2013 Nissan Leaf Airbags Problems
12 owner-reported airbags complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Airbags Recalls (2)
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
AIR BAGS
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Owner Complaints (12)
Your airbag warning light is flashing on your dashboard. The dealership says this isn't covered under a recall, but you've heard that other Nissan Leafs have airbag recalls. The repair is expensive, and you're wondering if there's been a mistake and your vehicle should be covered. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the airbag system and replacing faulty components or sensors.
Parts you may need:
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Your car's left curtain airbag and driver's side airbag deployed suddenly while you were driving, even though there was no collision or sudden movement. The driver's seatbelt pre-tensioner also locked up at the same time. This caused the driver to get minor injuries and lose control, swerving to the shoulder. After this happened, your car wouldn't shift into drive and had to be towed. The exact cause of this unexpected deployment is unknown.
Parts you may need:
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Your SRS airbag warning light has been flashing for about a year, and a diagnostic code indicates a problem with the occupancy sensor (OCS). This sensor tells the airbag system whether a passenger is in the front seat, so a malfunction could prevent the airbag from deploying properly in a crash. The vehicle hasn't been inspected by Nissan or a technician yet. Fixing this will likely require diagnosing the occupancy sensor circuit and replacing the faulty sensor or repairing related wiring.
Parts you may need:
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Your airbag warning light is on, and your dealer says it's likely a problem with either the airbag control module or the passenger seat airbag itself. You're concerned that the airbag may not deploy properly if you're in an accident. This typically requires replacement of the faulty airbag control module or passenger airbag unit.
Parts you may need:
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Your passenger airbag warning light is blinking red, indicating the occupant classification system (OCS) sensor has stopped working. This sensor was serviced under a recall in 2017, but it has now failed completely after a few years. The repair will require replacing the OCS control unit and sensor, which your Nissan dealer estimates at $1,000.
Parts you may need:
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While driving at 40 mph, your wife pressed the brake pedal but the brakes didn't respond, causing a rear-end collision. The brake lines were stuck and the brake actuator needed replacement. The airbags did not deploy during the crash. The fix involved replacing the brake actuator and releasing the stuck brake lines.
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POSSIBLE FAULTY AIRBAG/SEATBELT SENSOR. PASSENGER LIGHT SEATBELT AND AIRBAG LIGHT. KEEP ON FLASHING, WHILE NOONE SIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.
WHAT THE PROBLEM
I HAD AN ADULT PASSENGER SITTING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WITH HER 8LB DOG. SHE WEIGHS 83 LBS. THE AIRBAG LIGHT SHOWED THAT THE AIRBAG WAS SHUT OFF. ANOTHER TIME I PLACE A GROCERY BAG WITH TWO BAGS OF FROZEN POTATOES AND A QUART OF ICE CREAM ON THE SEAT, THE "NO AIRBAG LIGHT" SHUT OFF. WHEN I REMOVED THE BAG THE THE AIRBAG OFF LIGHT WHENT ON.
AFTER RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT NALLEY NISSAN OF CHAMBLEE, GA TO HAVE THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (RECALL 16V-244) RECALL REPAIR MADE IN MY LEAF. I MADE THE APPOINTMENT FOR JULY 28, 2016, AFTER BEING TOLD THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ME THEN. ON JULY 28, 2016, I PICKED UP MY CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL SERVICE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED. HOWEVER, 2 INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD RELATED TO THE AIRBAG PROBLEM WERE STILL FLASHING. ON JULY 29, 2016, I CALLED NALLEY NISSAN TO COMPLAIN THAT THE LIGHTS WERE STILL FLASHING AND TO ASK WHY I WAS ASSURED THE RECALL SERVICE HAD BEEN PERFORMED, IF IT HAD NOT; I WAS ASSURED THAT SOMEONE WOULD CALL ME BACK TO EXPLAIN OR SCHEDULE SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICE OF MY CAR. HOWEVER, NO ONE EVER CALLED BACK. SUBSEQUENTLY, I RECEIVED A SURVEY BY EMAIL ASKING ABOUT MY SERVICE EXPERIENCE, WHICH I COMPLETED WITH NEGATIVE FEEDBACK. DURING THE WEEK OF AUGUST 1, A WOMAN CALLED IN RESPONSE TO MY SURVEY AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR ME TO DROP OFF THE CAR FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL SERVICE TODAY, AUGUST 11. AFTER DROPPING OFF MY CAR TODAY, I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY ONCE AGAIN DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT ON 7/28, THEY PERFORMED A DIFFERENT RECALL SERVICE, NOT THE AIRBAG. I HAVE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THAT THE AIRBAG FAULT IS "NOT A SAFETY ISSUE." I HAVE ASKED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE FAULT DOES (DOES THE AIRBAG ALWAYS INFLATE? NEVER? WHICH ONE?), BUT RECEIVED ONLY CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN, AGED 10 AND 12, WHO WEIGH UNDER 100 LBS. IF THE AIRBAG ALWAYS DEPLOYS, I WOULD PUT AN ADULT IN FRONT. IF THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYS, I WOULD PUT A CHILD IN FRONT IF NEEDED AND SCOOT THE SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK. I FEEL THAT NISSAN IS NOT MAKING REPAIR PARTS AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ME AND THAT IT IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE.
WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT FRONT AIRBAG LIGHT ACTIVATED, INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG WAS OFF. THIS OCCURRED AND CONTINUES TO OCCUR, REGARDLESS OF THE PASSENGER'S WEIGHT, OR THE ABSENCE OF A PASSENGER. NISSAN SERVICED THE VEHICLE ONCE BEFORE WITH A "SOFTWARE UPDATE" THAT DID NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS VERY SERIOUS DEFECT. HOW MANY VICTIMS NEED TO DIE OR BECOME CRIPPLED BEFORE THIS IS CORRECTED? *JS
PASSENGER AIRBAG RANDOMLY TURNS OFF, WHILE SOMEONE IS SITTING IN IT. I'VE TAKEN THIS TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES NOW AND STILL HAVE THE ISSUES. *TR