NHTSA Complaint #10511501 — 2004 NISSAN MURANO

AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES WITH THE AGE OF THE CAR BEING APPROXIMATELY FIVE (5) YEARS OLD THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK OR LOCK WHEN THE REMOTE ACTUATOR WAS USED. THIS GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND THEN LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING. NOW NEITHER ONE OF THESE DOORS WILL WORK CORRECTLY AND OFTEN LOCK ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT THE REMOTE ACTUATOR OR THE INTERNAL MANUAL LOCKING SYSTEM BEING USED. THIS HAS SPREAD TO THE REAR DOORS TOO BUT ONLY INTERMITTENTLY AT THIS TIME. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT MANY MANY OWNERS OF A NISSAN MURANO OF ALMOST EVERY MODEL YEAR EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. THIS CREATES A SAFETY PROBLEM SHOULD ENTRY INTO THE VEHICLE OR EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION BE REQUIRED BECAUSE THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE WITHOUT A KEY AND THE ONLY DOOR THAT HAS A KEY SLOT IS THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR. IF THE KEY'S IN THE IGNITION HOW WOULD ANYONE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE GET THE DOORS OPEN IN AN EMERGENCY? THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED A FEW YEARS AGO IN AUSTRALIA FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM ON A DIFFERENT NISSAN MODEL VEHICLE. IF THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE THERE AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY NISSAN TO BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO RESOLVE I CANNOT HELP BUT ASK "WHY ISN'T THIS BEING TAKEN CARE OF HERE IN THE USA BY NISSAN?" NISSAN AND THEIR DEALERS HAVE KNOWN OF THIS SAFETY PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND QUOTE BETWEEN $400 AND $500 TO FIX JUST ONE DOOR. MANY OWNERS REPORT VIA THE INTERNET THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON AT LEAST 2 DOORS AND SOME REPORT ALL 4 DOORS INCLUDING THE REAR LIFT GATE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND PROTECT THE OWNERS AND OCCUPANTS OF THESE VEHICLES. *TR