NHTSA Complaint #10165976 — 2001 NISSAN SENTRA

I OWN A 2001 NISSAN SENTRA. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THE HORN STOPPED WORKING. WE FINALLY TOOK IT IN TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE CALLED SAYING THE HORN WORKS, THE FUSE IS FINE AND THE RELAY WORKS, BUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE FUSE AND THE RELAY, IT'S LOSING POWER; LIKELY A SHORT IN THE WIRE. BUT THEY SAID IT IS WIRED IN SUCH A CONVOLUTED WAY THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER 2 HOURS TO FIND THE RIGHT WIRE AND FIX. I FOUND THIS IN AN INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD: "JUST CURIOUS IF ANY OTHERS HAVE ISSUES WITH THEIR 00-06 SENTRA HORNS...MEANING YOU HIT YOUR HORN OR KEY FOB AND NO SOUND FROM THE HORN? I HAD MY 2001 SE FIXED AROUND 60,XXX...FOUND OUT FROM NISSAN THAT THE WIRES ARE A BIT SHORT RUNNING TO THE HORN SPEAKER...I THINK THE WIRING GOES UNDER THE RADIATOR. IT GETS STRESSED AND RUBS SOMEWHERE AND DUE TO CORROSION OR TOTAL BREAKAGE THE HORN THEN NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. THE PART I'M PISSED ABOUT IS THAT NOW AT 68K THE PROBLEM IS ONCE AGAIN BACK. I KNOW ACCORDING TO MY FATHER WHO USE TO WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO PRIVATE GARAGES AROUND THE U.S. THAT THIS IN FACT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE SENTRA'S, BUT ACCORDING TO NISSAN DOES NOT REQUIRE AN NTSB. SAFETY FEATURE IN MY OPINION. NISSAN SAYS I'LL HAVE TO BRING IT IN AND PAY FOR DIAGNOSIS. I THINK I CALL THE REGIONAL MANAGER. TWICE I'VE HAD SOMEONE ALMOST HIT ME AND I HAVE NO HORN. ''NISSAN SAID CHECK THE FUSE...THEIR TYPICAL RESPONSE. AFTER TALKING AT LENGTH TO THE NISSAN DEALER THAT LAST FIXED THIS ISSUE THEY FINALLY GAVE UP AND SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SAME ISSUE WAS BACK." AFTER THIS, I CALLED MY LOCAL NISSAN REPAIR SHOP (517 393-5700) AND SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. AFTER TELLING HIM THE PROBLEM, HE PUT ME ON HOLD AND CHECKED THEIR RECORDS. HE INDICATED TO ME THAT YES, THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL OF NISSAN, BUT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING NISSAN NOR THEY COULD DO RE: FIXING THE HORN WHICH IS CAUSED BY AN ADMITTEDLY POORLY DESIGNED HORN WIRING SYSTEM. *JB