Photo: Nissan / edited
Nissan used to be a quality-focused manufacturer known for well-engineered products. That's why the Japanese company lost millions over millions of dollars in the 1990s, and that is also why Nissan accepted Carlos Ghosn's heavy-handed approach to cost cutting as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
Poor quality and poor engineering lead to massive recalls, with said recalls eating into a given automaker's net profit. Another byproduct is poor customer satisfaction and – extremely important in the long run – the potential customer's refusal to even consider a given manufacturer's automobiles.
The Sentra is a perfect example in this regard. A low-cost runabout from the outset, this fellow has been subjected to increasingly more recalls in the past handful of years. Its perceived quality and the fact that sedans are no longer cool have also hampered sales, with Nissan moving 77,123 units last year in the United States compared to 127,861 in 2021.
Recently updated for model year 2024, the Sentra has been recalled over quite a worrying issue. Limited numbers of the 2022 model year have been produced with either a missing or improper seal in the driver-side cowl area, with said mistake allowing water to leak inside the vehicle. That's pretty bad in and of itself for a two-year-old car, but moisture and/or corrosion on the main harness and/or the engine room harness is worse.
Corroded electrical connectors may result in various electrical issues (the engine may refuse to start and the driver may be able to shift gears without brake application) and an increased risk of a thermal event. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Japanese automaker isn't aware of any warranty claims or accidents caused by water intrusion from the driver-side cowl area.
Nissan was informed of this problem back on September 27 last year by a technician who noticed water accumulated on the floor in the driver-side area from simulated heavy rain conditions. Nissan eventually discovered that a (different) technician who started working on September 21 was responsible for the missing or improper seal. The company informed the federal watchdog that "inadequate supervision and failure to review the sealer application standards" are the root causes behind this condition. Otherwise said, they had unnecessarily cheapened out their production processes.
Of 693 completed vehicles inspected at the plant, a whopping 579 were found to feature missing or improper sealing. Those cars had been repaired prior to shipment, yet 230 other got away. It's those 230 that Nissan has called back as part of recall number 23V-421, with said vehicles produced in the period between September 21, 2022 and September 27, 2022 in Mexico.
Dealers have been instructed to reseal the driver-side cowl area, then inspect the main harness and engine room harness for signs of corrosion. If moisture or corrosion is confirmed, both harnesses will be replaced at no charge to the customer. That said, owner notifications will be mailed on July 26.
The Sentra is a perfect example in this regard. A low-cost runabout from the outset, this fellow has been subjected to increasingly more recalls in the past handful of years. Its perceived quality and the fact that sedans are no longer cool have also hampered sales, with Nissan moving 77,123 units last year in the United States compared to 127,861 in 2021.
Recently updated for model year 2024, the Sentra has been recalled over quite a worrying issue. Limited numbers of the 2022 model year have been produced with either a missing or improper seal in the driver-side cowl area, with said mistake allowing water to leak inside the vehicle. That's pretty bad in and of itself for a two-year-old car, but moisture and/or corrosion on the main harness and/or the engine room harness is worse.
Corroded electrical connectors may result in various electrical issues (the engine may refuse to start and the driver may be able to shift gears without brake application) and an increased risk of a thermal event. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Japanese automaker isn't aware of any warranty claims or accidents caused by water intrusion from the driver-side cowl area.
Nissan was informed of this problem back on September 27 last year by a technician who noticed water accumulated on the floor in the driver-side area from simulated heavy rain conditions. Nissan eventually discovered that a (different) technician who started working on September 21 was responsible for the missing or improper seal. The company informed the federal watchdog that "inadequate supervision and failure to review the sealer application standards" are the root causes behind this condition. Otherwise said, they had unnecessarily cheapened out their production processes.
Of 693 completed vehicles inspected at the plant, a whopping 579 were found to feature missing or improper sealing. Those cars had been repaired prior to shipment, yet 230 other got away. It's those 230 that Nissan has called back as part of recall number 23V-421, with said vehicles produced in the period between September 21, 2022 and September 27, 2022 in Mexico.
Dealers have been instructed to reseal the driver-side cowl area, then inspect the main harness and engine room harness for signs of corrosion. If moisture or corrosion is confirmed, both harnesses will be replaced at no charge to the customer. That said, owner notifications will be mailed on July 26.
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