A Nissan Sentra sits on a dealership lot on November 12, 2010 in Evanston, Illinois.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
Nissan has warned owners of older vehicles to stop driving cars with recalled and unrepaired Takata airbags, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday.
The Japanese automaker’s “do not drive” warning applies to 83,920 vehicles, according to NHTSA. Affected vehicles include the 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4, which may be equipped with Takata airbags that were recalled in 2020.
Nissan shares fell nearly 3%. during Wednesday’s session after the warning.
“NHTSA urges all vehicle owners to immediately check whether their vehicles are subject to the Takata airbag recall,” the agency said in a statement. “Occupants of these vehicles should not drive until repairs have been completed and the defective airbags replaced.”
Nissan and Infiniti are offering free towing and on-site repairs to affected owners, as well as loaner vehicles in select locations. Infiniti is a division of Nissan.
“The vehicles equipped with the defective Takata airbag inflators are older, increasing the risk that the inflator could explode during airbag deployment, sending sharp metal fragments flying and causing serious injury or death,” a Nissan spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.
Faulty Takata airbags have exploded in the United States, killing 27 people, according to the NHTSA. At least 400 people have been injured, according to the NHTSA.
At least 67 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled in Japan, and more than 100 million worldwide, making it the largest auto safety recall in history.
Takata filed for bankruptcy in Japan and the United States in 2017 after agreeing to pay a $1 billion criminal fine for alleged misconduct in selling defective airbag inflators.
