Passenger seat airbag sensor

[Aviatrix]

Hey everyone,

This is my very first post so apologies if I break any etiquette:

I have a 2011 Roadster that I'm totally in love with. Recently, I've had the "Passenger Airbag Off" light come on as well as the flashing airbag system dash light, indicating that my entire airbag system is disengaged. Turns out (after two trips to the dealer) that my passenger seat airbag sensor is most likely busted. Which wouldn't be a big issue if this didn't require the entire seat cushion to be replaced.

Right now, the dealer is giving me a quote of ~$5,000 to fix it, which seems utterly absurd to me, even with the heated/cooled seats. I don't really have that much money lying around.

My question is: Is there any way to fix this issue (which seems like a basic safety system that should be covered by Nissan) without having to replace the seat cushion? I couldn't find any relevant recalls.

Thanks for your time! Attached is a picture of my Z.