After driving out of a mall lot today I realized I couldn't see out the side view mirror and I couldn't adjust it using the the touchpad either. So I stop and get out of the car and realized that the whole holder looked bent at an angle different from the passenger side mirror. So I gently press and voila - it popped back to the correct angle and then I could adjust it using the touchpad. By the way there were no marks on it indicating someone hit it in the parking lot.Then I applied very gentle pressure to the passenger side mirror to see if it would move but it didn't - it was rock solid.So my question is - is this a defective driver's side mirror or is it supposed to do this - move I mean?

The reason there are no marks is that likely it was a person that ran into it. People are much softer than cars.

But the car was doing its job: it took a hit from front to back on the mirror, so the mirror started to fold back into its retracted position to prevent taking damage. It could have folded all the way in if whatever hit it had enough force.

and I bet you if you try to move the driver's mirror back, it won't budge easily, just like the passenger mirror... because it's in the "locked" position.

Also, some people fold up their side mirrors when parking in tight spaces to prevent damage. I do this to my driver's mirror regularly, because there's always a parking spot at this one client's right next to a concrete pillar... and the mirror on this car will fold all the way flush with the outermost curvature of the door.

Ever Victorious wrote:The reason there are no marks is that likely it was a person that ran into it. People are much softer than cars.

But the car was doing its job: it took a hit from front to back on the mirror, so the mirror started to fold back into its retracted position to prevent taking damage. It could have folded all the way in if whatever hit it had enough force.

and I bet you if you try to move the driver's mirror back, it won't budge easily, just like the passenger mirror... because it's in the "locked" position.

Also, some people fold up their side mirrors when parking in tight spaces to prevent damage. I do this to my driver's mirror regularly, because there's always a parking spot at this one client's right next to a concrete pillar... and the mirror on this car will fold all the way flush with the outermost curvature of the door.

Yup yup, I do it when I park on the side of roads.

catnap wrote:So my question is - is this a defective driver's side mirror or is it supposed to do this - move I mean?

I'll also verify what others have said...this is normal. When I take the garbage cans out of the garage, I have to roll them between our cars. If we're parked too tight, sometimes I hit the Versa's mirror and it folds back like you described.

I think this is mandated safety feature; the last two cars I had did this.

Ron

Not mandated, actually... a lot of pickups and some cheaper (American) cars still have fixed mirrors.

The Versa has knock away mirrors. Its so that they fold away instead of break off when impacted. I found out when I went through a carwash and my mirrors got knocked forwards (I was freaking out for a second), then found they went right back into position and I was happy.

Althalus wrote:Yup yup, I do it when I park on the side of roads.

I agree, I also fold up my mirror when parking on sides of the road or when I need to park next to a pilar. When I bring my truck into the car wash, they fold up the mirrors before running it through the washer. When it's snapped into place, it shouldn't be wiggly. I've also ran into other people's cars and mine included that have the fold up mirrors. If I knock some one else's mirror out of place, I will stop to pop it back in just to be polite.

Actually the hit must have been from back to front because the mirror was pushed outward and when I applied pressure I pushed it back inward where it clicked into place. Is this mirror OK?

That's a good question. I've had that happen to me only once before. I popped the mirror back and jiggled it a little bit and it was stable. Try and see if it's loose or if it feels pretty stable.

catnap wrote:Actually the hit must have been from back to front because the mirror was pushed outward and when I applied pressure I pushed it back inward where it clicked into place. Is this mirror OK?

The key here is "clicked into place", and the answer is yes.

Try to jiggle it, but I bet you that it won't move without significant pressure, and the mirror moved EXACTLY the way it was designed to. And yes, it is ok, they are designed to do this to keep from breaking under the conditions that your mirror saw.

OK- I tried to jiggle it gently and it didn't budge so I guess it's OK.Thanks all for feedback on this.

So I pull out of Target parking lot and get on the freeway. The driver's side mirror is pushed all the way forward making it totally unusable. Then it starts flopping in the wind.I reach my destination and push it into correct alignment where it clicks into place and seems stable.What are the chances of this happening twice within a few weeks?Should I have the dealer look at this?

That depends on how big of idiots populate your hometown. It's not unheard of, but certainly not common. Because it's stable when you click it back into place, and it only goes out of place while your car is parked, it's got to be someone or something moving it.

You should try what I always do. Park in the back of the parking lot where no one else wants to part because they don't like to walk. Shopping carts normally do not forage around in this area. I park in the back of the lot and take up 2 spaces normally. I haven't had one dent from a car door or cart and never had my mirror moved by someone else (I'm always running into it). Plus I get the benefit of having to walking that much more to the front door. Just a little bit more exercise that's good for me. If you're parking no where near someone and you're still finding your mirror popping either:

1)Someone has it in for you. They are trying to annoy you by following you around town and knocking your mirror out of place.

or

2) Your mirror is being knocked out of place too easily (i.e wind blowing it) and you should have it checked out.

proxim2020 wrote:
2) Your mirror is being knocked out of place too easily (i.e wind blowing it) and you should have it checked out.

I am worried about #2.

catnap wrote:
I am worried about #2.

Go to a Nissan dealer and compare how much force it takes you to move your mirror vs. how much force it takes on a shiny new one?

(ok, so the salesguys would get annoyed. It's probably good for them...)