NHTSA Complaint #10565176 — 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA

ARRIVED AT WORK ON 9 FEB 2014, CAR WAS WORKING PERFECTLY FINE. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME, CAR WOULD NOT START AND A RED BLINKING LIGHT WITH A KEYLOCK APPEARED ON DASHBOARD, AN ATTEMPT WAS ALSO MADE WITH ADDITIONAL KEY TO NO SUCCESS. AFTER RESEARCHING PROBLEM ONLINE, IT IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM WHERE IT JUST STOPS WORKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT WAS RECALLED ON ALL 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA AND ALTIMAS, MINE IS A 2010 MANUFACTURED IN SEPT 2009 AND THE PART NUMBER IS THE SAME AS THE 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA MODEL. CAR WAS TOWED TO NEARBY NISSAN DEALER WHERE THEY STATED MY VIN NUMBER DID NOT SHOW UP AS A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR THE 2009 ISSUE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I PAID $1272 FOR THE REPAIR BILL WHERE IT IS CLEARLY A FACTORY DEFECT AND HAVE HAD ZERO LUCK WITH NISSAN CUSTOMER AFFAIRS. THEY SIMPLY DENIED MY REQUEST STATING THAT THERE IS NO KNOWN PROBLEM WITH 2010 AND NEEDED MORE PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD. I CONTINUED MY QUEST ONLINE TO SEARCH OTHER DRIVERS WHO HAD SIMILAR ISSUES AND HAVE FOUND AN ENTIRE FORUM DEDICATED TO THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH EVERYONE HAVING THE SAME OUTCOME AND HAVING TO PAY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES FOR A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. WHEN CAR WAS AT NISSAN, THE OPTION WAS PAY $1200 TO FIX THE ISSUE OR LEAVE THE CAR THERE, THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION GIVEN OR PROVIDED AS AN ALTERNATIVE. *TR