NHTSA Complaint #10979059 — 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER

DEFECTIVE INTERIOR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE. THE INSIDE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE ON MY 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER BROKE WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR AND I AM UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. THE CAR WAS PARKED WITH THE IGNITION TURNED OFF WHEN THE HANDLE FAILED. I REMOVED THE DOOR COVER AND INSPECTED THE HANDLE ASSEBLY TO FIND A SMALL PIECE OF PLASTIC HAD BROKEN OFF. THE BROKEN PIECE OF PLASTIC WAS DESIGNED TO HOLD THE BALL-END OF THE DOOR LATCH CABLE IN PLACE. FROM MY OWN INTERNET SEARCH INVESTIGATIONS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND IT IS COMMON ON DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLES GIVEN THAT IS THE HANDLE USED MOST FREQUENTLY. THE OTHER DOOR HANDLES ARE MANUFACTURED THE SAME WAY SO IT IS LIKELY THAT ALL WILL FAIL DEPENDING ON FREQUENCY OF USE. IN MY OPINION, THIS DEFECT IS RELATED TO POOR DESIGN AND CHEAP MATERIALS. IF THE HANDLE ASSEMBLY OR THE PART OF THE ASSEMBLY THAT HOLDS THE LATCH CABLE IN PLACE WERE MADE OF METAL OR A STRONGER PLASTIC, THERE WOULD BE NO DEFECT. THEREFORE I BELIEVE THIS DEFECT IS THE MANUFACTURERS RESPONSIBILITY AND SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF RECALLS THAT EFFECT THIS VEHICLE. THE SAME DOOR HANDLE, PART NUMBER 80671-3TA0A IS THE SAME PART USED IN SEVERAL OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES. WHEN I SEARCHED FOR A REPLACEMENT PART THROUGH A LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP'S PARTS DEPARTMENT, THE PART HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED BY PART NUMBER 80671-3TA0D SO IT SEEMS LIKE NISSAN MAY BE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THIS DEFECT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, LET ALONE A GREAT INCONVENIENCE. IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION THIS FAILURE COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE OR DEATH.