NHTSA Complaint #10808786 — 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA

OUR 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID DIED WITHOUT WARNING. WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN THE CAR ON, NOTHING ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP EXCEPT A YELLOW KEY SYMBOL. THE LIGHTS, LOCKS, AND KEY FOB CONTINUED TO WORK, HOWEVER. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE WE WERE HAVING AND DISCOVERED A NUMBER OF CONSUMERS HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR NISSANS. IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT WITH THE STEERING LOCK WHICH RENDERS THE CAR INOPERABLE, APPARENTLY. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. OUR CAR GAVE NO INDICATION OF SOMETHING BEING WRONG. IT HAS ONLY ABOUT 64,000 MILES ON IT AND WE HAVE HAD NO MAJOR ISSUES PREVIOUSLY, AND NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG PRIOR TO IT DYING. WHEN I CONTACTED NISSAN OF MARLBORO, MA, THE INDIVIDUAL I SPOKE WITH DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM OVER THE PHONE. HE SAID HE WAS 99% CERTAIN IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK. THIS WAS CONFIRMED ONCE WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR. FOR HIM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM ACCURATELY OVER THE PHONE, THEY MUST SEE THIS ISSUE OFTEN ENOUGH. ONLY FURTHER SOLIDIFYING THAT NISSAN IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I WAS TOLD HOWEVER, THAT DESPITE NISSAN BEING AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, WE HAD MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH ENDED IN JUNE 2015. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. OUR CAR WAS IN PERFECTLY GOOD CONDITION UNTIL THE MOMENT IT SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO REPORT THE PROBLEM, I WAS ALSO MADE AWARE THAT THE REASON WE NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THEY HAD THE PREVIOUS OWNER, MICHAEL SOMETHING, LISTED RATHER THAN US. SO THE MAILING MAY HAVE GONE TO HIM, NOT US. WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM NISSAN OF WOBURN AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. BY THE TIME I SPOKE WITH THE SECOND INDIVIDUAL FROM NISSAN, OUR INFORMATION WAS UPDATED AND SHE CLAIMED NISSAN CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT RECALL INFORMATION IS MAILED TO THE CORRECT OWNER.