TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
2009 Nissan Altima steering problems
moderate 858 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700
Complaints
858
Recalls
0
Crashes
4
Avg fix
$700
What owners are reporting 15 most recent
WAS OUT SHOPPING AT COSTCO, CAME OUT OF STORE AND CAR WOULD NOT START. INTELLIGENT KEY INDICATOR LIGHT WAS DISPLAYING ON THE DASH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT DEPRESS AND PUSH BUTTON WOULD NOT START THE CAR. TRIED TO MANUALLY OVERRIDE BY INSERTING THE KEY FOB IN THE SLOT - STILL WOULD NOT START. AS I WAS STRANDED HAD TO CALL HUSBAND TO COME GET ME. HAD HIM BRING OTHER KEY FOB, STILL WOULD NOT W…
MY CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND RECEIVED A WARNING LIGHT THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN MY INTELLIGENT KEY FOB. WENT TO START CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START AND THE WARNING LIGHT STILL APPEARED. WE REPLACED BATTERY IN FOB AND STILL THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER TALKING WITH DEALER WE FIND THAT THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM GOING OUT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY HAD 5 INCIDENTS OF IT JUS…
ON 12/28/2012 MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA DISPLAYED A YELLOW KEY WARNING INDICATOR ON MY DASH BOARD. THINKING THAT IT WAS MY KEY BATTERY, I HAD IT CHANGED AND THE LIGHT WENT AWAY FOR 2 DAYS. ON SUNDAY, 12/30/2012 IT REAPPEARED AS I WAS DRIVING TO A CHRISTMAS GATHERING. AFTERWARDS I WENT TO MY CAR AND TRIED TO START IT UP. THE YELLOW KEY WARNING STILL APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD BUT NO OTHER RESPONSE WA…
I WENT TO START 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WAS NOT SOMETHING SIMPLE AS A BATTERY OR STARTER AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO START THE CAR. IT COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AND DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING LOCK UNIT WAS BROKEN. THE REPAIR SHOP DID RESEARCH AND TESTING AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FROM NISSAN WITH NO RECALL. NISSAN INDICATED THAT…
POWER STEERING LOCK, HAS BROKE AGAIN AFTER BEING FIXED JUST 50,000 MILES BEFORE. IT IS TIME FOR A RECALL. THIS HAPPENED IN SITUATION WHERE I COULD DO NOTHING TO FIX IT. GETTING A TOW AND A BILL OF OVER 1000 IS NOT MY VERSION OF A GOOD DAY. RECALL!!
PARKED CAR AT A PLANET FITNESS BECAUSE MY 6 YEAR OLD AUTISTIC DAUGHTER WAS HAVING A MELTDOWN. WHEN THAT WAS ALL AND DONE WITH WE COME BACK TO THE CAR AND IT WILL NOT TURN ON. THE NO KEY ICON COMES ON THE LEFT TOP SIDE THE LOCK SIGN IS BLINKING, AND NO KEY IN THE MIDDLE RED SIGN. . MY CHILDREN AND I ARE STRANDED. *TR
NISSAN ALTIMA 2009 HAS A DEFECTIVE STEERING LOCK SYSTEM. SUDDENLY THIS EVENING AFTER WORK WHEN I GET BACK TO THE CAR, IT JUST DID NOT START. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ANY REMOTE PLACE AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED. I SEE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET BUT NISSAN HAS NOT RECALLED THIS CAR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND TAKE APPROPRIATE S…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DEALER WAS CONTACT AND INFORMED HER THAT THE WARNING LIGHT WAS REGARDING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STIFF, THE BRAKES AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED.…
RECENTLY MY 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA EXPERIENCE A STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILURE THAT LEFT MY CAR INCOMPACITATED (UNABLE TO START) AND LEFT ME IN FREEZING COLD TEMPERATURES.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 858 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
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