Written by David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety regulators said on Monday they have opened an investigation into nearly 75,000 Nissan (OTC:) 2015 Rogue Select vehicles over reports of unintended deployment of side airbags in some of them.
The NHTSA investigation was launched in response to reports of unintended deployments after a vehicle door was closed or locked. The agency said such deployments could cause injury to vehicle occupants or result in loss of airbag protection.
Nissan said it is “working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in response to this initial assessment. Nissan values its relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and will continue to engage in a transparent and collaborative dialogue on all matters related to product safety.”
Nissan and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week asked owners of nearly 84,000 older vehicles in the United States equipped with recalled, non-repairable Takata airbags to immediately stop driving them because of a safety risk.
Nissan has asked owners not to drive certain vehicles — the 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 — that were recalled in 2020 but were not repaired.
More than 30 deaths have been reported worldwide — including 27 in the United States — and more than 400 injuries since 2009 in vehicles sold by various automakers due to Takata airbag inflators that can explode, releasing shrapnel. Metal inside cars and trucks.