The number of vehicles recalled related to defective Takata airbags increased by more than 1,000 vehicles Friday, as Nissan issued a recall of luxury Infiniti vehicles.
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice [PDF], Nissan issued the recall after determining that 1,848 model year 2013 Infiniti QX56 and model year 2014 Infiniti QX80 vehicles may contain defective airbags made by the same company responsible for the recall of more than 8 million cars.
Officials with Nissan say the vehicles’ airbags may have been manufactured with an incorrect part that could cause excessive inflator internal pressure that can lead to rupture during deployment. In the event of a crash this could cause inflator components to separate and potentially be propelled toward the interior of the vehicle, increasing a risk of injury.
A defect report [PDF] from Nissan details that the manufacturer began looking into a potential issue back in June after General Motors recalled vehicles for a similar problem.
Nissan then contacted Takata and requested further investigation to determine if Nissan vehicles were affected.
In August, Nissan received a preliminary data set from Takata, detailing potentially misbuilt inflators. Nissan assessed its vehicles and in mid-October determined that select Infiniti models may contain the airbags.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the timing of production for the recently recalled Infiniti models – which occurred between September 1, 2012 and April 26, 2013 – likely means the airbags are not the same as those responsible for at least four deaths and 30 injuries. Takata airbags related to earlier recalls were produced in 2007.
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified of the issue next month and dealers will replace the front driver airbag inflator.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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