NHTSA Complaint #10067730 — 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA

TWO SUCESSIVE AIR BAG DISCONNECT FAILURES ON A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. ON 3/29/03 AT 36,834 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND I WENT TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS, THE TOLD ME THE BAG CIRCUITRY WAS "OPEN" AND THE BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THEY REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG MODULE UNDER WARRANTY. ON APRIL 20TH 2004 AT 50,300 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME THEY TOLD ME THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG CIRCUITRY WAS " OPEN" AND THE RIGHT SIDE MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. INITIALLY ,THEY TOLD ME IT WAS STILL WITHIN THE 60 MONTH WARRANTY, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT STATEMENT THEY HAVE INSISTED IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAVE TO PAY $422 . MY COMPLAINT IS THAT A EXPENSIVE CAR WITH ONLY 36,000 MILES HAS A AIR BAG FAILURE AND THEN AGAIN AT 50,300 MILES THE OPPOSITE SIDE FAILS AGAIN. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND THE CIRCUITRY COULD BE IN THE FAILURE MODE AND THE LIGHT MAY NOT COME ON OR THE ACCIDENT COULD OCCUR AND THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOY. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION BY NISSAN AND AT LEAST HAVE THE WARRANTY EXTENDED . *AK