Nissan’s highest volume vehicle, Altima, is projected to become a major U.S. export for the company because the strong Yen is shifting production out of Japan.
Nissan is recalling numerous 2013 model Altima, Leaf, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles because the passenger side airbag is defective. Sensors within the so-called passenger Occupant Detection System may have been manufactured out of specification for several months. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag on some of Nissan’s most popular vehicles.
If the vehicle is involved in a crash where airbag deployment is called for and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury. The (red) supplemental air bag warning light (SRS Light) will illuminate to alert the vehicle operator and the (amber) front passenger air bag status light will illuminate to alert the front seat passenger.
In the required NHTSA filing, the Japanese company said that the heat treating on the strain gauge in the sensor in the passenger seat could have been improperly done. The process as the unnamed supplier has since been corrected.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early April 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.
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