NHTSA Complaint #10260400 — 1999 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN

MY 1999 NISSAN PATHFINDER HAD 1 PRIOR OWNER PURCHASED FROM NISSAN AUTO MALL IN LI NY THE BACK CAR WAS IN BEAUTIFUL CONDITION BACKSEATS LOOKED AS IF THEY HAD NEVER BEEN USED DEALER INFORMED ME VEHICLE HAD BEEN OWNED & CUSTOMIZED FOR THE 1 PRIOR OWNER WHO HAD A HANDICAP AS DID HIS CHILD WHO HAD TO BE SEATED IN THE FRONT DUE TO HIS MEDICAL ISSUES/HANDICAP ISSUES THIS WAS WHY THE VEHICLE WAS IN SUCH BEAUTIFUL CONDITION SINCE I WAS TOTALLY DISABLED 1994 IN AN ACCIDENT HEAD ON TO THE EXTENT THE FRAME WAS BENT BADLY YET THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY I WAS VERY CONCERNED YET WAS TOLD AIR BAGS WERE IN THE VEHICLE & APPEARED TO BE NOT A PROBLEM ORTHE LIGHT WOULD NOT GO ON UPON STARTING VEHICLE I ALSO MADE SEVERAL INQUIRES TO NISSAN DEALER CONSUMER AFFAIRS ETC... ETC... & MY INSURER & WAS TOLD NO LIKE ISSUES &/OR RECALLS OR SAFETY ISSUES & MY FEARS WERE NOT WARRANTED WELL ON 2 OTHER FRONT END CRASHES I BELIEVE DUE TO OTHER SAFETY ISSUES ACCELERATION STEERING LOSS & BREAKING ISSUES AGAIN WITH MAJOR DAMAGE TO FRONT END RADIATOR DESTROYED CHASSY BENT /CRACKED THE VEHICLE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY NOR DID THE SEAT BELTS LOCK AGAIN I IN 1998 DID AGAIN MAKE NUMEROUS INQUIRIES & FOUND AIRBAG SYSTEMS HAD PLACED DEFECTIVE SWITCHES IN VEHICLES BUT FAILED TO HAVE A TRACKING SYSTEM TO ID THE VEHICLES &/OR MANUFACTURERS WHOM HAD PLACED THESE SWITCHES THAT MADE IT APPEAR AS THE AIR BAGS WERE INDEED FUNCTIONING WHEN THEY WERE TURNED OFF & THAT NHTSA STATED IT WAS NOT THERE JOB TO GIVE HIM DOCUMENTS SHOWING VEHICLES WITH THESE FAULTY SWITCHES WHICH WAS AN ENDANGERMENT TO OWNERS&/REPAIR FACILITIES WHO WOULD BE UNAWARE THE AIRBAGS WERE TURNED OFF AS THE LIGHT SHOWING PROPER ABS FUNCTION I CANT BELIEVE THE GROSS DISREGARD I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE MODIFICATIONS DID NOT HAVE TO BE REPORTED UNLESS DONE SO VOLUNTARILY TO DMV/OR NHTSA UNTIL SOMETIME IN 2002/3/4 SO PUTTING YOUR VIN # IN WOULD NOT SHOW A CONSUMER THEIR AIRBAGS WERE IN FACT DEACTIVATED EVEN IF VOLUNTARY DOCUMENTS WERE SUBMIT. *TR