Nissan is addressing a defect with its best-selling Altima sedans that have faulty hood latches in more than 220,000 vehicles.
Nissan is recalling thousands of its bestselling sedans due to fauly hood fasteners that might open up on the highway. The issue can cause serious danger to the driver and the passengers as it can block driver's view and result in a fatal crash. The car maker has found the problem in a total of 238,000 Altima sedans in the U.S., Canada and other countries around the world, according to a report by Reuters. The recall involves cars with the model year 2013 with maximum cars being sold to consumers in the U.S.
Nissan submitted the recall request to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stating the debris and corrosion between the two hood components causes the problem and release the hood unexpectedly.
"Nissan became aware of a small number of incidents in which the hood came open while the car was moving, causing damage to the car itself," the automaker said in a statement, quoted by Reuters.
Nissan said there were no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem, but one Altima owner reported to the NHTSA that the car's hood suddenly detached completely and flew off, cracking the windshield. The driver was not injured during the incident and the car did not suffer any major damages, USA Today reported. The hood was replaced by a Nissan dealer, the report added.
Nissan hasn't set a date for the recall but the owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by local dealerships. The vehicles affected by the recall were manufactured between March 6, 2012 and February 28, 2013. Altima owners can also contact Nissan to verify if their vehicle needs to be serviced by calling 1-800-647-7261.
As a remedy, Nissan dealers will modify the hood's latch lever and lubricate the latch joint or replace the latch assembly, all at no cost to the customers.
