NHTSA Complaint #10493161 — 2009 NISSAN 370Z

MY CAR FAILED TO START AFTER ON 3 1/2 YEARS OF OWNING IT. WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A "STEERING LOCK MECHANISM" FAILURE, AND BECAUSE MY CAR WAS 6 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, I WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY $1,337.96 TO GET MY CAR UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. WHILE I WAS AT THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THIS ITEM HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE THEY STARTED MAKING THE 370Z. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE'S FIXED COUNTLESS STEERING LOCKS ON THE 370 & ADVISED ME TO CONTACT NISSAN. PRIOR TO CONTACTING NISSAN, I DID SOME RESEARCH OF MY OWN & LO & BEHOLD, I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS ISSUE! THERE IS A 370Z FORUM (THE370Z.COM) WHERE MULTIPLE PEOPLE EXPRESSED THEIR DISPLEASURE WITH THIS PART. I WAS 3 PAGES INTO THE DISCUSSION & HAD ALREADY COUNTED 15 INSTANCES WHERE THIS ITEM HAD FAILED. I FIND IT VERY TROUBLESOME THAT NISSAN WOULD NOT ONLY PRODUCE A FAULTY PART, BUT WON'T EVEN STAND BEHIND IT THEIR MISTAKES. I CONTACTED NISSAN VIA LETTER THROUGH THEIR CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT & WAS TOLD THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO; SINCE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. TO ME, THAT SHOWS NISSAN DOES NOT CARE IF THEY ARE PRODUCING FAULTY PARTS OR NOT. THAT IS WHY I AM WRITING YOU. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AS I'D HATE TO SEE SOMEONE ELSE HAVE THE SAME MISFORTUNE AS I DID. EVERYTHING I'VE READ STATES THAT THIS ITEM WAS OVER OILED DURING ASSEMBLY, WHICH TELLS ME 1 THING; THIS ITEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED & CUSTOMERS THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THEIR TROUBLES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS NISSAN DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE ONE BIT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!! *TR