Nissan mounts recall for possible airbag problem

Bloomberg News report

TOKYO (March 26, 2014) — Nissan Motor Co. said it will recall 989,701 vehicles including its latest Altima sedans in North America to fix a software problem that could deactivate the airbags.

The software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by Nissan. This may lead to a failure of the airbag to deploy during a crash and could increase the risk of injury to the passenger, according to the document.

Nissan has received no report of accidents related to the problem, a company spokeswoman said. The recall will only affect vehicles sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, she said.

The recall will include the 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan and QX60 crossover, the 2013-14 Pathfinder SUV, Leaf electric car and Sentra compact, according to the company's statement.

Nissan said on Sept. 26 it would recall 910,000 vehicles globally—including the Serena minivan and X-Trail SUV—over an accelerator fault. That recall was part of the reason the company cut its profit forecast by 15 percent in the year ending March 31, it said.

This report appeared on the website of Automotive News, a Detroit-based sister publication of Tire Business.