ON 12/28/10 I WAS RETURNING FROM A SKIING TRIP AND STOPPED WITH MY KIDS FOR SOME FAST FOOD. UPON RETURNING TO MY 2006 NISSAN MURANO, I OPENED THE DOOR AND AS SOON AS I SAT ON THE DRIVERS SEAT, I HEARD A "BANG" AND THE LEFT REAR SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT SANK. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE LEFT REAR MOUNTING BRACKET ON THE SEAT HAD SNAPPED. MY VEHICLE IS 5 YRS. OLD AND I JUST HIT 165,000 MILES. OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE OWNED 8 OTHER CARS PRIOR TO THIS MURANO AND HAVE PUT MILEAGE ON THEM RANGING FROM 157,000 (CHEVY MALIBU) TO 98,000 (DODGE SPIRIT) AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH A PROBLEM. A SEAT BRACKET IS A NON-MOVING PART AND IS CRITICAL TO DRIVER/PASSENGER SAFETY IN THAT IT KEEPS THE OCCUPANT STABLE SO THAT THE SEAT BELTS CAN PROPERLY RESTRAIN IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. NOW WHEN I SIT IN THE SEAT I TIP TO THE LEFT (TOWARDS THE DOOR) AND THE SEAT MOVES UP/DOWN WHEN I MAKE TURNS. THIS IS NOT A SAFE CONDITION. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN INTERNET FORUMS AND IT JUST SEEMS RIDICULOUS TO ME THAT A METAL, NON-MOVING PART SITUATED INSIDE THE VEHICLE (AND NOT SUBJECT TO RUST OR WHETHER) THAT IS SO CRITICAL TO SAFETY SHOULD JUST SPONTANEOUSLY FAIL. IF I WERE A LARGER PERSON, I COULD POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND, HOWEVER, AT 200LBS. I AM NOT MUCH OUT OF THE RANGE OF THE AVERAGE AMERICAN MALE AND SUCH A PART SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO HANDLE SUCH STRESSES. GOD KNOWS HOW THIS BRACKET WOULD HAVE HANDLED A CRASH! THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED VIA A RECALL AS IT APPEARS THAT NISSAN DEALERS ARE CHARGING FROM $500 TO $1,200 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A SAFETY RELATED COMPONENT!! *TR
