Nissan Micra :: 12,859 hatchbacks join Takata airbag recall in Australia

The official recall notice published on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s website states 12,859 current-generation (K13) Nissan Micra models built between September 2010 and October 2011 have been recalled to correct the airbag defect.

The notice explains the driver’s side airbag inflator of recalled vehicles may have been incorrectly installed and may cause the airbag to not deploy correctly during a collision, increasing the risk of injury to the driver.

Nissan Australia says owners of affected Micra models will be advised to contact their nearest Nissan dealer to arrange for the inspection and repair. The car maker intends to commence the recall campaign in December.

The 12,859 recalled Micras join 25,941 Nissan Pulsar, Patrol, Navara, Maxima and X-Trail models that were recalled in June as part of an amendment to a previous recall campaign that was initiated in April 2013.

In total, more than 100,000 vehicles from BMW, Honda, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota have been recalled in Australia to address the defect with the airbags sourced from Japanese manufacturer Takata.

More than 17 million vehicles fitted with Takata airbags have been recalled around the world since 2008 over a defect that can cause the airbags to explode with excessive force and shoot metal shrapnel.

The defective airbags have been linked to a number of deaths and are the subject of investigations and lawsuits in the US and other countries.