Japanese automaker Nissan Motor is set to recall 1,053,479 vehicles globally in order to rectify the problem in vehicle occupant classification system software that deactivates the front passenger airbag.
For the second time, Nissan is recalling vehicles for the same issue.
Vehicles affected under this recall include the 2013 Nissan NV 200 cargo van; 2013-2014 Leaf electric car; the 2013 Infiniti JX35 crossover vehicle; 2013-2014 Altima sedan and Sentra small car and Pathfinder SUV; and the 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan and QX60 crossover.
Of the total vehicles, 989,701 were sold in the US, 60,000 in Canada and the remaining in other markets.
The recall is expected to begin in mid-April 2014. Nissan will update the software free of charge.
As per the documents filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Nissan has identified two accidents in which the passenger airbag did not deploy. However, the company spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying that the company could not derive any conclusions about these accidents being related to the software issue.
According to documents filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the software may incorrectly identify the passenger seat as empty and deactivate the airbag. This is likely to increase the risk of an injury for passengers in the event of a crash.
