DETROIT (AP) – Nissan says it’s recalling more than 1 800 Infiniti SUVs in the United States for an air bag problem that could send shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
The recall covers some QX56 SUVs from 2013 and the QX80s from 2014. The company says inflators made by troubled parts supplier Takata Corp. were built with an incorrect outer baffle part. That can cause pressure to build up, and the inflators can rupture if driver’s side air bags are deployed.
The latest air bag problem, according to Takata, affects only GM and Nissan vehicles, and it’s separate from previous recalls covering eight million vehicles in the U.S. But the new recall raises the possibility that the company’s air bag problems are growing.
Nissan has no reports of injuries from the baffle problem. It was discovered after General Motors recalled 33 000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars for the same problem in June. The Infiniti recall is part of a larger global recall of 260 000 Nissans announced last week.
Parts shortages have delayed replacement of recalled air bags. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday night that Takata has agreed to add two production lines by early next year. The agency said it wasn’t sure that would be enough and it would determine if more is needed.
The previous recalls are being done because prolonged exposure to high humidity can cause inflators to malfunction and explode with too much force, blowing apart metal canisters and sending metal shards into the car. Safety advocates say four people have died due to that problem, which affects ten different automakers.
Takata, which said it will work to comply, has until December 1 to turn in the information or face US $7 000 daily fines.
