Due to an assembly process issue, the fuel pressure sensor in some Nissan and Infiniti vehicles may have not been tightened to the manufacturer specification. Over time, the sensor could gradually loosen due to heat and vibration, allowing a small amount of fuel to leak. The fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source could result in an engine fire. The vehicles affected by this problem include: Continue reading

Infiniti is alerting owners of certain 2013-2015 hybrid sedans of a safety defect with their vehicles transmission software. In the affected vehicles, the Engine Control Module (ECM) is designed to go into fail safe mode and partially close the electronic throttle chamber if it detects a signal interruption from either one of the two Throttle Position Sensors (TPS). A programming error could lead to the electronic throttle chamber gradually opening regardless of the throttle position, resulting in the acceleration of the vehicle. Although the acceleration can be overcome by normal application of the brakes, the issue could increase the risk of an accident. Continue reading

Drivers of certain 2013 QX56 and 2014 QX80 SUV’s could experience incorrect airbag inflation during an accident because of a manufacturing error. Some air bags were built with an incorrect outer baffle component that could cause excessive inflator pressure that could rupture the airbag causing metal fragment to strike and potentially injure vehicle occupants. Owner will be asked to return their vehicles to an Infiniti retailer to have the front driver air bag inflator replaced free of charge. Continue reading

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging owners of certain BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota vehicles to take immediate action and replace defective Takata airbags. Vehicle owners receiving regional recalls are especially urged to get the problem taken care of, as consistent hot and humid conditions are suspect to intensify the problem. These areas include: Florida, Puerto Rico, areas in Texas near the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Guam, as well as Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii. Continue reading

Shortly after purchasing his new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, a California resident began experiencing transmission problems that would result in loss of engine power while operating under normal driving conditions. He had taken it in for repairs on three separate occasions for problems which included a defective transmission, torque converter, and transmission control module (TCM). The vehicle was also subject to Service Bulletin (NTB12-035) for problems with the TCM and the powertrain control module (PCM), as well as an NHTSA Investigation (DP12004) for transmission damage due to contamination by engine coolant. (According to the NHTSA website, the Office Of Defect Investigation (ODI) has received 512 consumer complaints regarding transmission problems in certain Nissan Pathfinders.) Continue reading

Nissan is conducting a safety campaign on a small number of 2014 Nissan Leaf EV’s after a routine quality inspection found a vehicle that was missing several front member welds. Vehicles with several structure welds out of specification fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 208; Occupant Crash Protection, and FMVSS No. 305; Electric-powered vehicles: electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection. Continue reading