Engine Issues Leads to National Nissan Vehicle Recall

The recent string of motor vehicle recalls has left car owners wondering if their car is going to be next. Unfortunately for some Nissan car owners, that fear is becoming reality as Nissan North America announced today that they are recalling over 700,000 vehicles.

If you drive a Nissan sedan or compact car, you can breathe easy. Nissan is only recalling specific models of trucks and SUVS that were produced between 2003 and 2006, including but not limited to Pathfinders and Xterras. While there have not yet been any accidents or fatalities reported, the potential for liability is great.

According to Nissan, the recalled vehicles have a faulty engine control that can result in the vehicle stalling while in use. The problem is a silicon vapor that is produced inside a mechanism that sends voltage to the engine to keep it running. The vapor can prevent accurate communication to the engine that can result in stalling.

A stalled vehicle can be a dangerous vehicle. Though no one has been injured yet, it can still happen. A driver on a deserted road experiences less physical trauma when their vehicle stalls. They may spill hot coffee on themselves and experience some minor burns or at the worst be so startled that they lose control as their vehicle loses speed and hits a pole.

But imagine driving on a highway at high speeds when your car stalls. If other drivers are not paying attention, they could slam into your vehicle causing serious damage to the car and to your person. It can also be extremely dangerous being stranded on the side of a highway as well.

If reports of injuries begin to surface, Nissan will likely be facing personal injury and products liability claims against them. People who were hurt as a result of the faulty engine will have bills for medical treatment and sometimes for physical therapy. Many will seek compensation for damages and losses they may incur as a result of the defective product.

Hopefully Nissan will be able to remove the faulty vehicles before injuries occur. The recall affects many other countries around the world as well.

Source: CNN Money online, “Nissan recalling 747,000 vehicles in U.S.,” Aaron Smith, 28 October 2010