NHTSA Complaint #10283565 — 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA

ON JUNE 23, 2009 MY 2005 MAXIMA WAS PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE WITHIN MY HOME. ON THAT SAME DATE I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER MY VEHICLE AND WAS GREETED WITH AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF SMOKE UPON OPENING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. NO FIRE WAS OCCURRING, SO I OPENED ALL CAR DOORS AND GARAGE DOORS TO CLEAR THE SMOKE. WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED I DISCOVERED MY CAR HAD, AT SOME POINT IN THE PRIOR 8 HOURS, HAD AN INTERIOR FIRE AND HAD LUCKILY SELF-EXTINGUISHED. THE FIRE SEEMED TO ORIGINATE NEAR THE FUSE BOX, LOCATED TO THE LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN, ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE DASH. THE FIRE MELTED THE FUSE BOX AND SURROUNDING DASH AREA, SPREADING AROUND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN TO JUST ABOVE THE IGNITION ON THE DASH. NO POLICE OR FIRE EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE CALLED AS THE FIRE WAS OUT. MY INSURANCE WAS IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED AND A TOW ORDERED TO TAKE THE MAXIMA TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS FIRE. AFTER A FEW WEEKS THEY COMMUNICATED THAT NISSAN WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE THE FIRE. MY INSURANCE COVERED THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AND THE REPAIRS TOOK PLACE. UPON COMPLETION OF THE REPAIRS THE DEALERSHIP DISCOVERED WHEN THEY TESTED THE LUMBAR SWITCH, THAT IT WAS OVERHEATING THE FUSE PANEL AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. MY INSURANCE WAS CONTACTED TO COME OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ASSESS THE NEW DISCOVERY. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER, SERVICE MANAGER, AND SERVICE TECHNICIAN MET AND AGREED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS A PINCHED LUMBAR SWITCH AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I PAID THE COST OF THE SWITCH AS INSURANCE ONLY COVERS DAMAGES. THE LUMBAR SWITCH WAS RECALLED IN 2006. MY LUMBAR SWITCH WAS REPAIRED IN APRIL OF 2006. THE RECALL STATES THE LUMBAR SWITCH WIRING COULD BECOME PINCHED AND CAUSE A FIRE. I ASKED BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO REFUND AND INVESTIGATE MY FIRE AND IT'S ASSOCIATION TO THE RECALL. AT THIS TIME NEITHER IS COOPERATIVE AND REFUSES TO ASSIST OR INVESTIGATE. *TR