Franklin, Tenn. – July 17, 2017 – Nissan North America (OTCMKTS:NSANY) has recalled more than 515,000 vehicles believed to contain defective Takata air bag assemblies, according to documentation filed with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign includes 2007-2011 Nissan Versa sedans and 2007-2012 Versa hatchbacks.
Recall summary
Affected vehicles could come equipped with air bag assemblies using Takata PSDI-5 inflators. These fixtures, which use calcium sulfate desiccant, emit metal fragments when deployed, putting drivers and passengers in grave danger.
This campaign follows numerous other recalls related to Takata air bag components. Since 2004, dozens of automakers have been forced to conduct safety recalls and orchestrate the removal and replacement of over 100 million Takata air bags, Bloomberg reported. The company finally filed for bankruptcy last month, citing financial damage brought on by multiple multimillion-dollar fines and settlements. Takata will pay $975 million in restitution costs to victims and carmakers and $25 million in fines as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The PSDI-5 and other Takata inflators caused hundreds injuries and 17 reported deaths, according to Bloomberg.
The repair
Nissan is still working on a workable solution and plans to work with an alternative parts manufacturer to produce safe air bag inflators for the Versa, according to the NHTSA. When the remedy is available, the automaker plans to instruct dealers to install the replacement parts, free of charge. Nissan will send interim recall notification letters to owners sometime at the end of September.
Is your vehicle part of the recall?
Over 515,000 vehicles were originally part of this recall. As of July 30, 2019, – the last date for which information was available – 238,431 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.
