Drivers of older models of Nissan automobiles run the risk of sustaining severe injuries. The manufacturer issued this warning after noticing a malfunction in the airbags of some of its older products.
Nissan advises that you stop driving your car for now to verify whether it is one of the affected vehicles and, if it is, submit it for repair.
What Exactly is the Problem?
Nissan has discovered a challenge with the airbags of these vehicle models. Specifically, it has noticed a significantly increasing risk of explosions of the airbag inflators during deployment.
The malfunction of these inflators could cause the airbags to explode in a crash, causing even more damage to the vehicle’s occupants. The best way to avoid this occurrence is to stop using the cars until the issue is resolved.
What Nissan Models Are Affected?
A selected number of Nissan and Infiniti models are affected by this recall. These include the 2002 to 2006 Sentra, the 2002 to 2004 Pathfinder, and the 2002 to 2003 Infiniti QX4 models.
Owners of these models should visit the Nissan of Infiniti recall websites using their 17-digit VIN to find out if their cars are affected.
How Risky Are These Vehicles?
Driving these vehicles is risky enough to cause severe and life-altering injuries in the event of an accident. There is also a good chance of fatalities too.
In fact, one of the incidents that spurred Nissan to swing into action was the malfunction of the airbag inflator of a 2006 Nissan Sentra. The mishap resulted in the death of an individual. Equally worrisome is that similar accidents have claimed over 58 lives since 2015.
The NHTSA Has Also Added Its Voice
To demonstrate the gravity of the situation, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has re-echoed Nissan’s warning.
The agency warned that the smallest of crashes could trigger an airbag explosion and lead to scary degrees of injuries. In addition, they mentioned that the older the vehicle’s model, the more dangerous the airbags could be.
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Nissan Will Do the Repairs For Free
Nissan isn’t leaving affected car owners with their problems. The Japanese automobile manufacturer has collaborated with dealers to provide free repairs.
Owners of the susceptible vehicles should contact their dealers as soon as possible to schedule free repairs. Nissan is also providing mobile repair, free towing services, and loaner cars in some locations.
Why Are the Inflators Exploding?
The Takata inflators contain ammonium nitrate, which produces the small explosion necessary for inflating the airbags. However, as time passed, this substance began to lose quality due to exposure to high temperatures and humidity.
As a result, the explosions became more violent—violent enough to shatter the inflator’s metal canister and send metal pieces flying in all directions.
This isn’t Nissan’s First Airbag-Related Recall
Nissan has called on vehicle owners to bring back their automobiles in the past. The initial 2020 recall, which implicated 736,422 automobiles, was also due to these faulty airbag inflators.
Since then, the company has made repeated efforts to reach car owners. Yet, 84,000 potentially dangerous vehicles remain whose owners have not responded to the warning.
The Takata Airbag Recall is a Global Issue
The Takata Airbag challenge isn’t a secret by any standards. In fact, it has resulted in the biggest automobile recall ever in the United States, with over 67 million inflators declared faulty.
Beyond the U.S., an additional 33 million inflators were also declared unfit for use. There have been 35 deaths involving Takata inflators from these manufacturers worldwide. This enormous setback later led to Takata’s bankruptcy and extinction.
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Other Automobile Manufacturers Are Involved
Nissan isn’t the only automaker that has had to issue recalls for faulty vehicles. A number of other high-profile auto companies have sent “Do not drive” warnings to owners of some of their products.
These include BMW, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Stellantis, and Toyota. These automobile manufacturers were also affected by the Takata faulty inflators and have also had reason to issue recall warnings.
A Nissan Director Speaks
Dominic Vizor, Director of Product Communications at Nissan, has spoken to the press about the issue. “Nissan’s do not drive warning is the most recent effort in an extensive, multiyear campaign to communicate the risk of driving vehicles with defective Takata inflators and urge drivers to complete the free recall repair,” he said.
According to the NHTSA, about 1.02 million of the 1.07 million affected Nissan cars have been repaired.
Four Other Manufacturers Have Issued Warnings
In the past 16 months, four other automobile manufacturers—Honda, BMW, Stellantis, and Toyota—have raised alarms about faulty Takata airbag inflators.
Reports have disclosed that 6.4 million vehicles with the same challenge are scattered around the United States. Regardless of the manufacturer, drivers of older vehicle models can also check the NHTSA website’s lookup tool to check if their vehicles are affected.
Nissan is Working Hard to Rescue All Affected Vehicles
It is necessary to note that the faults discovered in the airbags aren’t from Nissan. Takata is to blame for the matter. Little wonder the Department of Transportation fined the company a whopping $200 million in 2015.
Nissan seems to be doing quite a good job of rectifying the error and saving car owners from danger. As other manufacturers do the same, there will hopefully be no more Takata airbag injuries or deaths.
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