CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2009-2010 Maxima has an expensive problem where the steering lock prevents the car from starting, & costs upwards of $1,000 to fix!
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.
My 2010 Nissan Maxima will not start. The key light on the dashboard came on. I had it towed to a Nissan dealer only to be told it was a steering locks issue that cost me $1400 to fix. I was also told this is happening often with these cars.
Went to grocery store with 2 kids (3yrs/2yrs old) came out and car wouldn't start. Yellow key light & red key light was lite on dash. The car would open and close with key fob but car still wouldn't start neither did it recognize the key fob when placed into slot. Had to get it towed to repair shop to later find out a steering lock module had gone bad. Read reviews online about different year models recalled for same part #487009N00B but no recall issued for 2010 Maximas yet several people are having the same issue. Repair shop and I can not get part listed above because its on national backorder was told I have to pay upfront for part $500 in order to be placed on a waiting list and part is ordered then would have to wait anywhere from 40 to 60 days and still not guaranteed. Called Nissan about issue and they can not do anything until the part is ordered. Called around myself to find part and very difficult. If this part was an issue & recalled previously why did they continue to use it? and no alternate part has been made to replace existing part. Im getting the raw end of the stick handed to me. 1st to pay out of pocket with no guarantee of the part 2nd to have to pay to have car towed 3rd for the part being on national backorder. I dont expect a car with 52,000 miles to give me issues like this & not be covered being that's its a known problem. Im very frustrated at this point. I have to make alternate arrangements to get to work. This needs to looked into asap!
After leaving work to drive home, car would not start, yellow key symbol was on dashboard. Key fob still worked to lock and unlock doors. Car battery was fine, headlights and brake lights still worked. Checked manual and it indicated steering lock malfunction. Had to have the car towed to nearest dealership. After waiting 4 days for the part to come in, I had to pay over $800 to have the part replaced. Very disappointed in Nissan not covering this part because of the many others who have reported the exact same issue in the 2010 Maxima -- even when it is a known and covered part in the 2009 model.
Went to work park the car with no problems, came out of work car would not start. Thought it was the batteries in the remote due to the yellow light with the intelligent key on the dash, and then remember I just replaced the battery.the doors would unlock and lock with no problems, the brake petal would not go in. Then thought it was the battery hood up a charger and it read it was on 70% charged, called the dealer they told me to have it towed in. The dealer called me the next day and told me it was the steering column, when I asked them why would it do this the only answer they had for me was this has been a problem with this year make and model. With the towing and the diagnostic check and the part with labor it's costing me over 1,000 dollars, the standard warranty does not cover any of this, all out of pocket. I just got rid of a 2008 gl 450 Mercedes Benz, because of having problems with it, I have a 4 year old visually disabled child that I am constantly traveling long distances to medical appointments so this is absolutely unacceptable to me. I always have loved Nissan and this is my 4th Nissan and was planning on purchasing a pathfinder in the falltime. When I purchased this car I stood by the dependability of the name, and I'm very disappointed.
Steering wheel locked and car will not start. Battery works fine, intelligent keys work fine, windows will not roll up. I had to get it towed to the dealership and they could not tell the reason of its malfunction since it wont start. They ran their tests and consulted that it is the steering wheel locking unit. I was told that it would cost 750 to replace. They also told me to call 1800 Nissan 1 and file a complaint. I then had it towed (paying out of pocket this time) to my house until I can pay for the part and have it fixed. It is ridiculous that Nissan has not recalled or even extended warranty for other year models, or at the least make some kind of contribution towards the cost of their own manufacturing mistakes. Instead, they assume that this same issue will not happen to other models. Yet with researching, there are a plethora of customers going through the exact same issue with the exact same part and getting screwed. So much for customer service, they surely will not have much customers if they continue to leave this issue hanging dry. I will assure that I will not recommend others to purchase Nissan vehicles.
- Escondido, CA, USA
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Yesterday I went into a store, came out to find out my electronic steering lock went up without warning. Its a widespread issue and is happening to 1000S of people. I been told Nissan is fully aware of the issue, but is only going to take care of the 2009 models. I don't understand how a major company such as Nissan would know about this and not take care of everyone having this issue. It's not a driver error, it's a factory error and Nissan should take full responsibility. The dealership I had it towed to says it's 900 dollars to fix and the part is on back order and they aren't sure when it would even come in. What am I supposed to do here? I don't have 900 dollars. This is my only means of transportation and I could be out of my vehicle for month's. I have been a Maxima lover since I can remember. I've had 3 Maximas. It's sad to say I will never purchase another Nissan again.
Today when I into my car and the car wouldn't start. I noticed the yellow "key" indicator is on, and the intelligent key will only lock and unlock the doors. I tried to start the car by placing the intelligent key in the manual start port, but the push button ignition stays ("reads") in the locked position, and the lcd shows an image that appears to be telling me to pull the key out of the port.the steering wheel itself is not locked, however. I can actually move it back and forth, but the brake pedal will not press very far down. After goggeling several threads came up about other people who have a 09-10 Maxima have the same issues but Nissan is doing nothing about it. Said to say it sounds like they know this was going to happen but they don't care about the life of their consumers. Im a single mother of 2 and im so hurt about the lack of quality Nissan is making.
Steering lock failed causing me to be stranded. Car would not start, but lights and door locks worked fine. Had to have the car towed to dealer and repaired. This is a known issue with Nissan. They refund 2009 Maxima owners but refuse to refund the 2010 even though it's the same part.
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the engine failed to start. The key warning symbol was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Purchased vehicle November 2012 everything work fine parked car went to bed woke up next day car would not start, intelligent key open and lock doors, horn honks good, key symbol on dash showing steady, push button start symbol states lock, bought new car battery, new intelligent key battery still wont start. Called dealer, service tech states known problem as steeling mechanism locked. Had to pay to tow vehicle to dealer. End of story cost $857 to fix plus $200 for the tow and Nissan wont assist in any kind of way. Dealer tech says I have 1 year warranty on work but this can happen again at any time. I find this to make the vehicle unreliable in all kinds of ways even life threatening. After doing some research this is a very highly common issue which Nissan is well aware of. My family and I own many Nissan vehicles and after this we as family will no longer purchase Nissan vehicles. I don't understand how there isn't a recall or extended warranty on this issue.
I bought a 2010 Nissan Maxima 2 months ago. I drove it to work this particular day and everything seemed fine but when I tried to leave to go out for lunch, my car wouldn't start. I thought maybe it was the battery, but all lights worked perfectly and horn was still blowing. Called three Nissan dealerships in my area to get advice on what the problem may be, they all suggested that I may need a new battery in the fob. The fob was still working to unlock and lock the car so obviously this wasn't the problem. Still I tried for hours to get the car started and was not able to. After being stranded for hours, I had leave my car. The next day, I had to get it towed to the dealership, where they told me this was a common problem (yet they didn't suggest it when I called). The electrical steering control unit had gone out or malfunctioned. They had the replacement part in stock and had my car repaired the same day, which cost me $815.52. After researching the problem I found that this was a common problem and an extended warranty was actually issued for the 2009 Altima's for the same exact problem. I called Nissan and they were happy to open a case for me and forward it to the corporate office to see if I could get reimbursed since this is a common and known problem. A representative from Nissan called me back the following day and informed me that they are not issuing a extended warranty or issuing refunds for the problem. If this is a known problem why hasn't it been recalled and why won't Nissan take responsibility for the problem" I think that this should be investigated because there was no warning in my case and many other complaints I have read. What if the same thing happens to the "new" part" I'll be stranded again, need towing again, and have to pay for a known, uncorrected problem again.
Went to start my 2010 Nissan Maxima this morning for work and it would not start. The yellow key light indicator was lit on the dash, brake was hard to press. The car would not change from "lock" mode to "acc" or "on" position. The car would not start, doors would unlock with the fob but the car would do nothing else. Reading the manual, I was able to tell what the indicator light meant. While waiting for the tow truck to arrive I searched the result and was shocked to see all the complaints on the same malfunction and how this has not been labeled as a recall due to the high volume of complaints. Basically the steering wheel control lock will not disengage leaving you stranded. There has been a recall on the 2009 Altima and Maxima but not the 2010 which uses the same part. From what I have read the repair cost run around $800-$1000. Waiting now for the Nissan dealership to call me back.
I parked my car and went inside my inlaws with my 2 year old and 3 week old. When I went to leave my I-key warning light was on. The key opened the doors but the brake was locked and the vehicle wouldn't turn on. After looking online and checking the batteries in the key fobs I discovered this was a problem with the escl (electronic steering control lock). This is a known issue for Nissan produced in 2009. Nissan actually extended the 2009 models warranty for this part. My vehicle was produced in 2009 but is a 2010 model and not covered by the extended warranty. The repair for this is about $800 and should be covered under warranty. Nissan is ignoring this issue in 2010 models which is unacceptable. Had I been anywhere else this issue could have been much worse with me and my two kids stranded.
Stopped at grocery store, went in for around 5 minutes, came back out and car wouldn't start. The key fob would lock and unlock doors, head lights would come on but when pressing start button, nothing. Paid $50 to have it towed to nearest Nissan dealership and it sat until Monday. After the dealership looked at it, they have notified me that it is the electronic steering control lock module. Labor and part would be $653.58. This is extremely common in the Altima and Nissan even extended the warranty on this part only and are currently covering costs for this part to be replaced in Altima. It's a shame to pay this much for a vehicle and can't even get it to run due to Nissan's faulty parts. And why would Nissan cover the part on an Altima but not on a Maxima even though it is the same exact part?
I was on my way to work when I stopped at the bank to make a transaction, when I returned to my car it would not start. Mind you it was cold and dark. I spent 3 hours freezing me butt off trying to figure out what I did wrong not realizing it was Nissan that is actually at fault. So basically I'm out of a days pay at work, have to pay for a tow truck to take my car back to my home because it dealer I closed, then pay for another tow truck in the morning to take my car to the dealer then pay to fix a problem that should have been recalled the same time they recalled the GT-R for the same parts and same issues. As a loyal customer I am very disgusted, irritated, and tired of these avoidable inconveniences.
The car would not start. A light suggesting the battery in the key was dead came on. I replaced the battery of the key and the car still wouldn't start. Others have suggested it is a steering wheel lock issue that is happening on other Nissan manufactured around the same time. I was stranded.
My car won't start because the steering control lock will not disengage thus making the car inoperable. Even with a new key fob, the car does not recognize this and will not change from "lock" mode to "acc" or "on" position. Basically, my car thinks I'm a thief. I have researched this and numerous people have had this issue with 2009 and 2010 Nissan that have a push start with this steering control lock. I called Nissan to discuss the issue and see if they would extend my warranty but they declined and forced me to make a claim after getting the car towed and serviced which could be anywhere from $700-1000. I am very skeptical about getting any money back from them and am interested in taking legal action should they not take care of this matter as it is a manufacturer malfunction and has nothing to do with wear and tear of vehicle. Which, btw, the vehicle is in great shape and has had regular maintenance checks so makes this even more frustrating.
I'm unable to turn on accessory ignition or start car due to defective steering wheel lock mechanism. Part #48700-JK000. Manufacture is unable to supply me with a new one. This is a known issue by Nissan motors, not just for Maxima, but all intelligent key models. Currently can't even roll windows up.
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Maxima. The contact attempted to lock her vehicle with the keyless alarm system but was unable to do so. She entered the vehicle and then attempted to start the vehicle but there was no power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but they were unable to duplicate the failure. Approximately one day later, the alarm suddenly sounded without warning. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer took a complaint for the contact and advised her that they were unaware of the issue. The current and failure mileages were approximately 9,800. Updated 3/21/11 updated 04/25/11
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Edison, NJ, USA