CarComplaints.com Notes: You don't want to get 2009 and 2010 Altima owners started about their cars. That is, unless, you know how to start their cars.
These vehicles can suddenly become impossible to start thanks to a faulty electronic steering column lock (ESCL). Nissan dealers will gladly replace it, but that will run you $1000.
More info & videos about the Nissan ESCL defect are available over at NissanProblems.com.
It's one of the many reasons this car was named CarTalk's Turd of the Week and given our Beware of this Clunker badge. Two dubious honors.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
70,282 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. The vehicle was taken to boch Nissan (525 boston providence hwy, norwood, MA 02062, 781-619-7200) where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel lock failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
Takata recall. Nissan Altima while parked at a gas station, the steering wheel completely locked. Key fob was still working and could open and lock the car but the car would not start. The dashboard displayed the key alert. I tried putting the key in the slot while door was open, nothing happened. Came to find out it' a defective steering wheel column lock. Replaced it but scared to drive it as it is still showing the key alert and might leave me stranded like it did the last couple of times an hour away from home. A lot of complaints about this part that Nissan is not covering for all 09 Altima. The part is defective and Nissan wants up to 1200$ to replace it. Expensive cost for an older car and for the fact that it's Nissan's fault for selling a car with a defective part.
The 2009 Nissan Altima has a defective "steering lock" which causes owners to be unable to start their vehicles. This defect can affect owners of the 2009 Nissan Altima without warning and without cause. When this issue occurs the only way to resolve the issue is to have the car towed to a Nissan dealership to have the faulty steering lock replaced. The car cannot be started at all. Thus, owners of the 2009 Nissan Altima continuously find themselves stuck in very inconveniant circumstances with no ability to drive their car. This can be very dangerous for drivers who are in remote or dangerous areas. This same occurance happen to follow me this week when at work. My car would not start and after swapping remote keys plus looking at online forums, I realized this is something that happened to other owners of this year/make/model. The streering lock was swapped in 2010 by Nissan. Hopefully this can help a large group because I'm about to spend money on repariing my vehicle and this could cost approx more than $500 in parts alone. My car is still not starting after 4 days of not being able to turn it on.
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
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On December 2, 2013 steering wheel locked and car wouldn't start it was stationary. Vehicle towed to dealership and was told that an internal failure was found in the steering lock control unit. They replaced the steering lock control unit and reprogrammed keys no charge due to a recall and under warranty. 5 years later, Nov 30, 2018 steering wheel locked again and car wouldn't start also stationary, again towed to dealership and was told it was battery issues, once battery was replaced I was then told that it was same situation as before(steering lock control unit) and I would be charged for repair. I feel this is a manufacturer issue and should be reviewed for an extended recall in the steering system because this can be dangerous and cause vehicle to someday shut down in traffic at a light or on the road causing an accident. Don't understand that if it was replaced due to recall, then it should have been corrected with no further issues. Also don't think I should be charged for something that was originally repaired and to happen again a few years later. Called Nissan manufacturer office on Friday November 30, 2018 and was told there is nothing they can do. I feel there is a defect in the steering system for my make/model vehicle. I have a copy of my invoice repairs and will submit if needed.
Nissan website at https://nissanassist.wpengine.com/campaigns/electronic-steering-column-lock-escl-service-campaign/ stated that Nissan is conducting a voluntary service campaign on specific MY2009-10 Nissan Altima, Altima coupe, Altima hybrid, and maxima vehicles to replace the existing electronic steering column lock (escl) with an electronic steering column box (escb). My 2009 Altima is having problem with this defective escl that caused the problem of locking up the steering wheel and can't start after parked. The Nissan dealers in cerritos and signal hill California will charge me to fix it for more $1220 because my VIN is not on a recall list. I told the dealers that it is not a recall as it stated on the Nissan website, and is a voluntary service campaign. So far, I couldn't start my car after parked for four times from mid October to this November 2018. The first two times, aaa tow truck drivers had to remove the panel under the steering wheel to get to escl and push a middle piece of metal inside the escl all the way down to the bottom of its box, then they could start the car. Now I have do the same things as aaa tow truck drivers did it. I was so scared two days ago in 7 eleven parking lot at around 11:30 pm, when one person approached me and talking to me, and another open my car's door at front passenger side and took my items that I just bought from walmart and both ran away. Now I am afraid to drive this car, and taking public buses to work in the day time and afraid not to go any where at night time. A defective electronic steering column lock (escl) for years, there have been widespread defects in the electronic steering column lock (escl) that disabled the push-button ignition in a wide range of Nissan and infiniti vehicles.
I was about to take my daughter (a 10 yr old child) suffering from an allergic reaction to the children's hospital, when the vehicle did not turn on. My Nissan Altima 2009 (sedan) had been used without issues just the day before and I had parked it at home. It was parked and when I tried turning it on, it did not read the key, the ignition did not even notice there was a key, the steering was locked. We were left stranded unable to turn on the vehicle and go to the hospital and get treated asap. I had to get a cab with the sick child and come back from the hospital the same way. The days that followed, I also had to see her doctor and the car still did not turn on. Finally, the vehicle was towed to the dealership and they told me it has a steering lock problem and they see this often in that model(!). I looked online and was amazed to find several similar complaints! I saw Nissan is aware of this issue on this model and had a campaign but my VIN was not among the supposed vehicles under the coverage this is a major safety issue, being a woman (and even worse, a woman with a minor) I was unable to use a vehicle that is otherwise mechanically completely sound (it had just been serviced not even 2 weeks before!), this car has very few miles, it was the last thing I was expecting in a stressful situation that could have gone majorly wrong. Luckily my daughter's allergic reaction was tended to at the hospital in time because I took a car service and I don't live in a rural area, but I don't want to think about what could happen to other people or even to myself if I were to be in a remote location or in a perilous situation and not able to turn on my car and use it. I am now very wary and worried that (once corrected) this issue will again take place. This is a hazardous situation, though it does not happen while driving, it does put the owner's safety at plausible risk.
My wife and two young daughters were stranded for a time due to a sudden issue with the steering lock mechanism. This suddenly made the car inoperable and left them out in 102 Texas summer heat. After much research this seems to be a fairly common and known issue. We bought our car from a dealership in 2014 and we not made aware of this issue or any potential warranty extension. This is a $500 part (excluding labor and towing fees) that can and has stranded people with little to no notice. How is this acceptable?
On or about April 4, 2015, L noticed that my vehicle would not start. The vehicle was subsequently towed to a Nissan dealership where it was determined that the steering lock was defective and needed to be replaced. I contacted Nissan on various occasions regarding the repair work that needed to be performed to my vehicle. Ln response, the representative from Nissan advised they would open a claim and investigate the matter further. I was ultimately told that the repair work would not be covered by Nissan because the vehicle was out of warranty as of September 2014. Ln fact, L was advised that the warranty had been extended for another year because of this particular issue. Unfortunately, to my detriment, the steering lock in my vehicle malfunctioned past the warranty date. The particular defect in my vehicle is a defect occurring in this particular model, for which the manufacturer's warranty had been extended. In fact, the steering lock has since been altered in future models to correct this defect, which demonstrates that Nissan was well aware of the defect in this particular model, yet chose to do nothing to remedy the problem. Despite my amicable attempts to have Nissan reimburse me for the repair work that was done to the steering lock, of which Nissan should be responsible for, Nissan has refused to reimburse me for said repairs amounting to $1,098.06. I recently contacted Nissan again because Nissan has now issued a recall concerning this same problem (steering lock malfunction). Again, Nissan has ignored my requests.
Nissan was a car I really trust, but from now my opinion changed. I bought my new Nissan in 2009 from a Nissan dealer. After four years of use (2013) the Nissan release an extended warranty for a en electronic piece that should never fail (the famous escl). My car stop working due to this issue, it couldn't turn on because was locked by the faulty electronic piece. I use the extended warranty to fix the problem, ok everybody happy, four years later 2017, same problem, same piece, same issue (faulty escl) cost: $1,100 called Nissan, I submitted all the necessary documentation (insurance card, bill to replace the defective, ) I contacted Nissan about this they don't to take any responsibility because piece has already been changed by another defective (that should never fail) escl piece that last 4 years. I really think very dissapointed how Nissan treat its customers. This is my third car I buy through Nissan, I am really reconsidering my next car to get a different car brand. Nissan faulty pieces should not be re-used to fix issues momentarily.
My car wouldn't start. The escl box locked up for 3 days! now I have to pay $150 to have it fixed per my warranty company. I haven't had the car 60 whole days, and it's been in the shop 4 times with very little success and a lot of frustration and time lost! please call me. Will you pay for the $150 warranty fee? I had it towed to carmax norcross Monday morning. It's Wednesday. I've been without a car for 5 days now!!! [xxx] sincerely [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Won't start eslc steering wheel lock defective. Purchased car then stopped at gas station turned off car won't start again. Showed yellow key flashings light on dash.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Boston, MA, USA