Nissan to recall 727,000 vehicles in Japan over rear door stay defect

Nissan Motor Company is set to recall over 727,000 vehicles in Japan related to a defect in rear door stay. The recall is a part of an existing recall by the automaker.

The recall was initially filed with the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) on April 14 this year. Nissan is taking further actions following an incident involving an uninspected vehicle, in which a gas stay rupture injured a vehicle user.

Nissan posted a notice on its corporate website and in Japanese newspapers, requesting that affected customers bring their vehicles in for inspection as soon as possible. Nissan will also be requesting that users of the involved vehicles refrain from using the rear door until inspection.

As of this time, Nissan has received 13 reports of incidents related to the recall, all of which have been in Japan:

-  Prior to initial recall announcement: Five incidents involving a Serena minivan

-  After recall announcement: Seven incidents involving a Serena minivan; one incident involving an NV200 van

-  There has been only one report of injury.

The Japanese automaker explained the defect and the action: “The paint coating applied to the rear door stay does not comply with design requirements for anti-rust treatment. As a result, the outer tube of the gas stay may corrode and crack, resulting in rupturing of the stay and detachment from the vehicle. If such a rupture occurs when the back door is open, the stay might injure a person nearby.”

“Authorised Nissan retailers will inspect the rear door stay for corrosion, and where corrosion is confirmed the back door gas stays will be replaced. Owners of vehicles in which no corrosion is found will be contacted again to have the stays replaced in line with parts availability,” said Nissan’s official statement.