NHTSA Complaint #10949878 — 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA

I STARTED MY CAR AS USUAL TO RUN SOME ERRANDS. IT STARTED FINE. I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION AND SHUT OFF THE CAR. IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. IT WAS FREEZING COLD. MY CAR WAS BLOCKING THE GAS PUMP AND IT COULD NOT BE MOVED. I RULED OUT THE KEY FOB BECAUSE IT STILL UNLOCKED THE DOORS. I INSERTED THE KEY FOB IN THE EMERGENCY SOCKET THAT IS SUPPOSED TO START THE CAR IN CASE THE BATTERY IN THE KEY FOB DIES. STILL NOTHING. I HAD MY BROTHER BRING ME A NEW BATTERY FOR THE KEY FOB. STILL NOTHING. HE TOOK ME HOME. I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR THERE. AFTER SOME INTERNET RESEARCH, MANY MANY OTHERS WITH NISSANS WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. THE CULPRIT IS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK MODULE. IT LOCKS THE STEERING WHEEL AND YOU CANNOT START THE CAR WHEN IT IS LOCKED. I WENT BACK TO THE CAR TORE THE PANEL APART AND LOCATED THE STEERING LOCK. THE RESEARCH I DID SAID THAT SOMETIMES YOU COULD GET IT TO RELEASE THE LOCK PIN IF YOU TAP ON IT WITH HAMMER. SO I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE WHILE HOLDING IN THE START BUTTON AND TAPPING ON THE STEERING LOCK MODULE. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF BANGING ON THE MODULE IT DISENGAGED ENOUGH TO START THE CAR. I DROVE IT HOME AND SHUT IT OFF. IT WON'T START AGAIN. NISSAN SAYS THE WARRANTY RAN OUT JAN. 1ST, 2016. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $679.51 JUST FOR THE PART NOT INCLUDING LABOR. THAT IS RIDICULOUS! WHAT IF I WERE SOMEWHERE REMOTE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START? I COULD HAVE FROZE TO DEATH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS IT SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED TO 1000S OF PEOPLE.