Nissan has increased their recall for the Altima sedan in North America to an approximate 800,000 vehicles because of the secondary hood latch failure, SMN Weekly reported.
The secondary latch is designed and engineered to keep the hood of the vehicle in place or close if in any case the primary latch is accidently released or failed to operate. The secondary latch, serves its purpose to prevent the hood from fully opening and blocking the view of the driver while in transit.
Nissan found out that the Altimas from 2013 to 2015, specifically those that was made between March 6 2012 and December 31 2014 is possible to have secondary latches that won't hold up to the pressure and could fail.
The automaker has yet to uncover where the issue occurs or what are the possible steps that need to be taken in order to once and for all address the issue. With the pending issue at hand, Nissan released a statement that they are not sure if there are possible future recalls that might happen in relation to the recall but also reassured the Altima users that they don't need to worry about the flying open while running so long as the primary latch is secured. As of this writing, Nissan haven't received reports of injuries or crashes that are related to the recall, but has reports of vehicle damage due to the hood opening without warning.
The Altima sedans are one of Nissan's best-selling brands specifically in the United States. In every four Nissans that are being sold one of them is an Altima. For January and February of 2015, Toyota Camry while Altima comes second, with regards to sales.
According to Autoblog, Nissan has confirmed that the Altima models that are made from Jan. 1 are not included in the recall or has a defected hood latch. Autoblog also stated that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed that Nissan has not released any confirmation or plan on repairing the affected vehicles or damage the issue has caused.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, through a memorandum issued, are encouraging Altima owners to call 1-888-327-4236 for any assistance they need with regards to their Altima's latch issue or to more details about the recall, until Nissan finally releases a concrete plan to finally address the issue.