Nissan bares worldwide recall of Primera, X-Trail

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd (NML) of Japan announced yesterday a worldwide vehicle recall affecting a total of 475,400 units of the Nissan Primera and X-Trail models.

In the Philippines, a little over 4,000 models would be included in the recall related to the fuel inlet to the gasoline tank called the fuel filler tube.

Affected X-Trail units are those assembled in the Philippines from June 2003 to January 2005. Units assembled after January 2005 are not covered by the recall.

According to Raymond Tribdino, senior manager of the Market and Product Planning Department of the Marketing and Sales Division of Nissan Motor Philippines Inc. (NMPI), Nissan decided to make the recall following tests which showed that the fuel filler tube coating has a tendency to erode due to vibration and may eventually rust at the tube mounting bracket.

A pinhole may then result from the rust formation, Tribdino explained, which can cause a fuel leak during full refueling.

Tribdino assured that the formation of rust could take anywhere from 10 to 15 years to develop enough perforation for a pinhole to form, depending on humidity and other factors.

Tribdino said that NMPI would formally write X-Trail buyers about the problem and ask them to set an initial appointment for inspection of their units.

Following the inspection and confirmation of a deterioration in the specified part, Tribdino said, Nissan would then schedule a replacement of the fuel filler tube with a "counter-measure part" at no cost to the X-Trail owners.

Tribdino assured that there is no immediate danger and that Nissan is making the recall specifically to prevent any future problem.

The replacement of the part, Tribdino assured, would take a mere one and a half hour.

The fuel filler tube, Tribdino said, is manufactured in Kyushu, Japan.