Nissan issued a do-not-drive warning for nearly 84,000 2002 to 2006 vehicles whose recalled Takata airbags haven’t been replaced.
The Japanese automaker’s warning includes the 2002 to 2006 Sentra, 2002 to 2004 Pathfinder and 2002 to 2003 Infiniti QX4 under airbag recalls. It urged owners to check whether their vehicles are subject to the recalls and to arrange a free repair as soon as possible.
The defective airbags are part of a wide-scale recall affecting dozens of automotive brands. Some 67 million of the devices have been recalled, according to Consumer Reports, which says that just 11 million of those had been replaced as of late 2022.
The airbags’ inflators can ignite and explode, sending shrapnel-like shards into the vehicle cabin and causing serious injury or death. There have been 27 U.S. deaths caused by such airbag explosions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which said that another 400 people have allegedly been injured.
Even minor accidents can lead to airbag explosions, and older vehicles present greater risk due to aging airbags being more prone to explosion, the agency said.
Nissan and Infiniti, its luxury vehicle division, are offering free towing and mobile repair, and in select areas loaner vehicles, so owners can avoid driving effected models for repair.
