NHTSA Complaint #10663497 — 2011 NISSAN 370Z

KEY INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. MADE 2 PHONE CALLS TO LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIPS (ONE IN PORTLAND OR AND ONE IN VANCOUVER, WA) BOTH DEALERSHIPS CLAIMED THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT I SHOULD BRING IT IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH RAN AROUND $118 JUST TO LOOK AT. SINCE NOTHING APPEARED WRONG WITH MY CAR I WAITED BECAUSE THE "KEY" LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. IT CAME BACK ON THE DAY I HAD THE INCIDENT AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON MY LUNCH HOUR WITH NO POWER TO START MY CAR. I AGAIN CALLED NISSAN AND THEY WERE NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHICH RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. I THEN RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THAT AFTERNOON TO SAY IT WAS MY STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY AND THE PART WAS EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. I WAS TOLD THE LABOR WOULD NOT BE MUCH SINCE IT WAS AN EASY FIX. SO THIS PROBLEM TURNED OUT TO THE A $1,200 FIX. I DECIDED TO GO ONLINE TO SEE IF I CAN FIND THIS PART ANY CHEAPER. I THEN RAN ACROSS MANY WEBSITES AND BLOGS WITH NISSAN OWNERS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH CAR FROM 2009 TO 2011. APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NISSAN WAS UNAWARE OF. THE SERVICE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID SHE HAS SEEN OTHER 370Z'S WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND JUST HAD ONE TOWED TO THE SERVICE CENTER 2 WEEKS AGO. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WITH THIS MAY CASES BEING REPORTED AND BLOGGED ABOUT ONLINE WHY NISSAN IS NOT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF LEFT STRANDED IN A CAR THAT WILL NOT START. WHEN YOU TRY TO BE PROACTIVE NISSAN SERVICE CENTERS CLAIM THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THE ISSUE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AND QUICKLY. THIS WILL BE THE LAST NISSAN EVER PURCHASED IF NOT RESOLVED AND REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSE. *TR