General Information

CLASSIFICATION:
GI95-006

REFERENCE:
NTB95-066

DATE:
June 21, 1995

TAKATA SEAT BELT CAMPAIGN INTERIM CAMPAIGN ADVISORY

This advisory is being published to provide Nissan Dealer Service personnel with interim campaign information to allow them to properly respond to their customer's needs.

APPLIED VEHICLES BELT TYPE

200SX (S12) 1987-88 3 Point active lap/shoulder belt
240SX (S13) 1989-91 2 Point manual lap belt
Truck (D21) 1988-91 3 Point active lap/shoulder belt
Pathfinder (WD21) 1988-91 3 Point active lap/shoulder belt
Van (C22) 1987-90 3 Point active lap/shoulder belt

Sentra (B12) 1987-89 3 Point active lap/shoulder belt & 2 Point manual lap belt
Sentra (B13) 2 Door Sedan 1991 3 Point passive lap/shoulder belt (door mounted)

NUMBER OF VEHICLES POTENTIALLY AFFECTED: Approximately 2,000,000.

BACKGROUND:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating certain seat belt buckles manufactured by Takata Corporation for vehicles in model years 1986 through 1990 and a part of 1991. These buckles were installed in numerous models built by several manufacturers including certain 1987-1991 Nissan and Infiniti models. Nissan is aware of a small number of reports of seat belt buckle release button breakage in vehicles equipped with these Takata buckles. A broken piece may prevent the buckle from latching or prevent it from unlatching.

To resolve the investigation, Nissan and NHTSA entered into an agreement which is described in this excerpt from Nissan's letter to NHTSA:

NHTSA is currently investigating certain Takata front seat belt buckles contained in 1986-1991 vehicles manufactured by numerous automobile companies, including Nissan. This investigation has been the subject of significant media attention for the past several months. Articles have appeared in major newspapers and journals throughout the U.S., and there have been reports on radio and television.

Nissan is aware that the ABS plastic button has broken in a small number of the subject Takata buckles and that pieces of the button may fall into the front buckle assembly. Nissan also believes that some such buttons may break in the future. A broken piece may cause the buckle not to operate properly; specifically, the buckle may not latch or may not unlatch.

Nissan has not confirmed any other operational difficulty in the subject vehicles relating to button breakage. Nissan does not believe a safety-related defect exists in these vehicles as a result of button breakage.

Nevertheless, Nissan believes that the widespread press coverage has been inaccurate, misleading or has otherwise caused confusion and concern among vehicle owners. It is Nissan's desire to maintain a high level of consumer satisfaction and confidence in the safety of the subject vehicles and to avoid the possibility of further erosion of satisfaction and customer confidence in the future.

As a result, Nissan has decided to undertake a voluntary campaign to replace the plastic ABS release buttons in the subject Takata front seat belts with buttons constructed of a plastic material known as POM. All owners of the subject vehicles will be contacted by mail about this program. In addition, the owners will either (1) be advised that Nissan will extend a lifetime seat belt warranty to their vehicles (the warranty will cover all seat belt components in the vehicles and not merely be limited to the subject Takata front buckles), or (2) be reminded of the lifetime seat belt warranty which Nissan applied to vehicles beginning in the 1989 model year. This will demonstrate to Nissan owners our commitment to their safety and continuing satisfaction.

To further demonstrate our commitment, the voluntary campaign will be extended to all subject vehicles equipped with Takata buckles regardless of age. Nissan will provide quarterly reports to NHTSA as set forth in the reporting regulations for a recall and will mark the mailing envelope "Important Safety Recall Notice." Nissan will voluntarily send a follow-up owner notification to each owner who does not respond to the first notification, regardless of the response rate to that notification. Finally, Nissan will voluntarily provide NHTSA with copies of consumer complaints received by Nissan which relate to latching performance of a seat belt buckle that has been repaired in this campaign. Nissan will provide these reports to NHTSA on a quarterly basis beginning with the first quarter in which button replacements begin, for a period of time ending with the fourth quarter (one year) after the last group of initial owner notifications is sent by Nissan. However, Nissan's actions should not be construed as an admission that a safety-related defect actually exists in the subject vehicles, nor that these actions are required by Chapter 301 of Title 49 of the United States Code.

About 2 million Nissan/Infiniti vehicles are involved. The target campaign launch date (owner notification) is September 1995.

If, prior to receiving the official notice from Nissan, an owner suspects any type of improper seat belt operation, he/she should immediately arrange to have the seat belts checked by a Nissan or Infinity dealer (as appropriate) so that needed repairs can be performed. NMC is also applying a lifetime warranty to all seat belt components of the subject 1987 and 1988 vehicles, which Nissan applied to all vehicles beginning in the 1989 model year. As such, any seat belt which fails to function properly will be repaired or replaced at no charge to the customer under the terms of the lifetime seat belt limited warranty.

Repair parts for this campaign are currently being developed. Ordering and part number information will be provided to all dealers in a separate communication before the program's launch. Until further information is supplied, dealers should order only those parts necessary to meet customer requests for the replacement of seat belts or seat belt components.