← NHTSA complaints

2017 NISSAN ALTIMA — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · 2202918 · 2026-05-03

Vehicle

Make
NISSAN
Model
ALTIMA
Year
2017
Manufacturer
Nissan North America, Inc.
Component
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
Yes
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a dangerous design oversight and safety hazard regarding the trunk lid support mechanism on the Nissan Altima. On [Date of Incident], while the vehicle was parked, a gust of wind caused the trunk lid to slam shut unexpectedly. The metal door latch struck me directly in the frontal region of the skull, resulting in an injury that required medical monitoring for potential brain trauma. The current design relies exclusively on torsion bars or gas struts to maintain an open position. These components are prone to wear and environmental fatigue, and they lack a mechanical "positive lock" or secondary safety catch. Consequently, the trunk lid acts as a sail in windy conditions, easily overcoming the lift support and turning the heavy lid and metal latch assembly into a falling hazard for any consumer loading or unloading the vehicle. While Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) focus heavily on internal trunk releases (Standard No. 401), there is a significant gap regarding the prevention of sudden, gravity-induced or wind-induced lid collapse. I am requesting that the NHTSA: Investigate the frequency of "unintended closing" injuries related to Nissan Altima trunk lift systems. Evaluate whether the lift-support specifications for this model are sufficient to withstand common wind gusts. Mandate a mechanical locking mechanism or more robust secondary safety catches to prevent these lids from becoming dangerous projectiles. [XXX]

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
11735398
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown