2008 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

MY 2008 ALTIMA SEDAN HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT WHEN IN DECEMBER 2017 I EXPERIENCED AN AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT THAT FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ALONG WITH A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH THAT INDICATED THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS OFF. THESE WARNINGS APPEARED NO MATTER IF THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS EMPTY OR IF AN ADULT PASSENGER OCCUPIED IT. THIS HAPPENED ANYTIME THE CAR WAS RUNNING (STOPPED OR MOVING AT ANY SPEED). I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT MY VIN WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY ACTIVE RECALLS. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWED THAT NISSAN VEHICLES HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNINGS RELATED TO SENSORS AND OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS FOR A BROAD RANGE OF NISSAN AND INFINITI VEHICLES FOR SEVERAL MODEL YEARS SINCE 2007. THERE WAS ONE NHTSA RECALL (#08V-521) RELATED TO THIS ISSUE THAT COVERED MY MODEL AND YEAR, BUT THIS APPLIED TO ONLY A SMALL GROUP OF NISSAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN 2007-2009 THAT EXHIBITED A SPECIFIC DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE. MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED ONE MONTH AFTER THE LAST MONTH INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL, BUT THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR WAS MANUFACTURED DURING THE LAST MONTH OF PRODUCTION INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNINGS GO BEYOND THE ORIGINAL RECALL. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE THAT I BELIEVE WARRANTS EXPANSION OF THE ABOVE RECALL OR A NEW RECALL. I DON'T BELIEVE NISSAN IS LIVING UP TO ITS SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES. I HAVE COMPLETED SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE (SEE ATTACHMENT) THAT SHOULD CONVINCE NHTSA OF THE NEED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS DEFECT. I HAVE INVESTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE AND CREATING THE ATTACHED REPORT. I WOULD APPRECIATE A RESPONSE FROM NHTSA STATING IF THEY INTEND TO PURSUE NISSAN TO ISSUE ADDITIONAL RECALLS, OR NOT.

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND CAR LOST ACCELERATION AND WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER. CAR WENT INTO "LIMP' MODE. NISSAN DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THE CVT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

MY ENTIRE DASHBOARD HAS STARTED TO DISINTEGRATE. I NOTICED IT STARTED TO GET SHINY AND STICKY BY THE WINDOW AND IT IS NOW THE ENTIRE THING IS SO SOFT I CAN SLIGHTLY PRESS MY FINGER NAIL INTO THE PLASTIC AND IT WILL ACTUALLY CUT OR GOUGE THE PLASTIC. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CARS DASHBOARD DO THIS. I ONLY USE WATER AND A CLOTH TO CLEAN THE DASH AND CRACK MY WINDOWS IN THE SUMMER TO AVOID EXTREMELY HOT TEMPS. IT IS LIKE THE SUN HAS MELTED THE DASHBOARD BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HOT OR COLD IT IS IT IS ALWAYS BRITTLE.

MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS NOT LOCKING WITH THE KEY FOB. THIS ALLOWS ANYONE TO OPEN MY DOOR, BUT IT DOES SET OFF MY ALARM. MY CAR HAS BEEN BROKEN INTO TWICE WHILE PARKED IN A SECURED ACCESS GARAGE BECAUSE THEY ARE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR, SNATCH AND GRAB. I READ ONLINE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE DRIVERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOCK THEIR DOORS.

THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING UNDER THE HOT GEORGIA SUN AND IS CAUSING SERIOUS VISIBILITY ISSUES. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN I'M DRIVING IN THE SUNSHINE. IT CAUSES A HUGE GLARE TO APPEAR ON MY WINDSHIELD.

LOUD BANG AND OIL COOLER BUSTED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55 MPH, IT STARTED SMOKING AND THEN FIRE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD I PULLED OVER TURNED OF THE IGNITION AND GOT OUT AND THE CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES WITHIN MINUTES

DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND CRACKING TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN SEE THE FOAM MATERIAL THAT THE DASH IS MADE OUT OF MAKE SEEING OUT THE WINDSHIELD VERY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMING OUT OF A TUNNEL DURING THE DAY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE MOMENTARILY MAKING DRIVING VERY DIFFICULT. BOUGHT A DASH COVER TO HOPEFULLY SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS AND SO I COULD SEE OUT THE WINDSHIELD CLEARLY. ALSO THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT DOES LIGHTS UP INTERMITTENTLY WHEN NO ONE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. BOUGHT THE CAR, 2008 ALTIMA COUPE, IN NORTH FLORIDA AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN IN FLORIDA, GEORGIA AND HAWAII, WHERE I CURRENTLY LIVE, YEAR ROUND. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS AND HAVE LESS THAN 75000 MILES.

THE SUN VISORS ON THE ALTIMA COUPE BREAK AND HANG STRAIGHT DOWN IN THE FIELD OF VISION. I JUST ORDERED MY SECOND SUN VISOR AND I AM WAITING FOR IT TO ARRIVE. THEY MUST BE HELD UP OUT OF THE WAY WITH ONE HAND WHILE DRIVING WITH THE OTHER HAND (UNTIL YOU CAN GET IT REMOVED). WHEN I SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL, THE NISSAN PARTS MAN SAID " I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU". I THINK THAT MEANS IT HAPPENS A LOT.

MY MOTOR MOUNT,HAS GONE OUT. IT LEFTS UP WHEN YOU DRIVE IT AND MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE, WHEN YOU STOP ON THE GAS.

TRANSMISSION GOING INTO FAIL SAFE MODE WHEN DRIVING. VERY DANGEROUS, PULLING OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION AND LOSING POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION, POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT BY NOT BEING ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. VERY SCARY AND VERY CONCERNING.