In 2016, the year the 2017 Nissan Sentra debuted, Nissan had a huge airbag-related recall, affecting over three million units across just about every nameplate they were producing. The 2017 Sentra was, thankfully, not affected. But it did have a much smaller airbag recall of its own.
So how did the 2017 Sentra escape that big recall?
Simple. The recall was issued in April of 2016, while the 2017 Sentra didn’t go up for sale until later that year. After recalling over three million cars, you don’t make that mistake a second time.
So, what exactly was the issue with the 2017 Sentra’s airbags? It had to do with a defect in the inflator. Where that big recall had to do with the occupant classification system, the computerized system that determines whether to deploy, this recall saw the airbags trying and failing to deploy.
Front Passenger Airbag Might not Deploy Properly
NHTSA Recall ID: 17V253000
Affecting an estimated 30,038 potential units, including 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra, as well as a number of 2015-2017 LEAFs, this recall concerned the front passenger airbag failing to deploy in the event of an accident.
The problem came down to a manufacturing error in the inflator, with the concern being, of course, that the passenger would sustain injury in the event of a crash, owing to the airbag not inflating properly.
Nissan issued a recall notification and began replacing the front passenger inflator for the airbag in affected units on June 7, 2017.
Are You Affected?
Nissan sold 218,451 Sentra in 2017, and the recall affected a potential 30,038 units, so there’s a better than a one-in-ten chance that you are affected by this recall… but you don’t have to do any guesswork on the matter.
All you need to do is check your VIN number. If you can’t find it, just check your owner’s manual to find out where it’s been stamped on your vehicle.
Once you have your VIN number, take it to the NHTSA lookup tool. Type it into the search bar and the site should let you know which recalls have been issued for your car and whether they’ve already been administered on your particular vehicle.
If you find that you have any pending recalls, you’ll want to go ahead and get that taken care of by calling Nissan at 1-800-647-7261. They’ll tell you what to do next. Typically, they’ll send you to the nearest participating dealership to have the repairs conducted.
The repairs are conducted at the automaker’s expense and extend for the lifetime of your car. The only exception here is tires, where you have 180 days to claim your recalls. Tires simply take on too much wear and tear, and they are intended to be replaced over time anyway.
An Informed Driver is a Safe Driver
When buying a car, one of the smartest things you can do is read up on its Vehicle History. If it has any common problems, if it has an unusually high recall rate, if it’s had any major repairs conducted on it, Vehicle History will let you know what to be on the lookout for.
For that matter, it’s not a bad idea to stay informed if you’ve already made the purchase, either. If there are any ongoing investigations, you’re going to want to keep tabs on that. If there are any factory-issued repairs that haven’t been made official with an NHTSA recall yet, you’ll want to know.
The more you know about your car, the safer you’re going to be on the road, and the safer everyone else will be, too.
