Nissan is telling owners of nearly 84,000 vehicles manufactured between 2002 and 2006 not to drive their cars due to concerns over exploding air bags.

The warning specifically targets 2002-2006 Nissan Sentras, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinders, and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4s. These models are equipped with Takata air bags that can explode upon deployment, sending sharp metal fragments into the vehicle’s cabin.

Nissan Sentra 2023
The warning covers certain model year 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles.

Nissan

“Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an airbag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,” Nissan said on the recall page on its website.

“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata airbags that can kill or produce life-altering injuries,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned​​.

To date, NHTSA has confirmed 27 people in the United States have been killed by a defective Takata air bag that exploded. At least 400 people have been injured by exploding Takata air bag inflators.

NHTSA is urging all vehicle owners to immediately check to see if their vehicle has an open Takata air bag recall. If it does, owners should contact their dealership to schedule a free repair as soon as possible and follow any warnings from the vehicle manufacturer.

Nissan and Infiniti are offering free towing, mobile repair services, and in certain locations, loaner vehicles to ensure owners can have their vehicles repaired without delay.

“Nissan is committed to the safety of its customers and is issuing this DO NOT DRIVE warning to urge them to complete the free recall repair. Nissan Group strongly advises drivers not to drive affected vehicles until the repair has been completed,” the automaker said in a statement.