By David Shepardson
Jan 29 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co said Friday it will
recall about 870,000 Nissan cars in the United States and Canada
for potentially faulty hood latches, marking the third time
since 2014 the automaker has recalled vehicles to address the
problem.
The Japanese automaker said it is recalling the 2013-2015
Nissan Altima, because its secondary hood latch may bind on
account of improperly applied rust coating and remain in the
unlatched position when the hood is closed. That could result in
the hood unexpectedly opening while driving.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
which said on Friday that 846,000 vehicles in the United States
would be recalled, has received complaints from owners of
Altimas whose hoods unexpectedly opened. Altimas accounted for
about 25 percent of Nissan's U.S. brand sales last year.
Transport Canada in an online posting on Friday cited the
same problem, saying that 24,895 vehicles were affected.
Nissan said the previous recall fixes may not have been
performed consistently to remove the safety risk. Dealers will
replace the hood latch with a new one starting next month.
The new hood latch has an improved coating designed to avoid
rust. Prior recall fixes included inspecting and cleaning the
hood latch and applying a lubricant.