I am one of the legions in the NJ/NY area whose HID headlights were stolen from my 2003 Maxima. My wonderful insurance company informs me that they are well aware of this problem and know there is little that I could have done to prevent it, but my premium will skyrocket anyway.

Is anyone on the board aware if there is any class action suit in the works/in process against Nissan for design defect, failure to remediate the problem, etc.? Thanks.

 

if someone stole your bike would you bring a class action law suit against the bike company?
it is not nissan fault people are stealing them. you might as well bring a class action law suit against the cops for not being able to find the thiefs.

 

PARK IN GARAGE, AND LOCK IT UP AT NIGHT!

 

I tried to get a class action lawsuit together when I first joined the .org....problem is...no law firm in NYC would take it without a retainer and half of these clowns on here wouldn't join in but would've been quick to jump on the bandwagon as I was doing the legwork...

 

i dont understand how you can hold nissan responsible for someone stealing them. how is that their fault??

 

It's not a fault issue... It's more of a PR question. Nissan should realize that the current owners will hold their lack of concern against them when it's time to replace their current Maxima.

I for one will not buy a Nissan product again unless they remedy the situation, and that includes Infiniti products.

I understand the next generation Acura TL will have 280 HP and come with a 6 speed option... I'm eagerly awaiting its release with fall!!

 

I believe it's Nissan's fault because they designed a car from which the $1500K plus headlights can be ripped out in 10-30 seconds (according to the police) and once they learned of this fact (which they certainly did, since I'm not the first person to complain to Nissan) they did not notify buyers (especially in the high-risk areas) or offer any effective theft deterrent (none exists per Nissan customer service).

And Mr. NizanDrivn, think for a minute. Do you ever park your Max when you go shopping or to the movies? While I love driving mine, I generally need to stop and park it when I get to where I'm going. That's where the lights are stolen (as well as in the parking lots of Nissan dealerships, I've also learned!)

 

i think it is partly nissan's fault for making it so easy for them to steal... i for one haven't heard of any other car owners having much problems with specific HID thefts like we do....

 

I totally agree with Quidproquo. I bought my Maxima '03 five months ago and the light have been stolen twice in a row.Costing about $3000 each time Having to come upfront with my deductible and I forsee an increase in my premium soon. First time it was stolen was on the street while at a friend's place(on a snowy night) My friend's neighbour was able to write down the plate number of the theives car but till today the police have not been able to do anything tangible on it. Second time in my apartment complex parking lot(between 2am and 4am).

Now that I have a garage I cannot park it in there 24 hrs a day. I complained to my dealership and its all BS they told me.

I notice the stress my neighbour(has a maxima too) goes through not to have his headlights stolen!! He does not go out at night and so many restrictions I cannot even begin to mention.

Other manufactures put more security on their HIDs. I beleive Nissan was cheap on this one. I am planning to trade in the car soon to relieve me of this headache. A car is the last thing I want to worry about.

 

If you left your window rolled down and someone reached in and stole your wallet is it your fault? NO! It's the thief's fault. Same logic applies... nissan didn't steal the lights so nissan isn't responsible.

It is not nissan's fault someone stole your headlights. You have 2 quick remedies (there are dozens but these are the easy 2)... install an aftermarket alarm with a switch on the hood/light assembly, or sell the car.

You could also do nothing... so i guess there are 3 options, but no matter how you look at it, it's not nissan's fault and everyone just wants them to pay because they have deep pockets.

 

I feel your pain guys, but the logic behind the suit is wrong. Why? Here's my 2c worth:

a) Nissan designed the car pretty well. You say they shouldn't have designed the lights to be taken out in 30 seconds? It takes just that long to take anything from you car - including even the car itself. Is it Nissan's fault?

b) The reason Nissan, and Maxima's in particular, is being targeted by a lot of thief's is because there's a market for the HID's. The 2k2+ HID Housings are direct-fit parts for 2000-2001 Maxima's. To date there is no other car with similar situations as the 5th gen Maxima's.

c) Nissan cheapened out on the HID's? C'mon, think about it for a minute. They offered the 2k2+ at the same price as 2k/1 - you get a bigger engine and HID's. Where exactly did they cheapen out with this offering?

d) I personally think it's wrong to blame a manufacturer if their car, or parts thereof, is the subject of crime. If this statement were to hold true, Honda and Toyota should both go to court for selling the top two most stolen vehicles in the USA.

 

Oh no, somebody just stole the roof off my house! Guess I better call a lawyer so I can sue the builder for not doing a better job of securing it.

 

get a gun to protect your stuff...

on the other hand, you're from NY/NJ, where guns are banned, because some stupid people filed suits against gun manufacturers for crimes gun manufacturers didn't commit.

 

Yes, it's Nissan's fault for coming up with a faulty design, but you cannot hold them responsible for your stolen headlights, legally. As a buyer, you should have researched this issue and decided to purchase this vehicle or not. You had an option... Here's some logic for you, if someone steals your car, let's an experienced thief steals your car in 2 minutes, who would you sue then?

 

How can Nissan be blamed for the theft of the HIDs?

Nissan put HIDs in the 5th generation Maxima to up the ante with other car companies, but didn't want to change the overall design shape of the headlamps because that would be even more expensive. So they took the least-expensive route to adding a new feature without having to change anything else on the car to make it fit. That makes financial sense to them while giving customers an upgraded standard feature. This happens all the time in the car industry.

The design is hardly faulty. Does the HID system brighten up the surrounding environment much better than the older style headlamps? Yes. Does it do so without problems and without causing problems with other systems in the car? Yes. The design, then, is fine. If the design goal was 'is the headlamp assembly impossible to steal?' then it would be a failed design, but that was not the design goal.

But they can't be held responsible for not asking themselves...'gee, I wonder how easy it is to steal this?' If they could be held responsible for things like that, why don't we just blame them every time a stock rim gets ripped off...'Nissan should provide locking lug nuts!' Your car gets broken into...'Nissan should provide us with unbreakable glass!' Your car gets a ding...'Nissan should provide us with plastic panels like Saturn!'

It's not Nissan's fault that you might live, work, or hang out in areas where HID theft occurs. How could Nissan (or Acura) have known this would have happened in advance to even prepare for this? When you purchased your '02/'03 Maxima, did you even ask yourself if it was easy to steal? Was it part of your purchase decision Or did you simply say...'cool! The car has HIDs standard!' If the latter was the case, can't you be blamed as well?

Where and when does it end?

 

I took business law in college a few years ago. One of the things I remember is that you can't sue someone for theoretical damages. In other words, the only people who could even be in such a lawsuit would be those that have actually had their HIDs stolen. Your chances of finding a lawyer to represent you in a class action type situation aren't very good, as is evident by the fact that all the attorneys you have seen wont touch the case on a contingency fee basis. You're better off to just buy another car that thieves aren't targeting if you live in that sort of area. I'm not a big fan of the whole victim mentality. Lawsuits are getting rediculous these days, and I can't wait for the current class action reform to go through Congress. If you don't want your HIDs stolen, then move. It's not Nissan's fault that you live in a high-crime area. If your headlights are stolen while you park your car in a bad area, that's ultimately your responsibility as you knew before you parked your car that the chances of that happening are pretty damn good due to the amount of unscrupulous individuals in your area, combined with the fact that it's not very difficult to remove the headlights. Please don't think that I don't sympathize, because I do. It sucks that people are doing that, but C'est la vie. Like I said, that's not Nissan's fault.

 

This is the first time I'm commenting, and probably the last. I think the problem with Nissan is in their coverage of the issue. Had nissan come out and provided some type of remedy or bandaid for this issue (discounts on replacements, free replacements, designed some type of security device available at cost, etc.) I doubt that there would have been this much discussion on the issue. Rather than blame them for a faulty design, how about pointing out that rather than fix the design, that they continued to produce it after being made aware of the situation. I'm sure it's been done, but comment to Nissan's customer service, JD Power for their lack of attentiveness, Consumer Reports, and everybody else that deals in any kind of customer satisfaction measurement. If enough folks complain to where it becomes a serious customer service issue, they'll take some type of action, at minimum to preserve their image/reputation.

 

That's ridiculous, should Nissan also provide "band-aid" to remedy the break-in's through broken glass, forced key entries and vehicle theft?

As we already know, even the top-of-the-line alarm system won't prevent theft of your vehicle or the contents of it. What kind of "band-aid" could Nissan possibly provide to prevent or minimize this wrongdoing?

By the way, replacement HID's *DO NOT* cost $1500. Dealerships are ultimately responsible for the price they sell parts at - blame the dealerships, not Nissan. Free replacements, though nice, would never work in the real world - not at this rate of theft.

There is a security device out already, provided by Nissan at a reasonable cost - but even that won't provide anymore security than a closed hood.

 

http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...de=A33KT-HDLCK

There are options available to protect yourself if you feel the need to do so. Personally, I dont. I don't live in an area where headlights are disappearing off of cars. You may. If you do, click the link above and look at the HID theft deterrent kit that has been available for months.

 

Although this is beating a dead horse, here is my two cents worth. Some people are comparing apples and oranges here. Of course we cant expect Nissan to prevent break-ins or theft of the entire car. Thats a problem that can affect any car. HID theft is a specific problem that targets a specific make, model and year.

What do I expect of Nissan? First how about something simple like sending out a letter to Maxima owners informing us of the problem. Work with law enforcement and study statistics-highlight problem areas, times etc. Knowledge can be a very powerful tool. I was lucky enough to find this board and know of the problem. As a result I am careful about my car. What about the average car buyer who bought their Maxima based on reviews, reputation, past experience etc... and never heard or was told of this issue only to find their lights stolen after taking their family to the store or out to dinner. Not everyone is an enthusiast. Not everyone reads the same newspapers or watches the same newschannels that have spotlighted this issue.

All right now, Nissan could not have forseen this as a problem when they designed the car, I agree, but now that it is such a problem they should make a better effort to remedy it. It is not a design flaw. It is a weakness that has been exploited. They came out with the deterent kit -a step in the right direction. However that hasn't helped. Now go back to the drawing board and try a new approach (Metal straps, Strong tethers, replace the plastic with metal, something) I'm sure they make enough money off replacements alone to fund a little R&D to deal with this.

Why should Nissan care or be held responsible?? Buying a car is a major purchase for most people. I gave them almost $28,000 of my hard earned money for what I believed to be a quality product. I can't spend another $20,000 on another car to avoid a potential $3000 repair bill. I can't afford to move. I can't build a garage. Thievs have narrowed down the Maxima as the easiest target for HID's. Its the only car I repeatedly hear about. And Doesn't anyone care that this problem is only fueling a black market for stolen parts and supporting the income of low-life thieves at the expense of law abiding citizens?

By the way, I don't worry about my roof getting stolen because it is firmly attached to my house unlike my headlights to my car.

 

I know this is off topic...
But i knows its not nissans fault about HIDS...
BUT it is nissans fault about how ****ty there paint is...
Lets get somthing going for that

 

Again, can you really fault the car company for the paint?

Years ago, the U.S. (and maybe other countries as well) banned the use of oil-based paints on cars. These kinds of paints were much more durable than the water-based ones used today. It was something asked for by consumers because of 'health concerns.' So who can you blame now? Nissan isn't the only car company with paint issues either.

 

Well as someone in the ny/nj area I can assure that HID are being stolen in good as well as bad areas so it not as simple as moving.Also nissan should offer a better theft deterrent kit.

 

I see your point but i stand with the points i presented earlier.

Break-ins, or in the case of Camry's and Accords, theft is the number one concern for this particular specific make, model and year. But should we blame Honda and Toyota for making vehicles that can easily be stolen? No. Are they popular vehicles? Yes. Does parts from these vehicles do well in the black market? Yes.

Same goes with the Maxima's HID's. This type of light is so popular now that thieves are targetting our beloved vehicles. Apples to apples, specific problems to specific cars. Theft of vehicles to chop-chop the parts and sell it to the black market for Honda's/Toyota's and HID's to sell in the BM for us Maxima guys.

HID's are being stolen not only from Maxima guys either. When Acura first came out with HID's on the CL/TL, they too had problems - search their boards from several months ago and you'll see.

In the end it's not a vehicle manufacturer's fault no matter how we look at it. HID's are hot right now and some people will steal it. When the trend passes, thieves will move on to greener pastures.

 

These arguments are so weak. This is what America is coming to. No one is willing to take responsibility for anything. Everything is someone elses fault. Pathetic. Using all their same logic I think I'm gonna pin $100 bills to my clothes and go walking through some of these neighborhoods in NY/NJ. When I get mugged I'm gonna go sue the treasury dept for making money so attractive. Unreal...

 

What have I started? Well, Let me clear up a couple of misconceptions -- at least in my case, my headlights were stolen in a very nice area, not a slum. My car was parked near Lexuses (Lexi?), BMWs, Audis, etc., and unlike my Max, all of those had their headlights firmly attached.

There is an epidemic in NJ/NY of HID theft of 2002/2003 Nissan Maximas (not any other car to nearly the same extent) -- the county police repeatedly mentioned that Maximas were at very high risk, and Nissan customer service, when I called to report the issue and ask what solutions they may have, stated something to the effect of, "Oh, were your headlights only stolen once?" Do I take responsibility for my headlights being stolen? HELL NO. I didn't get into an accident or do anything else aside from park my car. Would I seek millions from Nissan? Of course not. However, my insurer was quick to point out that they are aware of this problem and will directly pass the costs of insurable repairs back to me, in the form of higher premiums.

Query why the 2004 Max has an option of deleting the HID headlights . . .

 

Then sell the car or invent your own solution. To hold Nissan responsible for the inventiveness of thieves in the highest crime-ridden area of the country is asinine. Why do you think insurance rates are so high there to begin with?? Because if you have something nice out on the street, it's probably gonna get f*ed up or stolen!

 

mbsaph, while I understand and can totally relate to your grief (I had my HIDs stolen in whitestone, run a search on the org, there are about seven to ten threads on the subject and see what's been done), where you park and how frequently you park there has a lot to do with it.

FYI, when airbags were getting stolen did anybody successfully sue manufacturers?....did they send out letters notifying customers? I really don't think so, they incorporated anti-theft devices....Which is why on the 2k4 max they are worthless once ripped, save for the bulb...AND for those of us that have been bitten twice or thrice, and still want a nissan, they are an option on the 2k4...I think nissan learned...

 

Very well said.Just look at Acura's CL/TL HID's,Integra's motor,Airbag got stolen all the time,if there're people wanting them.Then there's a black market for it.So get some aftermarket alarm or HID theft deterrent kit or sell the car.

 

can't comment on the headlights cause i dont live in crime central but


YES, Yes, yes. After all paint falls under the quality seal.

 

There already is a class action law suit against Nissan for this. If u read this it states our case. Nissan 5th gen paint class action law suit

 

The primary reason these lights are getting stolen is for use in non-xenon equiped cars. If you go onto a Honda forum you can find explicit instructions on how to buy an inexpensive kit to which one can add a bulb and balast, thus giving almost any car REAL HID lights. Complete kits (with bulbs and balasts) may be purchased, but these run upwards of $500 - $600.

Until the price of these complete aftermarket kits drops to say $200 - $250, the Maxima will continue to be a marked car. Only when the profit margin drops below the level where a thief will not risk getting caught is when this FAD will stop.

In the meantime when you see a Honda, VW, Toyota or what have you with REAL HIDs, do as I do and FLIP HIM THE BIRD for creating a market for our headlights!!!

 

don't mean to hijack the thread, but the paint litigation it bogus.

the lawyer's reply "We anticipate that the cases will be brought over the course of the next 30 days" was on 21-August 02. Has anyone contacted the lawyer for an update in the last 11 months?

 

my 2 cents, metal housings would fix the problem.

 

I think that it is Nissan's fault. Don't you guys think that changing plastic brackets into steal ones would make the headlights more difficult to steal?
How about installing additional shock alarm?
Just two simple things that Nissan could make for those who decided to buy their cars....

 

yes, STEEL brackets would make it harder to STEAL but it's not nissan's fault someone ripped your stuff. Did you read any of the thread before posting???

ps, there's a hint in the post for ya'

 

guys... its not nissans fault that HIDs are being slolen. If you look at other cars, their healights can be taken as easily as nissans. The only difference is that there is a huge market for Nissan HIDs because they are an exact replacement for the 2000-2001 Maxima headlights. The lights are in demand that is why there are a lot of HID thefts going on. It doesnt matter if Nissan designs a theft deterrent kit, it a robber wants to steal the lights, he will take them.
Look at other manufacturers car's headlight. They can be removed as quickly as Nissans headlights. Its just that the Maximas HIDs are so populat thats why they are the primary target by thieves.
So I suggest stop blaming Nissan for their design. Its the demand for the lights thats making thieves hit Maxima cars.

 

Actually the design is a major problem. Our headlights, along with the Acura TL/CL, are the only xenons who have the ballast and ignitor attached to the housing. The thieves could care less about the housing, the first thing they do is trip the parts off, and dispose of the housing (hasn't anyone here seen the parts off Maxima headlights on ebay). That is why they will not hesitate to rip them out ruining the tabs.

TimW had the best suggestion.... Nissan should offer a recall in which they separate the ballast from the housing and permanently attach it to the bumper/engine compartment. This way, when the thieves come to rip of your lights they will end up with a few pounds of useless plastic. The really stupid ones will continue ripping off the lights for a while, but all will eventually learn that the Maxima is no longer a target. Rather than spend precious resources trying to sue Nissan, someone should suggest this quick inexpensive fix!!

 

Let's start a class action lawsuit against everyone who drives a vehicle with an internal cumbustion engine because they create pollution and smog which makes it hard for us to breath.