NHTSA Complaint #10471770 — 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA

WE NOTICED A STRANGE NOISE WHEN WE STARTED OUR 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA AND REALIZED IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN MAKING THE NOISE AND THAT IT WAS HAVING TROUBLE GOING UP AND DOWN. IT WOULD JUST KEEP TRYING TO MOVE UNTIL YOU HIT THE BUTTON ON THE SIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. (THE BUTTON WHERE YOU ADJUST HOW YOU WANT YOUR STEERING WHEEL.) WITHIN THAT DAY, THE STEERING COLUMN TILT QUIT WORKING. WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP WE WERE TOLD THAT THE STEERING WHEEL TILT MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS ISSUED ON THIS AND WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS CALL NISSAN AND SEE IF THEY WILL PAY OR SPLIT THE COST OF THIS REPAIR AS I POINTED OUT THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES OF THIS TYPE OF STEERING COLUMN FAILURE. AT THIS POINT I HAVE CALLED NISSAN AND HAVE BEEN ISSUED A CASE NUMBER. WE HAVE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS BUT ARE HOPEFUL THAT NISSAN ACCEPT AT LEAST PARTIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND REFUND US SOME OF THE REPAIRS... *TR