A number of 2013 Nissan Altima sedans have been recalled in the US after spare tyres were found to be incorrectly inflated.
According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Nissan North America is recalling 123,308 Nissan Altima vehicles build between March 21, 2012 and March 26, 2013 due to spare tyres that may have been “significantly over- or under-inflated”.
“Tyres that are significantly over- or under-inflated may fail without warning, increasing the risk of a crash,” the official NHTSA recall notice says.
Initially discovered by a dealer before being investigated by Nissan, the spare tyre inflation problem was traced back to a malfunctioning pressure regulator at Nissan’s Canton plant in Mississippi.
Tyres of the affected vehicles will have their pressures checked and adjusted to correct levels, unless the pressure is found to have exceeded specific thresholds, in which case the spare tyre will be replaced at no cost to owners.
The NHTSA says the recall is expected to begin on May 3, 2013.
The all-new Nissan Altima is due to arrive locally in June, powered by a four cylinder to rival the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Mazda 6 and Ford Mondeo, and a V6 to challenge the Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore and Toyota Aurion.
Despite racing in the V8 Supercars series with a 5.0-litre quad cam V8 engine under its bonnet, this powerplant – like the Nissan Motorsport cars’ rear-wheel-drive layout – will be confined to the Nissan Altima racecar.
