An investigation has lead Nissan to identify a problem in certain Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, where the passenger air bag did not deploy and the air bag status light was not illuminated. The investigation uncovered a problem in which the Occupant Classification System (OCS) classified the seat as empty even though it was occupied. Nissan will be sending notices to owners with instructions on how to get their vehicles repaired.
Due to the sensitivity of the OCS software calibration, in rare instances, the OCS algorithm may not properly classify an adult passenger front seat occupant. The problem is most prevalent when a combination of factors such as high engine vibration at idle when the seat becomes occupied, or unusual occupant seating postures may cause the system to classify the seat as empty. In some instances the OCS may properly re-classify the passenger seat status if the vehicle comes to a stop and begins to idle again with lower vibration.
If the seat is classified as empty, the OCS will suppress the deployment of the passenger air bag, and the passenger air bag status light does not illuminate. If the classification is not corrected, there may be no warning that the air bag may not deploy in a crash where it is designed to deploy, potentially increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
The vehicles included in the recall are:
- 2013-2014 Nissan Altima
- 2013-2014 Nissan LEAF
- 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder
- 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra
- 2013 Nissan NV200/Taxi
- 2013 Infiniti JX35
- 2014 Infiniti QX60
- 2014 Infiniti Q50
Owners wanting to know more about the airbag classification problem can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261. The NHTSA Campaign Number is 14V-138.
