NHTSA Complaint #10371739 — 2005 NISSAN MURANO

I OWN A 2005 NISSAN MURANO AND HAVE UNCOVERED A VEHICLE DEFECT THAT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE SUN VISORS ARE A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND KEEP FLIPPING COMPLETELY DOWN AND BLOCKING THE VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. IN SOME OF THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES, YOUR VISION GETS COMPLETELY BLOCKED UNTIL YOU FLIP IT BACK UP. THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS IN THE SNOW, RAIN, HEAVY TRAFFIC, OR AT NIGHT. SOMETIMES IT CAN DROP 2 - 3 TIMES A MINUTE. THIS IS A PROBLEM ON THOUSANDS OF 2003 TO 2007 MURANOS. REPLACING THE SUN VISOR IS PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE AT $400 EACH AND SINCE THIS FLAW HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AT ALL BY NISSAN, YOU ARE ONLY REPLACING A DEFECTIVE VISOR WITH A NEW ONE THAT WILL BECOME DEFECTIVE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. I REPLACED MY DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR 2 YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT AND THE REPLACEMENT ONE IS NOW DROPPING AGAIN. NISSAN HAS A TSB TO REPLACE THE CLIP THAT HOLDS THE MIRROR SIDE OF THE VISOR BUT THAT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECTIVE VISOR, NOT THE CLIP. THE VISOR SHAFT THAT INSERTS INTO THE CLIP LOOSENS INSIDE THE VISOR AND ROTATES, AND THAT IS THE DEFECT. THE WEIGHT OF THE VISOR EASILY OVERCOMES ANY FRICTION THE SHAFT HAS INSIDE THE VISOR AND DOWN IT COMES. NISSAN REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT. THEY WON'T COVER IT ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTEES. THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY HAZARD. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE EXCEPT THROW $400 TO NISSAN EVERY 2 - 3 YEARS TO REPLACE EACH SINGLE VISOR WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE ONE? THE PASSENGER SIDE IS ALSO NOW DROPPING. NISSAN HAS RECENTLY RAISED THE PRICE CONSIDERABLY TO GOUGE AND CAPITALIZE ON THEIR POOR DESIGN. RIGHT NOW I HAVE THE VISOR TIE WRAPPED TO THE SIDE HANDLE AND THAT MAKES THE VISOR COMPLETELY USELESS. IF I REPLACE BOTH AGAIN, I WILL HAVE SPENT $1200 SO FAR ON VISORS TO ONLY EXPECT TO REPLACE THEM AGAIN IN 2012-2013. $1200 IS A RIDICULOUS PRICE FOR REPLACING DEFECTIVE VISORS WITH NEW DEFECTIVE ONES. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN. *TR