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.

8.6

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$960
Average Mileage:
90,350 miles
Total Complaints:
467 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. replace steering wheel lock (171 reports)
  2. not sure (109 reports)
  3. replace steering lock controller unit (99 reports)
  4. make it recall (28 reports)
  5. replace electronic steering wheel column (13 reports)
  6. replace brake switch (8 reports)
2009 Nissan Altima steering problems

steering problem

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2009 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 15 of 24)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #187

Nov 172015

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 104,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT START. FIX COULD ONLY BE DONE AT NISSAN. AFTER TOW BILL AND GETTING CAR FIXED $950.00. GOGGLED PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. NISSAN EXTENDED A WARRANTY BUT OF COURSE THAT EXPIRED A FEW MONTHS AGO SO NO HELP FROM NISSAN. NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IF YOU ENTER THE VIN# OR RECALL OR NOTICE FROM NISSAN . SO BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING AND I AM OUT ALL THE MONEY NEEDED TO PAY MY BILLS. NISSAN HAS TRULY LET ME DOWN, RUINED BIRTHDAY AND SPENDING THAT KIND OF MONEY IT WILL RUN THROUGH CHRISTMAS. PEOPLE DO HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS SO SORRY TO COMPLAIN BUT NISSAN KNEW ABOUT THIS AND DID NOTHING

- kbruch, Hahira, GA, US

problem #186

Nov 182015

Altima S 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 70,000 miles

Basically this part failed and stranded my wife in a parking lot. I see it's been happening for years, but ours failed just outside of the extended warranty period. With Christmas coming, I can't afford to fork over $1000 but my wife needs reliable transportation.

- wuddog, Springfield, MO, US

problem #185

Nov 022015

Altima SL 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 57,651 miles

This is a known problem with a defective part which has now failed after the 3 year extended warranty. That is not acceptable. It is a manufacturing defect which Nissan is aware of and should be covered at least to all original owners of the vehicle as we were never notified of problems.

- cschmidt, Depew, NY, US

problem #184

Oct 282015

Altima ES

  • Automatic transmission
  • 157,552 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The reason I am so mad is that the internet is full of people who have had this problem. Apparently, Nissan did not do a good job or choose wisely with this design. The part is outrageously priced. It probably costs $50. to manufacture but they are charging me $692.00 for it. That is highway robbery. I'm so disappointed with Nissan for not trying harder to fix this problem or to at least make the cost reasonable. Shame on you, Nissan. And I was such a faithful Nissan owner.

- Dana O., Cherry Valley, AR, US

problem #183

Oct 192015

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

Nissan wouldn't do anything. I pushed and pushed. They said it was fixed originally and it was not. This is absolutely ridiculous. 3 months past the warranty and they won't even work with me. This will be my last Nissan. This should have been a RECALL.

- sjohnson89, Marlton, NJ, US

problem #182

Oct 152015

Altima 2.5L S

  • Automatic transmission
  • 77,000 miles

Car doesn't start.. I took this to Nissan dealership and they are charging $900 for this issue. Security issue is bull sh*t. I definitely don't recommend to buy Nissan again.

- smotukuri, Minnetonka, MN, US

problem #181

Oct 212015

Altima S

  • 110,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is a serious weakness for these Altimas, and Nissan has refused to issue a recall. The problem is that when this happens, the car becomes inoperable and the driver is stranded. It's not a minor issue that needs to be addressed. And, it's incredibly expensive when they break...and according who what I've read, they do often. Nissan needs to warranty this part beyond what they already do, or issue a recall on it.

- tomgerber, Avon, IN, US

problem #180

Oct 152015

Altima 2.5S 4cyc

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,988 miles

I had this problem. It just happened the first time and of course the extended warranty is out and they are not recalling this to fix it. I was out of the car for 30min and the system locked up. I knew something was wrong when the yellow word KEY was displayed in upper left hand of the dash board and reading about it happens to 2009 and 2010. The dealership wants to change $100 to diagnostic test when they know what's up and estimate of $1300 to fix plus had to tow to them. This is a scam, so mad can't explain!!!!

- traumasurgeon1, St. Louis, MO, US

problem #179

Oct 172015

Altima SL 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 51,371 miles

This should be a recall. It seems to be a problem that Nissan is aware of but has done little to help us cope with it. My car is stuck in a parking garage 3 days until I finally had to get it towed to Nissan dealership and spent $800+ on part/labor.

IT SUCKS.

I bought a used 2009 Nissan Ultima 6mo ago, my first Nissan ever. I spent $800 to replace air condition unit and now on Steering Wheel lock.

NEVER BUYING ANOTHER NISSAN EVER!!

- Sudheer C., Ellicott City, MD, US

problem #178

Oct 172015

Altima V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 67,000 miles

I AM A SINGLE PARENT I JUST PURCHASED MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA LAST YEAR. THE ESCL LOCKED UP ON ME FORCING ME TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WARRANTY THAT NISSAN HAD ON THAT SPECIFIC PART WENT OUT TWO MONTHS BEFORE THIS OCCURRED. NOW NISSAN WANTS TO CHARGE ME OVER 1000 TO FIX AND THE WARRANTY ENDED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING FORCED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET SOME THING THAT THE DEALER IS WELL AWARE OF. I WISH I WOULD HAVE WENT TO TOYOTA. CAUSE NISSAN DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ITS CUSTOMERS

- treasuref, Salisbury, NC, US

problem #177

Oct 202015

Altima S 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 83,885 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I do have a Nssan Altima 2009 , wow to be honest it's a nice car, but when the problem started 2 months back, my wallet keeps on getting empty. Initially it was shock absorber with engine mount and all. Its been cleared just 2 days before for an amount of almost $1000. The next day morning, the steering lock got the problem. I felt like to throw this or to keep this.

The car then been towed to showroom where your experts told to change the all locking system. How beautiful it was to hear that. I asked how much it cost , he said in a smooth way almost $700 $. I said go for it , what to do . its the customer who need to suffer with this type of cars. If it would have been key starting system at least it would have been better. Who asked for this keyless entry system ( push button start ). Now what to do , will the company replace me with another car.That's what happened I think in 2009, right you recalled all the cars. How bad it would have been if i was with my family for a short trip.Bloody hell

The same thing happened almost an year ago with the battery. I just parked the car and went to a stationary shop, came back that's it the battery down. It's not moving not even the glasses coming down. Then I used a jumper and taken the car to the nearest battery shop and replaced. Why on earth this car doesn't have a warning system. You do have a bloody dashboard, why the warnings aren't showing . What the customer have done , Get lost . If possible replace me a with a new car.or else if something like this happens again, I will take the matter to court.

Bye

- Jinu V., Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

problem #176

Oct 132015

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 99,300 miles

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 because their issue fell within the warranty time. It makes no sense that some customers are being covered while other are not because 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.

- bd628, Houston, TX, US

problem #175

Sep 152015

Altima SL 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 117,000 miles

I own a 2009 Altima 3.5. As everyone knows at Nissan, this specific year model has a defective Steering Column Lock Unit that Nissan refused to recall due to the financial costs that they would incur. The issues with this defective part and the horror stories affected by consumers are well documented over the internet. Instead, Nissan adds a 100,000 mile, 6 year warranty on this part. Since I've owned this car, I have reported many times (as my service records have indicated) that the push button start would not start my car. No one at Nissan ever mentioned that this was possibly the issue. Last month, this part finally gave out for good and my car does not start. I have asked Nissan to fix this and they have refused to cover the cost.

- Jay E., Aliso Viejo, CA, US

problem #174

Aug 182015

Altima SL 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 110,000 miles

Steering lock assembly failed preventing car from starting. Nissan dealer replaced at a cost of $1080.01 and assured me that it would be covered by Nissan as part of extended warranty. I followed dealers advice and called 1800 NISSAN1 and opened case # 19828246. I was just informed from them that they would not pay the claim as extended warranty expired !! I requested escalation to review claim.....

- John R., Garden City, NY, US

problem #173

Aug 202015

Altima LX

  • Manual transmission
  • 73,000 miles

This should be a recall. Nissan says that the electronic steering lock column is a manufacturer irregularity. They won't do a recall. They extended the warranty to 72 months/unlimited mileage. However, this part went bad only 18 days after my warranty expired. I opened a case with Nissan Assist and they won't pay my claim for 18 days. This is a safety issue. What if I was stranded in an unsafe area or worse. Now I have a car that won't start. I am in the process of finding a claim settlement attorney to begin a case.

- Erin C., Limerick, PA, US

problem #172

Oct 052015

Altima 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

It seems to be a problem that Nissan is aware of but has done little to help us cope with it. My car is stuck in a parking garage many miles from home. It will cost alot to tow the vehicle and then the expense to fix it. Not a happy Nissan customer.

- James H., West Nyack, NY, US

problem #171

Oct 022015

Altima 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

We bought this car from PRIORITY Nissan in Chantilly, VA 6 months ago. We were unaware with the problem with the steering locks on this car. My daughter and granddaughter were stranded for 4 hours because she parked the car and went back and it wouldn't start. We now have to pay to have the car towed.

Was told by Nissan that the part itself was $700. Neither PRIORITY or NISSAN were willing to help us out with this. The service manager ERIC HAWKE, lied and said he can't do anything about it but NISSAN itself will help you. NISSANS stance is its out of warranty - too bad. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART. It doesn't stop working because of wear and tear.

NISSAN needs to recall this vehicle and replace these parts with all costs paid for by NISSAN. DONT buy a NISSAN, they don't care for the safety of their customers and PRIORITY NISSAN definitely doesn't care. ALSO THIS IS A PART THAT YOU CAN REPLACE YOURSELF HOWEVER NISSAN MAKES THIS PART EXPENSIVE. $700 just for the freaking device and then another 600 - 700 for towing, 30 min of labor. Buy the part yourself and install yourself and DON'T BUY another NISSAN and definitely don't buy from PRIORITY NISSAN in Chantilly, VA.

- Leatrice H., Springfield, VA, US

problem #170

Sep 272015

Altima 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 107,005 miles

My 2009 Altima would not turn over. On 9-27-15 my two small children (6 and 6 month old) and I were stuck and had to call for a ride. When I got home I looked up what the problem could be, come to find out my steering lock system had failed. Numerous people have complained about this problem with this car and Nissan apparently extended the warranty until Jan 2015, but did not let anyone know about it and will not recall a part they know all 2009 Nissans will eventually have. So now my children and I are stuck with no way to work, school or daycare!!! Thanks a lot! I will never buy another Nissan in my life!! This is extremely sh*tty that unless people can come out of pocket about $1200 they are SOL and the people who made this car and know about it, wont fix it! Just another way for Nissan to make some extra money I guess!!!

- Jessica H., Lawton, OK, US

problem #169

Aug 242015

Altima SL 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 61,103 miles

We purchased this 2009 Nissan Altima new and have been very pleased overall with the car, but a situation just recently has made me question on ever purchasing another Nissan. A few weeks ago my wife took the car to the grocery store, but when she went to leave, the ignition was locked and the car made no attempt to start. She called me and I drove up to the store and sure enough, pushed the start button and nothing. We moved the groceries to our other vehicle and I drove us home, at which time I searched the internet to try and determine what's going on. To my amazement, I literally found hundreds of posts from other angry Nissan owners with the same problem and, with a little more research, I found Nissan had extended the warranty on this problem to 6 years (but still 6 month short for my immaculate 2009). I found several websites with recommendations on how to get the car going, which involved banging on the steering interlock, so I returned to the parking lot with a hammer and once I gained access to the module, banged on the interlock a few times and, as if by magic... it started!

I called the dealer in my area (the one we purchased it from in no longer in business) and found that this is going to cost us nearly $1,000 once we get the car to them. This is my wife's car and, under the circumstances, I have no confidence that my "repair" was going to last, so I see no other responsible option other than replacement (which needs to be done by a dealer). This is when I decided to contact Nissan customer service and I made my first call on Thursday, Aug 27th, early in the afternoon. I believe her name was Maretha and she seemed very pleasant and understanding to our situation. I explained that under the circumstances, I believe this problem should have prompted a recall because of the nature of the problem. There is no way I'm going to make my wife drive a car that randomly might leave her stranded who knows where, we were lucky this time being fairly close to home, but who knows next time. She told me that she couldn't even talk about doing anything unless we took the dealer and had them diagnose the problem. I question this strategy, because they would not promise me anything and if I do this it's a couple hours and $100 inspection more than me just taking the vehicle into have the work done. Based on our conversation, I was given the impression, if we spent this extra time and money, it would be worth it in the end, so I contacted the dealer and setup an appointment the following morning. As soon as I received the report from the dealer stating the obvious problem, I called Maretha back and she then told me she would need time to research the case and will get back to me on Monday, Aug 31st with a decision. My question back was "why does it take several days to make this decision, which leaves us without the car in the meantime. She said there was no way she could hurry the process, but promised again to contact me on Monday. At that point, I'm annoyed, but didn't see that I had any options and fully expected Nissan to work something out with us if we wait a few days.

Come Monday, no phone call? I call the number several times that she gave me but never get a call back. All of a sudden the phone rings at a little after 7 PM, but I'm in a first aid class and can't answer the phone. As soon as we have a break (about 20 minutes later), I call back, but only get voicemail again. I listen to my voicemail and it's Maretha calling to tell me that she'll call me back on Thursday? At this point I'm really starting to get angry at how we're being treated.

Tuesday morning, I call customer service back and Maretha is nowhere to be found, but I talk to another agent, who promises to have someone call me back... nothing!

Wednesday morning, I call customer service back and Maretha is nowhere to be found again, but I talk to another agent, who promises to take ownership of this problem and will have someone call me back. Wednesday evening I get a call back from someone new that said that Nissan had decided that since my car was out of warranty, there was nothing they could do. I explained my side of the situation, but they said it was cut and dried... it's not covered under my warranty. I then asked why they held me hostage (without a car) on this decision for nearly a week, if the decision was fixed based on the warranty and the process they made me go through cost us extra time and money, but they had no answer and told me I had no options appeal.

Thursday afternoon, I finally get a call back from Maretha, who repeats the decision to me and seems to have very little empathy for our situation, nor seems to want to make any effort to do anything about it. It seems the only variable in the decision was the fact that I didn't take the car back to the dealership for regular service. This car has been meticulously taken care of and looks and drives just like it came off the showroom floor, other than a failed part might leave us stranded at any time. That didn't seem to matter, nor did the fact that by following her advise this repair costs us more time and money than had we just taken it in to have fixed and not talked to Nissan. Quite a service you offer, but I guess you made a little more money for the dealer out of the deal. What a scam!

The next day I contacted the dealer in my area and they were nice enough to discount their work, which we scheduled and had done.

This is an example of terrible customer service and your poor decisions has convinced me that we will never purchase a Nissan product again and I will do everything in my power to make sure everyone hears how you treat your "valuable" customers

- undrd0g, Snohomish, WA, US

problem #168

Aug 032015

Altima 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 135,486 miles

This car had already had this problem before the repair was done. My husband was not aware of the extended warranty that lasted until January 2015 or we might have gotten it repaired for our daughter Katie before the warranty expired. I guess the warranty was extended from 36 to 72 months and in the next model year 2010 they fixed the problem. I sent the paperwork to nissanassist@nissan-usa.com on 8-7-15 and when I spoke to a rep named Jackie today she asked it I was aware the warranty had expired. I said yes but that Nisan clearly knew there was a problem with this anit-lock device. Jackie said that it had raised to the next level and someone named Galev would be contacting me.

Our 22 year old daughter Katie was stranded twice in the same week after closing at her job, in a dark parking lot with sketchy people nearby. This is a safety issue.

- Terry S., Winters, CA, US

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