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A Nissan recall has been issued, affecting nearly 127,000 Altimas and Titans due to possible tire sidewall failure caused by over curing during tire production.
Nissan Altimas and Titans Effected
Due to the potential for sidewall failure on certain Continental tires, a Nissan recall affecting nearly 127,000 Altimas and Titans has been released. The issue came to light in mid-February when Continental Tire the Americas (CTA) submitted a Defect Information Report to Nissan detailing the problem.
When tires are produced, they go through a curing process which involves applying pressure and heat to the tire while in the mold. The heat stimulates a chemical reaction and the pressure creates the final shape of the tire. The defect detailed in the CTA report is due to an over curing condition that occurred on a small percentage of finished tires.
As a result, the impacted tires “may experience a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss, or they could develop a belt edge separation that could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss”, according to the Safety Recall Report issued by Nissan on March 11.
What is Happening with the Tires?
Belt separation describes the steel belts within the tire coming loose from the cords or rubber tread and would be cause for replacement under any conditions. “Carcass”, in this context, is another way of describing the casing of the tire. If the carcass breaks in the sidewall, it creates a blow-out condition versus the more gradual deflation caused by picking up a nail, for example.
That break or separation can occur without warning resulting in sudden air loss which is very dangerous when the car is moving and could increase the risk of a crash. This issue may also manifest as a bulge in the sidewall or localized tread wear resulting in excessive vibration while driving. Nissan notes that “these conditions could increase the risk of serious injury or death.”
How to Know if You’re Impacted
Continental informed Nissan that there were 3,497 tires produced with the specific Department of Transportation (DOT) and Mold numbers associated with the recall. While this Nissan recall has identified 126,809 vehicles that may be have been fitted with the subject tires, CTA forecasts only a 0.2% incident rate.
According to a letter submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by Nissan, the specific Continental model lines at issue are Grabber and ProContact. The specific sizes are as follows:
Titan
- 265/70 R18 116S TL Grabber HTS
- 275/70 R18 116S TL Grabber APT
Altima
- 215/60 R16 95H TL ProContact TX
Within the letter from Nissan is a table detailing the DOT, Mold and Part number of the impacted tires. These tires are unique to the Altimas and Titans described, so no other Nissan or Infiniti vehicles are affected by this recall.
The vehicle models under recall are 2019-2020 Altimas and 2018-2021 Titans. Nissan will be notifying owners starting in late April if their vehicle has been impacted. Dealers will inspect the tires and, if necessary, replace them free of charge. Nissan owners can contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 800-424-9153 with questions. They can also visit its website at www.safecar.gov to enter their vehicle identification number for more information.
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