Nissan Altima Complaints (2009)

1,601 consumer complaints on file.

#10491638January 7, 2013
STEERING
COLD DAY 2009 ALTIMA STARTED FINE. WENT TO WORK, BUT AT LUNCH TIME TRIED TO START CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. FOB KEY WOULD STILL OPEN LOCKS AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BUY CAR AND LIGHTS STILL WORKED SO IT WAS NOT BATTERY OR KEY. BRAKE LIGHTS ALSO WORKED. YELLOW KEY LIGHT ON DASH WAS LIT AND STEERING WHEEL AND GEARS WERE LOCKED. CAR WAS TOWED ON FLATBED TO DEALER. DEALER INITIALLY SAID IT MAY BE JUST FOB KEY REPROGRAMMING. HOWEVER AFTER 4 HOURS THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE THE STEERING LOCK SWITCH. COST $700 DOLLARS TO REPAIR!! NISSAN RECALL THIS PART NOW AND REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10491686January 7, 2013
STEERING
ON A COLD JAN DAY(BELOW FREEZING) A NOTORIOUSLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA OCCURRED. THE STEERING WHEEL ACTUATOR FAILED ADDING TO THE 1000S OF OTHER REPORTED STEERING WHEEL ACTUATORS ALREADY POSTED ON THIS WEB SITE. SEEMS THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS 1-3 YEAR OLD CARS IN COLDER WEATHER. THE CAR WILL NOT START NOR CAN THE STEERING COLUMN BE UNLOCKED WHICH COMPLICATES THE TOWING. THE "PUSH TO START" KEY FOB THAT NISSAN HAS ENGINEERED IS NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. THERE IS NOT A MECHANICAL STEERING LOCK AS YOU WOULD HAVE IN A NORMAL KEY OPERATED CAR AND THE LOCKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL OCCURS AS A THEFT SECURITY DEVICE. IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING THE IMPACT COULD BE DEADLY. THE COMPANY HAS NOT RECALLED THE CAR FOR THIS AND IT WILL TAKE A SERIOUS INJURY LAWSUIT FOR NISSAN TO UNDERSTAND THE PRODUCT THEY PUT ON THE HIGHWAY PUTS ALL AT RISK. DON'T BUY A CAR WITH THIS TYPE KEY START MECHANISM FROM NISSAN. THE COST TO REPAIR IS 1100 DOLLARS............ *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10491723January 7, 2013
STEERING
THE YELLOW KEY LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS DRIVING TO MY DESTINATION. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE, I WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK MY DOORS BUT COULD NOT START THE CAR. LIGHTS WERE WORKING BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO ENGAGE BRAKE PEDAL OR PUSH THE BUTTON TO START THE CAR. TRIED TO JUMP THE CAR OFF THINKING IT WAS THE BATTERY, BUT DID NOT WORK. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO OTHER WARNING SIGNS ONLY THE YELLOW KEY LIGHT. THIS IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM ON THE 2009 NISSAN 370 Z. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10491568January 6, 2013
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WENT TO GO START MY CAR AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. COULDN'T START IN NEUTRAL. HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. DEALER WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR IN THE MORNING. THEY WERE ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE BY STOPPING AND STARTING NUMEROUS TIMES. IT APPEARS THAT THE STEERING LOCK UNIT WAS FAILING. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE DETERMINED THIS IS A COMMON AND COSTLY PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NO RE RECALL FOR IT. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10491603January 6, 2013
STEERING
VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL ACTUATOR HAD FAILED. THE COST TO REPLACE THE ACTUATOR IS APPX: $800. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM USING A GOOGLE SEARCH, IT APPEARS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD RECENT ISSUE WITH THE NISSAN ALTIMA. THIS PROBLEM CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, HOWEVER, IT SEEMS TO BE A COLD WEATHER ISSUE. THE ACTUATOR IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD NOT BE FAILING IN A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490990January 4, 2013
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
9:30AM - STARTED CAR. PROCEEDED TO DRIVE 35 MINUTES. STOPPED CAR, WENT IN THE HOUSE FOR 20 MINUTES. CAME OUT, GOT IN CAR. WILL NOT START. THE FOLLOWING WAS OBSERVED: 1. INTELLIGENT KEY WILL UNLOCK AND LOCK THE DOORS, TRUNK, SOUND ALARM. 2. SMALL "KEY", YELLOW IN COLOR SYMBOL ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. 3. START BUTTON DOES NOTHING, WILL NOT MOVE FROM THE "LOCK" POSITION. FAILURE: STEERING LOCK CONTROL MODULE (342.99 + TAX CND). TOOK IT APART, RESET THE GEARS, BACK IN ACTION (FOR NOW). CANADIAN CUSTOMER. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10491007January 4, 2013
STEERING
THIS APPEARS TO BE A COLD-WEATHER RELATED ISSUE WITH THE STEERING LOCK MODULE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY HAVE SEEN MORE AND MORE OF THESE PROBLEMS NOW THAT IT HAS BECOME COLD. THE COST TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART, FROM THE DEALERSHIP, IS APPROXIMATELY $1,000. HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/NISSAN/ALTIMA/2009/STEERING-FAILED-PROBLEMS.PHP. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10491464January 4, 2013
POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490859January 3, 2013
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
WENT TO GO START MY CAR AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. COULDN'T EVEN USE THE BACK UP METHOD TO START THE CAR. HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE CAR AND WAS LEFT IN AN ABANDONED LOT. NOT A VERY SAFE PLACE TO BE STUCK. ALSO, THERE WASN'T A WARNING PRIOR TO THIS. FROM THE SOUNDS OF IT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AT RIGHT AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE MARK. I THINK IT'S TIME FOR NISSAN TO CONSIDER A RECALL. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. I HAVE MY CAR AT THE DEALER NOW AND FROM THE SOUNDS OF IT WILL BE IN FOR A REPAIR OF AROUND 1,000 OR MORE. WILL NOT BE BUYING A NISSAN AGAIN UNLESS THE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490938January 3, 2013
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE STEERING LOCK MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490944January 3, 2013
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE AND HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR REASONS WHY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND SETTLED ON THE FACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A STEERING LOCK MECHANISM FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490956January 3, 2013
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
IT WAS THE FIRST CHILL IN CHICAGO AND THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE STREET. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR IT WOULD ONLY LIGHT UP THE INTELLIGENT KEY WARNING LIGHT IN THE DASH INDICATING AN ISSUE WITH THE INTELLIGENT KEY-LESS SYSTEM. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH (A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH "NISSAN ALTIMA INTELLIGENT KEY WARNING LIGHT ISSUES") INDICATED THAT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH ALTIMAS AND IS RELATED TO THE "STEERING LOCK" MECHANISM. I HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND A QUICK CALL TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT QUICKLY CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY SERVICE FREQUENTLY. THE DEALER HIMSELF INDICATED THAT THE LAST PART IN THEIR INVENTORY WAS JUST FITTED IN ANOTHER CAR. THIS IS USED CERTIFIED NISSAN ALTIMA AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE REPAIR. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $1299.30. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490962January 3, 2013
STEERING
TRIED TO START MY CAR BEFORE WORK AND IT WOULD NOT START. KEYLESS ENTRY STILL WORKED AND LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. TRIED JUMPER CABLES, BUT THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER. CAR HAS KEYLESS IGNITION AND WHEN I WOULD TRY TO START IT, A LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATED THE KEY WAS NOT REGISTERING. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO TRY NEW KEY BATTERIES; BOUGHT NEW KEY BATTERIES ($8), INSTALLED THEM, NO CHANGE. CALLED DEALERSHIP BACK AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP ($88). AFTER INSPECTION, WAS TOLD "DIAGNOSIS FOUND STORED CODES FOR STEERING LOCK FAILURE. REPLACEMENT NEEDED" ($740). FORTUNATELY, MY CAR DID NOT JUST TURN OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING, BUT WHEN I FOUND THESE OTHER REPORTS (HTTP://CAR-AND-SAFETY.COM/NISSAN-370Z-SAFETY/NISSAN-370Z-2009.HTM#STEERING) I DECIDED I BETTER ALSO REPORT MINE; SOUNDS LIKE AN ON-GOING ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN/COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR OTHERS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490797January 2, 2013
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE USING THE PUSH-TO-START BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE STEERING LOCKING SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 75,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490824January 2, 2013
STEERING
THE NIGHT BEFORE EVERYTHING WAS WORKING FINE. I WAS 1300 MILES FROM HOME VISITING RELATIVES. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR TURNED MY CAR OFF AND LOCKED IT UP AS USUAL. IN THE MORNING, I GOT BACK INTO MY CAR TO GO SOME WHERE AND MY CAR WOULD NOT START THE YELLOW KEY INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR I COULD NOT PRESS THE BRAKE IT WAS VERY STIFF AND THE START BUTTON WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE LOCK POSITION. AFTER RESEARCHING VIA THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 2009 MAKES OF NISSAN AND THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONING AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AND THE CAR BEING UNDER 50,000 MILES THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED IN OTHER MODELS OF NISSAN BUT NOT IN THE 2009 MODELS. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THIS REPAIR AT A DEALER CAN RUN UPPERWARDS OF $1,000.00, I WAS LUCKY MY DAD'S MECH DID IT FOR AROUND $600,00.THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE A FORMAL RECALL ON THIS PART BECAUSE IT HAS AFFECTED TOO MANY PEOPLE AND IT COULD EASILY RESULT IN DEATH IF THE LOCK OUT TAKES PLACE IN TRAFFIC, NOT A NICE FEELING TO BE 1300 MILES FROM HOME AND HAVING A MAJOR PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490556December 31, 2012
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WAS OUT SHOPPING AT COSTCO, CAME OUT OF STORE AND CAR WOULD NOT START. INTELLIGENT KEY INDICATOR LIGHT WAS DISPLAYING ON THE DASH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT DEPRESS AND PUSH BUTTON WOULD NOT START THE CAR. TRIED TO MANUALLY OVERRIDE BY INSERTING THE KEY FOB IN THE SLOT - STILL WOULD NOT START. AS I WAS STRANDED HAD TO CALL HUSBAND TO COME GET ME. HAD HIM BRING OTHER KEY FOB, STILL WOULD NOT WORK. HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AS CAR IS COMPLETELY DISABLED AND WILL NOT RUN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490589December 31, 2012
STEERING
MY CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND RECEIVED A WARNING LIGHT THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN MY INTELLIGENT KEY FOB. WENT TO START CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START AND THE WARNING LIGHT STILL APPEARED. WE REPLACED BATTERY IN FOB AND STILL THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER TALKING WITH DEALER WE FIND THAT THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM GOING OUT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY HAD 5 INCIDENTS OF IT JUST THIS WEEK. AFTER DOING MORE RESEARCH AND SEEING HOW COMMON THE PROBLEM WAS WE ARE WONDERING WHY THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL HAS NOT MADE THE RECALL LIST YET. PROBLEM COST BETWEEN $600-$1000 TO REPAIR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490600December 31, 2012
STEERING
ON 12/28/2012 MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA DISPLAYED A YELLOW KEY WARNING INDICATOR ON MY DASH BOARD. THINKING THAT IT WAS MY KEY BATTERY, I HAD IT CHANGED AND THE LIGHT WENT AWAY FOR 2 DAYS. ON SUNDAY, 12/30/2012 IT REAPPEARED AS I WAS DRIVING TO A CHRISTMAS GATHERING. AFTERWARDS I WENT TO MY CAR AND TRIED TO START IT UP. THE YELLOW KEY WARNING STILL APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD BUT NO OTHER RESPONSE WAS SEEN FROM MY CAR. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP HERE IN TULSA, OK TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS RUN AND IT SHOWS THAT ITS THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM HAS MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS AND FINDING THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN OTHER YEARS OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA, I FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS ISSUE HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED AND THE PART HASN'T BEEN RECALLED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490604December 31, 2012
STEERING
I WENT TO START 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WAS NOT SOMETHING SIMPLE AS A BATTERY OR STARTER AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO START THE CAR. IT COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AND DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING LOCK UNIT WAS BROKEN. THE REPAIR SHOP DID RESEARCH AND TESTING AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FROM NISSAN WITH NO RECALL. NISSAN INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THEREFORE NO RECALL WAS NECESSARY. OUR CONCERN IS THAT NISSAN KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE PART, WHERE THEY KNOW THEIR CARS WILL NOT START AT ANY GIVEN TIME WITHOUT WARNING AND IN FACT MAY POTENTIALLY PLACE THEIR CONSUMERS IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. NOT TO MENTION THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS STEEP AND IT IS A REPAIR THAT THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AT NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. ALSO ANOTHER CONCERN IS IF THE REPLACEMENT PART IS TRULY AN "UPDATED VERSION" OR STILL HAS THE DEFECT? IS THIS BOUND TO HAPPEN AGAIN AT ANY GIVEN TIME NOT KNOWING WHEN OR WHERE, AND ALSO RACK UP ANOTHER COSTLY REPAIR? I HAVE RESEARCHED AND CAME ACROSS MULTIPLE WEBSITES OF HUNDREDS OF OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10490436December 29, 2012
STEERING
ON DECEMBER 27TH I WAS SITTING IN MY CAR WITH THE CAR ON AND EVERYTHING WORKED FINE I GOT OUT OF MY CAR TURNED MY CAR OFF AND LOCKED IT UP AS USUAL. LATER THAT EVENING I GOT BACK INTO MY CAR TO GO SOME WHERE AND MY CAR WOULD NOT START THE YELLOW KEY INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR I COULD NOT PRESS THE BRAKE IT WAS VERY STIFF AND THE START BUTTON WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE LOCK POSITION. AFTER RESEARCHING VIA THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 2009 MAKES OF NISSAN AND THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONING AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AND THE CAR BEING UNDER 50,000 MILES THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED IN OTHER MODELS OF NISSAN BUT NOT IN THE 2009 MODELS AFTER SPEAKING WITH A NISSAN REPRESENTATIVE AND A NISSAN DEALER I WAS ADVISED TO HAVE MY VAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND HAVE THE MALFUNCTIONING PART REPLACED AT THE COST OF 1175.00 FOR THE PART THE LABOR AND TOWING. THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE A FORMAL RECALL ON THIS PART BECAUSE IN THE LAST DAY I HAVE READ OVER 300 INSTANCES OF THE SAME MALFUNCTION HAPPENING TO VARIOUS NISSAN CAR OWNERS THAT OWN THE 2009 MODEL. I AM RIGHT NOW PUTTING TOGETHER A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST NISSAN FOR THE UNFAIR TREATMENT OF THERE CONSUMERS AND FOR OVERLOOKING A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT THEY ARE SELLING. ALSO THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY SOMEONE REALLY NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Nissan Altima