Nissan North America, Inc. Air Bag: Passenger Occupant Classification System Recall Notification

Recalls

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) has issued recalls for certain vehicles related to their Passenger Occupant Classification System. One recall results in the air bag not deploying when the occupant classification system identifies an adult passenger as a child or classifies an occupied front passenger vehicle seat as “not occupied” when a passenger is present.  A second recall applies to the front passenger seat of the Nissan Sentra when a car seat is installed with the seat belt. The seat belt bracket may become deformed if the seat belt is “significantly over-tensioned” while the automatic locking retractor is engaged.  The occupant classification system may not correctly identify the installed car seat and as a result, may not suppress the front passenger-side air bag increasing the risk of an injury to the child.   

Recall Information

NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) has recalled certain vehicles because the front seat passenger occupant classification system may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.  The vehicles included in this recall are:

  • 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima
  • 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF and Sentra
  • 2013-2017 Nissan Pathfinder
  • 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60 and Q50
  • 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue
  • 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Chevrolet City Express
  • 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V242000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured from June 13, 2012 to April 14, 2016. The front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). The deformed seat bracket may cause the Occupant Classification System to incorrectly classify the installed CRS, resulting in the front passenger air bag to not be turned off as designed when a CRS is in the seat.

Consequence: If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the seat belt bracket as well as reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit and OCS Electronic Control Init free of charge. The remedy is not yet available. Owners will be mailed an interim notification by the end of June 2016 and will be sent a second letter when the remendy is available. Owners are warned notto install a CRS in the front seat. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Child Passenger Safety Technicians should warn parents/vehicle owners that:

  • Nissan recommends preteen children should be seated in the rear seat.
  • Children are safer secured in a back seat, as recommended by Nissan.
  • Drivers should check the status of the air bag indicator light on the dash to confirm its accuracy, especially when a passenger is seated in the front.
  • The second recall affects the 2013-2016 Sentra sedan and is directly related to car seat use in the front passenger seat. The front seat passenger’s seat belt brackets will need to be reinforced if a car seat is installed in this seating position (which Nissan discourages). When the seat belt is “significantly over-tensioned” during installation, the bracket may become deformed causing the air bag sensor to fail to turn off the air bag increasing the risk of an injury to the child.

To determine if your vehicle is affected by a recall, use NHTSA’s new search tool at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/.  Enter the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to quickly learn if a specific vehicle has not been repaired as part of a safety recall in the last 15 years. 

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