10/28/2010

Nissan said Thursday it is recalling 2.14
million vehicles in the U.S., Japan, Europe and
Asia for an ignition problem that may stall
engines.

No accidents have been reported that are
suspected of being related to the defect,
according to Yokohama-based Nissan Motor
Co.

A problem was found in an ignition-system
part called the relay for vehicles produced
from 2003 through 2006, including small cars
like the March, Micra, Cube and Note, and
about a dozen other models, such as the Tiida
sedan, Titan pickup and Infiniti QX56 luxury
model.
 
Nissan said problems in the ignition relay
could cause the engine to stall or fail to
restart. The recalls are mostly in Japan, with
835,000 units, and the United States and
Canada with a combined 762,000 units.

The faulty vehicles were built in Japan, the
United States, Britain, Spain, China and Taiwan
between August 2003 and July 2006.

Nissan does not disclose cost estimates on
vehicle recalls or any impact on its earnings.
But the fix is likely to be relatively cheap, with
Nissan estimating less than 25 minutes for the
repair.

Recalls exceeding 1 million vehicles have
become more common at big automakers as
they use common components across multiple