Nissan Urges Owners to Stop Driving Certain Older Models Due to Takata Airbag Risk

On May 29, 2024, Nissan issued an urgent “do not drive” directive to approximately 84,000 owners of older vehicle models due to the risk posed by defective Takata airbag inflators. The affected vehicles, which include 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 models, have a heightened risk of airbag inflators exploding during crashes and releasing sharp metal fragments.

This warning follows an incident where one person in a 2006 Nissan Sentra was killed and 58 others were injured since 2015 due to the malfunctioning airbags. The inflators use ammonium nitrate, which can degrade over time, particularly when exposed to high heat and humidity, causing them to explode with excessive force.

The recall initially affected 736,422 vehicles in 2020, but around 84,000 remain unrepaired and in use. Nissan and Infiniti are providing free towing, mobile repair services, and loaner cars in select locations to facilitate the replacement of the defective components. Owners can verify if their vehicles are affected using their 17-digit VIN on dedicated Nissan and Infiniti pages.

Takata airbag inflators, part of the largest auto recall in U.S. history, have caused at least 27 deaths and over 400 injuries domestically. Worldwide, more than 100 million inflators have been recalled, leading Takata into bankruptcy. Similar “do not drive” warnings have been issued by other automakers including Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota, and Stellantis due to the defective inflators.