2001 Nissan Frontier Air Bags & Restraints Problems

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BLINKED ON AND OFF. PRIVATE GARAGE AND DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED FAULTY PART AS A CLOCK SPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN. WAS TOLD PART IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. MANUFACTURER DID NOT MAKE ENOUGH PARTS FOR REPLACEMENT. NOT AVAILABLE NEW OR USED. I ASKED THE DEALER TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF THEY HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. NO RESPONSE. SO VEHICLE NO LONGER HAS WORKING AIRBAGS. IS THE MANUFACTURER NOT RESPONSIBLE TO BACK UP THE SAFETY OF THEIR VEHICLE AIRBAGS?

THIS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A MVA WHERE IT HIT THE BROADSIDE OF A MINIVAN (T-BONED) THAT RAN A RED LIGHT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THE TRUCK WAS GOING IN EXCESS OF 20MPH AT THE TIME, WHEN I CONTACTED THE MINI-VAN NO AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED. I SUFFERED HITS TO MY HEAD, WHIPLASH RELATED DAMAGES, DAMAGE TO MY SHOULDER AND RIGHT LEG. THE IMPACT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT FRONT END DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK, THE ENGINE AND BODY WERE DAMAGED TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK AND ENGINE WAS INOPERATIVE. NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE LOCKED UP AND WOULD NO LONGER RETRACT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 138,000.

THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE TRUCK WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END CRASH AT 45 MPH. *TR

PROBLEMS W/ PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LOCK MECH. TROUBLE TURNING THE KEY TO OFF POSITION. NOW IT IS LOCKED IN OFF POSITION AND CAN NOT BE TURNED BACK ON. POSTED THIS ISSUE ON A NISSAN FORUM AND FOUND IT TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM! I CALLED A FACTORY AND THEY SAID THE ONLY FIX WAS TO TAKE OUT LOCK CORE AND HAVE IT RE-KEYED. NOT A GOOD THING IF YOU ASK ME! *TR

MY TRUCK WAS HIT ON FRONT RIGHT SIDE AND SPUN MY TRUCK AROUND. MY WHOLE FRONT END FELL OFF, INCLUDING MY HEAD LIGHTS AND RADIATOR SUPPORT. BOTH RADIATORS WERE CRUSHED. THE FRONT TIRE WALL ALONG WITH THE RADIATORS WERE PUSHED INTO MY ENGINE. WITH ALL THIS DAMAGE, MY AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. BOTH OFFICERS ON SITE ADVISED ME TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. *TR

THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS LOCKED IN THE STODED POSITION AND CAN NOT BE USED. THIS WAS NOT DETECTED AS I USUALLY DRIVE ALONE AND THE DRIVERS BELTS WORK FINE.

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE BACK INJURIES. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT, AND AIRBAG LIGHT WILL APPEAR ON DASHBORD, DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER MENTIONS THAT A CRASH OCCURRED WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED AND THERE WAS AN INJURY, HOWEVER DOES NOT GIVE ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THIS ACCIDENT. *TT

CATCH FOR FRONT DRIVERS SEATBELT FAILED. CATCH CRACKED AND WOULD NOT LOCK.*AK

FELT AS THOUGH SEATBELT WAS JUST BEHAVING "DIFFERENT." LOOKED AT SEATBELT ANCHOR AND FOUND DRIVER'S SIDE BOLT WAS NEARLY COMPLETELY UNSCREWED. TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE ANCHOR BOLTS WERE STRIPPED! HOLES WERE RE-BORED AND NEW BOLTS PUT IN. THIS DEFECT OCCURED WITH NO UNUSUAL STRAIN ON THE BELTS. FAILURE WAS JUST 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING NEW.*AK

CLIP ON SEAT BELT THAT KEEPS SEAT FROM RETRACTING DOWN IN HOLDER FELL OFF. CONSUMER IS USING A SAFETY PIN IN PLACE OF THE BUTTON CLIP. DEALER HAS BEEN TYRING TO ORDER THE SEAT BELT FROM APRIL TO AUGUST. DEALER HAS NO IDEA WHEN SEAT BELT WILL BE OFF BACK ORDER. BY LAW WHOLE SEAT BELT HAS TO BE ORDERED. DEALER IS UNABLE TO USE ANY REPLACEMENT PIECES AND PART WHEN IT COMES TO A SAFETY ITEM. PLEASE THE VIN# AND MILEAGE TO FORM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON WET PAVEMENT CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A BRICK WALL. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, BURNING CONSUMER. ALSO, CUT CONSUMER ON ARM,AND FROM CHIN TO CENTER OF NECK. AIRBAGS DEPLOYED SO HARD THEY KNOCKED CONSUMER'S HEAD OUT OF WINDOW. CONTACTED DEALER AND HAD VEHICLE REPAIRED.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH VEHICLE HIT A TELEPHONE POLE. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND CHEST INJURIES VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED TO DETERMINE CAUSE FOR FAILURE. *AK CONSUMER LISTS TWO FAILURES, HOWEVER ONLY GIVES INFORMATION FOR THE ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON 06-SEP-2001. *SLC

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT COULD NOT BE PULLED OUT FOR USAGE. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A MONTH SINCE NOTIFYING NISSAN AND NISSAN HAS YET TO CONTACT ME TO STATE THE ARRIVAL OF THE PART--- NISSAN HAS MENTIONED THAT THIS PART IS ON "BACK-ORDER BECAUSE THERE ARE 'MANY' OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES OUT THERE THAT ARE REQUESTING FOR THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART." NISSAN FURTHER STATED THAT ORDERING THE PART "MAKE TAKE MONTHS." NISSAN IS, THEREFORE, AWARE OF THIS SEATBELT DEFECT BUT HAS REFUSED TO OFFER THEIR CONSUMERS A RENTAL FOR THEIR SAFETY WHILE THEY(NISSAN) 'LOCATE' A REPLACEMENT FOR THE DEFECTIVE SEATBELT. FOR THE PUBLIC'S SAFETY, PLEASE NOTIFY THE PUBLIC REGARDING THIS DEFECT IN THE SEATBELT AND CONTACT NISSAN TO ASK THEM TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING THE PART. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND KIND CONSIDERATION. *AK

NHTSA LETTER RESPONDING TO CONGRESSMAN KEN CALVERT REGARDING CONSUMER WHO WROTE CONCERNING THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING A CRASH INVOLVING A 2001 NISSAN SUPERCHARGER TRUCK, CONSUMERS HUSBAND DIED ON THE SCENE AND BELIEVES HE MAY HAVE SURVIVED IF THE AIR BAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED, NHTSA IS REQUESTING MORE INFORMATION FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *TT