NHTSA Complaint #10563776 — 2013 NISSAN SENTRA

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE DUE TO THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THE FRONT WINDSHIELD FROM FOGGING UP OR ICING UP WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE DEFROSTER DOES NOT ALLOW ENOUGH HEAT TO BLOW ON THE WINDSHIELD TO KEEP IT CLEAR DURING DRIVING, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY TO BE OBSTRUCTED AND MAKING IT A SAFETY HAZARD. DUE TO THE FACT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH HEATED AIR BLOWING ON THE WINDSHIELD, A LARGE SECTION OF THE CORNERS (ESPECIALLY THE PASSENGER SIDE) BECOMES COATED WITH FOG OR ICE, OBSCURING VISION. THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD WIPER EVEN BECOMES COATED WITH A LARGE CHUNK OF ICE ON THE TIP, CAUSING IT TO STOP WIPING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. ON A LONG TRIP, THE DRIVER HAS TO STOP THE VEHICLE TO MANUALLY CLEAN THE WIPER AND WINDSHIELD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OR CONTINUE DRIVING WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS AN OPTION, ESPECIALLY IF DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE WHERE THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE DRIVEN IN A COLD CLIMATE (LIKE WINTERTIME IN THE USA). ANOTHER SAFETY RISK I HAVE RUN INTO WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THE PLACEMENT OF THE GAS TANK RELEASE BUTTON. IN ORDER TO REACH THE BUTTON, ONE HAS TO OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR AND REACH DOWN UNDER THE FRONT DASHBOARD TO POP THE GAS TANK. THIS MAKES THE DRIVER VULNERABLE TO ANYONE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHO MAY WANT TO ATTACK OR ROB THE DRIVER FROM BEHIND WHILE THEIR DOOR IS OPEN AND THEY ARE BENDING FORWARD. *TR