Push button start features - Not a good experience.

[dlundblad]

Sounds more like Nissan quality as opposed to the push button feature.

I can’t say too much. I was close to buying a Frontier earlier this year.

 

[4wd]

It’s looking like another first world problem is nearly solved here!

 

[Patman]

I'm adding this story to my long list of reasons to never own a push button start vehicle.

Maybe you should just buy a car with a starter crank on the front.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

2 of my beaters have just REGULAR keys. Not coded. The fob is separate. Fob only does door locks, trunk, and panic... 2 old Toyota's. My 13' Honda has the coded key built into the fob, and there's a little red light that stays on to tell you the fob battery is good. Once that light dims, or goes out, time for a new battery. But, those old Honda key fob batteries last for years. Have that little phillips head screw holding the key to the fob.

 

[Hohn]

OMG, push buttons are in use 25+ years. More reliable and cheaper to fix than old fashion ignition lock.
This is on par: let me tell you bad experience with multiport injection over carburetor.

Wait until you hear about how awful iridium spark plugs are compared to the good ones that only need replacements every 15k miles.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Never had an ignition lock fail in my life. Just lube it every so often, and use GOOD keys, not worn down garbage. Keep you're buttons that fall into the dash and leave you stranded. Yeh, old school and stayin that way as long as possible ( well, I am old, so be it )

 

[zzyzzx]

What else is on your long list of reasons?

They essentially replaced something that was simple, cheap, reliable, and intuitive, with something that's not.
Push buttons aren't necessary. Don't fix what's not broken.
IMO, push buttons were yet still another car feature that's compliments of the marketing department.
Adding it to cars just adds something else to break.
I like the satisfying feel of starting with a key.
Push button start is a silly waste of money.
The weird thing about the keyless cars is that the fob has a hidden key inside it to get the door open but NO keyhole for the engine start. Seems pretty intentional and evil to me. At least if it had both it would be up to your preference which to use but nope.
Turning on the accessory mode with a key is much easier and intuitive.

 

[Skippy722]

Heel & toe works fine for that. But it doesn't work when the gas & brake pedals are 3 miles apart from each other, as they are in those old trucks.

Or if you’re wearing size 13 steel toed cowboy boots, I’m lucky if I can hit just one pedal at a time!

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

No...this site is different. It leans heavily towards boomers that want to revert back to the "good 'ol days".

Push button start is better in so many ways.......yet some wish to get a key out of their pocket every time they they start their vehicle.

I totally get it. Maybe some folks actually wish they can burp or toot and their cars , stereos and the phones could all jump start at the same time. I am just one of the boomers shaking the fist at the sky fussing at no one.

 

[nomas]

I have two Nissans in the driveway right now with push button start . Had another one some years back . ZERO issues with any of them .

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

2 of my beaters have just REGULAR keys. Not coded. The fob is separate. Fob only does door locks, trunk, and panic... 2 old Toyota's. My 13' Honda has the coded key built into the fob, and there's a little red light that stays on to tell you the fob battery is good. Once that light dims, or goes out, time for a new battery. But, those old Honda key fob batteries last for years. Have that little phillips head screw holding the key to the fob.

We have owned Honda Accord cars ONLY since the mid 1990s. All brand new except the 2018 we now have that wife had to have.
The key fobs you get with the Hondas are some of the better ones. We owned one Accord for 18 years and another for 16 - 17 years. I think in all those years I only changed the batteries at home a couple of times for each one. They do hold up well. It is also not very hard to open up for the battery replacements when needed.

 

[Zee09]

At least you can't lose a push button....

 

[Patman]

At least you can't lose a push button....

But you can lose the fob that is necessary to utilize that start button

 

[Zee09]

But you can lose the fob that is necessary to utilize that start button

Or the battery dies but the glove box usually solves that... that was a AM reference

 

[CKN]

We just jump on an opportunity to knock a feature when some are opposed on . Just another day on BITOG. Yea-all push buttons must fall out of the dash on vehicles.

How really, really, silly. And if you can't track where you put your FOB-give up your Driver's License.

 

[Propflux01]

After having experience with GM's Passlock system, I'll take a button and Fob any day.

 

[JeffKeryk]

At least you can't lose a push button....

I just need my cell phone...

 

[Zee09]

I just need my cell phone...

Ford gives it for free...VW didn't
Good point

 

[Neniod]

Push button start features - Not a good experience for one owner. Nissan Altima -
A friend told me about a kind of tough situation his son had with his fairly newer Nissan Altima. I think the car is about 4? years old.
The son was out working. He is on the road a lot with his car. He made a business stop. Upon finishing that stop, he got into this car to leave and head to his next call. When he went to start his car , the push button actually fell into the dash panel , stranding him. Tough one for sure. So, after finding zero help after a few calls. The only option appeared to be , call the wrecker and have it towed to a Nissan dealer in the area. Meanwhile , his son got lucky and called a friend who does lots of auto repair work as a side line out of his home garage. The guy showed up and used a wire (similar to old coat hanger). They said it was no easy task fishing it out , trying not to damage anything else. After quite a bit of trying, there were able to get it out. Started the car and drove home where the mechanic friend was able to fix it so one can not even tell it has been repaired. Just another feature that lots of folks I know would rather not have that auto makers keep installing. Glad it worked out for them. Something to keep in mind even though not much if anything can be done to try to prevent.

Wow, what a bizarre failure. It's a relief he didn't end up having to pay for a tow and dealership prices. It really makes you second-guess some of these newer "convenience" features when they fail in such a way.

 

[Dec1]

Funny I read that different. I didn't see it as a failure of tech I saw it as a failure to problem solve. Button falls into dash panic ensues calls around for help and possibly a tow. Kid was lucky he had a friend who could problem solve and get him going again.