DETROIT — Nissan recommends that the owners of around 84,000 older vehicles stop driving them because their Takata airbag inflators have an increased chance of exploding in a crash and flinging deadly metal pieces.
Wednesday’s urgent plea comes after one person in a Nissan was killed by an explosive front-passenger inflator, and up to 58 people have been injured since 2015.
“Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata air bag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an air bag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,” Nissan stated.
Nissan Warns Owners Of Older Vehicles Not To Drive Them Due To Risk Of Exploding Air Bag Inflators
Nissan stated that the “do not drive” warning applies to select 2002–2006 Sentra compact cars, some 2002–2004 Pathfinder SUVs, and 2002 and 2003 Infiniti QX4 SUVs. Owners can determine whether their vehicles are affected by visiting nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall or infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall and entering their 17-digit vehicle identification number.
The company says owners should contact their dealer to schedule a free inflator replacement. Nissan also provides dealers with free towing, and in some areas, mobile servicing and loaner automobiles are available.
“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries,” the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk, as the age of the air bag is one of the contributing factors.”
Nissan Warns Owners Of Older Vehicles Not To Drive Them Due To Risk Of Exploding Air Bag Inflators
Nissan originally recalled 736,422 vehicles in 2020 to replace Takata inflators. The company stated that approximately 84,000 remain unrepaired and are assumed to be in use.
Nissan stated that it had made several attempts to contact the owners of unrepaired Takata inflators.
The death was reported to the NHTSA in 2018, the business stated. According to Nissan, the person killed was driving a 2006 Sentra.
The death is one of 27 in the United States caused by faulty inflators that employed volatile ammonium nitrate to create a minor explosion to inflate airbags during a crash. The chemical will deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can potentially detonate violently, destroying a metal canister and spilling shrapnel. More than 400 persons in the United States have been injured.
Takata inflators have killed at least 35 people worldwide, including in Malaysia, Australia, and the United States.
Nissan Warns Owners Of Older Vehicles Not To Drive Them Due To Risk Of Exploding Air Bag Inflators
The potential for a dangerous malfunction prompted the greatest auto recalls in US history, involving at least 67 million Takata inflators. The US government claims that many still need to be restored. Approximately 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. Takata declared bankruptcy as a result of its exploding airbags.
SOURCE – (AP)
