NHTSA Complaint #11041875 — 2015 NISSAN VERSA NOTE

2015 NISSAN VERSA NOTE SV SUFFERS FROM FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH INTERMITTENT AND DOES NOT LIGHT UP THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS WORKING, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WILL ALSO ILLUMINATE AND CAUSE THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM TO BE DISABLED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. FIRST, FAILURE TO ILLUMINATE THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WHEN BRAKING WILL FAIL TO ALERT DRIVERS THAT YOU ARE STOPPING AND PUTS YOU AT RISK FOR A REAR END COLLISION. SECOND, THE TRACTION CONTROL ALSO BECOMES DISABLED, THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IN THE EVENT YOU LOSE TRACTION, THE VEHICLE WILL NO LONGER ASSIST WITH DRIVING STABILITY. WORSE CASE, YOU ARE REAR ENDED DUE TO THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT ILLUMINATING AND THEN YOUR CAR LOSES TRACTION DUE TO THE IMPACT, YOU TRACTION CONTROL IS ALSO DISABLED, THEREFORE YOU ARE AT AN EVEN HIGHER RISK FOR INJURY. THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED BY SIMPLE REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH SENSOR THAT SITS BEHIND THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT IS A 1 MINUTE JOB JUST TO UNSCREW THE OLD SENSOR AND SCREW IN THE NEW ONE. I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, ALTHOUGH MINOR, DUE TO THE BRAKE LIGHT NOT TURNING ON. THE DRIVER BEHIND ME REAR ENDED ME, POSSIBLY DUE TO KNOWING I WAS BRAKING UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. I HAVE NOTICED THROUGH MY REAR VIEW MIRROR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE VEHICLES BEHIND ME WOULD BRAKE VIOLENTLY. I FINALLY REALIZED IT WAS DUE TO MY BRAKE LAMP SWITCH NOT ALWAYS WORKING. KEEP IN MIND, MY VEHICLE NEVER WARNED ME ABOUT MY TAIL LIGHT BEING OUT. TECHNICALLY, IT WOULDN'T, SINCE THE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS ARE FINE. THE SWITCH FAILING DID NOT ALERT ME WHEN THE BRAKE LAMPS ARE NOT ILLUMINATING. I REPLACED THE PART FOR $68.36 WITH A GENUINE PART FROM NISSAN DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALLED ITEM AND NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. THE CAR IS BARELY TWO YEARS OLD, THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.