Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My car was parked and off, and had been working fine when I parked it about 8 hours earlier. It was parked indoors in a garage on a warm fall day, so extreme temperatures and weather were not present. The parking spot and location were unremarkable (I was parked at work, which is safe and no one would have tampered with the car). After 7 years with no problem with the push button ignition switch, it suddenly refused to acknowledge the remote key fob. They key continued to work with the doors and trunk, and the car battery was fine. It would not accept the key when placed into the emergency ignition slot, either. The dealer determined that the lock steering unit needed to be replaced for a parts cost of $678 and labor of $303. I looked online, and found that there are many other Nissan owners with cars made around this time frame with identical issue and fix. …
The Nissan altimas and maximas have a faulty electronic steering lock (factory part #48700-9n00b & 48700-9n00a). Which will fail and your car will not start. This should been recalled because it is a very common issue which renders the car non-drivable. Also this part was only on the 07-11 altimas and 09-10 maximas. All this part is a little lock actuator that moves up and down and unlocks the steering wheel, then informs to vehicle to start the car. So if this fails when you push the start button on the vehicle the car will not start. Nissan knows that it is an common issue, even their service techs informed me it is a issue. Unfortunately they would rather charge the customer $680 for the part another couple hundred dollars in labor. This roughly a $1000 repair and instead of Nissan taking responsibility for a faulty part, they are passing the cost over to their consumers.
I was 50 miles away from home, when I go to start my car it will not start at all! My key would lock and unlock my car but it wouldn't turn on. Initially I thought it was the key, I had my sister drop off my spare to see if that was the case, it wasn't. Come to find out the escl seems to be faulty and is preventing the car from starting up. Right now I'm waiting on the dealer to tell me what's going on, beware Nissan knows all about this but is refusing to do a recall!
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated while driving approximately 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the sensor in the passenger side seat needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired however the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
The 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid has ceased to function suddenly while driving down the freeway, putting me at extreme danger. In the first cased, the electronic computer unit was the defective part, on the second occasion, it was the ignition coils. I have had multiple problems with this vehicle, placing me at great risk as the vehicle seizes up without warning and in the middle of the roadway.
Key unlocked car but no display, start button not working (no response at all). Car unable to be started, towed to our mechanic. Diagnostics run, found out it was a steering column lock issue that can only be fixed by Nissan!! So towed over there. Now a 1 week wait even to be looked at and part not even in stock.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid. While parked, the vehicle failed to start and "keyless intelligence" displayed across the message board. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.
2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid's electronic steering column lock ('escl') failed while the vehicle was parked. This failure activates vehicle's anti-theft system and completely disables the ignition, rendering the vehicle inoperable. It could happen anywhere and anytime without a warning.
My 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid refused to recognize the wireless key, leaving me stranded. It was seven degrees in chicago and the windchill was below zero, but I was able to return home taking public transportation. Who knows what might have happened if this had occurred in the middle of the road. I towed the car to a dealer, who told me that the "steering lock assembly" had failed, but they could fix it for $1170 plus tax. I found that there used to be a special warranty if this part failed, but Nissan had put a time limit on it so that cars where the defect showed up were being denied coverage as early as October of 2014. Nissan insists that: (1) this defect affects few cars, so they issued a special warranty rather than a recall, (2) the defect does not have safety implications, and (3) customers are adequately covered by the warranty. …
It was in night around 11 pm, I stepped out to nearby walmart. Upon return, the car did not start. I was getting the "yellow key" symbol. My first impression was that something was faulty with my fob key. I called my friend and got to try the key. Even this was futile. I looked up my manual for this symbol code and realized that there was some malfunction in the keyless ignition system. I was surprised cos the car was well maintained, with periodic service and very low miles(30K).it was perfect until then. I returned home with my friend and next day, I tried road side assistance who tried jump start without any luck. Finally, it was towed to the dealer. Later the dealer calls me to tell that it is steering lock problem, and that he doesn't have the replacement nor can he give me date of when it is expected. …
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
Electrical complaints in other Altima Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid, 39% of the model year's 54 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.