US Safety Agency Closes Nissan Air Bag Probe Without Recall
Nissan says the inflators are not made by Japan's Takata Corp., which has had problems with exploding inflators that can spew metal shrapnel.
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Nissan says the inflators are not made by Japan's Takata Corp., which has had problems with exploding inflators that can spew metal shrapnel.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe covers about 155,000 cars from the 2012 model year.
In some cases owners should park their vehicles outside until they are fixed.
Sales through June were expected to be up 2 percent over last year to 8.66 million, according to Kelley Blue Book.
The company says a combination of low battery voltage and parking the cars with the wheels turned can confuse the steering control computer.
U.S. car buyers are tapping the brakes.
Takata inflators can malfunction and spew shrapnel into drivers and passengers when exposed to humidity and repeated hot-and-cold cycles.
The increases showed that Americans are still buying cars and trucks in big numbers, despite predictions by some analysts and dealers that sales have peaked.
As autonomous car technology rapidly progresses, makers of the cars face the difficult question of how safe they must be before they're ready to move people on highways and city streets.
Nissan says in two previous recalls, dealers adjusted latches and applied lubricant. But if the lubricant wasn't put on evenly, the problem could persist.
The safest cars this model year, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, come from Japan.
TrueCar.com predicted that October sales would rise 11.4 percent to 1.4 million.
The government has received nearly 100 complaints related to the issue.
Nissan says the buttons can stick and cause the switches to shut off the engine.
Nissan and BMW are recalling more than 94,000 vehicles because the fuel pumps can fail and cause stalling.
Nissan is recalling 640,000 more cars in the U.S. and Canada to fix a growing problem with faulty latches that can allow hoods to fly open while cars are being driven.
Nissan is recalling nearly 768,000 SUVs worldwide to fix faulty hood latches and electrical shorts that could cause fires.
U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating engine compartment smoke or fire complaints in two Jeep Cherokees, and air bags that didn't inflate properly in two Nissan Rogues.
U.S. safety regulators are ordering Japanese auto supplier Takata Corp. to provide more information about air bags that can explode and shoot shrapnel toward drivers and passengers.
Nissan says it's recalling more than 1,800 Infiniti SUVs in the U.S. for an air bag problem that could send shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
So far, more than 12 million vehicles worldwide with air bags made by Japanese parts supplier Takata Corp. have been recalled for the problem.
The inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed in crashes.
A defect in the devices can possibly kill or injure the driver or passengers.
Nissan is recalling more than 220,000 Altima midsize cars in the U.S. because the hoods could fly open while they're being driven.
