Japanese automaker Nissan has urged owners of about 84,000 older cars not to get behind the wheel. The announcement was published on the website of the Japanese company. The reason is the Takata airbags, which have an increased risk of exploding in a collision and ejecting dangerous metal fragments.
„Takata, which supplies Nissan with airbags for the models mentioned below, has reported that these airbags may develop a defect over time. In the event of an accident, airbags can be inflated with such excessive force that parts of the airbag device collapse and eject metal fragments into the vehicle compartment “ , Nissan explains.
The announcement came after one person in a Nissan died as a result of an airbag explosion, AP writes. Since 2015, problems with airbags have caused injuries to 58 people. “Even minor crashes can cause Takata airbags to explode, causing death or catastrophic, life-changing injuries,” the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement.
Older model cars are said to put occupants at higher risk as the age of the airbag is one of the contributing factors to the problem. Nissan recalled 736,422 vehicles in 2020 to replace Takata airbags. Now the company has estimated that around 85,000 of them remain unrepaired and are believed to still be in use. If you have one of these models manufactured during the indicated period and have not had the airbags serviced, contact your Nissan dealer.
