The day after I received my car back from being in for service, my Intelligent Key Light came on again. I immediately called the dealership to schedule another appointment. Their next available appointment was the following week on 10/11/2016. I had to evacuate my house due to Hurricane Matthew. I filled my car up with gas and them came back home to pack my stuff. An hour later, my car wouldn't start again! I was forced to leave my car behind during the mandatory evacuation of Hurricane Matthew because the dealership failed to correctly diagnose and fix my car!

My wife was stranded at a local grocery store because of our 2009 Nissan Altima. There are many youtube videos about the ESCL (Electronic Steering Column Lock) therefore I determined that was the problem. I tried the youtube fix which was to tap the bottom of the ESCL rectangular unit many times (maybe 100 times) before I pushed the accessory button and voila; I put my foot on the brake pushed the button a third time and the bugger started. I drove the bugger home and left it running while I pulled the steering lock fuse. I am now going to see if this will solve the problem. My local Nissan dealer sells this part for $833.00 and charges about $130.00 an hour for labour. I was told the job is about 1.5 hrs. I complained to Nissan Canada about this part as there are many complaints about it. I know they extended coverage on this part from 3 years to 6 years but maybe it should of been a recall and I told them so. I asked if they would compensate me at all and they just said sorry Sir. Needless to say; but I will say it anyways; I think this is our last Nissan.

Nissan Altima steering lock issue. It seems like many customers have the same issue including myself. For some reason most of time it happened to 2009 Altimas, according to complaints from other people who has same car/issue. Cost to replace about $1000, I just got estimated from dealership. At some point Nissan was recalling some models but I never receive any recalls about this issue, not sure if other customers did. I am not sure if there is anything evidence to start any lawsuit, but Nissan know about this issue but not much being done.

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 inconvenient circumstances with no ability to drive their car. This can be very dangerous for drivers who are in remote or dangerous areas. (Copy from change.org)

I heard that the warranty expired for the electronic steering column lock on 12/30/14 my vehicle is 2009.

I never got a letter on this recall. In 2014 I had my transmission replaced which was under warranty and the dealer never told me or sent a recall letter. My brother Angel Ortiz bought the vehicle but I drove the vehicle we never got word that there was a recall. Now they want to charge over $1,000 dollars to get fix. I'm so upset that my warranty expired. I wanted to trade in vehicle to get another Nissan altima but I will have to look else where for another vehicle because I'm not happy for another disappointed

My youngest son and I were running an errand in another town (about 30 minute drive) and we went into a store. When we came out, the car wouldn't start and the brake pedal was engaged. The door locks worked, the lights worked, and the key symbol was lit on the dash. I called AAA to come check the battery, but it was fine. So, I had to have my car towed back to Tucson on a Sunday, and my older son had to come pick us up. Apparently, this has been a huge problem with this model car, enough to have car owners asking for a recall. Because the car is a push-button, the tow driver had to put sliders under my tires and pull it up the ramp to tow it. There are plenty of videos online about how to bypass this part, but I think Nissan should step up and fix the problem. I don't know how much this is going to cost (because it is a Sunday), but now I will be missing work to get this issue solved. As a single parent, missed work is never a good thing. Thankfully, my son was able to pick me up, or my younger son and I would've been stranded in another town.

I can't believe how common the Electronic Steering Lock Control (ESCL) problem appears to be on the 2009 Nissan Altima 2009 (and similar) and that Nissan has not taken full accountability to resolve this problem!

I had this problem occur on Saturday (fortunately it was a Saturday and I was not stranded in a tough area of Chicago where I normally travel with work). I was amazed that with one simple Google Search for "Amber Key Light Altima" it sent me in a deep hole of information about similar problems occurring with the ESCL feature that makes the car completely inoperable and leaves you stranded!!!

I was also amazed that after so many complaints, Nissan did at least what was partially right and extended the Warranty from 3yrs/36K Miles to 6 yrs/Unlimited Miles for this problem. The problems for me and many the hundreds (+) others that I have read in the past 48 hours, this 6 year warranty expired in 2015 and I will be responsible for the full repair price. I have always had my car maintained at the Dealer and they do great work but unfortunately they confirmed today that the warranty extension has expired and I would be responsible for the $1,200 repair! they did say that the good news is that they now keep this part in stock and I would be able to get me car running today!!!

I think that it is absolute BS that Nissan saw this as a big enough problem that they extended the warranty but did not do it for the life of the car (at least for the 1st repair on this problem) and that they quit using this part/technology in future generations of the car beyond the 4.5 generation.

I find it ironic that they extend the warranty for 6 years which is the life of the loan that the auto industry and the banks like to get you consumers in to..... I guess it's just another example of the Banks/Auto Industry not taking responsibility for their role in the last financial collapse and only looking at their own interest and not the consumer or the general public....... I wonder if it was the consumer comments on the ESCL problem that forced the extension of the warranty or the Banks telling them to extend the warranty until all the 2009's are paid off the first time and to minimize the defaults on loans sticking the banks with a sh*t load of cars that will not start!!!

It's too bad that the 1% that drive these two industries and nearly every other in the US will ever see these comments and they certainly can't relate to the impact that a unplanned (by the consumer... seems like they at least anticipated) $1,200 can have on a household budget.

Good LUCK to all other 2008/09/10 Nissan owners with a car that falls in the 4.5 Generation as they likely have this faulty ESCL Feature..... Good news is that if a Thief ever reads these reviews, they will not try to steal one of these cars with this "security" feature anyway!!!

Have a great day and I hope when your Nissan won't start that your at least in a safe place and that you are not trying to take care of a medical emergency.

I own a 2009 Nissan Altima. In February of 2016, just before 41,000 miles, my car failed to start. The vehicle showed no prior signs of imminent failure. I had my car towed to my residence. I eventually came to believe the problem to be the Electronic Steering Column Lock (ESCL). I contacted the local dealership and was told the part and replacement procedure would be a little over $1,100. I decided to contact Nissan directly. After contacting Nissan through proper channels, I was told the part was out of the six-year warranty. However, they would review my situation and contact me after, at most, three days. Three days without my vehicle later, I was called five minutes before 5:00 PM to be told that I did not qualify for a paid replacement. I decided to make my own attempt at repairing my vehicle, based off what other Nissan owners had experienced. After a bit of research and elbow grease, I was able to gain access to the ESCL and get the car started by using a screwdriver to push down a recessing 'metal block' on the ESCL. I then pressed the start key on the dashboard to get the car into 'battery mode' or 'accessory mode'. I went under the hood and pulled a 10A red fuse from the fusebox related to the ESCL- no larger than a dime. Having done all this, I could now start the vehicle nominally. I taped the ESCL to the underside of the steering column, unplugged, in event I will need the part again for resale or whatnot. I keep the fuse hanging from my rear view mirror as a proud reminder of overcoming the daunting situation. I have had zero issues with my vehicle in the seven months since, thus also confirming that my actions were not just a temporary fix. I have heard from Nissan owners of some of the more recent models that the ESCL still exists in the vehicle, however the fuse had been pulled (presumably before purchase). Also considering the frequency of the problem and the relative abundance of the solution online, I believe it unlikely that Nissan was unaware of being able to resolve the issue without the $1,100 dollar replacement. Furthermore, when I called my local dealer, I specifically asked what revision the new ESCL part would be. I was surprised to find the new part they offered to put inside my car was the same revision as other faulty ESCL's, not the fixed revision. In other words, I would have another metaphoric timebomb in my vehicle. Every instance of reaching out to Nissan or affiliate was met with high resistance and ultimate futility, except for the sales people, who were very easy to reach when offering a costly replacement. I felt that instead of offering assistance in some manner, Nissan service laid barriers of time and frustration between me and my goal of a functioning vehicle. Minus the incident above, I have enjoyed my Nissan vehicle experience very much. I was excited to hear that the Nissan Leaf is a competitive electric vehicle, as I am looking for an electric car as my next purchase. However, after these events with customer service, I cannot condone purchasing an Altima-like vehicle, and I will assuredly refrain from purchasing a Nissan vehicle the next time I look to purchase a car, as it appears the company has an unacceptably low level of interest in its customers. This is truly unfortunate, as the car is an otherwise recommendable product. To other Nissan owners, who are still seeing these parts suddenly cease working in their vehicles, you may very well be able to overcome the situation without the repair bill. I am rather mechanically inept, and I was able to solve the issue, you probably can as well. The best of luck to you.

So I could not start my car (push button, no option for a key) today after grocery shopping. Thought maybe I was doing something wrong, so I used google to explain my problem. That's when I could not believe how common this was for all 2009 Nissan Altima owners. Every post and article was about a bad steering lock. Even a few news programs had articles of this problem. Had the car towed to my dealership, got picked up and taken home by a friend. I kept educating myself and reading articles and stories from owners, most of whom had to pay ridiculous sums of money. Now I've had this car for less than 5 months as I'm financing it through the dealership, Nissan of Atlantic City. And I got really mad when I recalled the night I got the car, asking questions to the salesman. My first was about the push button start and if it was reliable or had a history of problems since I wasn't familiar with it. I was told no, it's super reliable lol. Needless to say upon my research I learned Nissan extended the warranty for this very problem, as they stated it was a "manufacturing irregularity". Basically saying they know they put a defective part in the vehicle. Unless that can be interpreted differently?? So I get called by the dealership and quoted a price of nearly $900.00! Now why am I on the hook as a consumer to replace a "manufacturing irregularity" and not the manufacturer? I'm disgusted that the dealership is not looking out for this when they sell this model since it is a known problem and has had warranty extensions, yet no recall. Obviously I did not own the car when the warranty for it expired so that sucks... but still, I feel like I got sold a defective car none the less.

I got stranded this past Friday! Car wouldn't start and the ECSL light was on. I tried shaking the crap out of the steering wheel (as explained on YouTube) and hitting the steering column. None of which worked! I refused to risk cosmetic damage attempting to remove the panel underneath the steering wheel to access the ECSL as may YouTubers advised. Instead I called it a night, and returned in the morning hoping for a miracle start in the morning.

Next morning..nothing! I prepared myself to call a tow truck $$$ and take it directly to Nissan a few hours later, and VIOLA! Car started, no ECSL light. Light would come and go the next day, but my car started even with the light on. After a couple days of being ECSL light free, I thought my worries were over. Until I left work today!

STUCK in the parking garage. After an hour, I found some pliers thin enough to stick in the gap of the panel and steering column and heavy enough to tap to ECSL. Light went off, car started. I think I'll go get this puppy replaced before I'm stranded and am late/miss another meeting! As soon as I find $600! Oh and my extended warranty I paid for expired 5,000 miles ago, GREAT.

Seriously Nissan, a WELL KNOWN issue and no recall?! Not cool.

This is a horrible example of poor customer service by Nissan. Owners were not notified of the problem and therefore had no opportunity to address the issue prior to the vehicle's warranty expiration or the extended "customer satisfaction warranty extension" offered by Nissan. Of course, the steering lock module failed after the customer satisfaction warranty extension occurred and over $1000 later, I have just spent money on a fix that I would never have spent to fix a 2009 vehicle. When I contact Nissan for assistance, after "looking into the claim" they denied any reimbursement, coverage or assistance because the fault happened after the car's warranty expired. After 20 minutes of useless conversation with my Regional Customers Service Rep. I was only frustrated and angry. My faith in Nissan is lost. To not make any concession regarding the repair of this part is ridiculous. If they were truly interested in "customer satisfaction" they would have been so inspired enough to cover a portion of the cost. Further, why on Earth would they make a necessary part so darn expensive. This is highway robbery. It's bad enough that Nissan will not stand behind their product and make us whole for the repair, but it's insult to injury to make the needed part exorbitantly expensive. Nissan has lost this customer for life.

Last long weekend of the summer, car is packed ready to head to the cottage kids are so excited so am I, first weekend off in a while. Go to start the car, and nothing...you have to be kidding me right now I said to myself. I did not want the kids to know just in case I got it started but after a few minutes, nothing. I called for a tow truck thank god for CAA but not so lucky at the dealership. I had to fork out money that I could not afford. I had budgeted for the weekend and this was an extra cost that I could not afford. The dealership told me the problem, got it started and said it would happen again. They would order the part which would cost $700.00 that does not included labour which is $89.00 an hour. I already work two jobs to get by and with no car I cannot work. I need a car to work and support my family. Pleaseeeeeee HELP! CALL A RECALL FOR STEERING LOCK ACTUATOR ON ALL 2009 AND 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA .ENOUGH OF THIS BULLSHIT.

With no warning, we were unable to start our 2009 Nissan Altima. We never heard of steering lock problem with 2009 Altima before, but it is ALL OVER the internet. My husband was stranded at work, with the vehicle on the 5th level of a parking garage. After an interesting (and expensive) tow from the parking garage to the dealership, the problem was confirmed. We would need to pay $1000 or not be able to start our vehicle.This part/repair was under an extended warranty, but that expired over a year ago. Nissan knows about the faulty part and the dangers it presents to owners (we live in Wisconsin and were lucky this did not occur during the middle of a winter weather event), but they still feel that after 6 years it should become OUR issue. It was originally an INDEFINITE extended warranty, but I'm sure this became too expensive, to it was changed too 6 years...NISSAN is now saving money at their customers' expense. They are fully aware that this failure could occur at any time. We purchased a lemon and Nissan does not want to make this right. This is our second Altima that experience a known failure (we previously owned a 2002 Altima), this is our last.