Local

‘They need to fix their issue’: Some car owners still waiting for free repair

CHARLOTTE — Action 9 is staying on top of a safety issue involving the headlights on a popular car.

In February, Jason Stoogenke first reported about some Nissan Altimas having dim headlights. The company said it would fix the headlights for free, but some drivers tell Stoogenke that they are still waiting.

Stefney Simpson said the headlights on her 2015 Altima are a problem.

“They have been going dim. It’s hard for me to see at night,” Simpson said. “I’m frustrated. I need my headlights. I cannot see at night. I have to drive ... with my brights on.”

As Channel 9 previously reported, a driver filed a class-action lawsuit against Nissan over this issue and the company settled. Nissan did not admit any wrongdoing but told Stoogenke it settled the case to “ensure customer satisfaction and continued confidence in their Nissan vehicle.”

Car owners with Altimas that are eligible for the repair can take their vehicle to a dealer and it is supposed to fix the headlights for free.

Simpson said she’s been trying to get her headlights fixed since March, but that the Nissan dealership kept saying it was waiting on parts.

In the meantime, her car was due for an inspection. She said her car failed inspection because of the headlights. With no inspection, her tag expired so she can’t legally drive the car.

“It’s not an issue that I did, it’s not something I did. It’s Nissan at fault, so they need to fix their issue,” she told Stoogenke.

The company emailed Stoogenke: “Nissan is working diligently to ensure each customer claim is handled promptly to ensure customer satisfaction and continued confidence in their Nissan vehicle. However, disruptions with global parts supplies have caused unavoidable delays in replacing some of our customers’ headlamps.”

Nissan did not say when it expects the situation to improve.

The company also said it is working to get Simpson’s car taken care of but it was not clear how.

Here’s what you need to know about the lawsuit:

— This settlement involves 2013-2018 Nissan Altimas.

— The company extended the warranty three years, for a total of six.

— Nissan will fix your headlights for free. Just take your car to a Nissan dealer.

— If you’ve already had your headlights fixed and paid out-of-pocket, you could have gotten reimbursed but you had to file a claim by April 25.

— Nissan changed the design in 2018, so newer models should not have this problem.

— For more information, go to altimaheadlightsettlement.com or call 855-786-0996.

(Watch below: Are your Nissan Altima headlights dim? Here’s how to get a free repair)