NHTSA Investigation PE25005

Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25005 on June 13, 2025, to assess the scope, root cause, and potential defect in 2009 Model Year (MY) Nissan Cube vehicles equipped with Takata PSDI-X air bag inflators.At the time the investigation was opened, analysis by Nissan and Takata (now New Leaf LLC) indicated that a rupture occurred at a weld point between the inflator cap and housing in a 2009 MY Nissan Cube.Nissan ruled out the propellant degradation root cause characteristic of the larger, well known, Takata recall, and instead identified a welding root cause. On April 9, 2026, Nissan North America, Inc. submitted a Part 573 Safety Recall Report to address the weld defect.Recall 26V230 includes the 28,388 2009 MY vehicles identified in the opening resume for this investigation and expands the population to include 2010 MY Nissan Cube vehicles for a total population of 47,928 vehicles produced between October 10, 2008, and September 25, 2010.Nissan identified the driver’s front air bag inflator (Takata PSDI-X, Part Number 98560-7991C) produced by TK Services Inc. within a specific lot may contain an improper body weld seal to the inflator base. This improper weld can cause the air bag module to detach from the steering wheel during deployment, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant in the event of a crash. Dealers will inspect the serial number on the driver’s air bag inflator in recalled vehicles to identify the air bag inflator lot. If the inflator is part of the affected lot, the dealer will remove and replace it with a new inflator manufactured by a different supplier. This repair will be performed free of charge. See NHTSA Recall No. 26V230 for further details. Based on Nissan's recall action, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.