Last year, we reported on the controversial “do not resew” tags that Nissan is attaching to seat covers in every one of its new cars. The automaker had implemented the restriction without giving an explanation as to why it had been put in place or what other repair options were available to independent auto trimmers.
After months of reaching out to Nissan, we received a partial answer. Paige Presley, a communications associate for the company, told us that due to safety concerns about vehicle airbags, only Nissan could make upholstery repairs.
Yesterday, Veronica Collins of Paymer and Phillips, an auto trim and restyling shop in Laurel, MD, forwarded us an internal memo sent from Nissan’s corporate office to its dealerships that shed more light on the issue.
With her permission, it’s posted in full below (bold/underlined text was in original email):
From: Redacted
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 6:26 PM
To: Redacted
Subject: INFORMATION – NTB00-042c – Recommendation Against Making Changes to Front Seat Assembly Trim Materials
Importance: High
The attached bulletin was released several years ago but it has been updated. NNA does not recommend making ANY changes (e.g. installing leather) to the front seat trim materials; changes could interfere with the proper operation of air bags and occupant sensors and jeopardizes warranty coverage.
———————————————
Nissan Parts & Service Division
Electronic Field Communication
INFORMATION
Date: July 24, 2013
To: Redacted
Subject: INFORMATION – NTB00-042c – Recommendation Against Making Changes to Front Seat Assembly Trim Materials
Changes or modifications to the front seat assembly trim materials may affect the proper operation of the Front Seat-Mounted Side-Impact Supplemental Air Bags and Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor and could result in serious personal injury or death.
Nissan STRONGLY RECOMMENDS AGAINST making any change to seat trim materials from the factory equipped condition. This specifically applies to replacing the seat trim with non-factory materials; adding leather/cloth seat covers, seat pads, or seat storage pouches, etc. around or over the seat back and the passenger seat cushion.
Detailed Information:
Attached for your convenience are the following items:
1. NTB00-042c
RECOMMENDATION AGAINST MAKING CHANGES TO FRONT SEAT ASSEMBLY TRIM MATERIALS
APPLIED VEHICLES: ALL NISSAN VEHICLES
SERVICE INFORMATION
Changes or modifications to the front seat assembly trim materials may affect the proper operation of the Front Seat-Mounted Side-Impact Supplemental Air Bags and Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor and could result in serious personal injury or death.
Nissan STRONGLY RECOMMENDS AGAINST making any change to seat trim materials from the factory equipped condition. This specifically applies to replacing the seat trim with non-factory materials; adding leather/cloth seat covers, seat pads, or seat storage pouches, etc. around or over the seat back and the passenger seat cushion.
- Damage or failure due to changes or modifications to the front seat assembly are not covered under the warranty.
- Damage or failure due to changes or modifications to the front seat assembly are not subject to indemnification under the Nissan Dealer Sales and Service Agreement.
- Dealers may be obligated under their Nissan Dealer Sales and Service Agreement to indemnify Nissan for any damages, injuries, or deaths caused by modification of the front seat assemblies.
- NMAC will not provide retail advance for any changes to the front seat trim materials from factory equipped condition.
- Vehicles with any changes to the front seat trim materials from factory equipped condition may not be eligible for the Signature PURCHASE Plan.
SEE Section 1 of the applicable Owner’s Manual for important Warnings about modifying or tampering with the front passenger seat.
This bulletin has been amended. The Applied Vehicles and Service Information have been updated. Discard all previous copies. 2013
* * *
To summarize: the memo states that only Nissan can repair or alter the upholstery on the front seats of any Nissan vehicle for fear of independent dealerships or auto upholstery shops affecting the operation of side-impact airbags and occupant-classification sensors.
Furthermore, Nissan’s warranty will not cover any repairs or customizations made by an independent dealership or auto upholstery shop. If those changes result in injury due to improper airbag deployment, Nissan is not liable to pay compensation. If Nissan is sued, it may pass on the financial costs t0 those who made the repairs.
Basically, independent dealerships and auto upholstery shops should refrain from altering the upholstery on any Nissan front seat. Making a repair or customization puts you at risk of being sued for any deaths or injuries caused by improper airbag deployment.
Nissan is not providing independent dealerships or auto upholstery shops with any alternative but to turn away such jobs. Using airbag thread, non-enforced seams or seat covers that claim to meet OEM standards will not shield you from liability.
To download the original Nissan memo as a PDF document, click here.
Maybe that’s why Nissan seat covers cost $1900!! Just a thought. One that I have had for many years now. Kind of a supply and demand thing. They supply it and demand that you buy it from them. LAME!
Many of the warnings on products come about because someone got sued over that situation. Like ‘don’t put your hand in a running lawnmower’. Perhaps this is a result of someone suing Nissan over airbags – one way or another (not deploying or deploying in error), and a shoddy trim job was really the problem. That would explain the forcefulness, and the paranoia over even properly restored seams.
Doesn’t the Magnusson-Moss Act cover this? Nissan is saying you can’t even put on a set of non-Nissan seat covers, seat pad, or pocket organizer thing without voiding your warranty, if I’m reading this correctly.
Once the seam has burst it has burst .. ( stating the obvious) to then resew it no one can guarantee its integrity that’d why manufacturers are so twitchy. Because if you get hurt after a seam has been repaired you could be responsible for the bag failing to deploy properly.. and the manufacturer would be totally correct in stating nothing to do with me……..
Attorney’s will be looking for the biggest fish to fry.
Avoiding the fry pan is sensible.
I had a long time customer, bought a SC400 second gen with the folding hard top.
She came by before she bought it, I advised on the eventual repair. This vehicle had the uncommon dark saddle leather. A few years later, I advised I could install the OEM part for her.
“I’ll sign a waiver”, sure, then she sells it, no mention of the waiver and the world can fall back on you.
She got it repaired through the new car dealer service department, Surprised me that they would take on that liability, it was done in vinyl… She thought leather… a bit of a hack job too unfortunately.
“can you fix it?” Yes, I can install an OEM cover. They were about $975. at the time, my cost.
She drove off. So it goes.
I just work on OLD cars
I’m sure that after a model is a few years old Nissan doesn’t even sell the seat covers. All trimmers should just not work on them period, then when customers have no options and Nissan won’t even be able to fix it they will not want to ever buy Nissans ever again.
Nissan was not the first, Honda and Acura have used similar tags for quite some time.
Honda at one time provided leather patch panel segments, in three sizes to effect a warranty repair or over the counter sale. No more.
Seat bolster side airbags, and on some more recent models, under knee airbags to help prevent sliding forward under the lap belt are changing much. Often those do not directly effect the cover, but there is capacity sewn into the attachment zone that cannot be ignored.
The Nissan advisory is very conservative of course.
Staying clear of the primary SRS deployment seam and underlying strapping is wise.
There is no one “airbag” thread. Full stop.
I consider it this way, I do not want to have to be called to testify as to why I thought I could outsmart the OEM engineers. Nor do I want to explain to the deceased’s heirs and executors how I should have known better but did not. I miss out on a fair number of backrest bolster repair jobs. I sleep well, and do not have to worry about that liability. There have been a few aftermarket upholstery suppliers visit to sell their wares, when I ask about the testing standards, they know I am not their customer. Plenty of new car dealers skating on thin ice too, for the lure of easy money.