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:
2 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,087 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.

2010 Nissan Altima electrical problems

electrical problem

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2010 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #66

May 032024

Altima

  • miles

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

Yes, while driving down Atlanta Highway I was going around 55 mph then all of a sudden saw smoke was coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. When I pulled over Flames was coming from the front right side and spread it to the center of the front hood, then spread it to the front seat and passenger side seat of the vehicle. I didn-??t call 911 and fire services responded and put the fire out. According to the Montgomery Police Department, Delano police support Center vehicle was not involved in any type of car accident.

- Montgomery, AL, USA

problem #65

Jun 262023

Altima

  • miles
This vehicle has a major electrical issue. A long time ago, I used to use my keyfob to open doors remotely and used the push start button to get the car running. I can no longer do this. when I couldn't do this any longer, went through several mechanics. They could not fix this problem. Finally, they had to use a bypass method where now I have to use a different way to start the car. The mechanic had to install a push bypass button. This is how I can only start the car now. 1. I depress the brake paddle 2. Insert the keyfob in a hole (located at the bottom the left side of the steering wheel) 3. Press the start button 4. Then hit this bypass button I don't know if anybody is having this issue but this has become a nuisance for me.

- Tamarac, FL, USA

problem #64

Jun 012023

Altima

  • miles
THERE ARE two ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE. FIRST, THE COST TO REPLACE A HEADLIGHT BULB IF ONE GOES OUT IS VERY HIGH (I PAID WELL OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS), AND THUS MANY PEOPLE MAY NOT BEABLE TO REPLACE THE LIGHT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. Second, this vehicle does NOT have the means to start it with a real key. It ONLY starts with the key fob. Thus, in the event that something happens to the key fob, like if it breaks or if the battery goes dead, the vehicle cannot be started. I believe this would cause a safety issue, in the event that a driver should be stuck on the side of the road, especially in bad weather, and cannot start the vehicle to move out of the way of any traffic or other dangers. I did question the manufacturer about this issue which is the most important to me, and they were VERY uncooperative. They would NOT sell me a replacement key fob (to keep as a backup) but would sell me one at a price over $300. I feel this especially is a safety issue. And actually the TRUNK of this vehicle has no key hole that can allow it to be opened except with the key fob. What if a woman has the keyfob in her pourse, lays it down to unload groceries into the trunk, and accidently closes the trunk lid. Then she cannot start her vehicle. And, what if a CHILD should get into the trunk and there be no one with a key fob to get them out. I would like to have some response to these issues. In my opinion, both the keyfob issues and the headlamp issue are vey important safety issues and need to be addressed. I feel that things like safety equipment (headlights) and access (an actual key and opening to use it) should be priced within the reach of ANY person who owns this particular vehicle. Thank you Please disregard CAPS in first paragraph, my CAPS key got stuck.

- New Paris, OH, USA

problem #63

Apr 092023

Altima

  • miles

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

Inspection is available, but note that car is in very poor shape and melted. All persons in the vehicle at the time of the incident were in extreme danger as the car showed no warning signed in the engine heat or check lights in the dashboard before the engine sputtered and slowed, the electrical sparked, and the whole front of the car caught on fire. The fire spread on a matter of 10 minutes and burst the windshield and front tires from the flames. Police inspected the remains of the vehicle and were unable to discover the source outside of the leaking oil still on fire by the electrical unit. Claim has been reported to insurance provider for their review.

- Herndon, VA, USA

problem #62

Apr 282022

Altima

  • miles
Was driving home on a rather busy highway, had my cruise control set at 65 mph, then the cruise control just shut off, no warning indications, no alerts, just poof off. It caused my car to lose speed instantly and caused a great deal of concern for both myself and everyone around me, this is now the second time this has happened within a month. Have not had time to take it to a dealership yet going to do so next week and see if they cant figure it out.

- Merriam Woods Village, MO, USA

problem #61

Aug 012017

Altima

  • miles
I have three issues with this car. The dash has melted, so much so I could not see out the windshield if the sun was out. The glare on the dash was blinding. I called Nissan and spoke to agent 'shelly', ID #7312915, case # 32725497 in September 2018. I took it to one Nissan dealership and they said not a manufacturing defect, but gave me a quote of $3500 to repair. Took to another Nissan dealership and they gave me another quote for a repair using a dash from the junk yard for 1/2 the price. I gave up and finally purchased a dash cover in August 2019 for around $300 from carparts.com and installed it myself. Very much a driving/safety concern! The sunroof leaks if more than a sprinkle. The back floor board stand in 3" of water. I have to take it to the dealership to have the headliner ripped out to clean the waterline from sunroof to outside (rear wheel well). I have taken it in 2-3 times at a cost of ~$150 each time. I need to go back now, but have currently duct taped the sunroof shut. The VDC and slip light, brake light and tire pressure lights are on. Have had them reset. Last time they told me to disregard the brake light. Just ignore it.

- Salislbury, NC, USA

problem #60

Jun 042020

Altima

  • 140,000 miles

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

Error codes through sensor warnings, I replace one sensor now another sensor error. I'm about $1000 in replacing electricial issues and mechanic says the car is having electrical issues and he can't figure it out. Car won't run longer than 30 mins. Replaced crank shaft sensor and app sensor.

- Gates, NC, USA

problem #59

Oct 082019

Altima

  • miles
The automatic locks aren't working. Only the front passenger and back drivers side will lock and unlock with the key fob or switches. The back passenger side will lock with the fob and switch, but it won't unlock. Drivers side has to be locked and unlocked manually.

- Nortonville, KY, USA

problem #58

Jul 042019

Altima

  • 99,000 miles
The steering wheel lock

- Lebanon, MO, USA

problem #57

Oct 262018

Altima

  • 220,000 miles
When accelerating from 20mph to 40mph the rpms increase to 3rpm and the transmission hesitates to change the gear. It seems to be an issue with the tcm (transmission control module). I bought my car brand new in 2010. It has 220,000 miles on it. I did some research online and saw this us a known issue with the car. Nissan also sent out a bulletin ntb10-121B. They should recall these cars and fix the issue at their cost. Attached is the pdf of the bulletin.

- Seneca, SC, USA

problem #56

Aug 142018

Altima

  • 114,000 miles

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

2010 Nissan Altima has an extremely dangerous safety defect that many other consumers are also experiencing, not just me. (see NHTSA id # 10899578). I have almost been rear-ended several times, sometimes with my small children in the car, because of this problem. The extremely dangerous safety defect is the car turns off completely while coming to stop, when stopped, and/or when accelerating from stop. All systems turn off including the ability to steer and stop. After turning off, the car will not immediately turn back on. Took the car to the dealer several time but the dealer was unable to diagnose the problem. The dealer replaced the transmission, since it had a recall and was under warranty, to see if it fixed the problem. It did not, as the vehicle turned off this morning, 8/14/18, when coming to a stop on a main city street. I was almost rear-ended because the car unexpectedly turned off and the brake lights do not seem to work when this happens. The car did not turn back on for several minutes. There needs to be an investigation and recall of this extremely dangerous safety defect.

- Jurupa Valley, CA, USA

problem #55

Nov 092012

Altima

  • 24,524 miles
Vehicle was stationary. Original battery went dead in 2012, additional batteries installed in 2013, 2014, 2015 by the dealer and towed to the dealer. Aaa installed batteries in 2016 and may of 2018., I did not go back to the dealer. Dealer told me first time was due to the weather, then they told me I was not putting enough miles on my car, they installed a larger battery and this one also went dead. I did tell the dealer this was a huge safety concern for me because most of the time I travel alone both in-state and out-of state, if memory serves me correctly this is when the dealer installed a larger battery and this one also went dead. Diagnostic testing by the dealer and mechanic showed nothing but something electrical is causing so many batteries to go dead..I also told Nissan usa this was a huge safety concern for me. Nissan usa told me there were no recalls which I already knew and they would not do a buyback or repair. Because out of warranty, this they had offered to check into for me, plus the dealer never offered this to me after replacing so many batteries. All I have for backup are my receipts which I didn't attach, if needed please let me know. Mechanic did tell me if battery goes dead again to give him a call and he would come to try and see if he could find what was the cause in the electrical system. This didn't happen because battery went dead on a Saturday and found out when I called Monday he also got married over this weekend and was on his honeymoon, but Monday they had my car for 3 days. I am thankful so far my car and not gone dead when driving. Thank you.

- Bound Brook, NJ, USA

problem #54

Nov 212017

Altima 4-cyl

  • 138,025 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Altima. On multiple occasions, the air conditioning and heating unit failed to operate. The contact also stated that the dashboard disintegrated and the radio malfunctioned and failed to operate. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to hill Nissan (6401 cypress gardens blvd, winter haven, fl 33884, (863) 299-2161) where it was diagnosed that the dashboard and the HVAC were corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 138,025.

- Lake Wales, FL, USA

problem #53

Sep 102017

Altima

  • 61,065 miles
On 9/10/17 about noon while driving on the highway, the brake light on the dash board came on, pulled to the side of the road. While looking for service phone number, smelled something burning, exited the car, and almost immediately the engine compartment and then the car was engulfed in flames.

- St. Louis, MO, USA

problem #52

May 012017

Altima

  • 102,000 miles
When the car is turned off, the steering wheel locks and the car does not turn back on. To turn the car in can take an upwards of 15 min of fighting with the wheel. We believe there is a problem with the escl.

- Oceanside, NY, USA

problem #51

Mar 242017

Altima

  • 101,224 miles
Just filed complaint # 11000784. Found additional information on internet dated March 7, 2017 - "Nissan Altima and maxima steering lock problem will be fixed for free after the automaker announced a 'service campaign' for 243,000 model year 2009-2010 Nissan Altima, Altima coupe, Altima hybrid and maxima cars. Although not a recall, the service campaign will fix steering locks (ecls) that lock the steering wheel when the Altima and maxima cars are parked and turned off. However, those steering locks have serious problems and can leave owners and their cars sitting in parking lots or driveways." "Nissan has agreed to replace the steering lock with an electronic steering column box at no charge for parts and labor, a job that should take an authorized Nissan dealer about an hour to complete." "the electronic steering column box will replace the escl assembly but will no longer lock the steering wheel when the car is parked and turned off. The automaker says the steering wheel locking function is not necessary because the Altima and maxima are equipped with anti-theft immobilizers to help prevent theft." "if you have already paid for repairs to the steering column lock, Nissan will reimburse what you spent as long as you can show proof of repairs. If those repairs were above $1,000., you'll need to show proof of ownership of the car." Please add this to complaint #11000784 filed a few moments before this one.

- Carbondale, IL, USA

problem #50

Mar 242017

Altima

  • 101,224 miles
Key fob is inserted in slot and all lights and guages will light up, windows go up and down, doors will lock and unlock, but when brake depressed and start push button is pressed car will not start. Battery less that 6 months old (just replaced in attempt to fix problem). Brake switch just replaced in additional attempt to fix problem. Nissan dealer in St. Louis lists this as a recall for 2010 models, dealer in marion, il says it is not. Marion dealer replaced two parts [24167-zx00J harness -sub] and [25320-jn00A switch assy-stop lamp] at cost to customer of $567. For parts and labor. Car still would not start. Dealer stated that on "tsb" they "found similar concerns" and additional parts need to be installed listed in procedure, " and "confirmed power is switching at BCM but not engaging starter need to replace BCM and diag further - quoted customer $569.35 to replace BCM to fix other concern" (capitalization per dealer). I declined. Car was stationary in dealer shop. I have tried to speak with corporate Nissan, but have not had any satisfaction. My personal mechanic (has masters degree in auto mechanics) says it is a recall problem with recall listed on internet in March, April and May. Date given below is repair attempt at dealer. ## VIN passed ## Nissan Altima 2010 ##

- Carbondale, IL, USA

problem #49

Feb 092017

Altima

  • 120,000 miles
I have had three separate occasions where when driving the vehicle and attempting to turn into a corner the car completely shuts off and loses all power and ability to steer. The first two occasions occurred where I could simply place the car in park and restart as if nothing happened. The last occurrence 2/9/17 happened as described above was turning into an alley going less than 20mph when car just shut off. I placed the car in park and when I attempted to restart, the car turned on but when pushing the gas the car would barely accelerate. I had the car towed and the wrecker tried to drive the car onto the tow truck but was unable to get it up the bed as it didnt have any power to drive up the bed. I took it to a Nissan dealership who ran diagnostics and stated that there were no codes that were identified. They stated it was running just fine, and could not reproduce the same issue. This is a huge safety hazzard as there is absolutely no notice when the car will shut off and lose power steering. This could easily be a huge accident if occurs on the freeway. I would like answers as to what is going on with the car. I have seen hundreds of other Nissan owners with similar problems (all reporting that no diagnostic codes prompted during diagnosing).

- Mcallen, TX, USA

problem #48

Jan 022017

Altima

  • 72,000 miles
Front windows will roll down by themselves

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #47

Dec 142016

Altima

  • miles
Over the years ived had multiple problems with the branke and engine of my 2010 Altima. The panel lights up but the engine does not crank. Pushing the ignition button only locks the brake.no warning signals either the car just dies on you ived paid over 700 everytime it needs repair, im very frustrated with my car and will never buy another Nissan vehicle.

- Fresno, CA, USA

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