I know this is an old thread. Just to say this problem still exists. I just had it with a 2010 370Z Nismo. 52K on the clock, always taken care of and was very dependable until this: Stranded. And the door windows would creep down everytime you opened the doors. And you guessed it... you can’t roll them up. So you can’t just lock the car & leave it. I got a new battery for the fob, but knew in my heart it would be the dreaded steering lock failure.
I called triple A (CSAA) and had the car towed home. Not an easy task with a Nismo, you need a good driver with a flatbed and a lot of patience.
Nissan have refused to replace the unit under voluntary service campaign
NTB13-014 which specifically says 2009-10 370Z. Nissan USA just say it’s VIN specific and my model isn’t affected. Yeah right. But it is. They expect me to cough up $1500 to get it fixed. Part is worth like $300 and the labor is about 0.6 hour from what I can discover. Should be a class action.