Automaker Issues “Do Not Drive” Warning, Recalls Vehicles

Drivers of older models of Nissan automobiles risk 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. 

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. 

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This recall affects a select number of Nissan and Infiniti models, including the 2002 to 2006 Sentra, 2002 to 2004 Pathfinder, and 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. 

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. 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 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. 

Nissan isn’t leaving affected car owners with their problems. The Japanese automobile manufacturer has collaborated with dealers to provide free repairs. 

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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 enough to shatter the inflator’s metal canister and send metal pieces flying in all directions. 

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. 

The Takata Airbag challenge isn’t, by any standards, a secret. In fact, it has resulted in the biggest automobile recall ever in the United States, with over 67 million inflators declared faulty. This enormous setback later led to Takata’s bankruptcy and extinction. 

Nissan isn’t the only automaker that has had to issue recalls for faulty vehicles. Several 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. 

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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. It is necessary to note that the faults discovered in the airbags aren’t from Nissan. Takata is to blame. 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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