Nissan’s Hang‑On‑the‑Past: The Legendary Takata Air‑Bag Crisis
In a flurry of cautionary drama, Nissan is pulling almost 346,000 cars from the road worldwide to swap out a batch of dangerous Takata air‑bag inflators that have shown a knack for exploding and sending metal shrapnel flying. Think of it as “the explosive version of a fancy smoothie” – not something you’d want inside your ride.
What’s Getting Recalled?
- Maxima models from 2001–2003
- Sentra from 2002–2006
- Pathfinder from 2002–2004
- Versa from 2007–2011
- Infiniti I‑30 & I‑35 from 2001–2004
- QX4 from 2002–2003
- FX35 & FX45 from 2003–2008
- M35 & M45 from 2006–2010
All of these vehicles will get new, reset‑safe inflators in a repair that starts around Feb. 10. You’ll hear that a dealer will call you; there’s no cost, and the repair will be free.
Where Are These Cars?
Most cars are parked in North America, but don’t forget about the models gracing Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America – Nissan’s message makes it clear that everyone receives the same safety upgrade.
The Bigger Picture: Takata’s Global Reckoning
These Nissan inflators form part of a massive recall that includes about 10 million inflators out of the roughly 70 million that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked Takata to pull. The story is almost as epic as a blockbuster film, but it’s all about stopping a dangerous product from going into your car.
- Back in 2015, Takata agreed to this colossal recall as part of a settlement. It’s now the final chapter in their story of mishaps.
- Other automakers such as Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Subaru, Ferrari, and Mazda have already announced their own recall roll‑outs.
- The inflators that got replaced were meant to keep your airbags safe until a permanent, non‑ammonium‑nitrate solution could be introduced.
Why the Tension?
Try your hand at cheetah‑fast explosions: Takata’s inflators used ammonium nitrate – a chemical that can degrade over time, especially in hot, humid conditions. When it burns too quickly, the metal canister designs can let go, sending deadly shrapnel where the driver should be. Over their existence, by the time of the recall, 25 people had lost their lives worldwide, and many more were injured.
Now the world is turning a page on the most significant automotive recall streak in history – and we hope the new ones are fluent in safety without the explosive drama.
