June 4, 2024 (V7N Automotive) – Nissan has issued an urgent plea to the owners of approximately 84,000 older vehicles to cease driving them immediately. This warning comes after a tragic incident where a person was killed by an exploding Takata airbag inflator, and as many as 58 others have been injured since 2015.

“Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an airbag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,” Nissan stated.

The "do not drive" advisory pertains to specific models, including 2002-2006 Sentra small cars, 2002-2004 Pathfinder SUVs, and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 SUVs. Owners can verify if their vehicles are affected by visiting nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall or infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall and entering their 17-digit vehicle identification number.

Nissan is urging owners to contact their dealers to schedule a free replacement of the inflators. The company is also offering free towing to dealerships and, in some areas, mobile service and loaner cars.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stressed the gravity of the situation: “Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries. Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk, as the age of the airbag is one of the contributing factors.”

Initially, Nissan recalled 736,422 vehicles in 2020 to replace the Takata inflators. However, around 84,000 vehicles remain unrepaired and are believed to still be in use. Despite numerous attempts by Nissan to contact the owners, the recall completion rate has lagged.

The fatal incident was reported to NHTSA in 2018, involving a person in a 2006 Sentra. This death marks one of 27 in the U.S. attributed to the defective inflators, which used ammonium nitrate to trigger airbag deployment. Over time, exposure to high temperatures and humidity can cause this chemical to become volatile, leading to explosions that rupture the metal canister and release deadly shrapnel. Over 400 injuries in the U.S. are linked to this defect.

Globally, at least 35 fatalities have occurred due to Takata inflators in countries including Malaysia and Australia. The defect led to the largest auto recall in U.S. history, encompassing at least 67 million Takata inflators. Despite extensive recalls, many have yet to be repaired, with about 100 million inflators recalled worldwide. The severity of the issue forced Takata into bankruptcy.

Several other automakers, including Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota, Stellantis, and Mazda, have issued similar "do not drive" warnings for vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.