So, I've never really thought much about it, but the steering wheel does not lock on my 2010 Maxima SV (it has the...hmm....monitor package I think - rear backup camera and the display and Bose system W/O Navi).

It has never locked. My previous 2 vehicles were 07 Altima 3.5SE and 09 370Z. On those vehicles, when ignition is turned off and a door is opened or closed, I could always hear the steering wheel lock energize for a second to lock the wheel. On the Maxima, there is no noise at all. So, as a result, the steering wheel does not lock and never has (vehicle purchased new). I just kind of thought Nissan had removed this feature. So, with ignition OFF, I can turn the steering wheel fully to each side.

Seems kind of like a safety issue. Vehicle parked without parking brake set and vehicle gets bumped in parking lot....and goes rolling in the path of least resistance.

Late,
Trav

 

mine does, only locks when u try to move it when the car is off though

 

mine locks on my 2009 SV

 

This is the way the steering wheels on all my Maximas have locked for many years. It is also the way the steering wheels lock on my wife's trucks. I assumed that was standard in most, if not all vehicles.

 

Wellll....I dunno. Mechanical steering wheel locks, sure. To the best of my recollection, on my 07 Altima 3.5SE and 09 Z, once you turned ignition off, nothing happened. Then when a door was opened or closed, the steering wheel would lock....that little motorized whirr.

At any rate, my car has never locked the steering wheel. I thought maybe they had removed the steering wheel lock from the 7th gens. It appears mine is just defective. LOL.

Late,
Trav

 

mine doesn't lock at all....

 

Ok ok, just got to the dealership today (Governor Nissan Laval, Quebec) and, I think that the document I just translated from french to english with google will answer most of your question.

The tech advisor... isn't realy finding that a good move from nissan but, what can he do... nothing!

So here it is :!

 

Thanks, I wonder what "Electronic Locking Device" really means, because I think the steering wheel lock is mechanical and not electronic.

 

Thesteering column lock, as of most of the car's feature (windows, mirrors, sunshade, seat etc...) are kind of mechanical devices but these mechanisms are driven by electronic. they are electronnically controlled. A real mechanical only steering lock would maybe be lot more complicated than simple electronic latch..... i guess...

 

Mine locks only after it is 1. put in park, 2. ignition off and 3. you open the door then turn the wheel a little and it will lock. If you turn off the ignition and sit there without opening the door the wheel will not lock. Apparently it must think if you are not exiting the car why lock the wheel. All the people here that went out and tested their wheel locking just activated the locking mechinism by doing step 3, then turning the wheel and it locked.

 

the document is pretty clear (red is my translation to english). Normally, every maxima made after september 30 2009 (2010 year model), there should be no steering wheel column lock.