Nissan has recently issued a warning to owners of older vehicles that are equipped with recalled, unrepaired Takata airbags. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that a total of 83,920 cars are affected by this alert. These include models such as the 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles, all of which may have Takata airbags that were recalled in 2020. As a result of this warning, Nissan’s stock experienced a nearly 3% decline during Wednesday’s trading session.
The NHTSA is urging all vehicle owners to immediately check if their vehicle is part of the Takata airbag recall. If the vehicle is on the recall list, owners are strongly advised not to drive it until the repair is completed and the defective airbag is replaced. To assist affected owners, Nissan and Infiniti are providing free towing and mobile repair services, as well as loaner cars in select locations. Infiniti, being a division of Nissan, is also participating in this effort.
A Nissan spokesperson emphasized the dangers associated with driving vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators, especially due to the age of the affected vehicles. There is an increased risk that the inflator could explode during an airbag deployment, releasing sharp metal fragments that can cause serious injury or even death. This risk is not to be taken lightly, as the NHTSA has confirmed that 27 people in the United States have been killed by defective Takata airbags, with at least 400 others sustaining injuries.
The recall of Takata airbag inflators is one of the largest auto safety callbacks in history, with at least 67 million units being recalled in the United States and over 100 million recalled worldwide. This massive recall comes after Takata filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the U.S. in 2017. The company agreed to pay $1 billion in criminal penalties due to its allegedly fraudulent conduct in the sales of defective airbag inflators.
The risks associated with driving cars equipped with recalled Takata airbags are severe and can have fatal consequences. It is crucial for vehicle owners to take the necessary steps to ensure their safety by checking if their vehicle is part of the recall and getting the airbag repaired as soon as possible. Your life and the lives of others may depend on it.