NHTSA Complaint #10936106 — 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA

ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE AFTER WORK, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A FLASHING YELLOW LIGHT AND I PLUGGED THAT INTO GOOGLE. IT APPEARED THAT IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL MECHANISM AND IT WAS COMMON FOR THIS TO FAIL. I HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED FROM WORK TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CHARGE WAS $900 FOR THE PART AND $250 FOR THE SERVICE. DOING RESEARCH, I NOTICED THAT THIS PART WAS RECALLED FOR 2009 ALTIMAS. I BOUGHT MY CAR IN 2009, BUT IT WAS A 2010 MODEL, SO IT IS MY ASSUMPTION THAT THIS WAS MADE WITH THESE 2009 PARTS. THIS PART IS VITAL APPARENTLY, AS IT CAUSES ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WITH THE STARTER TO DISABLE. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT TRAVELING AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED. IT FEELS THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT FIXING IT AND CHARGING A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE PART ALONE. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR USERS OF NISSAN'S TO NOT BE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND NOT HAVE THIS PART FIXED IMMEDIATELY. NISSAN SHOULD DO THEIR PART AND OFFER A REPLACEMENT FOR FREE SO INDIVIDUALS HAVE FAITH IN USING THEIR SERVICES AGAIN.