2009 Nissan Maxima Air Bags

2003 NISSAN MAXIMA. AIRBAGS WAS NOT WORKING ON VEHICLE ACCORDING TO AN LOCAL SERVICE DEPT. *TA THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. TWO WEEKS LATER, SHE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING THE AIR BAG, AFTER THE FIRST DEALER, TOLD HER THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. *JB

I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO FAIRFAX NISSAN FOR REPAIRS AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO FIX THE PROBLEMS. 12/23/2010 - PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS STAYING ON WHEN AN ADULT PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT - RESET SYSTEM. 07/30/2011 - PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS STAYING ON .......10/20/2011 PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT STAYING ON WHEN AN ADULT PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT- FOUND INTERNAL DEFECT WITH OCCUPANT SENSOR IN SEAT AND REPLACED. 05/01/2012- ETC 01/15/13 - PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS STAYING ON WHEN AN ADULT PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. VIDEOED THIS OCCURRING SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT EXHAUST SMELL IN CABIN AND WAS TOLD TO CHANGE CABIN FILTER. UNABLE USE OUTSIDE AIR FOR AC OR EXHAUST SMELL ENTERS THE CAR AND CREATES EXTREME HEADACHES. ONLY CAN USE RECIRCULATED AIR. THESE CONTINUED TRIPS WITHOUT RESOLUTION HAVE PUT A STRAIN ON MY EMPLOYMENT (WORK IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY). I JUST WANT THESE ISSUES RESOLVED SO THAT NO INJURY TO MY FAMILY OCCURS FROM THIS. *TR

I PURCHASED THE 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA FROM THE DEALER, BRAND NEW, IN NOVEMBER, 2008. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, I NOTICED THAT AS I SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM 5'4" AND 140 POUNDS AND NOT A CHILD OR EVEN A SMALLER ADULT. THROUGHOUT THE PAST 5 YEARS, THE SAME PROBLEM WOULD HAPPEN WHEN SOMEONE SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE I SAT THERE AND MY HUSBAND DROVE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON 2 OCCASIONS (FIRST TIME IN 2009 AND AGAIN IN 2010) AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THAT I FELT UNSAFE SITTING IN THAT SEAT SHOULD WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND UNLESS THE COMPUTER SPITS OUT AN ERROR CODE, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO (EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY). NOW THE CAR IS OVER 5 YEARS OLD AND HAS 85,000 MILES ON IT. MY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY IS EXPIRED (AS IT ENDED AT 60,000 MILES). IT IS NOW THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY, EVEN WHEN NOBODY IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. ALSO, THE FLASHING AIR BAG LIGHT ON MY DASHBOARD STAYS ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID IT'S THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THAT HAS FAILED. IT GAVE AN ERROR COD B1018. SINCE IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, IT WILL COST ME $1,900 OUT OF POCKET. I CONTACTED NISSAN'S CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND ASKED THEM TO COVER IT?THEY DENIED THE CLAIM AND WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR. I WANT TO ALERT THE NHTSA THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM NOT ONLY ON NEWER NISSANS, BUT ALSO ON THE OLDER NISSANS, INCLUDING THE 2009 MAXIMA. MY HOPE IS THAT THIS YEAR AND MODEL WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR AN EXPANDED RECALL TO THE CURRENT RECALL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND ONE THAT NISSAN SHOULD AGREE TO TAKE CARE OF FOR ALL CARS THAT SHOW THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN I AM DRIVING MY CAR, MY "FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG AND STATUS LIGHT" IS ON; WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF, WHEN THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THE FRONT SEAT. IT WILL TURN OFF IS SOMEONE IS IN THE SEAT INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG IS ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THE SYSTEM IS OPERATING AS IT SHOULD. THEY EVEN CHECK FOR CODES. ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL PGS 1-44 AND 1-45, "UNOCCUPIED PASSENGER'S SEAT: THE LIGHT IS OFF AND THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF AND WILL NOT INFLATE IN A CRASH." "USING THE PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT, YOU CAN MONITOR WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG IS AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OFF WITH THE SEAT OCCUPIED. THE LIGHT WILL NOT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED." I READ THE OWNERS MANUAL BEFORE AND AFTER I TOOK MY CAR THERE JUST SO I WOULD KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER THE INSPECTION. I QUESTIONED THEM ON WHAT THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAID AND THEY SAID THE LIGHT SHOULD BE ON IF THE SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED. THE TECH EVEN SAID THAT. IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I NEED MY CAR'S SAFETY FEATURES TO WORK PROPERLY AS IT SHOULD. *TR

PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT RANDOMLY GOES ON AND OFF, WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS SOMEONE OR SOMETHING IN THE SEAT. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, I WAS TOLD THAT "IT WAS JUST MY PURSE"; I INSISTED THAT IT WAS NOT AND FOR IT TO BE CHECKED. THE LOWER SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE BLADDER WAS REPLACED AND COVERED BY WARRANTY IN 2011. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL RECENTLY, IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING AND IT HAS BEEN TESTED BY NISSAN SERVICE TECHNICIANS TWICE AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THIS CONCERNS ME, AS SAFETY FEATURES SHOULD NOT BE QUESTIONABLE IF THEY MAY FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG DEACTIVATES WHEN AN ADULT IS SEATED PROPERLY IN THE SEAT. IT WILL WORK SOMETIMES AND NOT WORK OTHERS. THERE IS NO REASONING BETWEEN THE ABILITY FOR THE AIRBAG TO STAY ACTIVE OR NOT. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS NISSAN MODELS THAT THIS AFFECTS. *TR

2009 NISSAN MAXIMA PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ISSUES. EVERYTIME I SIT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON SAYING THAT IS NOT ON. I WEIGH 145LBS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM IN ANY OF OUR OTHER CARS. HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED THE SEAT ONCE, IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. IF I CAN'T SIT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR THAT I'M PAYING $500 A MONTH TO DRIVE, THEN THEY NEED TO TAKE IT BACK. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON SAYING IT WOULD NOT WORK. WIFE OF 140 POUNDS WAS SITTING IN SEAT. IT WAS TURNED ON ALL THE TIME. SHE GOT IN AND OUT A FEW TIMES, THE LIGHT STILL CAME ON. THE NEXT DAY IT WENT OFF AND HAS STAYED OFF SINCE. TOOK CAR TO NISSAN DEALER THEY CHECKED IT,SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME TO BRING CAR BACK IF IT OCCURRED AGAIN. *TR

PURCHASE CAR IN 4/2009, TOOK CAR INTO DEALER FOR AIR BAG LIGHT ON 12/30/09 AGAIN 1/18/10, 6/7/2010, AND 7/8/10 FOR AIR THE BAG LIGHT THAT COMES ON WHEN MY 150LB DAUGHTER SIT IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT, AND THE LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON TELLING ME THE AIRBAG IS OFF. SHE IS 26 YEARS OLD, AND SHE HAS TO SIT IN THE BACK. I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES. TWO TIMES WAS TO SHOW THEM WITH THE PASSENGER IN THE SEAT THAT THE LIGHT WAS ON SIGNALING THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF. THE MANAGER HAD MY GRAND'S GET IN AND OUT. YEAR AND MONTHS. THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THE 2008 ALTIMA, WHY CAN I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT'S A RECALL AND THEY DON'T WANT ACKNOWLEDGED IT NOW. I WENT ONLINE LOOKING FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING. THE NISSAN FORUM SAID THEY TOLD HIM THE SAME THING, AND THIS PERSON COMPLAIN ABOUT HIS WIFE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE SAME THING WITH THERE 2009 NISSAN. THIS IS MY 4TH NISSAN, MY SECOND FROM THE SAME DEALER. THEY TOOK MY CAR AND GAVE ME A FREE RENTAL, MY DAUGHTER GOT IN AND THE SAME THING HAPPEN IN THE 2010 AS SOON AS SHE SAT IN. I HAD HER GET OUT, OVER AND OVER AGAIN. FIX THE SEAT BELT. THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT FIXING IT. IT IS MY DAUGHTER. I SAID FOR 1 YEAR IN A HALF SHE DIDN'T SIT RIGHT IN THAT SEAT. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES FOR THEM TO WITNESS MY DAUGHTER IN THE SEAT. ONE TIME WAS THE SERVICE MANAGER; HE SAW THE LIGHT ON WITH HER IN THE SEAT. I CALL THE HEADQUARTER TO FILE A COMPLAINT, THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT IT IS MY DAUGHTER. THIS LIGHT CAME ON FOR MY HUSBAND, ME, BUT MORE SO MY DAUGHTER WHO WEIGHTS 156 LBS 5'6'. I GUESS ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE NOT CALLED, THEY ARE ON THE INTERNET COMPLAINING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA. IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 2008, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG SENSOR WOULD NOT WORK WHENEVER A PASSENGER UTILIZED THE BACK REST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE SENSOR WAS NOT DESIGNED TO WORK WITH A BACK REST AND THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 750 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150. UPDATED 03/12/09. *LJ UPDATED 03/13/09. *JB