NHTSA Complaint #10659486 — 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA

I HAVE A CRACK SEPARATING IN A PERFECT SEEM AROUND THE NISSAN SYMBOL ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WHERE AN AIRBAG WOULD DEPLOY- FROM THE FAR LEFT, ALL THE WAY TO THE FAR RIGHT. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY SPECIFIC INCIDENT THAT HAS CAUSED THIS TO OCCUR, THIS ISSUE WAS NOTICED BY MYSELF ON 11/17/14. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE TEMPE AUTONATION NISSAN 11/18/14 AT 3 PM TO MEET WITH THE SERVICE TEAM MEMBER, [XXX]. I WAS EXPLAINING THE CRACK AND SEPARATING OF THE MATERIALS TO [XXX] PRIOR TO HIM LOOKING AT MY CAR.AFTER SHOWING HIM THE WHEEL, I HAD STATED "I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THIS SITUATION LOOKS VERY SAFE AND IT'S DEFINITELY NOT COMFORTABLE", AND [XXX] REPLIED "YEAH", AGREEING WITH MY STATEMENT. [XXX] PROCEEDED TO TAKE DOWN MY VIN AND LOOK IT UP IN HIS COMPUTER.HE SAID MY CAR WAS NOT A PART OF ANY RECALLS AND THAT IF I WANTED TO REPLACE THE PART, I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL SYSTEM AND IT WOULD BE OVER ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE, AND HE SAID "YES, I HAVE SEEN THIS ON ANOTHER ALTIMA". I EXPLAINED TO HIM HOW I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SAFE AND HE SAID "WELL IT WILL JUST KEEP TEARING AND IT'S NOT LIKE THE AIRBAG IS GOING TO JUST EJECT AT YOU. IT NEEDS IMPACT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN." I THEN ASKED HIM IF THE RIP CONTINUES, IF THE AIRBAG WOULD BE EXPOSED AND HE SAID IT PROBABLY WOULD. AFTER OBVIOUSLY NOTING I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE ACCOUNTABILITY NOT BEING TAKEN BY NISSAN, A CO-WORKER OF [XXX] ASKED IF HE COULD ALSO LOOK AT MY CAR. HE TOOK A PEEK AND SAID THAT THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING UNSAFE. IT WAS VERY DISCOMFORTING WITH THE FACT THE SERVICE TEAM MEMBER ORIGINALLY AGREED THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE, AND THEN AFTER NOTICING MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY A RECENT AIRBAG RECALL,AND TAKING NOTICE TO THE FACT I REFUSE TO PAY FOR SUCH A DEFECT, HE THEN CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING UNSAFE ABOUT THE SITUATION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS,SEEMS VERY UNSAFE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR