Steering wheel controls on xterra

so we just got our brand new 2010 xterra. Looks like it will suit our needs well since it has both the on road and off road capabilities that we use. However, we have discovered one very unsafe feature on this vehicle…the controls for bluetoothe, cruise control and radio that are on the steering wheel don’t light along with the other dash controls. After dark this renders those controls not just inconvenient, but very unsafe to try and use. We can fumble in the dark and run the car off the road or we can turn on the dome light blinding us to the road! It may seem like a small thing, but I’ve almost run off the road twice already. I’ve searched all over for a replacement steering wheel, to no avail. All Nissan seems able to say is “sorry”. Any ideas?

Sorry, get used to it.
No , really…practice and get used to it. The truck is still new to you and those things will become habbit as you practice and remember them.

I was quite peeved that my old explorer driver’s door controls for windows, locks, and mirrors did not illuminate too. ( neither did the cruise on the wheel ) But with time came familiarity and it was all second nature soon.

What’s worse concerning the memory/habbit is having three very different trucks with controls nothing similar. wipers, cruise, radio, a/c, all different on 79, 06, & 08

I’m not familiar with the controls on this particular year model but are they not lighting up because it’s designed that way or because there’s an electrical problem which is causing this?

If it’s the latter then warranty should cover the repair.
If it’s the former then you may just have to develop a feel for it. My Lincoln has steering wheel controls and I use them without even thinking about them much. With a little time it should all come to you.

I can relate to the different vehicle issue, especially now that I have more years under my belt. This sort of relates to the reason I’m peeved about the steering wheel controls. I usually drive my old 99 Explorer (where the steering wheel controls DO light up, but when my wife and I go somewhere together I drive the xterra instead of her. So I have to reaquaint myself to it every time I get in.

I still think that it’s a really cheap way for Nissan to scrimp. There’s no way to say it wouldn’t be safer to have the controls light up along with the others. How a design could be released with such a simple item omitted just shows the short sightedness with which products are put on the market.

It’s the design, unfortunately. When I asked at the dealership they had no idea until they “researched” the issue. As one guy said to me, “even my Kia lights up” where the xterra doesn’t. I have to wonder, if Nissan cheaped out on such a basic item, what else am I going to discover as time goes on?