Wow! You really can't drive without a horn but, trust me, I thought about it. A lot!
I've had my 2009 Nissan Pathfinder since 7/2015 ... and I'd never had to honk the horn in the course of driving. So, you can imagine that I thought long and hard about actually fixing the problem when I was first quoted $300 for the repair. Seems you have to take the steering wheel air bag out and other inconvenient things when I had been hoping it might just be a blown fuse or something quick and easy.
While I was mulling over the importance of having a working horn, I had THREE incidents on highways where I needed a horn to potentially avoid an accident. It felt like some sort of divine intervention reminding me that a horn is NOT an optional feature.
When I took the car in to actually get the repair (after calling a bunch of other groups for estimates that were all outrageously high), we noticed the horn WOULD work if the steering wheel was turned 180 degrees. Turns out , when they actually got in there, the problem was not a faulty horn but an internal short of the clock spring. A new clock spring was $291.12 and the labor was $182.79 bringing the grand total (including tax) to $498.70. Unexpected, expensive stuff like this is a killer! Especially when I am paying all along the way to do routine maintenance. (I had just paid $550 because it was recommended to preventatively replace spark plugs before they wear out.)
I like this vehicle and overall I have been pleased with its performance but stupid repairs like this, and a problem with the window motor and a problem with a door have all been costly and unexpected expenses.
Wow! You really can't drive without a horn but, trust me, I thought about it. A lot!
I've had my 2009 Nissan Pathfinder since 7/2015 ... and I'd never had to honk the horn in the course of driving. So, you can imagine that I thought long and hard about actually fixing the problem when I was first quoted $300 for the repair. Seems you have to take the steering wheel air bag out and other inconvenient things when I had been hoping it might just be a blown fuse or something quick and easy.
While I was mulling over the importance of having a working horn, I had THREE incidents on highways where I needed a horn to potentially avoid an accident. It felt like some sort of divine intervention reminding me that a horn is NOT an optional feature.
When I took the car in to actually get the repair (after calling a bunch of other groups for estimates that were all outrageously high), we noticed the horn WOULD work if the steering wheel was turned 180 degrees. Turns out , when they actually got in there, the problem was not a faulty horn but an internal short of the clock spring. A new clock spring was $291.12 and the labor was $182.79 bringing the grand total (including tax) to $498.70. Unexpected, expensive stuff like this is a killer! Especially when I am paying all along the way to do routine maintenance. (I had just paid $550 because it was recommended to preventatively replace spark plugs before they wear out.)
I like this vehicle and overall I have been pleased with its performance but stupid repairs like this, and a problem with the window motor and a problem with a door have all been costly and unexpected expenses.
- colorado22, Longmont, CO, US