D40 Car accident - Parts

[thebundychick]

So last week I had a car accident. My fault. No making excuses. Off with the fairies, ran up the back of the car infront so hard that she in turn hit the car infront of her.

I have a 2012 Navara D40 Turbo Diesel

I slammed on the brakes at the last minute, but still managed to hit her with enough force that the airbags deployed. No injuries to anyone (save for a nice seatbelt bruise and maybe a small amount of whiplash)

Anyway - I chose a rotten month to have a car accident, what with most of NSW currently lodging claims for flood damage!!

So after 8 days my car has been assessed and the current parts order stands at $7000, including two airbags at $1000 a pop and a seatbelt at $500. Yesterday i was told that the repairs on my car would take three weeks starting from this coming Monday.

Today I got a call from the smash repairer saying that they've been informed that the airbags & seatbelt are currently "nilstock" in ALL of australia, and have to be ordered in from Japan.

Airbags can't be flown because they're classified as dangerous goods, this means they have to be shipped in. I'm being told 2-3 weeks for shipping, plus another 2-3 weeks for repairs after that, plus the 8 days its been sitting in a shed.

Really?

No airbags in Australia? Am I just unlucky, or is this the norm?

 

[thebundychick]

 

[Dave-D40]

I'm still waiting for my Nav to be repaired from the big hail storm in Brissy from November 27.

At least mine is driveable.

 

[grasshopper]

Shyte!
No airbags in AU... FFS! That is poor form Nissan.

 

[Old.Tony]

Usually air bag deployment means the car's totalled - there's little wonder why they don't carry a lot of stock. They are supposed to deploy when collision speed > 35km/h - or a force exerted on the vehicle equal to that - the car isn't watching your speedo, it uses an accelerometer to determine the level of force and then makes the decision. This allows the airbag to deploy if you're stationary and are hit by a car doing 60km/h (your life still needs saving even if you're not moving).

But I do agree - it's poor form that there is NO stock.

 

[grasshopper]

Relevant - not thread jacking...

Has anyone heard of the Nissan models recalled for airbag replacements?

 

[grasshopper]

Here you all go
http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/952883

 

[thebundychick]

Yeah i got a lot of information from Nissan regarding what causes the airbags to deploy, I had my accident on the way to work, and whilst its not regarding as a workplace incident, work want me to present a small talk on the airbag deployment of my car. So I rang Nissan to talk me through it. Basically there are sensors all along the front and sides of the car which calculate the force of an impact and relay the information to the control under the centre consol - And boom - you open your eyes to a car full of talc powder & chalk.

It's just --- faaaaaaaaaaaaark. 47k car brand new in 2012, brand name, standard model, and nil stock?? I could understand Nil stock in Newcastle, I could even understand nil stock in NSW. Nil stock in Australia? Seat belts as well as airbags? Give me a break!

Regarding being a write off, from the reading I've done and the information provided by the insurance company, I'm being told technically there is no mechanical reason for my car to be a write off if the airbags deploy. My car was drivable after the accident, I managed to get it off the road (after these photos) and we were then able to reverse it back onto the road when the tow truck arrived, the airbags just get in the way, and its a danger to drive, but the car still drives.

I think the reason most vehicles are a write off is because - regardless of what brand of car - airbags are close to $1000 a bag. If a car is insured for market value, and both front bags go off, there is an instant $2k in repairs, and they haven't even started counting panels yet. It's not financially viable to repair the car so they write it off.

They're telling me that there is no structural damage "so far", but they'll know more once they get the front end off the car. Not sure whether this information is accurate... why would you order 7k worth of parts just to rip the front off the car and discover I've bent something I shouldn't have and its a write off.

So I wait... and wait... and try to enjoy the down-grade to mums Proton.

Oh God it's going to be a long six weeks.

 

[Rumpig]

There's 6.5 MILLION vehicles world wide being recalled for faulty airbags, they're saying they can't meet demand and people on the recall list won't get done till 2016. Probably most Navs from 2003 till 2008 by the sounds of it.

 

[thebundychick]

Well i can vouch for the effectiveness of the D40 airbags

 

[Carchania]

atleast u or the others involved werent hurt. on the nissan having no stock subject, its a two month wait for a replacement dipstick stick because there r none available in the country either...

 

[benchrisfennell]

I last yr when i changed my suspension and cause in anal i order new shocker and strut nuts and bolts cause i had them out twice already and i had to wait 3 weeks from Thailand.... Nissan are just hopless full stop.

 

[thebundychick]

One month and 5 days after my accident.

Just under a month since the airbags were ordered.

Still no airbags.

 

[Rumpig]

The recall has been expanded to something like 35 000 000 vehicles worldwide, don't hold your breath !

Hit em up for a loaner while you wait.

 

[thebundychick]

Will my car be caught up in the recall tho? My make / model isn't on the recall list -

 

[Old.Tony]

Recalls are still only for the D22 Navara.

 

[Rumpig]

The problem is that they have to supply current production of new cars, repairs like yourself, and then the huge recall as well. Production can only supply so many per month/year but who gets priority?

 

[thebundychick]

Have received word from the repairer that my car has been repaired and just needs to be painted. Can't paint until the airbags arrive because they can't put the panels back together until the airbags are installed.

Nissan still giving the repairer no idea as to when the bags will be in.
Bags ordered 15/5.

What avenue do I follow if I want to
a/ demand a realistic ETA on my airbags.
b/ get a loaner.

I understand I may well be a victim of the airbag recall - but at the end of the day, I need to be told, 6 weeks, 6 months, *something* so I can make arrangements. 1 month & 10 days without a car. Paying fully maintained novate lease for "the beast" as well as fuel costs for the car I'm currently driving. I'm so financially devastated it's beyond a joke.

 

[TigerST]

Thank yourself lucky. The people my brother works for have the brand new outlanders after 3 months the a/c compressors went on them. 6 months wait time to get the parts in

 

[benchrisfennell]

You can still drive a car without a/c.