NHTSA Complaint #10818033 — 2010 NISSAN 370Z

VEHICLE HAS KEYLESS SYSTEM, THE ONLY KEY SLOT AVAILABLE IS IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. WHEN I ENTER THE VEHICLE, NORMALLY A LIGHT COMES ON TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SYSTEM RECOGNIZES YOU. ON ENTERING THIS TIME, A SMALL SYMBOL WITH THE WORD KEY ON IT ILLUMINATED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START OR GO INTO THE ACCESSORY POSITION, NOR WOULD THE STEERING COLUMN UNLOCK. ALSO, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY HARD. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THE KEY SYMBOL INDICATES A MALFUNCTION IN THE INTELLIKEY SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK HAD FAILED. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS NEAR $1200.00 AND I WAS INFORMED THAT, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS STILL WITHIN WARRANTY FOR 40,000 MILES OR FOR OVER A YEAR, NISSAN WAS REFUSING TO MAKE THESE REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY COVERAGE. IT SEEMS THIS IS AN ALMOST INEVITABLE FAILURE ON ANY NISSAN OR INFINITI EQUIPPED WITH THIS SYSTEM. I WAS LUCKY THAT IT FAILED IN A SUPER MARKET PARKING LOT NEAR HOME.