NHTSA Complaint #11091410 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

OVER TWO MONTHS AGO MY GRANDSON OPENED THE OUTSIDE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OF MY NISSAN ALTIMA AND THE HANDLE CAME OFF IN HIS HAND. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. MY SON CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND SAID THERE WHERE NO RECALLS, EVEN THOUGH HE FOUND THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED TO OTHER OWNERS. HE ALSO FOUND THE PRICES FOR FIXING WITH A DEALER OR OTHER MECHANIC. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE HANDLE BEING FIXED, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD. IF I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT AND PASSED OUT NO ONE COULD OPEN THE DOOR IN A TIMELY MANNER TO REMOVE ME OR OTHERS (IF IT WAS A PASSENGER DOOR) FROM THE VEHICLE. I CALLED NISSAN HEADQUARTERS AND FILED A CASE A DAY OR SO LATER. I RECEIVED A CALL WITHIN A DAY OR TWO AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND MY CONCERNS BUT I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE IS TOO MANY MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TOO MANY MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. I EXPLAINED PROBLEM AND THE SAFETY CONCERNS BUT NOTHING MADE A DIFFERENCE. I TOLD THE FIRST AGENT WHO INITIALLY TOOK MY CASE, WHEN ASKED WHAT NISSAN COULD DO FOR ME, I SAID GIVE ME A DISCOUNT ON THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF OUTSIDE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER I RECEIVED AN EMAIL SURVEY FROM NISSAN HEADQUARTERS AND AGAIN EXPRESSED MY CONCERN REGARDING SAFETY AND ALSO THE CONCERNS I RECENTLY HAD REGARDING THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP I HAD BEEN DEALING WITH SINCE I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW FROM THIS PARTICULAR DEALER. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY MORE FROM NISSAN HEADQUARTERS IN MORE THAN A MONTH. MY SON DID GLUE THE HANDLE BACK FOR ME, BUT JUST RECENTLY IT CAME OFF AGAIN. I MAY NEED TO HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY REPAIRED. IN ORDER TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE, I MUST UNLOCK IT WITH THE REMOTE (I THINK THAT IS WHAT IT IS CALLED) AND LET THE WINDOW DOWN AND REACH IN TO OPEN THE DOOR. AFTER HOLDING THE DOOR HANDLE IN MY HAND, I BELIEVE IT IS JUST MADE OF PLASTIC.