NHTSA Complaint #10443498 — 2004 INFINITI Q45

MY LOW BEAM HEADLAMP SYSTEM HAS NOW FAILED AT TWO SEPARATE TIMES, BOTH DURING NIGHTTIME DRIVING. THE FIRST WAS ON NOVEMBER 2, 2009, AT 37,600 MILES, THE LEFT HID BALLAST FAILED; NISSAN REPAIRED THE FAILURE UNDER WARRANTY ALTHOUGH ITS TIME-PORTION HAD EXPIRED. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS AT 47,600 MILES ON DECEMBER 1, 2011. NISSAN/INFINITI CONSUMER AFFAIRS WERE TOLD AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MILEAGE WARRANTY WAS NO-WHERE-NEAR EXPIRED - BUT TIME HAD - YET, TALKED AS THOUGH THEY WOULD HELP WITH THE REPAIR. THE QUID-PRO-QUO WAS THAT I GET AN INFINITI DEALER TO VERIFY PROBLEM AND COST TO REPAIR. AT MY COST OF $125.88 THE INFINITI DEALER AGREED THE RIGHT BALLAST WAS NOW BAD; COST TO REPAIR APPROXIMATELY $1100. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WERE INSTRUCTED (ACCORDING TO CA) BY A HIGHER ECHELON OF NISSAN NOT TO REPAIR. CA DID AGREE TO REFUND MY DEALER COST OF $125.88. CONCLUSION: IN 2004 THIS WAS NISSAN/INFINITI'S PREMIUM PRODUCT. THIS CAR WAS EARLIER REPORTED TO NHTSA BECAUSE THE FORE-AFT POWER FUNCTION OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED AT 42,170 MILES AND NISSAN WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY. SURELY THE NHTSA MUST REASONABLY THINK THAT FAILURE OF A DRIVER'S SEAT IN ITS REARMOST POSITION AND TWO FAILURES OF THE LOW-BEAM HEADLAMP SYSTEM COULD EASILY PLACE ANY DRIVER AND HIS/HER PASSENGERS IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. *TR