Brake Light, Gearshift Issues Prompt Nissan Recall

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–A 2019 Nissan Altima recall of 5,744 cars will fix problems that can cause the cars to unintentionally roll away.

Nissan says the problem can also cause the brake lights to stay illuminated even though drivers aren’t touching the brake pedals.

The new cars were manufactured with the brake switch brackets in the wrong locations, allowing the brake switches to remain on.

The rollaway risk arises because the gear shift lever can be moved out of the PARK position without a driver pressing the brake pedal.

Nissan discovered the problem in February 2019 during a routine check of a 2019 Altima at a Tennessee plant. The automaker and the supplier opened investigations and determined the brake light switch didn’t make contact with the brake switch contact plate.

The supplier found the bracket was out of position from a welding robot that wasn’t properly maintained.

Nissan says a driver will have no advance warning of the problem, something a dealer will repair by replacing the brake pedal.

The Nissan assembly plant is in Smyrna, Tennessee, and employs approximately 8,000 workers. The plant has an annual capacity of 640,000 cars, which is the highest in North America.

Going Rogue

Recently, Nissan got a new petition that the Center for Auto Safety recently filed with NHTSA saying that consumers have sent 87 complaints to regulators in recent months describing Nissan Rogue vehicles that suddenly came to a stop without warning.

In a technical service bulletin to dealers, Nissan has acknowledged that some of its cars may need a software update related to the braking system.

David Kiley
David Kiley

David Kiley is Chief of Content for The BRAKE Report. Kiley is an award-winning business journalist and author, having covered the auto industry for USA Today, Businessweek, AOL/Huffington Post, as well as written articles for Automobile and Popular Mechanics.