Nissan to Replace Altima Air Bag Sensors

Nissan Motor America has launched a “safety improvement campaign” to improve air bag performance for its popular new 2002 Altima sedan, and General Motors Corp. has begun a recall of an estimated 60,000 of its new mid-size sport utility vehicles to fix a fuel filter.

Nissan, which says its campaign is not a recall but a voluntary effort to improve the Altima’s safety systems, said it discovered through an independent group’s crash test program that a sensor responsible for triggering the front air bags in certain situations does not fire them as quickly as it should.

The company said it would replace the sensors on an estimated 165,000 Altimas at no cost to owners. The company began notifying affected car owners April 15.

GM’s recall was ordered last week after the company discovered that a fuel filter fitting on Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada SUVs can become disconnected, effectively cutting the main fuel line to the engine. If that happened, gasoline could be pumped onto the ground or into hot engine parts, creating a potential fire hazard.

The company said it would begin notifying owners this month.

In other recalls announced in April:

* GM has called in 10,168 of its 2002 Chevrolet Malibu models because the left low-beam headlight does not meet federal standards. Owner notification is scheduled to begin this month.

* GM also said it has been calling in 1,500 of its 2002 Saturn S- Series cars, assembled in January and February, because the brake pedal pad could separate from the pedal, causing the driver’s foot to slip while applying the brakes. The company said customer notification began in late February.

* Hyundai Motor America has recalled the 2001 models of its flagship XG300 sedan because of a possible wiring harness fault that could prevent the seat-mounted side air bag on the driver’s side from deploying properly. About 18,000 vehicles are involved.