Drivers rely on their spare tires in a time of need. Whether they run over a nail or otherwise lose tire pressure, they use the spare tire to help them reach their destination safely. However, if the spare tire is significantly underinflated or overinflated, the tire can fail without warning, potentially leading to an accident. Drivers of 2013 Nissan Altimas should be cautious if the need to use their spare tire arises, as Nissan recently issued a major recall of its popular sedan due to a potential spare tire defect.
Last week, Nissan Motor Co. announced a recall of 123,308 Altima sedans from the 2013 model year that were made between March 21 and March 26 of this year. According to official documents filed with NHTSA, “the spare tires in some of the potentially affected vehicles may have been under- or overinflated,” which can increase the likelihood of an accident. Nissan has not received reports of accidents or injuries associated with the recalled tires.
A dealer discovered the problem, and Nissan’s resulting investigation found that a malfunctioning pressure regulator at its Canton, Mississippi plant caused the issue with spare tire inflation. Nissan, which will notify owners of the recalled models starting May 3, will check the spare tires and adjust the inflation as needed at no charge.
Nissan has already issued several large recalls this year. Some of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers, including Nissan, were involved with a recall of more than three million cars and trucks due to defective airbags that were linked to the Japan-based Takata Corporation. As a result, Nissan recalled approximately 480,000 vehicles, as the defective airbags could potentially spray metal shrapnel when deployed. Following that massive recall, Nissan issued another recall last week of almost 20,000 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX models to fix potentially faulty brakes.