NHTSA Complaint #10436672 — 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS SINCE TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THIS 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S SEDAN, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON, MEANING THAT THE AIRBAG WAS DISARMED, WHILE A FULL SIZED ADULT WAS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ON THE MOST CURRENT OCCASION, MY WIFE WAS SITTING PROPERLY WITH ONLY HER LEGS EXTENDED WHEN THIS OCCURRED (SEATBELT WAS ON PROPERLY TOO). I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE WARNING LIGHT, MY WIFE SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WITH MY CAMERA PHONE TO SHOW TO A NISSAN SERVICE CENTER, AS I HAD HOPED THEY WOULD FIX THIS DEFECT UNDER WARRANTY. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPLICATE THE WARNING LIGHT, SO THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. DOING SOME RESEARCH BOTH HERE AND ON OTHER SOURCES, THERE WAS A MAJOR RECALL OF SOME 200,000 NISSAN ALTIMAS IN 2007 AND 2008 FOR THIS VERY SAME ISSUE. THE WORRY THAT I HAVE IS THAT GOD FORBID WE ARE EVER IN A COLLISION, THAT THE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT BE THERE WHEN WE NEED IT MOST. THE FEATURE IS ADDED IN THE NISSAN ALTIMA TO GUARD AGAINST SMALL CHILDREN OR PRETEENS WHO ARE SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT FROM AIRBAG-INFLATION RELATED INJURIES. WHAT IT HAS DONE IS PUT THE LIVES OF MANY NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS IN JEOPARDY. SHAME ON NISSAN FOR NOT DESIGNING THIS FEATURE POORLY OR NOT REMOVING IT FROM THEIR DESIGN ENTIRELY WITH THE PREVIOUS HISTORY OF RECALLS IN PRIOR YEARS. THIS DEFECTIVE SEAT SENSOR SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, RECALLED, OR FIXED IN MY OPINION. *TR