1996 Nissan Altima Air Bags

I HAVE A 1996 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM DEVELOPED A PROBLEM, I.E. THE INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OUT - IT CONTINUED TO FLASH. UPON DIAGNOSIS BY THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEY DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE A MALFUNCTIONING CONTROL MODULE. THIS WILL CAUSE THE UNIT TO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH THE NHTSA WEBSITE THAT NISSAN HAS HAD PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THESE AIR BAG SYSTEMS, AND MY PROBLEM MAY BE A CONTINUATION OF THESE.*AK

AIR BAG MODULE. LIGHT ON DASH STARTED TO FLASH . TOOK CAR TO DEALER SHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE AIRBAG MODULAR AFTER THEY CHECK OUT THE COMPUTER. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER IF THEIR WAS A RECALL ON THIS AND HE SAID NO. I ASKED IF THIS WAS COMMON AND HE SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE IN THIS MODEL AND YEAR. THE PART COST OVER $550.00 NOT INSTALLED. HE TOLD ME TO TRY TO FIND ONE IN A JUNK YARD, TOLD ME HOW TO REMOVE AND INSTALL SAME AND EVEN OFFERED TO LET ME BORROW THE SPECIAL TOOL NEEDED TO REMOVE AND INSTALL SAME. THEN I WAS TO BRING BACK CAR TO HAVE THE LIGHT RESET, AS THIS WOULD DETERRMINE IF THE MODULAR THAT I GOT WAS ANY GOOD. IF LIGHT DIDN'T RESET THEN THAT MODULAR WAS NOT GOOD. IT WAS LAST YEAR WHEN THE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND I HAVE NOT AS YET FOUND A MODULAR IN A JUNK YARD. *LA

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A RIGHT-ANGLED FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. NEITHER THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK *CB

AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE AIR BAG COULD BE INOPERATIVE IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB

AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT THAT IS LOCATED ON DASH FLASHES CONSTANTLY WHEN VEHICLE BEING DRIVEN. THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CONTROL UNIT FOR THE AIRBAG HAD FAILED. CONSUMER FEELS UNSAFE, AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE IN MOTION. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK

WAS DRIVING 60MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SIDE SWIPE ALTIMA ON PASSENGER'S SIDE BY DOOR AREA. DRIVER'S FRONT HIT DIVIDER, AND AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY.*AK

VEHICHLE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UPON APPROXIMATELY 45MPH FRONT END IMPACT CRASH

WHILE TRAVLING AND WHEN MAKING A SHORT STOP AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY INDICATION. PLASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE WAS SITTING INSIDE OF THE CHURCH PARKING LOT. ANOTHER VEHICLE BACKED UP IN FRONT OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND BOTH AIRBAGS WENT OFF. *AK

AFTER VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND BURSTED FROM THE SEAM, CAUSING CHEMICAL POWDER TO SPILL INTO VEHICLE, ONTO THE FACE OF THE PASSENGER, RESULTING IN DIFFICULTY BREATHING. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT I HAVE AN EXTENTED WARRANTY THAT CLEARLY STATES THAT AIRBAG SENSORS ARE NOT COVERED, HOWEVER, THE DIANOSTICS INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS AN AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT. WHICH DIDN'T STATE THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE DEALER AND THE NISSAN COORPORATE OFFICE AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE A CASE NUMBER WHICH IS 3146876 HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY POSITIVE RESULTS JUST THE NORMAL RED TAPE A CONSUMER ENCOUNTERS. IN ANY CASE, I FEEL THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTUER DEDECT AS ANY SAFETY DEVICES SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE OR AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. ALSO THE DEALER THAT I PUT ON THIS FORM IS THE SERVICING DEALER. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN SANFORD, NC. PLEASE ASSIST ME WITH THIS MATTER AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVIENCE. THANK YOU KINDLY. *AK

VEHICLE SKIDDED, HIT A CONCRETE WALL ON THE LEFT, REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK, HIT A CONCRETE WALL ON THE RIGHT AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG, VEHICLE TOTALLED IN CRASH. *CJ

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AT THE SPEED OF 35-40 MPH, AND NEITHER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED SOME INJURY. *AK

AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY - CAR WAS TOTALLED. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS NOT DRIVING FAST ENOUGH FOR THE AIR BAGS TO HAVE DEPLOYED. CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE MAKING, IT WAS HARD TO SEE THE ROAD. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION DUAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ABSOLUTELY ANY KIND OF IMPACT, CAUSING $2600 WORTH OF DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURIES TO DRIVER AND PASSENGER. *AK

DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN A 10 MPH FRONTAL IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP IN WHICH THE AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING 5 MHP TAPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT AND FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY INDICATIONS. *AK

AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON/OFF.

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AT THE REAR RIGHT TIRE, AND BOTH AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS IN THIS ACCIDENT. *AK

CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE HAS IDENTIFIED CAUSE OF NISSAN AIR BAG MODULAR FAILURE.

PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY DEFECT IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT WAS FLASHING CONTINIOUSLY. AFTER THE BODY WORK WAS REPAIR, THE BODY SHOP TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FLASHING INDICATOR LIGHT. THEY LEARNED THAT THE SENSOR MODULE WAS DAMAGED. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY PAID AN ADDITIONAL $500+ TO REPLACE THIS. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY REPLACED IT, AN ERROR MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED WHICH SAID: "PASSENGER AIRBAG DISENGAGED." THUS, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED FROM THE ACCIDENT, ALTHOUGH THE AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT SUSTAINED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT IF THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY, IT WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY. THEIR LOGIC IS THAT THE IMPACT COULDN'T HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. NISSAN REFUSES TO ABSORB THE COST BECAUSE OUR VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. AT PRESENT, WE ARE STILL WITHOUT OUR VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS AND THIS IS OUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.