The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·10V312000·Announced 2010-07-06

Nissan Recalls 46 Vehicles for Front Passenger Air Bag Inflator Defect

Nissan is recalling 46 model year 2002 Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 vehicles because a missing propellant wafer in the front passenger air bag inflator could cause the housing to rupture during deployment.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where the air bag inflator housing may rupture, posing a risk of injury to occupants, which aligns with the 'Severe' criteria for structural vehicle defects.

Plain-English summary

Nissan North America, Inc. is recalling 46 model year 2002 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 vehicles manufactured between August 24, 2001, and August 28, 2001. The recall addresses a defect in the front passenger air bag inflator where one of the required propellant wafers may be missing due to improper installation during the assembly process.

Over time, normal driving vibrations can cause the remaining wafers to break down into powder. This changes the combustion rate of the propellant, which can lead to a sudden rise in internal pressure inside the inflator during air bag deployment. If this occurs, the inflator housing may rupture, and pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants.

Nissan will notify owners of the affected vehicles. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module assembly with a new one free of charge. The safety recall began on August 19, 2010. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200 for more information.

The recalled product

Product
INFINITI, NISSAN QX4, PATHFINDER
Brand
INFINITI
Manufacturer
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
46

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • QX4
  • PATHFINDER

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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