Nissan Airbags And Seat Belts Problems

Anyone else remember what the world felt like before all these Takata recalls?

I’m starting to forget considering the first one came all the way back in May of 2013. I’m pretty sure the air smelled sweeter, the birds all sang in harmony, and I didn’t cry overtime I heard a word ending in “ata.”

Anyway, I guess these batch recalls are our new reality. Nissan announced they’re pulling back 53,000 Versa sedans and hatchbacks to replace the passenger-side airbag inflators.

Takata has been in the news a lot lately, and none of it has been good – more confirmed casualties and stop-driving orders have prompted questions from our much-maligned Senators. Ooo, I have a question – what the heck took them so long?

Ugh, Takata – amirite?

The automakers are sick of it. I'm sick of it. I sure as heck know you're sick of it too. But here we are – staring down another recall of 152,000 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles.

By now I'm guessing you've heard about the dangers of Takata airbags, but here's a quick recap:

1. Over time Takata airbag inflators are susceptible to moisture.
2. When that moisture mixes with the airbag's propellant, the inflators become unstable and can explode sending shrapnel throughout the cabin.
3. The problem is responsible for 11 deaths in the USA alone.

Mazda has now recalled more than 1 million vehicles for this problem. Find out if yours is on the most recent list.

Well, that didn't take long.

The 2017 Nissan Versa has been recalled because of problems with the side-curtain airbags-and-seat-belts. Airbag supplier Autoliv was conducting routine testing in August when a side curtain airbag tore during deployment. After contacting Nissan about the malfunction, engineers determined the reinforcement stitching on the airbags may not properly secure two fabric sections of the curtain airbags.

When airbag supplier, Autoliv, was conducting some routine side curtain airbag testing they noticed something alarming

--- the reinforcement stitching in the airbags sent to Nissan wasn't securing the airbag properly. The improper stitching is enough to cause the airbag to tear at the sewn seam when the airbag deploys.

Nissan checked federal regulations to see if the problem was bad enough to order a recall, and although changes were made during assembly, the automaker said a recall was necessary. The recall affects any 2017 Nissan Versa built between 08/01/2016 and 08/16/2016.

Interestingly, the 2012 Versa is under investigation for side curtain airbags that deploy when it's not wanted. Apparently Nissan and Autoliv haven't heard of the Goldilocks Principle.

Nissan is recalling 402,000 vehicles, mostly Infiniti vehicles, with dangerous Takata airbag inflators.

This latest round of recalls has been split into what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is calling "zones" across the country.

See the full list of recalled vehicles.

Takata's metal inflators are at risk of exploding because they don't contain a drying agent called desiccate. Over time, the ammonium nitrate inside the inflator can become unstable when exposed to heat and humidity. If they do explode during an airbag deployment, metal shrapnel shoots throughout the cabin, injuring or killing the people inside.

Nissan, like other automakers, doesn't have enough replacement parts to fix their vehicles. This is the largest recall in US history with 70 million cars affected and parts are scarce.

Owners should get an initial recall notice in the mail, and then another when parts become available.

Anyone else getting the feeling there's a major issue with Nissan's Occupant Classification System (OCS)?

For roughly the 103rd time – ok, 4th – Nissan is recalling their defective OCS. And this one is a doozy at 3.8 million vehicles.

"Nissan says the occupant classification systems in the front passenger seats can turn off because the systems classify an adult as a child or classify a seat as empty even if an adult is in the seat."

That will disable the airbags for someone who really needs it.

"Nissan says in the case of a child classification, the system is designed to illuminate the airbag light indicating the airbag is turned off. However, if the initial classification is “empty seat,” the light will not illuminate and there is no indication that the airbag is suppressed."

Does any part of this thing work?

Nissan has been accused of covering up the OCS issue and issuing repairs that didn't work in a lawsuit.

Earlier this year Nissan was sued for issuing Occupant Classification System (OCS) recalls without a working solution.

Well, Nissan just issued its third recall for the faulty airbag sensors ... hopefully this time with a solution that, you know, works.

"Nissan blames the problem on a supply chain error that caused incorrect occupant classification control unit parts to be installed on vehicles that received the incorrect part after the March 2014 recall was completed. There are also vehicles that were not part of the March recall but received the wrong part from other repairs."

The latest round includes the 2013-2015 Altima, Pathfinder, the 2013-2014 Sentra, and Infiniti vehicles as well.

Nissan's Occupant Classification System (OCS) has been the subject of two recalls in the past couple years, but a lawsuit says the fixes aren't working.

Plaintiff Matthew Senci filed the proposed class-action lawsuit that alleges the vehicles have occupant classification system software that can incorrectly classify a front passenger seat as empty when it's occupied by an adult passenger.

The error can cause the airbag to deactivate and fail to deploy in a crash and the lawsuit alleges Nissan has known about the problem since at least 2012 due to complaints and warranty claims.

The first "limited" recall was in February 2013, but the fix was ineffective. A second, larger recall was announced in March 2014, but once again the lawsuit says the fix didn't do diddly.

The lawsuit, Matthew Senci v. Nissan North America, Inc., accuses the automaker of unfair and deceptive acts and seeks damages for the decreased value of the cars.

Well, this is terrifying --- a 2006 Sentra owner suffered hearing loss and multiple cuts and burns from flying metal shrapnel

when the passenger airbag exploded during a minor accident. The issue is due to dangerous Takata airbag inflators. Early reports suggest that Nissan has expanded their earlier recalls to now include 45,000 Sentras from the 2004-2006 model years. But there's a catch...

Nissan has gone against the wishes of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by regionally limiting the expansion. Takata claims their inflators will only deteriorate in areas of high heat and humidity. But this is the same company that was fined $14,000 a day for not cooperating with an investigation and possibly destroying evidence, so take that for what it's worth (i.e. not much).

For now, the recall is limited to vehicles sold or registered in:

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Additional areas include American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

There is no word on when the recall will begin, but owners should keep an eye out for an official notice in the mail. You can contact Nissan at 800-647-7261 with any questions.

Nissan is calling back 52,000 additional vehicles to repair the passenger-side Takata airbags that can explode and injure occupants.

About 1,800 Infiniti vehicles were recalled for the same issue just a couple days ago.

The newest air bag recall includes the 2003-2004 Nissan Pathfinder, 2004-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2003-2005 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, and 2006 Infiniti M35 and M45.

The recalled vehicles are all in areas of high humidity.

Last month we learned that a whopping 35–40 million vehicles will need to be recalled because of Takata airbag inflators.

Yikes, remember when 3 million vehicles seemed like a big number? The massive expansion includes Nissan who has announced a recall expansion of 226,000 vehicles. They had previously recalled 480,000.

To better manage the recalls, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has separated areas of the country by "zones" A, B and C. Checkout CarComplaints.com for more information on the recalls and recall zones.

Nissan is recalling 1 million vehicles because a defective Occupant Classification System (OCS) might stop the passenger-side frontal airbags from working.

If that sounds familiar, it's because they issued the same – albeit smaller – recall last year. But now Nissan admits the problem is more widespread than they anticipated and their previous fix didn't work.

The OCS is supposed to turn on the airbag when there's an adult in the front passenger seat. but it's malfunctioning.

"Nissan says a combination of factors could cause the problem, such as high engine vibration at idle when the seat is initially empty and then becomes occupied. Even the posture of the passenger could cause the air bag to deactivate."

The recalled cars include the 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, the 2013 NV200, plus additional Infiniti vehicles. It is expected to begin in April 2014.

Nissan is part of a massive 3-million vehicle recall for explosive, unstable airbag inflators manufactured by Takata.

To be clear, when an airbag deploys there's always going to be a miniature explosion to make the inflation possible. But that explosion is controlled. In the case of Takata, the propellant used to make that explosion can deteriorate over time and cause dangerous –– possibly deadly –– issues when the airbag deploys:

"Takata said the propellant wafers produced at a plant in Moses Lake, Washington, between April 13, 2000 and September 11, 2002, may have been produced with an inadequate compaction force. The propellant could deteriorate over time and cause too much combustion, which could cause the body of the inflator to rupture during air bag deployment."

When that inflator canister ruptures, metal shards can shoot out into the cabin. Most of the recalls are expected to begin in May, 2013.

Nissan is recalling 82,000 vehicles for a faulty Occupant Classification System (OCS) that could cause the passenger-side frontal airbags to fail in a crash.

The automaker says sensors within the passenger occupant detection system may have been manufactured out of specification which could cause the air bag to be suppressed permanently.

The affected vehicles include the 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra. It also includes the Infiniti JX35.

The recall is expected to begin in April, 2013.