NHTSA Complaint #10514512 — 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA

I LOVE THE FACT THAT MY CAR HAS THE HEATED STEERING WHEEL AND FOR PAYING SO MUCH FOR THIS VEHICLE TO HAVE THIS WONDERFUL FEATURE YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO WORK. WELL IT DID FOR THE FIRST MONTH, BUT I USED IT ALOT, USUALLY ON HIGHWAY TRIPS WHEN IT WOULD CUT OFF I WOULD TURN IT BACK ON, THEN ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT I NOTICED IT WAS ONLY GETTING WARM AT THE TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND NOT THE REST. THEN A LITTLE LATER IT DOESN'T EVEN GET WARM ANYMORE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SERVICE AT LEAST 2 DIFFERENT TIMES, AND THEY JUST TELL ME THAT IT IS NORMAL. BUT IN THE ARMADA, AND MAXIMA THEY LOANED ME WHILE MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP THOSE SEEMED TO WORK FINE. THEIR ANSWER TO THAT IS THAT IN THE ALTIMA IT READS THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE CAR TO DETERMINE HOW HOT IT GETS. THIS IS NOT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IN MARCH OF 2013 HERE IN NORTHERN VA WE HAD A BIG SNOWFALL. I WENT TO MY CAR AT 3:40 AM THE DAY OF THE SNOWFALL, AND STARTED IT. IT WAS ABOUT 28 DEGREES OUTSIDE, AND THE INSIDE OF THE CAR FELT THE SAME. I TURN ON THE HEATED STEERING IT I NEVER FELT IT THE ENTIRE 30 MILES I DROVE. TO ME IT FEELS LIKE THE ELECTRICITY IS NOT GETTING TO ANY OR ALL OF THE HEATING ELEMENT. NISSAN SAYS TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, BUT ALL THE DEALERS AROUND ME ARE OWNED AND MANAGED BY THE SAME. *TR