NHTSA Complaint #11445650 — 2009 NISSAN ROGUE

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated, and the "Passenger Air Bag Off" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with occupant sensor unit failure. The front passenger seat and the occupant sensor unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer, Nissan of Melbourne (440 S Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901) and Mike Erdman Nissan (4640 FL-520, Cocoa, FL 32926) were made aware of the failure and informed the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000. Consumer called 3 different Nissan dealers in our local area (Pat Fischer Nissan, Nissan of Melbourne, and Mike Erdman Nissan) and they concurred you cannot just buy the sensor, you must order the seat which contains the sensor (seat part #873A2JM30B). The list price is $1,630.45—even with Nissan dealer installation, the seat must be ordered and paid for in advance and is not returnable as it is part of the Air Bag System. The labor cost is approximately $230-$250 when you add in additional shop fees and taxes, the total repair cost is in the $2,000 range.