Laguna Hills, CA – Aug. 15 – A wide-reaching recall is underway on 2017-2019 Nissan Titan pickup trucks, after the automaker discovered damaged alternator harnesses were installed in certain cars. The impairment is believed to have occurred during the manufacturing process, but it’s not clear how. As a result of this flaw, an electrical short may occur while the vehicle is on the road, which would could cause the engine to stall and potentially lead to an accident. The Nissan Titan alternator recall is also being ordered over the risk of an engine fire.
The Defect
According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 91,319 Nissan Titan pickups are being pulled from the marketplace due to the potential for an electrical short to occur in the vehicle’s gasoline-powered engines (as opposed to diesel). The flaw affects the light duty truck’s alternator harness, which is a wiring cluster that attaches to the alternator itself. This portion of the engine is what charges the battery when the ignition is turned on and is what generates power for the electrical system.
As referenced in NHTSA’s Part 573 Safety Recall Report, at some point during assembly, the harness was damaged and the fraying may cause contact with the square edge of the truck’s metal frame bracket. In doing so, it could result in the harness having relocated from where it’s normally positioned. The harness that’s still in contact with the square edge may lead to a breach and damage the wires to such an extent as to cause an electrical short, which may prevent the battery from functioning.
Timeline of Events
Typically, NHTSA and the automaker in question provide a chronology that details what led to the recall and when the events occurred. Those specifics have not been made available as of yet but the company says it will provide the particulars pertaining to the Nissan Titan alternator recall “when it is available.”
For the most part, Nissan North America hasn’t had many recalls to speak of in 2019, but the automaker did provide an update on a voluntary recall that occurred around this time last year. In September 2018, roughly 1,600 Infiniti QX50s were recalled because of an air bag module defect that raised the risk of the passenger-side knee air bag detaching during deployment. Such a scenario could worsen the effects of an injury if the crash was impactful enough for the air bags to release from their holding units. Separately, Nissan also recalled an additional 200,000 EX35 sedans, which were originally pulled from the market in 2008, over a faulty passenger-side air bag sensor.
The Solution
On July 23, Nissan began notifying owners and dealers have also been made aware. Motorists who receive mailers should have their pickups examined by an authorized Nissan dealer so a repair can be performed if necessary. Only 1% of the 91,300-plus Titan are believed to contain the flaw, so an adjustment may not be needed. If it is, however, owners will not be charged for parts or labor.
For more information on the Nissan Titan alternator recall and other recalls that are in progress or soon will be, visit MotorSafety.org.
