NHTSA Complaint #11419620 — 2016 NISSAN ROGUE

In April 2021 I purchased a 2016 Nissan Rogue. A few times I noticed that I did not have my seatbelt on while driving which for me, is highly unusual because it is the first thing I do once I start my engine. It is the AUDIBLE chime that alerts me. I then specifically started my engine and realized that the car DID NOT have a safety belt CHIME. ( FMVSS 208 S7.3 ) I took it to a Nissan dealer. The technician told me that Nissan DID NOT put a safety belt audible chime in ANY of their vehicles before 2020. I could not believe what I was hearing. Not only is this feature federal law but, it is also in the Nissan owners manual. It is not a feature that can be turned on or off. It is a federal requirement. Nissan is violating federal law and has been doing so for years at the expense of the American people. I am worried for my safety and the safety of others since it is difficult to DISCOVER that there is no audible seat belt safety chime and that it is a safety issue that might prevent one from putting on their seatbelt so that they don’t go flying through the front windshield. Federal law states: “manufacturers have an OPTION. They can EITHER use a seatbelt symbol AND an audible chime OR The words “ Seat Belt” AND An audible chime”. The audible chime is not an OPTION it is a requirement. The chime is NOT a feature that can be turned on or off in any Nissan vehicle including my 2016 Nissan Rogue. The consumer needs to know about this missing safety feature as per Federal law. I wonder how many lives have been lost because Someone just like me, needed that audible safety belt chime to remind them that their seat belt was not buckled and it cost them their lives. There is a reason that the safety belt safety law has two components. A VISUAL and an AUDIBLE safety belt feature. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards exist for the safety of the American people. With Nissan, this does not seem to matter.