Nissan Air Bag Recall

[DaveBerlin]

I read about this problem last week in a German Car Magazine but there was no specific Cars mentioned. Today there was a write up on BBC World News with more details, part is manufactured by Takata Corp :
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27970466
I then found a listing of the Nissan Cars involved which appear to be US related :
http://www.edmunds.com/recalls/nissan.html
There is also a listing from the AA on Car Recall Results
http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/recal ... lowIndex=6

I thought I would post this for reference because Nowhere is the QQ mentioned so that is positive, but it might be worth keeping our eyes open. Most Major Manufacturers theses days use the same or similiar products throughout their car ranges, when there is a problem with one it can snowball - Dave

[Gel]

Airbag recall discussed on BBC Watchdog tonight, with Mazda & Honda having plans to contact drivers of effected vehicles.However, Nissan told Watchdog they had no idea how many of their vehicles in UK were involved;definitely poor PR

[DaveBerlin]

Just a follow up to this problem with Air Bags. I was informed from friends in the US that there was a problem with the GM Cruze which they have. Today there is more information on this from the BBC : http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28030902


After digging in a bit further I found on the Takata Corp. website an interesting article on Air Bags.
Take a look at "How an Air Bag Works" with a video and T=timing showing the Air Bag functions. To me this is really interesting especially the Timing involved for the required actions - amazing !.
http://www.takata.com/en/around/airbag.html
Hope you find this of interest - Dave

[PeterL]

Amazing how quick these things inflate, as indeed my sister-in-law in the US can relate. Her Toyota was a total write-off, she just had a twisted ankle for some reason.

[DaveBerlin]

Just to keep you all updated, here in Germany the Air Bag Recalls appear to be for the following vehicles : Nissan Almera, Navara, Pathfinder, Patrol, Terrano 11, Tino, X-Trail and Maxima all manufactured between 29th May 2000 and 24th Nov 2003. So it looks like the QQ's are all OK - Dave

[DaveBerlin]

Timing is marching on on this subject of Takata Air Bags seems to be hitting the news again. It still looks like we are OK with the QQ as there is no mention anywhere, but there are more and more Re-Calls being made. Just so you are up to date here is a couple of News stories if you are interested - Dave http://www.autonews.com/article/2014102 ... s_car.html

[DaveBerlin]

Sorry forgot this BBC News version - Dave http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29797955

[DaveBerlin]

Just to keep you all in the picture on this ever increasing problem of Air Bag Safety, luckily it does not involve us yet but I just like to keep up to date on the happenings - Nov 10th Dave

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-nissan ... es-2014-11

[Donkey]

That was featured in a BBC consumer programe Dave in UK called Watchdog a few months agoIf I remember other manufactures confirmed how many cars and models were affected and what they planned to do about it and Nissan just gave a comment they were aware of situation and no further commentIt did get astonishment from news reporter at time ill try and dig it out get a link up

[DaveBerlin]

It is now being reported that Takata are using a chemical that is more explosive than what other manufacturers use and is now being changed.

On November 12, Car & Driver reported about a change in Takata's chemical makeup of its airbag propellant, which the company says is unrelated to the ongoing recall situation.


http://blog.caranddriver.com/takata-cha ... ve-recall/






Takata Corp has modified the composition of an air bag propellant that contains a volatile chemical at the center of a recall of millions of cars worldwide. Humidity was mentioned as one of the possible problems.

Takata = Ammonium Nitrate: ammonium nitrate is also the main component of an explosive called ANFO which stands for Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil. It is an explosive mixture which is used widely in mining. ANFO is composed of 94 percent ammonium nitrate and 6 percent fuel oil. The ammonium nitrate will serve as the oxidizing agent for the fuel. Another interesting fact about this compound is that it is actually hygroscopic. A hygroscopic substance is something that can easily collect water molecules from the environment where it is placed. Because of this reason, ammonium nitrates should not be stored in humid areas since water can easily affect the compound's explosive function. Ammonium nitrates are now regulated by the government since it is already used to create fertilizer bombs. These are improvised explosive devices that other people use in terrorism. Ammonium nitrate can be very helpful in agriculture but correct storage and handling should always be observed.
Other = Guanidine nitrate: is the salt formed from guanidine and nitric acid. It has the chemical formula C(NH2)3NO3. It has been used as a monopropellant in the Jetex engine for model airplanes. It is attractive because it has a high gas output and low flame temperature. Hazards: May explosively decompose on shock, friction, or concussion / May explode on heating / On combustion, forms toxic and corrosive fumes including nitric acid and nitrogen oxides / The substance is a strong oxidant and reacts with combustible and reducing materials. Routes of exposure: The substance can be absorbed into the body by ingestion / A nuisance-causing concentration of airborne particles can be reached quickly when dispersed, especially if powdered. Effects of short-term exposure: The substance is severely irritating to the eyes and the skin / Harmful if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin.


Some might find this boring but it is amazing what is being used in todays Cars without the Owners knowing - I just like to keep updated on these facts hopefully you also - Dave