2010 Nissan Maxima

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: AUGUST 5, 2013 MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA THAT WE PURCHASED NEW IN 2010. OCCASIONALLY WE HAVE NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ON FOR DIFFERING LENGTHS OF TIME AND DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. AT SOME POINT WE READ THE OWNERS MANUAL ABOUT THIS WARNING SIGNAL. IT SAID THE LIGHT SHOULD COME ON WHEN YOU START THE CAR AND GO OFF ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER. THIS WASN??T ALWAYS THE CASE. THIS WARNING LIGHT TELLS ME THAT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT AND A PASSENGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WILL HAVE NO PROTECTION. I VIEW THIS AS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. AIR BAG LIGHT ON READS, "AIR BAG"?? AT THIS POINT, AUGUST 2013, THE CAR HAS ONLY 19,000 MILES ON IT. THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED, BUT MORE FREQUENTLY. IN THE SPRING OF 2013 WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED IT. THEY TESTED IT WITH THEIR COMPUTER AND DETECTED NO PROBLEM. THEY SAID THE COMPUTER DIDN'T RECORD ANY INSTANCES OF THAT EVENT OCCURRING. RECENTLY WE STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH ON LINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. SOME RESPONSES THAT WERE GIVEN BY NISSAN INCLUDED PASSENGER NOT HEAVY ENOUGH. ONE WOMAN WEIGHED ABOUT 110 POUNDS AND ANOTHER WOMAN WEIGHED ABOUT 145 POUNDS. THEIR RESPONSE WASN'T LOGICAL. ANOTHER RESPONSE WAS THAT THE LEATHER WASN'T SOFT ENOUGH. THE SEATS IN OUR CAR ARE FABRIC, AND VERY SOFT. NISSANS RESPONSE WAS STUPID!! APPARENTLY NISSAN HAS NO IDEA ON HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE VERY UNEASY ABOUT USING THIS CAR WITH THIS VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. AN EASY FIX THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS TO DISCONNECT THE WARNING LIGHT AND ARM THE AIRBAG FULL TIME, EVEN IF NO ONE IS IN THE SEAT. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT SHE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE SEAT. THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS REPLACED AND TWO WEEKS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000.

PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. VEHICLE HAS 7000 MILES AND I TRADED IN AN IDENTICAL VEHICLE 2009 WITH 25,000 MILES THAT WAS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. DEALER COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, BUT AGREED THAT IF THE LIGHT IS ON, THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. HE STATED THAT POSSIBLY "THE LEATHER ON THE SEAT HAS TO AGE TO GIVE IT MORE FLEXIBILITY". MY WIFE IS 140 POUNDS AND 68" TALL. I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD KEEP THE AIRBAG SYSTEM ACTIVE. A GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP, TWO VEHICLES STRUCK THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK. THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION ON THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 1,057. UPDATED 10/21/10*LJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE AIR BAG SENSORS WERE IN THE FLOOR BOARD.

I WAS INVOLVED -- IN FRONT END CAR ACCIDENT WITH MY 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN A SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF MY CAR ALL THE WAY TO THE CAR'S ENGINE. I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT ACTIVATE UNDER THE IMPACT. I TOWED MY CAR TO THE NISSAN DEALER AND I SPOKE WITH THEIR SHOP MECHANICS, HE WAS ALSO SURPRISE THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT ACTIVATE AND HE SUGGESTED THE AIRBAG FRONTAL SENSORS MIGHT BE DEFECTED. HE REFERRED ME TO NISSAN MANUFACTURE DEPARTMENT. AFTER CONTACTING THEM, A REPRESENTATIVE EMAILED ME AN AIR BAG MANUAL. I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND MYSELF DRIVING A DEFECTED CAR. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU ADVISE ME TO WHAT TO DO. THANK YOU *TR