NHTSA Complaint #10884766 — 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA

ON JULY 11TH I WENT TO THE STORE TO PICK UP SOME ITEMS. WHEN I LEFT THE STORE TO GET IN MY CAR, IT WOULD NOT START. I DRIVE A TWO DOOR NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE 2009. THE STEERING LOCK HAD MALFUNCTIONED LEAVING ME STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT WHILE IT WAS 95 DEGREES OUTSIDE. I HAD A LOCK SMITH COME AND USE HIS COMPUTER ON MY VEHICLE, UNFORTUNATELY MY CAR IS IN HIJACK MODE AND MY ENGINE WILL NOT ALLOW HIS COMPUTER TO TALK TO IT. ONLY NISSAN HAS A COMPUTER THAT CAN BYPASS THIS AND REPLACE MY STEERING LOCK. WITH THAT, NISSAN KNOWS THE 2009 MODEL HAS A DEFECTIVE STEERING LOCK BUT HAS YET TO RECALL IT. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. NISSAN ALSO WENT AS FAR AS REPLACING THE PART BUT WITH A DIFFERENT PART # AS THEY KNOW THE PART # IN THE 2009'S ARE DEFECTIVE. THE PART # THEY ARE NOW REPLACING IT WITH IS THE PART THEY PUT IN THE 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA'S. NISSAN SAYS IT'S GOING TO COST ME OVER $1200 TO GET THIS FIXED IN MY CAR. I REFUSE TO PAY FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS DEFECTIVE IN MY VEHICLE AND IS KNOWN BY THE COMPANY ITSELF. I AM NOW CARLESS AS I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I AM APPALLED THAT NISSAN WOULD KNOWINGLY NOT RECALL THE PART IN THE 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA'S. IT POSES A RISK TO PEOPLE'S SAFETY AS IT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE!