Nissan is expanding a recall tied to faulty airbags and the vehicle tally is now more than 600,000 cars.
The cars in question are 2002 to 2004 Infinitis, Maximas, Pathfinders and Sentras. Nissan added 226,000 more vehicles to its list Tuesday.
A filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows the airbags' inflator becomes ruptured from internal pressure built up as a result of poor installation. Nissan said that it is unaware of any accidents or injuries caused by the faulty airbags, according to a recent report.
Nissan is not the only company facing this problem. Virtually all major Japanese makes are affected by this issue, according to one report. American manufacturers also face a recall problem. Those include General Motors, Chrysler and Ford (the "Big 3"). BMW, a German auto company, is also recalling vehicles on the road. In a separate Tech Times article, it was reported that Honda Motor Co. expanded its own recall. Their total recall at the time of the report had reached 775,000 cars.
Dealers will begin to repair the recalled vehicles starting the week of Monday, Aug. 11, according to a report, which describes a lengthy and major history of issues with the Takata airbags. Those airbags are now linked to at least 10 million vehicles in the recall. Airbag inflators can rupture, potentially causing metal fragments to be disbursed when the airbag is inflated, which could injure passengers inside the vehicle.
The NHTSA launched a probe into the defective airbags. The propellant may not have been stored properly and likely was exposed to moisture. The company reportedly has a history of poor record keeping and other business practices and it appears it isn't entirely sure which installations were bad.
Nissan's own recall is voluntary. Takata is reportedly cooperating with regulatory bodies as well as the auto companies to resolve the matter. The replacements at Nissan dealerships will be made free of charge for consumers, reports indicate. The telephone number for Nissan Customer Service is 1-800-647-7261.
