While driving on the highway my vehicle ran over a spare trailer tire that had fallen off another vehicle. My vehicle almost cleared it but the tire just barely lodged underneath in the undercarriage, just past the front tires. Even though there was no front collision or sudden reduction in speed; the airbags deployed rendering the vehicle undriveable. This is a flaw and safety issue. While the vehicle did sustain some damage to the undercarriage, there was no need for airbag deployment and doing so exacerbated an already hazardous situation. The airbag startled me, obstructed my view, and could easily have caused me to collide with another vehicle at highway speeds. I believe this is a design flaw and serious safety hazard. I reported it to Nissan usa. I was contacted by Nissan incident investigations and they have disavowed any responsibility for the incident and claim that the systems are working as intended. I am a firefighter and have dealt with many car wrecks. I know when an airbag is supposed to deploy and it is clear to me that the system in the vehicle is not operating as it should and is presenting a safety hazard. Further, both the tow truck driver and the attendant at the repair shop expressed confusion as to why the airbag deployed. The airbag replacement alone will cost nearly $3,000 and, since the parts are on backorder, will take nearly a month.

- Boulder, CO, USA