Steering Column Problems of Nissan Altima - part 1

My steering column locked and my vehicle would not start. This also happened 8 years ago in the year 2013. I was stranded both times. The first time it was covered under the recall. But now there is no longer a recall in place. The repair is very costly.

See all problems of the 2009 Nissan Altima 🔎.

The steering column on the car has locked on me twice in two weeks, requiring two separate tows, $800 in repairs, $427 in towing and $69 in rental and uber. Car is back in the shop. I parked the car both times and when I came back the steering column was unable to be moved, brake pedal could not be depressed to start the car.

The 2009 Altima escl failed in my car. The key fob remains programmed with the vehicle however the steering column will not unlock thus rendering the vehicle immobile. I was stranded in a remote area approximately one hour's drive from my appartment. This is a known issue of which a 'service campaign' was issued by Nissan. However, my VIN was not part of that campaign.

The electric column steering lock malfunctioned car cannot be started. Nissan knows about this problem they will not cover repair costs.

Steering column actuator locked.

My 2009 Altima, while parked, will not start, and apparently, after investigating the problem, the electric steering column lock device is defective. I have seen many complaints online about this problem. I have heard there should be a recall on this device because of the frequency of its occurence.

Electronic steering column lock (escl) I was in a remote parking lot at night alone whern the car would not start at all. It was a poorly lit parking lot and I was a woman by myself at night and scared. I was in a parked state.

My car was parked near my office and it refused to start on 2/7/2020 evening. After getting towed to nearest local service center it was detected it has problem with escl and it was fixed on 2/11/2020. Due to urgent need I couldn't take to Nissan dealer. Later I discovered Nissan is running electronic steering column lock (escl) service campaign to replace the faulty escl in 2009 Nissan Altima and also there is option for reimbursement but it was rejected stating my VIN number is not qualified in service campaign. My car exactly same problem what was disclosed in https://static. Nhtsa. Gov/odi/tsbs/2017/mc-10119195-9999. Pdf. But Nissan refused accept the problem and the reimbursement charges of $775. I request you to check this and instruct Nissan to honor the reimbursement my car is excluded from campaign even though car has exact same problem. This will help so many people having this problem and getting refused by Nissan with un-satisfactory reasons . This is a serious concern if this happens when car is stopped in street and refuse to start. Nissan case #39570583.

Sometimes when I turn off my car, a 'key' symbol will display on the dashboard and I am unable to start the car again. The steering wheel and brakes also become stiff. This problem occurs at random, but much more frequently the colder it is outside. The issue is with steering column lock actuator, which is under the panel below the steering wheel. To temporarily fix this issue I've seen other people tap it with an object such as a wrench, while pressing the start button and holding down the brake simultaneously. However, doing this does not always work. Having this problem with the Nissan Altima is a huge safety concern, I have had this happen when I was in an area with no cell reception and it was an extremely stressful situation. Nissan has recalled a select few of these parts, but the majority of people, including myself, were not included in the recall. Nissan should have to recall this faulty part as it is very unsafe, and makes the whole car unreliable.

Leaving from work I got into my vehicle and noticed a yellow key indicator light. I proceeded to step on my brake to start my engine and my car did not start. Once doing research about the problem I began to see that this was a common occurrence with owners of the 2009 Nissan Altima. I then learned that my car wouldn't start due a faulty steering column locking the steering wheel. This stopped me from putting my car in the on position or controlling my gear shift. I am thankful that I was in a safe parking lot because this problem could've caused a huge inconvenience or put me in danger. Nissan refuses to recall this part and continues to put many Nissan owners in this unsafe situation.

I was driving down a dirt road and my car died I tried to start it back up but it wouldn't do anything I can't turn on any lights unlock or lock the car nothing. Shows a light on the dash that looks like the key fob and looked it up and it says that something under the steering column can cause the issues and has a recall.

See all problems of the 2008 Nissan Altima 🔎.

Takata recall . Nissan Altima while parked at a gas station, the steering wheel completely locked. Key fob was still working and could open and lock the car but the car would not start. The dashboard displayed the key alert. I tried putting the key in the slot while door was open, nothing happened. Came to find out it� a defective steering wheel column lock. Replaced it but scared to drive it as it is still showing the key alert and might leave me stranded like it did the last couple of times an hour away from home. A lot of complaints about this part that Nissan is not covering for all 09 Altimas. The part is defective and Nissan wants up to 1200$ to replace it. Expensive cost for an older car and for the fact that it's Nissan's fault for selling a car with a defective part.

Nissan website at https://nissanassist. Wpengine. Com/campaigns/electronic-steering-column-lock-escl-service-campaign/ stated that Nissan is conducting a voluntary service campaign on specific my2009-10 Nissan Altima, Altima coupe, Altima hybrid, and maxima vehicles to replace the existing electronic steering column lock (escl) with an electronic steering column box (escb). My 2009 Altima is having problem with this defective escl that caused the problem of locking up the steering wheel and can't start after parked. The Nissan dealers in cerritos and signal hill California will charge me to fix it for more $1220 because my VIN is not on a recall list. I told the dealers that it is not a recall as it stated on the Nissan website, and is a voluntary service campaign. So far, I couldn't start my car after parked for four times from mid October to this November 2018. The first two times, aaa tow truck drivers had to remove the panel under the steering wheel to get to escl and push a middle piece of metal inside the escl all the way down to the bottom of its box, then they could start the car. Now I have do the same things as aaa tow truck drivers did it. I was so scared two days ago in 7 eleven parking lot at around 11:30 pm, when one person approached me and talking to me, and another open my car's door at front passenger side and took my items that I just bought from walmart and both ran away. Now I am afraid to drive this car, and taking public buses to work in the day time and afraid not to go any where at night time. A defective electronic steering column lock (escl) for years, there have been widespread defects in the electronic steering column lock (escl) that disabled the push-button ignition in a wide range of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles.

Car will not start due to the steering column lock, it was stationary at the time.

I went to start my Altima one day and it wouldn't start. Noticed the steering wheel was locked and it never does this. Went on youtube and saw videos about a quick fix on the electronic steering lock column. Did what the video said and the car started up. Called Nissan because I found a customary replacement on this part for known defects but no full recall wa issued. My VIN did not populate saying I could get mine replaced and they quoted me $1000 for replacement and labor. This default in leaves you stranded with no vehicle. Asked Nissan corporate if they could make an exception for my VIN and they told me no. Very displeased with this service.

See all problems of the 2010 Nissan Altima 🔎.

I have a 2009 Nissan Altima that now sits in my garage. I went to leave to run errands and my car wouldn't start. My husband found the problem to be the escl - electronic steering column lock. After much research, I found quite a bit of information about the escl. For one, it's too expensive to have repaired.

I can't get my car to start because it won't recognize my key. Nissan has a campaign and extended the warranty to help some of the thousands of owners whose vehicle won't start due to a faulty electronic steering column locks. However, these recalls are VIN specific and even though my vehicle has the identical problem, they denied my claim. I appealed and they denied again. Now I get to pay $1,000 to pay for a part that Nissan has publicly admitted was due to shoddy manufacturing in thousands of 09 Altimas, but somehow not in mine. Nissan, I know you're not Honda or Toyota, but, c�mon: make an effort. . Read more...

2008 Nissan alyima would not start. Car was parked on the street overnight in front of residence as is most nights after being driven during the day to work. The next morning open car door with fob and pushed key ignition button and car would not start. The key symbol popped up on the dash. Tried repeatedly to push button and car refused to start. Had car towed to dealer and dealer stated it was engine column steering lock. This is a known issue with Nissan Altimas and other models; however, 2008 Altimas were not included in service campaign and should be.

I went to another county with my kids to visit my mom and when I tried to leave the car wouldn't start and there was a light in the dashboard that indicated a key in an amber color, I tried giving it a jumpstart to see if that was the problem and changing the battery of the Smart key and nothing worked. I ended up having to leave my car parked in the street where my mom lives and spent the night with my mother and the next day I called my nearest Nissan dealer who told me that it was most likely the electronic steering column lock but my car wasn't covered in the recent recall.

Vehicle was stationary and the steering column went out. Vehicle will not start, seems there are thousands of people with this same problem, do not understand why a recall has not happened.

My Nissan Altima has a faulty electronic steering column lock. There is a recall campaign in place but my VIN doesnt qualify even thou its electronic steering column lock malfunctioned. The dealership is asking 1003 to fix this. Kindly help.

My 2009 Nissan Altima's electronic steering column lock malfunctioned and my girlfriend and I were stranded in the middle of a snow storm. We had to call triple a to have the car towed after waiting for 2 hours in below freezing temperatures. There was no indication that this would happen in the years leading up to when it occurred. The car was stationary when this happened. We then paid $1191. 50 to have this fixed and ended up missing a day of work. In further reading, I found out that this is a common problem and that there was a period of time where owners could have this fixed. Neither the dealer that I bought the car from or the dealer that services the car informed me of this issue.

See all problems of the 2006 Nissan Altima 🔎.

My Nissan Altima 2. 5 s coupe was functioning normally with no issues whatsoever until 3 mornings ago when I was at home and leaving for work. I opened my car door with the push-button key and turned on the headlights without issues. When I pushed the start/ignition button next to the steering wheel on my parked car, there was absolutely no response from the vehicle. The engine did not turnover or make any noise suggesting it was attempting to. I had driven this car 8 hours prior and saw no lights on the dashboard or abnormal noises indicating that there was an impending issue. After doing my own research on the problem and having the car evaluated at a Nissan dealership, I discovered that I was not alone in having this occur, as there had been other Nissans and infinitis from that year that have had the exact same issue with the escl (electronic steering column lock) unit. Numerous people have been in the same situation as me at different times of the day/night and locations. This poses a significant safety risk to people who operate this car. There is absolutely no warning that there is an issue with the steering column and can happen anywhere, at any time, and in any weather. Luckily I was in a safe area at the time when it happened to me, but I fear for anyone else that has this occur in an unsafe location or in unsafe weather conditions. I believe that Nissan should be held responsible for the problematic car part, regardless of when the car was purchased, that has obviously given several people issues and can leave people stranded somewhere without any warning.

Vehicle would not start. Keylight flashed. Car needed to be towed in heavy rain from my work in an unsafe area and towed to my house and dealership. Car has faulty electronic steering column lock. Nissan will not honor extended warranty even though this was a known issue to Nissan. I was told by Nissan consumer affairs that the extended warranty was never advertised to consumers and was not a recall but the extended repair warranty was available until April 25 2016. I find this unacceptable and I'm unsafe also putting my family at risk. Nissan consumer affairs have assigned a case number to me. Case number is 25278987. Please help me. Thank you.

Takata recall the steering lock column on the 2009 Nissan Altima, as it is a dangerous defect that can effect anyone who believes in your brand enough to purchase a vehicle.

My brake switch went out in September. At any given time my car wouldn't start. When I press the brake peddle my brake light wouldn't come on. This happened over and over again. This is very dangerous because someone could run into the back of the car at any given time. I travel up and down the road a good bit. Having this problem is very dangerous for me. Now, a few months my car want start again. The dealership thinks its the steering column this time. My car don't even have 70,000 miles on it. This doesn't make since to me. I've been told by several people that Nissan is aware of this problem. I've been told that the problem exist in most all 2009 Altima's. Why would Nissan risk the well being of their customers. It's sad that when I give them the year and make of my car they know exactly what the problem is without even checking them out. There should be a recall on these parts. These parts. Why is Nissan willing to cheat their customers and why are they willing to put our lives as well as the lives of other drivers at risk.

On 1/6/17 my 2009 Nissan Altima would not start due to a locked steering column. I was stranded at a school in below freezing temperatures, and had to ask someone for a ride. This part has been breaking down for awhile. I was fortunate to find a ride. The temperature in kc that day was between 1-14 f with packed snow and ice on the ground. Someone could be stranded in a place or situation that is not safe. I was told the car had a faulty steering lock. I had to have the car towed and repaired at a cost of $1,192. 34.

The electronic steering column lock malfunctioned, leaving the car entirely incapable of starting. The car had been shut off while I was at work, snow had started to fall and it dipped into freezing temperatures. I went to leave work late at night only to find I could not start the car despite my best efforts. The key fob allowed me to unlock and lock my doors, and there was power to the car as the interior lights powered on, but the car wouldn't recognize that I had a key (and a spare key) present. Inserting it in the key slot did nothing. It wouldn't even attempt to start if I pushed the "start" button. Nissan quoted around $1100 to repair the car once I managed to get ahold of someone at their service department. Not having $1100, I repaired it by banging on the escl with a wrench until the escl disengaged, which allowed me to power the car to the "on" position, started the car, and pulled the fuse for the escl to prevent it from engaging again in the future. It has started up every time since I've disabled this part, but it took some major research on my part to find a workaround. This part needs to be fully recalled, in my opinion, especially with this being a proprietary Nissan part and safety hazard. Had I not had a coworker wait behind with me to give me a slow and slippery ride home (tow trucks had 3 hour waits that night due to ice), I'd have found myself frozen, and then who knows what being that all business shut down over the weekend. This is a safety issue.

Electonic steering wheel column lock failed. It failed in a parking lot in the evening and left me stranded.

Nissan Altima 2009 parked on side of road in order to change drivers. The electronic steering column lock activated after the vehicle was turned off and the vehicle could not be restarted. This was an extremely dangerous and emotionally damaging experience. What should have been an easy routine change to an experienced driver in an unknown neighborhood resulted in passengers being stranded and requiring assistance to contact and wait for a tow-truck for an otherwise functioning vehicle. The vehicle was ultimately brought to Nissan for repairs (at the recommendation of Nissan consumer affairs) with estimated cost of $1290. Compared to the listed kbb price of the vehicle at $6442, the costs for repair is about 20% of the value of the vehicle. Nissan consumer affairs later informed us that the vehicle is outside of warranty (which was extended for a period of 6 years up to 2015 as Nissan was aware of the escl defect for our VIN) and will not assist with repairs.

My vehicle was in a parking space and when I went to start the car it didn't make a sound and the steering column was not locked. Got towed to the dealership and was told it was a steering wheel lock malfunction. Read on the internet that this is a known problem for my 2009 Altima. I repair cost was almost $1000 which it totally ridiculous but it needed to be fixed. This could be a safety hazard that can be avoided.

All of a sudden, my car would not start the ignition after locking it. Even the dashboard lights won't come up. Fortunately I was in the city and could get it towed to the dealer. It was found out that the electronic steering column lock (escl) had gone corrupt. When I searched on internet, it appeared that this is a common problem with 2009 Nissan Altima models. However there is recall issued by the company. I had to get the steering column lock replaced at my own cost, which was over $700. I was lucky that it happened within city limits. Had I been at a remote place, I would have been in a lot of trouble. This is a clear case of negligence on the part of the company. When it is known that escl is a problem for 2009 Altima's then the company should at least get the part replaced. Utterly disappointed with Nissan. It's certain that I'll definitely not be buying a Nissan for the rest of my life.

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the steering wheel locked. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column had to be replaced and reprogrammed. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

My 2009 Nissan Altima's steering column lock is defective. It's failed in my car twice now leading to costly repairs/replacements. The car will be running perfectly when I arrive at my destination and I proceed to turn off the car and leave. Upon returning, the intelligent key warning light appears and it becomes nearly impossible to turn on the car. Sometimes a jump will start the car (which has a new, fully charged battery), but many times nothing works except getting the car towed to mechanic to have the column lock replaced. The steering column lock is supposed to stop theft, not keep me from starting my car when I'm trying to get home from work at night. It's absurd that this is such a common problem with the Nissan Altima's and that Nissan refuses to take responsibility for their defective product. Now that winter is approaching, I may be forced to spend hours outside in the freezing cold trying to get my car to start because the column lock is defective and completely unreliable. It is just not safe to drive in a car you are afraid to turn off because it may not start again, especially in the cold or when you are far from home.

So I was at work came out to start my car and it wouldn't start. . . Thought it was my battery it wasnt that. Got it towed to Nissan dealership. Young lady advised me it was steeling column lock. After doing my research I seen this matter to alot of Nissan customer's. The cost was over 1,000 dollars and seen the warranty expired last year. Had to paid other people to get back and forward to work and pick my child up from childcare. Called Nissan1 the woman told me it would take 3 business day to review my case. . . . She called today telling me it was nothing they can about this matter. I was pissed off. This problem wasnt my fault and Nissan knew about this problem way before me. Its sad to be a customer to Nissan. They really dont care about their customers or this problem seem like everyone having.