NHTSA Complaint #10177414 — 2006 NISSAN TITAN

I DRIVE DAILY ON UNLIT ROADS, AND THIS PROBLEM FREQUENTLY OCCURS. MY 2006 NISSAN TITAN'S AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING CONTROLS RESPONSE TO CHANGE IS SLOW WITH HEADLIGHTS ON (10-15 SECONDS TO MOVE FROM FLOOR TO DEFROST), CAUSING A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN NEEDING TO DEFROST AT NIGHT. NISSAN INDICATED THIS SAFETY PROBLEM IS THE RESULT OF POOR DESIGN FOR TITANS SINCE THE ENGINEERS CHOSE TO USE THE VARIABLE VOLTAGE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT RHEOSTAT TO POWER THE HVAC CONTROLS. THIS 15 SECOND DELAY CAUSES A SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT SINCE THE DRIVER MAY BE UNAWARE THAT THE WINDSHIELD IS FOGGED UNTIL ONCOMING TRAFFIC COMES INTO VIEW. WHEN SWITCHING BETWEEN MODES (IN THIS CASE, HEAT TO DEFROST), BY THE TIME AIR BEGINS TO BLOW OVER THE WINDSHIELD, THE TRUCK HAS TRAVELED 1100 FEET WITHOUT ME BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ROAD (AT 50 MPH). THIS HAS MADE ME RUN OFF THE ROAD, OR NEARLY RUN OFF THE ROAD, NUMEROUS TIMES (AT LEAST 10 THAT I REMEMBER). THE ONLY OTHER OPTION IS TO TURN THE INSTRUMENT PANELS TO FULL BRIGHT WHICH BLINDS ME DURING NIGHTTIME DRIVING (JUST AS UNACCEPTABLE AS A FOGGED WINDSHIELD). NISSAN CURRENTLY HAS NO REPAIR FOR THIS MALFUNCTION. *NM