Nissan Issues Another Round of Recalls

Nissan recently issued a recall for thousands of units of the Frontier and Titan—another in a long line of safety issues the company faces. A separate recall in June was announced just a few months ago due to a defect inside the transmission. It has also affected more than 180,000 units of the Frontier and Titan trucks.

If you own a Nissan pickup truck, staying up-to-date on the latest news and information about this recall is crucial. Read on to learn more about why the trucks are being recalled and what you can do to protect yourself.

Has technology made rollaway easier?

The rollaway risk has been tackled in a Safety Research and Strategies, Inc article. As cited from NHTSA data, the rollaway problems accounted for 17 percent of all non-traffic injuries and deaths.

The number of casualties and injuries is only based on estimates. The article speculated that NHTSA might have undercounted the scope of the issue because the majority of rollaway accidents do not constantly occur on public roadways. Some instances happened in private driveways and parking lots, so they do not get the exact reporting mechanisms as on-road vehicle incidents.

Although technology can be a factor in a rollaway issue of a vehicle, it can also be the solution. SAE International, a US-based professional association for engineering professionals in various industries, published a recommendation in 2011. However, the association's proposal was so vague for warnings. It has dissatisfied with the NHTSA's move to amend the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114 Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.

NHTSA published a proposal for automakers to include explicitly loud and hard-to-ignore vehicle warnings. Manufacturers disliked the agency's recommendations for audible alerts, fearing they could be too loud and annoying for drivers. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) argued that the agency did not have enough hard data to base the proposed regulation.

Malfunction on Nissan trucks

Nissan recalls certain pickup trucks in its lineup due to the risk of rollaway. The truck models affected by the malfunction are Frontiers and Titans manufactured from 2020 through 2023. According to CNN, the number of affected units represented 203,223 vehicles sold.

The primary cause of the latest recall appears to be an issue with the truck's transmission. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigated the problem. It has indicated that the resistance between the parking rod and the wedge inside the transmission housing may inhibit movement. If the parking pawl does not engage, the truck wheels may move even after placing the shifter into Park mode.

The defect on the truck is a safety risk, primarily if the parking pawl does not engage. The potential movement of the vehicle increases the risk of a crash. Rollaway typically affects cars with automatic transmissions. Although the driver's foot is not on the brake and the engine is off, the truck could shift "out of park." Even if the truck's gear shift is in park mode, the malfunction may cause the vehicle to roll away. It is a significant vehicular accident risk that causes injuries to drivers and passengers.

Chronology of Nissan truck recalls

Here's how Nissan discovered the problem with some of their truck lineup.

• 24th of June 2022: Nissan initiated Recall 22V-457 for 2020 to 2022 models of the Titan and Frontier. The trucks were manufactured from the 13th of December 2019 to the 14th of June 2022. Due to the potential non-engagement of the parking pawl, the automaker issued a recall. The contact between the boss on the transmission case and the edge of the parking pawl caused the defect (22V-457).

• July 2022: In Canton, Mississippi plant, the engineers have to test the vehicles before they deliver them to the dealers. They check the suspension, check if the truck tires are intact, and inspect the engine and other parts for quality checks. During the testing, a 2022 Frontier, produced in June, moved after being placed in the 'P" Park mode. Nissan collected the transmission of the truck for further study. They sent it to Japan Automatic Transmission Company (JATCO), the supplier, for investigation.

• August 2022: JATCO conducted duplication testing to recreate the condition. Additional parts were also sent to them for analysis. According to JATCO's feedback to Nissan, the issue appeared to be different from the June recall. They noticed that the problem seemed to be related to the insufficient lifting force of the parking pawl, which was caused by the friction between the parking rod and the parking wedge. On August 24th and 29th, Nissan initiated and expanded a quality hold on all Titan and Frontier vehicles with model years 2020- to 2023. The company also implemented a stop shipment from the Mississippi plant on the 25th of August. They audited the manufacturing plant and identified 11 out of 83 vehicles with the subject condition.

• The 1st of September 2022: The automaker conducted a recall campaign due to the safety risk of a potential rollaway condition when parking the affected Titan and Frontier trucks. The investigation is still ongoing, and the final recall remedy is still under development.

All trucks with the "non-engagement of the parking pawl" issue have a nine-speed automatic transmission. Frontier trucks built on the 25th of June 2021, the 13th of July 2021, and the 25th of August 2022 have model years from 2020 through 2023. The Titan pickups built from the 13th of December 2019 through the 25th of August 2022 may also have the defect.

Getting info from NHTSA

The NHTSA website will inform you if your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed. To check, input your car's 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into the NHTSA's website. If a recall doesn't appear, your vehicle does not currently have any open recalls. Many automakers issue recalls, not only for new ones but for many older vehicles. It is recommended to check the website regularly to see whether your truck got a recall issued.

When a remedy is available, customers may expect a letter from Nissan informing them of the availability and requesting to take their vehicle to a dealer to have it fixed. Customers who have paid to resolve the problem will be reimbursed. The potential rollaway condition when parking the truck is a blow to Nissan’s sales because the recall does not happen once but twice this year.

By the 1st of November 2022, Nissan will notify owners by mail. Another mail will be sent out when a recall fix is available. In the meantime, owners of Frontier or Titan trucks built within the timeframe should always use the parking brake whenever they are parking their vehicles. Those who have questions may contact Nissan at 800-867-7669.