NHTSA Complaint #10148078 — 2004 NISSAN QUEST

I WANTED TO NOTIFY YOU OF THE DEFECT IN THE POWER DOOR MECHANISM OF THE 2004 NISSAN QUEST SL. MY VIN NUMBER IS [XXX]. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO PORTER NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN NEWARK, DE TO BE FIXED ON AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED AND IT STILL MALFUNCTIONS. I HAVE ALSO RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS MECHANISM WITH THE DEALER ON MANY OCCASIONS. I BELIEVE THE DEFECT IS 2 FOLD. 1. INCONSISTENT CLOSING: WHEN A BUTTON IS PUSHED TO CLOSE THE DOOR, IT DOES NOT ALWAYS CLOSE. IT GOES TO ABOUT 6 INCHES FROM CLOSURE AND THEN BACKS OPEN. THIS GETS TO BE VERY FRUSTRATING. 2. MORE DANGEROUS IS THE FACT THAT THE SENSOR DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN THE BUTTON IS ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED AND SOMEONE IS IN THE WAY. THE DOOR PROCEEDS TO CLOSE DESPITE AN OBSTRUCTION AND REQUIRES TREMENDOUS FORCE TO OPEN AGAIN. BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN THE DOOR. LAST WEEK MY HUSBAND HURT HIS BACK TRYING TO FORCE OPEN THE CLOSING POWER DOOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM WORRIED THAT IT CAN HURT ONE OF MY CHILDREN WHO WON'T BE ABLE TO PUSH IT OPEN WITH FORCE. I AM WRITING THIS IN HOPES THAT THIS GETS ADDRESSED QUICKLY. I HAVE TRIED CALLING NISSAN AND THEIR MESSAGE SIMPLY SAYS THAT THEY ARE TOO BUSY AND TO CALL BACK LATER. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)