Commercial vans are typically used by a wide variety of drivers for an even wider variety of purposes, from local deliveries to transporting people. Generally, they’re meant to be driven constantly, which means that they need to be manufactured with that in mind, especially in regard to safety measures, as they affect not only the drivers and passengers of those commercial vans, but the other drivers and passengers sharing the road with them as well. Nissan’s NV Commercial Van is a prime example of that idea, as the Japanese automobile manufacturer is recalling approximately 18,880 vans due to concerns with the transmission lever.
The NV vans involved in this recall are model years 2012 and 2013, and they were manufactured between December 20, 2010 and January 4, 2013. The problem at hand, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is that the transmission level gear selector plate lock clip could eventually move out of position after being exposed to standard road vibration over time due to a potential manufacturing error. If this were to occur, then the transmission shift lift lever may not properly match the gear position, meaning that if the gear lever were shifted into park, the transmission could actually still be in drive or neutral.
While this issue could lead to vehicles unexpectedly moving and causing accidents resulting in injuries or property damage, Nissan North America’s defect notice to the NHTSA reports that the company is not aware of any such accidents as of yet. Nissan will begin notifying owners on April 8, 2013 in order to schedule a free repair. In the meantime, consumers can contact Nissan officials at (800) 647-7261 for additional details.