Is Porsche next?

This MIGHT have a chance holding up

NJ sues Nissan over stolen headlights
By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press Writer

March 8, 2004, 12:29 PM EST


NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey authorities sued Nissan North America Inc. on Monday, alleging the automaker failed to warn customers that the super-bright headlights on its Maximas were hot targets for thieves.

The suit, filed in Superior Court in Somerset County, also alleges Nissan profited by having customers purchase anti-theft kits that should have been provided for free. The company's dealerships also profited by performing repair work on cars victimized by thieves, state Attorney General Peter Harvey said.

"We allege the company sold cars with these fancy lights, but kept consumers in the dark about how attractive the headlamps were to thieves," said Reni Erdos, director of the state Division of Consumer Affairs, which filed the suit. "Nissan's actions, or lack thereof, rendered consumers vulnerable to the criminals who targeted their vehicles."

Authorities surveyed police departments in 19 New Jersey municipalities over the past two years and documented 756 thefts or attempted thefts of the moon-blue lights from 2002 or 2003 Maximas. Newark led the state with 277, followed by Bloomfield with 135, Jersey City with 108 and Hillside and Butler with 50 each.

"Nissan knew since at least September 2002 that thieves ere targeting the xenon headlamps in Maximas," Harvey said. "However, it wasn't until more than a year later that Nissan finally began notifying 2002 and 2003 Maxima owners of the risk of theft and the availability of anti-theft devices.

"Meanwhile, numerous victims were hit with huge repair bills. We're seeking restitution for those consumers."

The lights cost about $1,800 to replace _ not counting repair costs for other damage done by thieves, which can bring the total to $4,000 or more.

In a statement, Nissan said it does more than any other manufacturer to help reduce xenon headlight theft, which also plagues other vehicle makes and models.

"While nothing can completely eliminate the thefts of parts from vehicles, we believe the proactive steps taken by Nissan will help deter criminals from stealing headlights from our customers' Maximas," the company's statement read.

Nissan said it began an anti-theft initiative last fall, sending letters to consumers informing them they can bring their Maximas to a dealer where a bracket would be installed, free of charge, to make the headlights more difficult to steal.

But the lawsuit alleges that on Sept. 26, 2002, the company issued a bulletin to its service technicians stating that a replacement connector kit was available for the headlights damaged by theft.

Two months later, the complaint alleges, Nissan sent out another bulletin to service reps informing them that a $175 theft deterrent kit was available "if a customer requests" and "for customer pay only."

It was not until November 2003 that Nissan sent letters to consumers offering "securing devices" for the lights. But Harvey said these kits were different from the anti-theft kit.

"The customer would only have found out about the anti-theft kit if he had asked about it, which obviously he couldn't have," Harvey said.

Nissan spokesman John Schilling said he could not comment beyond the prepared statement, which did not address allegations that the company knew about problems with the lights being stolen long before it warned customers and that the free securing kit it offered provided less protection than the anti-theft kit customers had to purchase.

The lawsuit does not name other automakers whose lights are also frequently stolen by thieves, including Acura.

Sandra Feeley of Morris Township witnessed the theft of headlights from her Maxima on a Manhattan street corner last May.

Feeley, who spoke at Monday's news conference, took the vehicle to a dealership to have the lights replaced and $4,000 worth of damage repaired.

"Everyone there said, `Oh, this is an issue here," she said. "I was like, `Why wasn't I told about this?"'

She said she would not have bought a Nissan Maxima had she known its headlights were so popular with thieves.


Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press | Article licensing and reprint options

 

"The lights cost about $1,800 to replace _ not counting repair costs for other damage done by thieves, which can bring the total to $4,000 or more."

4k damage on a MAXIMA? I don't even think the engine is worth that much ... or even $1,800.

 

people these days ...

 

haha, motor from the dealer will probably set you back 5-6K. The new max is a 30+K car

 

Give me a break. They blame the car company because parts are being stolen from them? Is a car manufacturer required to tell a buyer if there car is high on the theft list.

My black car gets dirty all the time. Maybe I should sue because my dealer never told me it would get so dirty so fast. Unbelieveable!

Instead of suing the car company maybe they should put a bullet in the heads of these car thieves instead.