Nissan North America announced a recall of 2.14 million vehicles on October 28, 2010. This makes it the third largest recall in Nissan’s history. However, this is just one of a long list of recalls for the auto industry this year. There have been dozens of various makes and models recalled by several manufacturers, ranging from school buses and semi-trucks to cars, SUVS, and recreational vehicles. Toyota and Honda have both announced recalls right after Nissan made its latest announcement.
Reasons for recalls
With all the recalls (approximately 20 this year alone), many people may assume that the vehicles are getting shoddier and unsafe to drive. However, due to Toyota’s bad experiences, automotive manufacturers are now becoming more proactive in vehicle safety campaigns. They are trying to catch all the issues before any incidents and injuries are reported by consumers. Thus, most of the recalls are actually done voluntarily for minor problems and annoyances rather than for major safety issues. There are numerous recalls simply because the same parts were used for various makes and models, and therefore have to be corrected in every vehicle that uses that type of part.
Most manufacturers don’t like announcing recalls though, because they can tarnish a company’s reputation for a very long time. So in many instances, they simply notify the owners of a potential hazard or defective part by mail, explaining what the customer should do about the problem. However, if the manufacturer can’t locate all the vehicles or if the problem presents a major risk to the public, then they must do a public recall of the vehicles.
Thus, Nissan is recalling the 2.14 million vehicles due to an ignition problem, even though no accidents or injuries have been reported yet. Apparently, Nissan has discovered that the oxidation on the contacts of the ignition relay can cause the car to take longer to start, possibly stall out, and not restart.
Nissan models being recalled
Nissan is recalling nearly 762,000 vehicles sold in North America, 835,000 sold in Japan, and 354,000 sold in Europe. The vehicles were built from August 2003 through July 2006 in China, Great Britain, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. The North American models include:
- 2004-06 Armada SUV
- 2004-06 Titan pickups
- 2004-06 Infiniti QX56 SUV
- 2005-06 Frontier pickups
- 2005-06 Pathfinder SUV
- 2005-06 Xterra SUV
Other models being recalled in other countries include the Cube, March, Mycra, Note, and Tilda. Nissan will be notifying owners in December, after the dealers get the parts in. They are expecting the repairs to take about a half hour for each vehicle. However, if the vehicle begins to run abnormally, the owner should take it to a dealer before receiving a notice.
Other October 2010 recalls
Here is a list of other recalls currently being conducted:
- BMW is recalling 350,000 globally due to potential brake problems. The recall includes models from the 5, 6, and 7 BMW brand series.
- Rolls-Royce has announced it will be asking 5,800 Phantom owners to bring their cars in for inspection
- Daihatsu Motor Co. is also recalling 883,006 mini vehicles sold in Japan due to problems with the door mirrors possibly falling off.
- Toyota is recalling about 1.66 million vehicles primarily sold in China, Japan, and the U.S. for brake and fuel pump issues. This recall includes Avalons, non-hybrid Highlanders, and Lexuses.
- Honda has announced it will be recalling some 2005-2007 models of Acura RL sedans and Honda Odyssey minivans due to brake fluid leaks that can cause the brakes to become spongy and too soft over time.
