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Nissan, Infiniti issue recall for replacement Takata air bags in older models

Nissan and Infiniti are recalling older vehicles that were repaired after collision damage to address problems with Takata replacement air bag inflators that were potentially installed. The overall campaign population is difficult for Nissan to pin down because the only vehicles impacted would be those that Nissan and Infiniti know to have been serviced with the replacement units in question. Officially, the recalled population numbers just 375, but Nissan says more than 18,000 cars could have the defective parts installed.  Drivers of 2001-2003 Nissan Maximas, 2002-2006 Nissan Sentras, 2007-2012 Nissan Versa Sedans/Hatchbacks, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4s and 2006-2010 Infiniti M35s/M45s that had their vehicles repaired after a collision or theft should be aware that these deadly replacement parts may have been used.  "The potentially affected inflators may have been installed on vehicles after final remedy repair completion under the vehicle recalls as part of a subsequent theft or collision repair," Nissan's notice said. "Vehicles that received the subject parts prior to December 9, 2016, are not affected as they would have been subsequently included in the final remedy recalls and replaced with a final remedy driver and/or passenger air bag inflator. Nissan has identified 18,422 vehicles that may have had these parts installed during service." The air bag inflators in question were inadvertently shipped to service inventory between December 9, 2016 and November 12, 2021 — after the dangers of Takata's inflator design were known to the industry. Notices are already being mailed; owners will be asked to bring their cars in for inspection, and if defective parts are found, they will be replaced.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Nissan files civil suit against Ghosn, seeking $91 million in damages

TOKYO — Nissan filed a civil suit Wednesday seeking 10 billion yen ($91 million) in damages from the Japanese automaker's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn. Nissan filed the case in Yokohama District Court to recoup some of the monetary damages suffered, it said, “as a result of years of misconduct and fraudulent activity" by Ghosn. The claim was calculated by adding the costs from what Nissan called Ghosn's “corrupt practices,” such as rent for overseas property, use of corporate jets and payments to Ghosn's sister, as well as costs for the internal investigation into Ghosn's alleged wrongdoings. Representatives of Ghosn said in a statement they couldn't comment as they had yet to see the legal documents. “Nissan's maneuvers continue,” they said, while noting Nissan had claimed larger damages before. Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades and saved it from near-bankruptcy, was arrested in Japan in November 2018, and charged with underreporting his future compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money for personal gain. He was awaiting trial but skipped bail and showed up in Lebanon late last year. Japan has no extradition treaty with Lebanon, and he's unlikely to be arrested. A date had not been set for his trial, and Ghosn has said he was worried his ordeal would never end and he would not get a fair hearing. The bail conditions also barred him from seeing his wife. He has repeatedly lashed out at Japan's judicial system, where the conviction rate is higher than 99%. Japanese authorities recently issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn and three Americans, accused of helping his escape. Separately, they issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn's wife on suspicion of perjury. Ghosn has repeatedly said he is innocent, saying that the promised compensation had never been decided, and all the payments were for legitimate services. Wednesday's lawsuit by Nissan comes on top of the civil case Nissan filed against Ghosn in the British Virgin Islands in August last year. It alleged unauthorized payments, sought to regain a luxury yacht and pursued other damages, according to Nissan. Yokohama-based Nissan, which makes the Z sportscar, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models, is also facing trial in Japan as a company in relation to Ghosn's scandal. It has indicated it will agree to any penalties. Nissan's reputation has been sorely tarnished over the Ghosn fiasco, and its sales have dropped. Nissan reports financial results Thursday.

Next Infiniti FX to gain interior volume

The Infiniti FX, soon to be renamed QX70 thanks to the Japanese brand's convoluted naming scheme, is currently in the midst of its second-generation. And while we like the compact, sporty crossover's driving character a lot, it lacks the "utility" part of the CUV moniker. That lack of cabin space will be addressed in the future, though.
Automotive News recently sat down with Nissan's global design boss, Shiro Nakamura, to talk about the future of what he called "the icon of Infiniti." And while Nakamura-san admitted the FX/QX70's worth to the brand, its sales have long been something of a disappointment. "Exterior and styling-wise, it's very strong as an icon. But to be honest, its sales volume has not been as big as we wanted," a reality Nakamura believes is due largely to its tight cabin relative to its competition.
Finding the right balance might be difficult, though. The FX/QX70 is selling extremely well in both China and Russia, according to Nakamura, because of its looks. Altering that style in order to increase interior space risks alienating a new and important group of buyers for Infiniti. The designer put it best when he told AN, " It is selling well in China and Russia because it stands out. So we want to maintain that striking look." As it stands, we'll likely be living with the current vehicle for a few more years - AN doesn't expect the third-generation of the FX/QX70 to arrive until 2015 or 2016.