NHTSA Complaint #11456328 — 2020 NISSAN VERSA

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2020 NISSAN VERSA SR BACK FROM A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT AT 3:30 PM ON 14 FEB 2022 TRAVELING ABOUT 25 MPH THRU RESIDENTIAL AREA WHEN BOTH SIDE AIR BAGS EXPLODED AND TOTALLY ENCAPSULATING HER SO SHE COULD NOT BREATH NOR MOVE TO STEER THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS ALL SHE COULD DO TO APPLY THE BRAKES. A FIRE TRUCK WS RIGHT BEHIND SO SO WERE ABLE TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AND CUT HER OUT OF THE AIR BAGS SO SHE COULD BREATH. THE AIR BAG IMPACT SEVERELY HURT AND CAUSED BRUSES AND HEARING LOSS AND SHOCK. THERE WAS NO IMPACT NOR DOOR CLOSURES NOR ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN A MALFUNCTION WHICH CAUSED THIS. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 15,000 MILES. THE. CARS TROUBLE CODE SHOWED A ROLL-OVER CAUSE THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY; HOWEVER, AGAIN THERE WAS NO IMPACT NOR ROLL-OVER NOR ANY DAMAGE TO THIS VEHICLE WHICH COULD CAUSE AIR BAGS TO ACTIVATE. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE AIR BAGS WERE ACTIVATED BY WHAT APPEARS TO BE A COMPLETELY RANDOM ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. i SUSPECT THE CAUE MIGHT BE SOMESORT OF SENSITIVITY TO ELECTROMAGNECTIC RADIATION SUCH AS THE NEW 5G CELL PHONES OR HIGH POWERED RADIOS SO.... IN THE PAST... Nissan determined the wrong combination of metals was used in the side airbag sensor connector harness, causing oxidation on the pins of the airbag control unit harness connection. The oxidation on the connector pins can cause a short loss of communication from the satellite sensor to the airbag control unit.The Nissan Versa curtain and seat-mounted side airbag system will enter a backup mode when signal loss occurs and this backup mode allows the curtain and seat-mountain side airbags to deploy as intended in a crash. However, the backup mode that kicks in from signal loss changes the requirements that must be met for the airbags to deploy, so simply slamming the doors can activate the airbags. Typically the force needed to activate the airbags can only come from someone slamming a door from the outside, but real hazards exist if occupant is inside the car when airbags deploy.