Nissan Recalls 300,000 Versa, Versa Note, Armada Vehicles From 2012-2015

This morning, Nissan issued two recalls affecting more than 300,000 late-model Nissan Versa, Versa Note, and Armada vehicles. The Versa and Versa note are being recalled to fix a design flaw that could prevent drivers from hitting their brakes, while the Armada recall stems from a problem with the SUV's seatbelts.

RECALL #1: 2012-2015 Nissan Versa sedan, 2014-2015 Nissan Versa Note
UNITS AFFECTED: 298,747 

If you're a regular reader of this site, Nissan's recall of the Versa and Versa Note won't come as much of a surprise. The Versa family has been under investigation for some time because of a problematic trim panel located near the accelerator pedal. 

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Nissan has received numerous complaints from owners who've said that their feet have gotten caught on that trim panel while driving. That, in turn, has prevented motorists from taking their feet off the gas and tapping the brakes, increasing the risk of accidents. 

After a lengthy probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan has agreed to recall the vehicles and modify the panel so that it no longer poses a hazard to drivers. The recall affects the following models:

• 2012-2015 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles built between June 9, 2011 and March 11, 2015

• 2014-2015 Nissan Versa Note vehicles built between April 23, 2013 and March 11, 2015

Nissan says that it will begin mailing recall notices to owners in mid-October. After receiving those notices, owners will be able to take their vehicles to Nissan dealers for free repairs.  

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If you have questions, you're encouraged to contact Nissan customer service at 800-647-7261, or call NHTSA and ask about safety campaign #15V507000.

RECALL #2: 2015 Nissan Armada
UNITS AFFECTED: 1,554

This far-smaller recall is designed to fix a problem with the Armada's seatbelts, which were manufactured by Johnson Controls. According to a NHTSA bulletin:

Due to a material handling issue at the seat belt buckle supplier, a partially filled tote of incorrect seat belt buckle subassemblies (intended for a different vehicle) was mixed into another tote of correct buckle subassemblies. As a result, a small number of Armada vehicles may have been equipped with incorrect front buckle subassemblies that contain a magnetic lock pin that is not supposed to be in the Nissan Armada buckle subassembly. If the front buckle subassembly is incorrect, this could cause the front driver and/or passenger seat belt buckles to a) not unlatch when the release button is depressed; or b) not properly latch.

Obviously, if the Armada's seatbelts don't properly latch, they won't protect occupants during a collision. If, on the other hand, the devices won't unlatch, they could prevent occupants from exiting the vehicle during an emergency.

The recall is limited to 2015 Nissan Armada vehicles built between April 30, 2015 and June 5, 2015. Nissan will send recall notices to owners of those vehicles by early October 2015. After receiving those notices, Armada owners will be able to take their vehicles to a dealership, where the front seatbelt buckles will be inspected and replaced as necessary, at no charge. 

Questions? Contact Nissan customer service at 800-647-7261, or ring NHTSA and ask about safety campaign #15V501000.