NHTSA complaint: 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC IN SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE ON 2/12/2005, MY 2005 ALTIMA WAS HIT IN THE REAR BY A CAR THAT FAILED TO STOP. THE DRIVER OF THAT CAR WAS DETERMINED TO BE AT FAULT BY POLICE. FOUR VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WITH MY CAR BEING THE MOST DAMAGED. POLICE ESTIMATED THE CAR THAT HIT ME WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH. AT IMPACT. THE IMPACT DROVE MY CAR FORWARD INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE REAR OF MY CAR WAS DESTROYED AND THE FRONT IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH THAT THE RADIATOR WAS BURST AND FRONT SUSPENSION MEMBERS AND THE HOOD WERE CRUMPLED. AT NO TIME DURING THE ACCIDENT DID EITHER OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS IN MY ALTIMA DEPLOY! HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELTS DID LOCK IN POSITION AND PROBABLY SAVED US FROM MORE SERIOUS INJURY. INJURIES FOR THOSE IN MY CAR (FOUR PEOPLE) CONSISTED OF CUTS, SCRAPES AND BRUISES ACCOMPANINED WITH SORENESS. SINCE IT IS ONLY TWO DAYS SINCE THE ACCIDENT, THERE MAY BE OTHER POSSIBLE PROBLEMS ARISE. I THOUGHT AIR BAGS WERE SUPPOSE TO DEPLOY IN CASES SUCH AS THIS? I NOTE FROM RESEARCH THAT NISSAN HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS WITH THEIR AIR BAG FAILURES. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO STOP THIS!*AK
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation