenly start losing speed and be unable to accelerate. It is extremely dangerous when your top speed is 45 mph in a 75mph speed limit zone. No one knew what the issue was and it only happened in the middle of the summer. Nissan is now aware of the issue and a) cannot guarantee it can fix the problem and B) cannot guarantee it will not happen again even if they replace the transmission.

- Houston, TX, USA

This is the third exhaust manifold I had to put on my car within a year. It is an 2009 Nissan Altima, it should be a recall on this part. Exhaust fumes are coming on the inside of the car from the exhaust manifold.

- Port Gibson, MS, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact noticed a loud abnormal noise coming from under the hood and fuel fumes emitted from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the intake manifold fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The failure recurred and the vehicle was repaired again, however, the failure recurred once more. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

- Port Gibson, MS, USA

Car would not start and had to be towed to Nissan dealer to have faulty steering lock mechanism replaced for $1100. And of course outside warranty period all out of pocket expense on a issue that should have been taken care of by Nissan as this is obviously a manufacture issue and bad parts out in car, this same issue has happened to thousands of other 2009 Nissan Altima owners.

- Des Plaines , IL, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. While driving 40 mph, the steering wheel seized and the engine stalled. The vehicle continued to coast and crashed into a curb. The contact mentioned that the front passenger side tire bent inward. The contact was unable to restart the engine. The contact did not specify if a police report was filed or if any injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the power steering failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

- Garland, TX, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. A warning light illuminated on the instrument panel when the contact attempted to restart the vehicle. The dealer could not locate a failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

Steering column locked and has to be replaced. Car will not turn on at all. Had to get it towed to dealership where they are trying to slam me with a $1100 repair bill. Car was bought in Feb 2009, and extended warranty for said specific part ended Feb 2015.

- Missouri City, TX, USA

I'm stranded. It won't recognize my key. The internet tells me that this is happening to many others and that Nissan is unresponsive. Unless you count being willing to take $1000 plus to take care of what seems to be a well known problem.

- Douglassville, PA, USA

I have a 2009 Nissan Altima 2.5L. I've had the car for about 6 years now, and my mileage is about 81500 km. It has an automatic transmission. After driving for about 5 minutes, I had slowed down to enter a turning lane, and my car stalled in the middle of traffic and everything shut off while driving. I was able to restart the car after. Thank goodness there was no car behind me. I brought my car into Nissan dealership to get it checked out. They told me the crankshaft had to be replaced. I read online that there has been the same issue in multiple Nissan Altima and that there has been recalls for it. I asked Nissan about it and they said my car year does not qualify under the recall and that it will not be covered under the recall. It will cost me ~$400 plus for parts and labor to get it replaced and reprogrammed. I don't understand why it cannot be covered under the recall. The same problem fully described in the recall is happening to my car and my car is also a Nissan Altima. The recalls were specifically for 2002-2006 years. Mine is 2009. Many other owners have reported the same problem online with their 2009 model. So I don't understand why it is not included in the recall. It is very dangerous to be driving and having your car shut off in the middle of the road. They should make this an official recall for the 2009 model and give everyone a refund for the costs that we have had to pay out of pocket for a recurring problem that Nissan has with their Altima. [from edmonton, alberta, Canada].

- Edmonton, AL, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, who diagnosed that the push rod inside of the engine cylinder fractured and punctured a hole in the engine block. As a result, the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,385.

- Seguin, TX, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the engine stalled and the vehicle failed to start with the push to start button function. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the starter, the fuel line, and the steering column were replaced, but failed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000.

- Midlothian , VA, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the steering wheel lock mechanism was fractured. The vehicle was completely shut off and did not restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who stated that the steering lock mechanism failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

- Demopolis, AL, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering lock needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000. Updated 03/24/15 updated 10/19/2015

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

I drove my 2009 Nissan Altima 2.5S to work on 11/27 and it started up just fine as usual. However, when I went to leave work for the day the car did not start. The keyless remote will allow me to lock and unlock my car, but when I go to start the car, it will not register my keyless remote. An error code shows that the electronic steering column lock (escl) mechanism was malfunctioning. Also, there is a yellow key icon on the left side of the dash that intermittently flashes no key. The ignition is indicating that the steering wheel is locked although I can turn the steering wheel. There are or were no prior warning that the part was about to fail including anylights on the dash panel. I had to leave my car in the garage and was stranded for sometime trying to find a way home. My car is still sitting in the garage as I cannot afford to pay the repairs at this time. After doing further research into the issue I have come to see that multiple people have complained about this same exact problem. A very disturbing factor since Nissan is aware of the problem, and for some customers has issued an extended warranty for this specific problem. Although either issuing a recall or removing the part from the later manufactured models to avoid this from occurring again. Hopefully, my vehicle does not fall outside the extended warranty window as Nissan is not assisting with the repairs.

- Detroit, MI, USA

I was trying to start my car and it would not start. The switch which allows the car to know you are pushing the brake did not work (push button ignition). I tried to put my key in the slot to start the car, but the car does not start if the car does not sense the brake is being pushed. This is a huge hazard. Good thing I was not stranded somewhere. I called Nissan with no help at all. A search on the internet revealed this is a problem that has not been addressed. The part number replaced is intermotor SL2110. Please respond with your investigation on this. Thank you.

- Springhill, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that the battery and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician replaced the crank and cam shaft. However, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.

- Boston, MA, USA

I own a 2009 Nissan Altima coupe with approximately 60K miles. When driving on the interstate at speeds in excess of 60mph, the car decelerates with no warning. During the first incident, I was on the left-hand side of a semi truck caught in their blindspot while they were trying to switch lanes. I attempted to pass this truck only to have my car slow down completely, even with gas pedal to the floor. Vehicles behind me had to change lanes suddenly to avoid rear ending me, and I almost became the victim of a serious accident with this semi truck. Fearing a similar incident on the trip back, I stayed safely in the right hand lane going just below the posted speed (70mph). As I approached an incline on the interstate, not only would my car not speed up, it would not even maintain speed. It quickly went from 66mph to 55mph. Once again, I was almost involved in a serious collision with the unsuspecting vehicles behind me. After getting a diagnosis done at my local Nissan dealership, I was informed that my transmission was overheating. Nissan has admitted to knowing these issues, by automatically extending the warranty on these cvt transmissions to 10yr/120K. However, the way around actually paying to fix these death traps is to inform the consumer that the "fix" is not a new transmission, rather an external cooler that needs to be installed. These are commonly found in larger SUV's and trucks to help compensate for the additional stress on the transmission, due to larger size/weight. I drive a 2-door Altima. I am not towing boats or pavers. If my tiny car needs an external cooler to help its faulty transmission function safely and properly, that should have been installed at manufacturing. The out of pocket cost for this cooler is $1000+. Nissan needs to be held accountable for the faulty product they manufactured. This could result in serious injury or death.

- Orlando, FL, USA