NHTSA Complaint #10621239 — 2004 NISSAN MURANO

THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS; USING THE REMOTE, USING THE KEY AND USING THE INTERIOR LOCKS. THE REMOTE DOES NOT LOCK NOR UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S NOR THE FRONT PASSENGER DOORS. THE KEY, WHICH CAN ONLY BE USED IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK, WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK ALL DOORS EXCEPT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE INTERIOR LOCKING MECHANISM LOCATED ON THE DRIVERS DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK NOR LOCK THE FRONT DRIVER'S NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS. AT THIS TIME THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOORS IS TO REACH OVER AND USE THE INTERIOR HANDLE. ONCE THE FRONT DOORS ARE UNLOCKED THE ONLY WAY TO LOCK THEM IS TO MANUALLY MOVE THE LOCKING SWITCH TO THE LOCKED POSITION. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO HAVE AFFECTED HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF NISSAN MURANO'S THE INABILITY TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE FRONT DOORS IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS. THE DRIVER CANNOT LOCK THE FRONT DOORS, WHICH IS PARAMOUNT WHEN A CHILD IS RIDING IN THE CAR. NOT LOCKING THE DOORS CAN BE CRITICAL IN THE EVENT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT. IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT IS IN THE CAR AND THE INABILITY OF THE DRIVER TO INSURE THAT ALL DOORS ARE LOCKED IS CRITICAL TO EVERYONE'S SAFETY. HAVING AN UNLOCKED DOOR OPEN IN A CRASH INCREASES THE PROBABILITY THAT AN OCCUPANT WILL BE EJECTED FROM A CAR THEREBY INCREASING INJURIES AND THE PROBABILITY OF DEATH; NOT KNOWING THAT ALL DOORS ARE LOCKED RESULTS IN UNNECESSARY RISK. *TR