| Issue ID | 1351147 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10947230 |
| Manufacurer | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| Brand | NISSAN |
| Model | ALTIMA |
| Model Year | 2009 |
| File date | 21/01/17 |
| Component | STEERING |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | 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 Mileage at Failure | 69500 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | BALTIMORE, MD |
| VIN pattern | 1N4AL24E29CXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 0 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |