NHTSA Complaint #11258505 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

1. THREE HANDLES ON THE NISSAN ALTIMA ON MY CAR HAVE SNAPPED OFF WHEN OPENING. EVEN AFTER REPLACING THEM THEY STILL SNAP OFF PROBABLY BECAUSE IN COLD WEATHER THEY BECOME BRITTLE. IF HE HANDLES WERE METAL THEY WOULD NOT SNAP OFF. MY CONCERN IS IF DURING AN ACCIDENT BEFORE EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULD ARRIVE THAT IF SOMEONE WERE TO TRY TO ASSIST GETTING ME OUT OF THE CAR THE HANDLES WOULD SNAP OFF AND THEY COULD NOT REMOVE ME FROM THE CAR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THE HANDLES ON CARS SHOULD NOT SNAP OFF AND PLASTIC HANDLES ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN ALL CLIMATES. 2. I HAVE HAD MY FRONT HEADLIGHTS CLEANED THREE TIMES AND THEY ALWAYS FOG UP WITHIN SEVERAL WEEKS OF CLEANING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SAID IT IS FAULTY DESIGN AND TO REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS IS CLOSE TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS WITH 1 YEAR GUARANTEE WHICH IS VERY COST PROHIBITIVE. I HAVE SEEN CARS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD WITH OPAQUE HEAD LAMPS THIS IS UNACCETABLE AND DANGEROUS THAT LIGHTS CAN NOT PROJECT LIGHT APPROPRIATELY AND THIS IS ON MOST MODELS OF CARS. IF YOU ARE IN RURAL AREAS AND THE LIGHTS DO NOT PROJECT LIGHT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT METAL HANDLES AND DURABLE HEADLIGHT COVERS THAT DON'T FOG ARE NOT REQUIRED OF THESE COMPANIES. UNTIL THE LAST 15-20 YEARS THIS WAS NEVER A PROBLEM BUT CAR MANUFACTURERS ARE OPTING FOR CHEAP MATERIALS THAT CAN HAVE LETHAL REPERCUSSIONS FOR CRUCIAL SAFETY ITEMS. CAR HANDLES AND HEAD LAMPS AS FAR AS SAFETY ARE AS CRUCIAL AS PROPER AIRBAG FUNCTION. HANDLES SHOULD NOT SNAP OFF IN YOUR HANDS AND HEADLAMPS IF CLEANED SHOULD REMAIN CLEAN AND NOT FOGGY AND THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS CONCERN.