NHTSA Complaint #10678880 — 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA

MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO START IT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK INDICATOR LIGHT ON. HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP CLOSEST TO ME SINCE I HAD NO OTHER OPTION BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT START. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER NEEDED TO MANUALLY PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IN A CONVENIENT LOCATION TO GET IT ON THE TRUCK. NOT SURE WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE IF I HAD PARALLEL PARKED IT AT WORK SINCE CLEARLY THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TURN IT ON AND MOVE IT. SINCE MY CAR IS A 2010, NISSAN CUSTOMER CLAIMS REP. REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING SINCE IT WASN'T A 2009 MODEL WHICH HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME EXACT PART. APPARENTLY THEY USED A "DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER" EVEN THOUGH MY CAR WAS BUILT IN THE YEAR 2009. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A FAULT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS PART SINCE NOT ONLY ONE MANUFACTURER BUT TWO ARE CAUSING THIS ISSUE IN 2009 AND 2010 MODELS. APPARENTLY THEY DO NOT FEEL AS THOUGH THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE DESPITE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS AND DO NOT CARE ABOUT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I HAD TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE CLOSET DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHICH CHARGED ME $967.50 TO GET IT FIXED WITH THE HOPES THAT NISSAN WOULD OWN UP TO THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. I COULD HAVE TAKEN IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO WOULD HAVE DONE IT CHEAPER, HOWEVER THIS IS CLEARLY NOT SOMETHING I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING. I THINK IT'S COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS THAT NISSAN HASN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SINCE THEY CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE AND HAVE REIMBURSED THE 2009 MODEL YEAR OWNERS. I WILL NOT BE RECOMMENDING ANYONE BUY THEIR CARS UNTIL THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. EVERY TIME I GET IN MY CAR, I WILL BE BITTER ABOUT DRIVING IT AND WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER ONE. IN FACT I HAD ALMOST TALKED A FRIEND TO SWAPPING THEIR 98' MAXIMA TO A NEWER ONE BY TALKING ABOUT ALL THE GREAT FEATURES SUCH AS HEATED STEERING WHEEL, NAVIGATION, BACK UP CAMERA ETC. NOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER OPTIONS. *TR