agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

US Probes Effectiveness of 2 Nissan Air Bag Sensor Recalls

DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that two Nissan recalls didn’t go far enough to fix a problem with front-seat air bag seat sensors, reported The Associated Press. The probe covers nearly 990,000 vehicles in the U.S. that were recalled in 2013 and last year because computer software may not detect an adult ... Read More »

March 24, 2015
2 min to read


DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that two Nissan recalls didn’t go far enough to fix a problem with front-seat air bag seat sensors, reported The Associated Press.

The probe covers nearly 990,000 vehicles in the U.S. that were recalled in 2013 and last year because computer software may not detect an adult in the passenger seat. If that happens, the air bags won’t inflate. Cars have sensors in the seats that can tell if a child is sitting there. The air bags are then turned off because they can harm a small child.

Ad Loading...

The recall affects the Altima midsize car, Leaf electric car, Pathfinder SUV and Sentra compact models from the 2013 and 2014 model years, as well as the NV200 Taxi van and Infiniti JX35 SUV from 2013. Also covered are the Infiniti QX60 and Q50 SUVs from 2014.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 124 people have complained about the problem happening after repairs were made. Nissan maintains the fixes took care of the problem.

In documents posted Sunday, NHTSA said Nissan and Infiniti owners complained that after getting recall repairs, the passenger air bag status light stays on, indicating the air bag is turned off even though an adult is sitting in the seat.

In one complaint filed in May, the owner of a Pathfinder told NHTSA that the vehicle had been taken to a dealership four times for two different recalls. But the indicator light showing the air bag is turned off remains illuminated, even though an adult is sitting in the seat.

“I feel that this is a safety issue in spite of being told by the service department that the air bag will deploy even if it is off,” wrote the person, who was not identified in the complaint.

Ad Loading...

The safety agency said it has opened a “recall query” to assess the effectiveness of the recall fix, which was a software update.

In a statement, Nissan said it believes the update took care of the problem. The company said it took additional steps to help dealers address customer concerns that weren’t related to the recalls.

The original recalls also covered about 60,000 vehicles in Canada and other countries.

More Industry

F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 27, 2026

Price Driving Insurance Churn

Over half of insurance holders ages 18 to 29 reported to be 'somewhat' likely to change providers in the next 90 days, according to CivicScience, which found that interest was lower among older age groups.

Read More →
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 26, 2026

AI Drives Dealer Website Traffic

Total visits to dealer websites from generative artificial intelligence platforms grew more than 15 times year-over-year, signaling a shift in how many consumers shop for cars online.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 26, 2026

Automakers Tops in Fuel Economy

In the U.S., Honda has the most efficient gas-electrified combo lineup while Tesla beats all automakers in annual EPA ranking as brands built their alternative-fuel offerings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 25, 2026

Report Finds Year-End F&I Strength

Deal volume ebbed and flowed throughout 2025, but product performance remained steady, according to automotive technology and data intelligence solutions provider StoneEagle.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 24, 2026

Overall Consumer Confidence Up

Americans’ view of present business conditions, the labor market and family finances, though, are still in the dumps, and if they plan to buy cars, many target used units.

Read More →
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 23, 2026

Auto Loan Forecast Bucks Market Trend

Auto loan originations rose over 6% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, but TransUnion predicts a slight decline in auto loan growth this year, making it an outlier in the company's overall lending forecast.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
F&Iby Hannah MitchellFebruary 23, 2026

Some Auto Brands Cheaper to Insure

A new top 10 list ranks the least expensive for average full insurance coverage on a clean driving record and high driver credit scores.

Read More →
Industryby StaffFebruary 20, 2026

Learn to Manage the Mayhem at Agent Summit

Rob Mancuso – president of Mancuso Automotive – will present a Keynote at the 2026 event.

Read More →
Fixed Opsby Hannah MitchellFebruary 20, 2026

Auto Recalls Sank Last Year

2025 Sedgwick data indicate that the number of vehicles affected fell to its lowest point in more than a decade.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 19, 2026

Affordability Leads Top-Rated List

Edmunds’ editorial team tested 300-plus vehicles to help determine the Top Rated Awards for 2026, and one brand stood out with multiple rankings, including Best of the Best.

Read More →