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Nissan recalling 300k Versas, Armadas in two separate campaigns

Nissan is issuing two recalls that affect a total of 300,301 vehicles in the US. By far the larger of the two covers 298,747 examples of the 2012-2015 Versa and 2014-2015 Versa Note. The center console trim panel on these vehicles can catch a driver's shoe when it's moving from the acclerator to the brake. The delay could potentially cause an accident. To fix things dealers will modify the part, and owners will start being notified in mid-October. NHTSA has been investigating this issue since 2014. The agency moved it from a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis earlier this year. At that time there was one crash with minor injuries, among the complaints of the problem. The second recall covers 1,554 examples of the 2015 Nissan Armada with manufacturing dates between April 30, 2015, and June 5, 2015. On them the driver and front passenger seatbelts might not latch properly, or they might not unlatch when the button is pressed. Dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the necessary assemblies if necessary, and the campaign will start in early October. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Lower Trim Panel may Impede Pedal Operation , 1 INVESTIGATION(S) Report Receipt Date: AUG 12, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V507000 Component(s): SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC , VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL Potential Number of Units Affected: 298,747 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) NISSAN VERSA 2012-2015 NISSAN VERSA NOTE 2014-2015 Details Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles manufactured June 9, 2011, to March 11, 2015, and 2014-2015 Nissan Versa Note vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to March 11, 2015. The affected vehicles have a center console trim panel that may catch the driver's shoe and delay the transition from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal. CONSEQUENCE: A delay in the application of the brake pedal would lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the console trim panel, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by mid-October 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

December sales for Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf are what you expected

It was another month of as-expected sales for the two pioneering plug-in vehicles in the US. The Nissan Leaf is basically treading water and the new-generation Chevy Volt is getting back to old habits with a big increase in sales compared to where the car was last year. It wasn't a surprising month, but there wasn't any reason to expect a surprise. In fact, we don't suspect this trend to veer too far from where it's at right now until gas prices shoot up or Nissan introduces a new Leaf. Neither of those things is likely to happen any time soon. Let's start with the mediocre news. Nissan reported today that Leaf sales for December 2015 totaled 1,347 units. That's a 56.6-percent drop from where the Leaf was a year ago, and contributed to the all-electric vehicle's 42.8-percent drop in 2015 sales compared to 2014. This past year, 17,269 people bought Leafs, down from 30,200 who did so in 2014. The Volt sold 2,114 copies last month, bringing the plug-in hybrids 2015 total up to 15,393. That's an 18.1 percent drop from the 18,805 Volts sold in 2014. We shouldn't see the past year as a total flop for the Volt, though, since the much-improved second-generation model was introduced late in the year. In fact, if we just look at December 2015 and compare it to the last month of 2014, we see the Volt was able to post a 41.9-percent increase. It'll be quite fun to see where the Volt's numbers go in 2016. As you probably know, we'll have our complete wrap up of green car sales for you soon. Stay tuned. News Source: Nissan, Chevy Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid ev sales

Nissan NV200 finds new work as ambulance, Gibson guitar repair truck

We live in a world now where not every police cruiser and taxi is a Ford Crown Victoria, not every executive car is a Lincoln Town Car and not every ambulance is based on a Ford Econoline van. Vehicles like the new Nissan NV200 are making inroads into the service, livery and emergency vehicle markets, and we've got a couple cases in point to share.
The first one is a fleet of 30 new ambulances based on the heavier-duty NV2500 chassis. They are entering the Mexican Red Cross fleet of emergency vehicles this year after performing well in pilot tests last year. The Mexican Red Cross says it receives 1,200,000 ambulance service requests per year, so the mettle of these new machines will be tested in a hurry.
The second example is less useful for life-saving, but may save a guitar from going to the scrap heap. Called the Gibson NV200 Mobile Repair & Restoration Van, it can take the services of an authorized Gibson rep anywhere they're needed to repair or restore an axe in need. The van features a whole aesthetic designed to evoke the classic Gibson look, with wood veneer and shades of brown and black used throughout. There's a guitar rack that holds four instruments, a sliding 56-inch long repair table, toolbox, genuine Gibson stools and a sound system by Gibson Pro Audio.