Nissan - KickingTires

Recall Alert: 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, Infiniti JX SUVs

Nissan is recalling more than 19,258 model-year 2013 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX SUVs due to a problem that could result in reduced braking, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The vehicles were manufactured between Dec. 3, 2012, and Jan. 29, 2013. In these impacted cars the front brake torque member was improperly cast, resulting in structural weakness; this can lead to premature failure and cracking. If the part fails, the brake caliper could move and contact the inside of the road wheel, resulting in reduced braking and increasing the risk of a crash.

Nissan will begin notifying owners in early May, and dealers will replace the parts for free. The investigation was prompted by a field report in March of a braking failure, the Detroit News reported.

Owners can contact Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

By Matt Schmitz | April 19, 2013 | Comments (0)

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Nissan Rogue

13Rogue

It's apparent that the 2013 Nissan Rogue is falling behind its competitors, including the redesigned Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, says Cars.com Family reviewer Sara Lacey. This five-seat crossover's exterior is showing its age. The interior is comfortable but lacking in the storage cubbies that are a must when carting around kids.

2013 Nissan Rogue Family Review

By Jennifer Newman | April 17, 2013 | Comments (0)

Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: March 2013

Altima

With the top seven automakers reporting numbers — which account for the vast majority of new-car sales — March sales have crept up around 3.2% over year-ago levels. Honda, GM and Ford saw the largest gains, but no major automaker saw a double-digit increase.

The top sellers are a reshuffle from February's list; all 10 are back. The Nissan Altima jumped three spots from February, and despite an 8% sales drop, it's the best-selling sedan by just 100 cars in March. Madness? Not really. Look back at March 2012 and the Altima even beat out the Chevrolet Silverado for a podium finish in monthly sales.

Lower year-over-year incentives played against Nissan's redesigned sedan as surging competitors — the Honda Accord and the Ford Fusion — saw larger gains. Ford says the Fusion had its best sales month in the nameplate's 7 1/2-year history, and this happened with fewer incentives than on last year’s outgoing model. The Escape hit its highest monthly total in its 12-plus-year history. Those two cars — and rising Explorer and F-Series sales — overcame falling Focus, Edge and Mustang sales to drive Ford to a 5.7% year-over-year increase.

By Kelsey Mays | April 2, 2013 | Comments (4)

March's Fastest- and Slowest-Selling Cars

2013_Lincoln_MKZ

We won't have March sales results until later today, but the month's fastest- and slowest-selling cars depict that a couple automakers are catching a break. With a faster-charging option, more cargo space and a lower starting price, the 2013 Nissan Leaf landed a spot among March's fastest-selling cars — this after meeting less than half of Nissan's sales expectations in 2011 and 2012. In March, the all-electric hatchback averaged just seven days to sell. Leaf sales increased 13% through February, so we'll see if Nissan's little EV pulled off an automotive Florida Gulf Coast University last month — or if the faster pace drove few actual sales.

Meanwhile, the redesigned Lincoln MKZ, which was beleaguered by a slow ramp-up in dealer supply, also hit its stride. Lincoln dealers needed just 14 days on average to sell an MKZ. That beat rivals like the Lexus ES 350 (35 days, on average) and Acura TL (50 days). Other movers include the usual slate of redesigns, from the redesigned Subaru Forester to Toyota's fourth-generation RAV4. Flagship luxury SUVs had their day, too: Mercedes-Benz's GL-Class marked its sixth month on the list, and Land Rover's Range Rover flagship had its third.

Despite a cooler March versus last year's record warmth, SUVs represented a similar share of the month's fastest-selling cars. Nine of March's 17 fastest-selling cars were SUVs; that's about even with March 2012, when eight of 17 fast sellers were SUVs.

By Kelsey Mays | April 2, 2013 | Comments (3)

Recall Alert: 2013 Nissan Titan, NV Commercial Van

2013-nissan-titan
Nissan is recalling 2,180 model-year 2013 versions of the Titan pickup truck and NV commercial van due to a problem with the transmission shift lever, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2013 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb) and have faulty steering column-mounted transmission levers. In these vehicles, chemicals from the manufacturing process may cause the brake shift interlock device to malfunction, allowing the shift lever to be put into Park without depressing the brake pedal. This could lead to an accident.

This is the second recall in two weeks for Nissan's NV commercial van.

Nissan will start notifying owners on Friday, and dealers will inspect and replace the affected parts for free. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

By Jennifer Geiger | April 1, 2013 | Comments (1)

2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid at the 2013 New York Auto Show

2014-nissan-pathfinder-hy-300-2

Competes with: Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango and Chevrolet Traverse
Looks like: A Pathfinder. Only a badge and LED taillights differentiate the hybrid version from the regular Pathfinder.
Drivetrain: Supercharged 2.5-liter gasoline engine and a 15-kW electric motor paired with a compact lithium-ion battery; continuously variable automatic transmission
Hits dealerships: Late summer

For model-year 2013, Nissan's Pathfinder underwent a radical change from trucky SUV to family-friendly crossover. Model-year 2014 brings more changes to its lineup — Nissan unveiled the Pathfinder Hybrid at the 2013 New York International Auto Show with promises of 27 mpg and uncompromised interior space from the seven-passenger crossover.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Nissan's first hybrid crossover, the front- or all-wheel-drive Pathfinder Hybrid, uses a new supercharged 2.5-liter gasoline engine and a 15-kilowatt electric motor paired with a compact lithium-ion battery. A CVT is the sole transmission. Nissan puts total power output at 250 horsepower and 243 pounds-feet of torque and says it will be able to tow 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.

Fuel-economy gains will be modest. The automaker estimates that the hybrid crossover should get 25/27 mpg city/highway. The gas version's 260-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 is EPA rated at 20/26 mpg (front-wheel-drive models).

By Jennifer Geiger | March 27, 2013 | Comments (0)

Recall Alert: 2012-13 Nissan NV Commercial Vans

Nissan is recalling 18,880 model-year 2012 and 2013 NV commercial vans due to a problem with the transmission lever, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Affected vehicles were manufactured from Dec. 20, 2010, through Jan. 4, 2013, and are equipped with steering-column-mounted transmission shift levers. The transmission lever gear selector plate lock clip may have been installed incorrectly, and normal road vibration could make the gear position indicator not match the gear-shift lever position. If this happens, the gear indicator may falsely display that the vehicle is in park, allowing it to roll away unexpectedly and increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Nissan will begin notifying owners April 8, and dealers will correct the installation of the transmission lever gear selector plate lock clip for free. Owners may call Nissan at 800-647-7261, or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.

Editor's note: This post has been updated on March 25 to add a photo of the Nissan NV commercial van.

By Matt Schmitz | March 25, 2013 | Comments (1)

Automakers Say EV Noisemakers Too Loud

Chevrolet_Volt

Two automaker groups are challenging a proposal for hybrids and electric vehicles to make artificial noises at low speeds. Congress authorized the initiative, aimed to keep drivers from pulling an Andy Bernard from "The Office" on nearby pedestrians or bicyclists, with the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act in December 2010. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration followed with a slew of proposals, which the Detroit News recapped today. Automakers would have to implement sounds that could be heard amid background noise at speeds up to 18.6 mph; automakers could craft their own noises, and the requirement would phase in beginning with the 2015 model year.

Several cars, including the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt, already have their own pedestrian-detection noises. But two groups — the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers — representing virtually the entire auto industry declared the rule "too complicated" and "unnecessarily prescriptive," according to a joint statement via the Detroit News. Current noisemakers in the Leaf and Volt would fail NHTSA requirements.

Association of Global Automakers safety director Michael Cammisa said Friday that automakers support the regulation's intent, but the noise requirements are too loud. The Detroit News reports automakers want the noise-making threshold lowered to 12.4 mph, or the phase-in period delayed to 2018 to give the industry enough time to adapt. They're also concerned about global standardization; rules in Europe and Japan don't prescribe noisemaking at idle while U.S. rules could.

By Kelsey Mays | March 19, 2013 | Comments (6)

Recall Alert: 2013 Nissan Altima, Leaf, Pathfinder, Sentra and Infiniti JX35

2013-nissan-leaf
Nissan is recalling a yet-to-be-determined number of model-year 2013 versions of the Altima sedan, Leaf electric car, Pathfinder crossover and Sentra sedan due to a problem with the front passenger air bag sensor, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The JX35 crossover from the automaker's premium Infiniti brand is also part of the recall.

A manufacturing defect could cause the occupant sensors in the front passenger seat to fail in the affected vehicles. If an accident occurs, the airbag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. Nissan is still working with its supplier to determine how many vehicles will be recalled but drivers of affected vehicles will notice "The (red) supplemental air bag warning light (SRS light) will illuminate to alert the vehicle operator and the (amber) front passenger air bag status light will illuminate to alert the front seat passenger," the automaker said in a statement.

Nissan will notify owners starting in early April 2013, and dealers will inspect and replace the affected sensors for free. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

By Jennifer Geiger | March 13, 2013 | Comments (10)

Recall Alert: 2013 Nissan Sentra

Nissan is recalling 392 model-year 2013 versions of the Sentra compact sedan due to a faulty fuel tank assembly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Sept. 11 through Oct. 4, 2012 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb). In these vehicles, the fuel tank assembly may not have been properly sealed, which could result in a gas leak when the tank is full. This could lead to a fire.

Nissan will notify owners starting March 18, 2013, and dealers will replace the necessary fuel tanks for free. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.