NHTSA Complaint #10664854 — 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA

I HAVE A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. IT WAS PURCHASED ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. AS I WAS TRYING TO LEAVE WORK LAST WEEK, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. THERE WAS A RED KEY LIGHT ON IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE DASH. I CALLED A LOCAL NISSAN DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY KEY BATTERY WAS MORE THAN LIKELY JUST DEAD. AFTER I REPLACED THE BATTERY, THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. I CALLED THE DEALER BACK AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY KEY MAY NEED TO BE REPROGRAMMED AND I WOULD HAVE TO TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER BEING AT THE DEALER FOR AN HOUR I WAS INFORMED THAT THE KEY WAS FINE, AND THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY. THE CONSULTANT TOLD ME THE REPAIR WOULD COST $925.82. I WAS SHOCKED THAT A $5 ISSUE HAD JUMPED TO ALMOST $1000. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, AND WAS ABLE TO FIND A STATEMENT BY NISSAN NORTH AMERICA (WBI/13-009) THAT ADMITTED THE PART IN QUESTION HAD BEEN DEFECTIVE. NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THE 2009 MODELS TO 6 YEARS/ UNLIMITED MILES, BUT WHY WOULD THEY NOT DO THE SAME FOR ALL MODELS WITH THE SAME ISSUE? THE CONSULTANT ADVISED ME TO CALL 1-800-NISSAN1 TO REQUEST COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF THE 3 YEAR/ 36,000 MILE WARRANTY AND DID NOT QUALIFY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE SAME PART THAT MALFUNCTIONED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IF THEY DECIDED TO DO ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE I WOULD BE CONTACTED LATER. I FIND THIS TO BE UNACCEPTABLE. I DO NOT THINK CONSUMERS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTS THAT ARE KNOWN TO FAIL REPEATEDLY. I HAVE COME ACROSS NUMEROUS FORUMS, WEBSITES, AND VIDEOS THAT DISCUSS THIS SAME ISSUE. I FEEL THAT NISSAN NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTIONS TO HELP LOYAL CUSTOMERS RESOLVE THIS RECURRING MALFUNCTION THAT HAS LEFT MANY STRANDED ONSIDE OF THE ROAD. I HOPE THAT I WILL SOON BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS UNEXPECTED AND OUTRAGEOUS EXPENSE. *TR