Nissan recalling 404,000 vehicles for steering wheel badge that can fly off in a crash

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN

Nissan is recalling more than 400,000 older SUV, van and pickup models in the United States because the Nissan badge on the steering wheel can break apart or detach when the airbag inflates.

Vehicle airbags inflate with explosive force in a crash, and, in some of these vehicles, the round Nissan logo or pieces from it can become dangerous projectiles.

Nissan is aware of four injuries allegedly related to this issue, according to a letter the automaker sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The issue is thought to exist on just 0.3% of the recalled vehicles. Owners of the recalled models will be asked to bring their vehicle to a Nissan dealer to have the parts inspected, though the automaker is still working on a fix.

The logo emblem, which is on the front of the steering wheel horn button, is part of an airbag assembly produced by Nissan supplier Autoliv, which used badges from a second supplier that was not fully identified. According to a Nissan investigation reported to NHTSA, the badges were apparently produced improperly, causing them to weaken with age and sometimes develop cracks.

The models involved in the recall are 2008 through 2011 Nissan Titan and Frontier pickups and Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder and Armada SUVs; and 2008 and 2009 Quest minivans.

People with models that may be involved are being asked to visit NHTSA.gov to see if their vehicle is among those being recalled.

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