Anyone get their Xenon headlights ripped off in NJ? If so, you may be able to claim some cash...
Owners of Nissan Maximas whose headlights were stolen between December
2002 and November 2003 will share in part of a $325,000 payment the company is making to New Jersey to settle a lawsuit the state brought over the thefts.In March 2004, the state sued Nissan North America, alleging the automaker failed to warn customers that the super-bright xenon headlights on its Maximas were hot targets for thieves.
More than 750 car owners were victimized by thieves trying to steal the moon-blue lights from 2002 or 2003 Maximas.
That lawsuit was dismissed, but the state appealed.
The settlement announced yesterday will end the state's appeal and provide for a $325,000 payment to the state Division of Consumer Affairs. Part of the money will be used to reimburse the state's investigative costs, with the rest going to consumers who had their lights stolen, said Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office.
He could not estimate how much individual vehicle owners might receive. The headlights typically cost about $1,800 to replace -- not counting repair costs for other damage done by thieves, which can bring the total to $4,000 or more.
The thefts have spread like a rash throughout suburban neighborhoods, with thieves targeting car dealerships and parking lots. In November, about a dozen concertgoers at Continental Airlines Arena walked out after a Bruce Springsteen concert to discover their headlights were plucked out.
And on Monday, police in Morris Township said 12 sets of xenon headlights were stolen from cars parked in business parking lots on Madison Avenue. The headlights were worth about $2,000 per set and taken from Acura, Infiniti and Lexus models.
Maplewood Police Capt. Walter Mueller said headlights were stolen routinely last summer until the police department assigned two officers to crack down on the thefts. The department made several arrests by the end of the summer.
"We had a rash of those, but they abated," Mueller said.
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Mueller said police speculated the suspects were trying to sell the headlights to chop shops.
The state said the company began a theft deterrent program in November
2003 that included free installation of a theft-deterrent bracket for the lights.But in its 2004 lawsuit, the state claimed Nissan knew that its lights were being targeted by thieves for a year before telling customers about it.
Frederique Le Greves, a spokeswoman for Nissan, said yesterday the settlement was good for all parties.
"Really what is most important for us is the customer feedback," she said. "We want them to be happy with their Maxima and continue to drive it."
Le Greves said to her knowledge, no other state has taken legal action like New Jersey has.
The state's lawsuit alleges that on Sept. 26, 2002, the company issued a bulletin to its service technicians stating that a replacement connector kit was available for the headlights damaged by theft.
Two months later, the lawsuit alleged, Nissan sent another bulletin to service reps informing them that a $175 theft-deterrent kit was available "if a customer requests" and "for customer pay only."