NHTSA Complaint #10236916 — 1995 NISSAN QUEST

(THIS IS MY THIRD COMPLAINT REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE. SEE EARLIER COMPLAINTS (10208146 AND 10208146) FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.) THIS IS THE SEVENTH (7TH) TIME THE FRONT-PASSENGER-SIDE LAP BELT RETRACTOR (MOUNTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR POST / BODY FRAME) HAS JAMMED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OR SO. FOR THE 6TH REPAIR/REPLACEMENT (AND NOW THE 7TH WHICH IS PENDING ARRIVAL OF YET ANOTHER REPLACEMENT PART) I WENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, BUSAM NISSAN, 1501 EAST KEMPER ROAD CINCINNATI, OH 45246 (513) 771-8100. THE 6TH UNIT THEY INSTALLED LASTED ONLY ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE JAMMING EARLY THIS YEAR. THEY THEN CONFIRMED THE FAILURE AND THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE MANAGER SAID THEY WOULD GET WITH THE FACTORY BEFORE SIMPLY PUTTING IN YET ANOTHER WAREHOUSE-STOCKED "CURRENT-DESIGN" BELT RETRACTOR THAT WOULD LIKELY HAVE THE SAME FAILURE AS ALL THE OTHERS. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS I CHECKED IN TO ASK WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORDERED PART. THEY SAID THE FACTORY HAD YET TO RESPOND WITH A BETTER/PERMANENT SOLUTION. I SAID FOR NOW I'D RATHER GO AHEAD AND GET ANOTHER WAREHOUSE-STOCKED "CURRENT-DESIGN" ONE RE-INSTALLED THAN CONTINUE TO OPEN-ENDED WAITING WITH NO WORKING BELT AT ALL. AND I'D KEEP COMING BACK FOR REPAIRS TO GET THE FACTORY'S ATTENTION SINCE IT COSTS THEM EACH TIME A DEALERSHIP GETS REIMBURSED. AT PRESENT I'M AWAITING THAT WAREHOUSE-STOCKED "CURRENT-DESIGN" REPLACEMENT UNIT TO ARRIVE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT BUSAM NISSAN TENTATIVELY AGREED WITH ME THAT IT MIGHT BE THAT THE LUBRICANTS HAVE DRIED OUT, BUT THAT HE COULD NOT "EXPERIMENT" WITH IT, SUCH AS GENTLY WARMING UP A UNIT IN AN OVEN TO SEE IF IT WOULD POSSIBLY HELP ANY INTERNAL LUBRICANTS RE-DISTRIBUTE AND ALLOW THE MECHANISM TO PROPERLY RELEASE. HE SAID THAT HIS OR MY DOING SO WOULD END ANY FREE FACTORY REPLACEMENT POSSIBILITIES AND FIXES. AGAIN, I DOUBT I'M THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM IF THIS UNIT IS USED IN OTHER NISSAN MODELS AS WELL. *TR