Toronto, Ontario — For the fourth time, Nissan is recalling a massive amount of Altima sedans in both Canada and the United States to fix a latch problem that may cause the hood to fly open while vehicles are in motion.
This recall will include nearly 1.9 million vehicles, reported the Associated Press. The previous recalls covered Altima sedans from the 2013- 2015 model years, and while they’re once again part of the recall, the automaker expanded the campaign to cover 2016-2018 models as well.
The problem is said to originate in a secondary hood latch that can lose the integrity of its coating over time. If the coating deteriorates, it will leave nothing but metal, which can rust and as a consequence the latch may pop open. Should the main latch not close properly, the secondary latch won’t do its job and the hood could fly open while driving.
For cars that received a replacement secondary latch, Nissan said contaminants could build up if an owner doesn’t keep up on maintenance outlined in the owner’s manual. Like the original recall, if the main latch isn’t closed properly, the secondary latch may not keep the hood down while driving. Owners should inspect and lubricate the secondary hood latch if it’s already been repaired once before while Nissan continues work on a new fix for the problem.
Additionally, even if an owner’s car received a new secondary latch in a past recall, this new recall will still include them.
