Nissan is issuing two major recalls to more than 4 million cars due to faulty sensors. The recall covers cars in the United States that have defective airbags and seat belts that could lead to injuries and even death during a crash.
Both of the recalls have issues with occupant classification system, or OCS that would not operate during an accident, according to Washington Post. OCS is capable of checking whether the person is an adult or a child, and whether the passenger seat is occupied. The substandard system might detect that the seat is empty, or classify an adult as a child.
Nissan's first recall includes 3,177,645 cars. The models include: 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima; 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, and Sentra; 2013-2017 Nissan Pathfinder; 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX50, Infiniti Q60; 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue; 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Chevrolet City Express; and 2013 Infiniti JX35.
Nissan has offered free repairs of the affected cars. The Japanese car company may reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit and OCS Electronic Control Unitor, or change the affected parts. The fix will depend on each car. It has been Nissan's fourth recall with the same issue since 2013.
In March 2015, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started an investigation after receiving tons of complaints from car owners about defective airbag sensors. At least 3,283 complaints and warranty claims due to damaged OCS have been filed against Nissan. One person has been reported wounded due to the faulty system.
In other news, the company is also recalling 622,110 units of 2013-2016 Nissan Sentra due to faulty seat belt bracket. In this case, the air bag sensor is not shutting off the right time, Fox News reported. The NHTSA claimed that if a child restraint system is used in the front passenger's seat, the seat belt bracket can be damaged overtime.
Nissan and General Motors will initially notify car owners of the issues within the next two months. After that, a second notice will be issued for the repair. For the meantime, the company is warning car owners not to place children in the front passenger seat who require child restraint system.
Watch the video below about Nissan's major recall: