NHTSA Complaint #10825250 — 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA

IN SEPTEMBER 2015 I PURCHASED A ONE OWNER CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2010 MAXIMA WITH ALL SERVICE RECORDS UP TO DATE WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY; THINKING I WAS AS SAFE AS I COULD BE. JUST 5 SHORT MONTHS LATER ON FEBRUARY 8, 2016 AFTER WORK, AT DUSK MY 2010 MAXIMA WITH ONLY 82,700 MILES FAILED TO START. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS EXTREMELY HARD AND NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN I PUSHED THE START BUTTON. THIS POSES AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD, AS I WORK IN THE FIELD IN CRIME STRICKEN AREAS; HENCE BUYING A CPO VEHICLE AND PURCHASING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER THAT THIS WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. I HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 45 MINUTES, IN THE DARK ON THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS FOR A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP. BEING THAT IT WAS AFTER 6PM, THE DEALER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. DEALERSHIP CALLED THE NEXT DAY TO INFORM ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY, WHICH IS NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND WILL COST ME $925+TAX!!! THE CAR WAS OPERATING JUST FINE; NO REASON TO THINK I WAS AT RISK OF BEING STRANDED. ACCORDING TO ONLINE RESEARCH, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE AND BEEN STRANDED WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND/OR IN HORRIBLE WHETHER CONDITIONS, YET NO RECALL. 2009 NISSAN MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME FAULTY PART. SINCE THE SAME PART CONTINUED TO BE USED ON 2010 MODELS, WHY WAS THIS RECALL NOT EXTENDED FOR 2010 MODELS? NISSAN SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS EXPENSIVE FAULTY PART BEFORE SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAPPENS TO SOMEONE.