Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign PC765 – Tire Inspection – 2020 Nissan Altima

SEOCONTENT-START

November 5, 2020

Mr. Jeff Giuseppe
Associate Administrator for Enforcement
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Attn: Recall Management Division (NVS-215)
Room W48-302
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590

Dear Mr. Giuseppe:

We are transmitting the enclosed Defect Information Report in accordance with 49 CFR Part 573.

According to Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) Defect Information Report #20T-018, certain Continental brand tires that they manufactured may contain a safety defect.  Some of the potentially affected tires may be installed on certain Model Year 2020 Nissan Altima vehicles outlined in section 2 below.

Very truly,

Derek Latta
Manager,
Technical Compliance

Encl.

DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT

1. Manufacturer:

Nissan North America Inc., Smyrna Plant
Nissan North America, Inc., Canton Plant

The tire manufacturer is:

Continental Tire the Americas, LLC.
1830 Macmillan Park Drive
Fort Mill, SC 29707

Harald Morgenstern
Manager, NHTSA Compliance
704-583-4877 (Direct Line)

For additional details on the equipment manufacturer, please see CTA Defect Information Report #20T-018.

2. Units Potentially Involved:

This issue affects certain Nissan Altima S grade models equipped with Continental ProContact TX tires (215/60 R16 H) with TIN date code 3320 and Mold ID S-419149; part number: OETIR03035

Vehicles involved:

No other Nissan or Infiniti vehicles are affected by this issue because the affected tires (described in Section 5 below) are unique to this model and dates of manufacture.

3. Total Number of Vehicles Potentially Involved:

According to CTA Defect Information Report #20T-018, 39 affected tires were shipped to OEM and Replacement market customers.  CTA has informed Nissan that it shipped two (2) affected tires to Nissan among 403 tires molded with the same TIN date code and Mold ID.

Nissan has identified 2,214 vehicles that may have been fitted with these subject tires.

4. Percentage of Vehicles Estimated to Actually Contain the Defect:

According to CTA Defect Information Report #20T-018, the forecasted incident rate based on the 2 tires shipped to Nissan potentially containing the defect is 0.09%.

5. Description of the Defect:

Please see CTA Defect Information Report #20T-018.

The affected Nissan Altima vehicles may be equipped with the subject tires.  According to CTA, the affected Continental brand tires may have been over cured due to a tire press PLC logic error and subsequent improper scrap handling during manufacturing.  As a result, the affected tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss, or they could develop a belt edge separation that could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss.

Affected tires may experience a sudden air loss without warning while others may exhibit localized tread wear which may manifest as excessive vibration and/or bulging in the tread area.  These conditions could increase the risk of serious injury or death.

6. Chronology of Principle Events:

September 25, 2020 – Nissan received notification from CTA about an over cure condition that occurred on certain tires that were shipped to OEM and replacement market customers.  Nissan determined some of the potentially affected tires are used on certain Nissan Altima vehicles.

October 2020 to November 2020 – Nissan began an internal investigation into the issue.  Specifically, Nissan conducted plant audits at both its Smyrna, TN and Canton, MS plants to determine if any suspect tires were in inventory or installed on production vehicles.  The audit did not show any affected tires in inventory or on production vehicles.

During this time, Nissan met multiple times with CTA and continued to conduct internal meetings to understand CTA’s investigation and evaluate the scope of affected tires. On October 26, CTA submitted a Defect Information Report concerning the subject tires and subsequently provided additional information concerning the potential quantity of subject tires shipped to Nissan.  Nissan then identified the production period of potentially affected vehicles based on the information provided by CTA.

November 4, 2020 – Based on the foregoing, Nissan decided to conduct a safety recall campaign to remedy affected vehicles.

7. Description of Corrective Action:

Nissan will notify all owners of potentially affected vehicles on December 10, 2020.   Dealers will be notified on November 6, 2020.  Dealers will inspect the sidewalls of all four (4) tires for a specific TIN date code and MOLD ID number.  If any subject tires are found, the dealer will remove and replace the tires with new ones.  All removed tires will have two holes drilled through the sidewall and be disposed according to local regulations.

Nissan will coordinate with CTA concerning the appropriate instructions for any reimbursement requests.

8. Copy of Notices:

Copies of all notices will be provided to NHTSA as they become available.

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December 18, 2020
Mr. Jeff Giuseppe
Associate Administrator for Enforcement
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Attn: Recall Management Division (NVS-215)
Room W48-302
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Mr. Giuseppe:
We are transmitting the enclosed supplement to the Defect Information Report filed on
November 5, 2020. This supplement updates section(s) 5 and 7: Description of Defect and
Description of Corrective Action, respectively.
According to Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) Defect Information Report #20T-018,
certain Continental brand tires that they manufactured may contain a safety defect. Some of
the potentially affected tires may be installed on certain Model Year 2020 Nissan Altima vehicles
outlined in section 2 below.
Very truly,
Derek Latta
Manager,
Technical Compliance
Encl.
Nissan North America, Inc.
One Nissan Way
Franklin, TN 37067
Mailing Address:
PO Box 685001
Franklin, TN 37068
DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT
1. Manufacturer:
Nissan North America Inc., Smyrna Plant
Nissan North America, Inc., Canton Plant
The tire manufacturer is:
Continental Tire the Americas, LLC.
1830 Macmillan Park Drive
Fort Mill, SC 29707
Harald Morgenstern
Manager, NHTSA Compliance
704-583-4877 (Direct Line)
For additional details on the equipment manufacturer, please see CTA Defect Information
Report #20T-018.
2. Units Potentially Involved:
This issue affects certain Nissan Altima S grade models equipped with Continental
ProContact TX tires (215/60 R16 H) with TIN date code 3320 and Mold ID S-419149; part
number: OETIR03035
Vehicles involved:
Model Year Model Manufacturing Range
MY 2020 Nissan Altima September 2, 2020 to September 29, 2020
No other Nissan or Infiniti vehicles are affected by this issue because the affected tires
(described in Section 5 below) are unique to this model and dates of manufacture.
3. Total Number of Vehicles Potentially Involved:
According to CTA Defect Information Report #20T-018, 39 affected tires were shipped to
OEM and Replacement market customers. CTA has informed Nissan that it shipped two (2)
affected tires to Nissan among 403 tires molded with the same TIN date code and Mold ID.
Nissan has identified 2,214 vehicles that may have been fitted with these subject tires.
4. Percentage of Vehicles Estimated to Actually Contain the Defect:
According to CTA Defect Information Report #20T-018, the forecasted incident rate based
on the 2 tires shipped to Nissan potentially containing the defect is 0.09%.
5. Description of the Defect:
Please see CTA Defect Information Report #20T-018.
The affected Nissan Altima vehicles may be equipped with the subject tires. According to
CTA, the affected tires in the recall may have a potential over cure condition. As a result, the
affected tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss, or they
could develop a belt edge separation that could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss.
Affected tires may experience a sudden air loss without warning while others may exhibit
localized tread wear which may manifest as excessive vibration and/or bulging in the tread
area. These conditions could increase the risk of serious injury or death.
6. Chronology of Principle Events:
September 25, 2020 – Nissan received notification from CTA about an over cure condition
that occurred on certain tires that were shipped to OEM and replacement market
customers. Nissan determined some of the potentially affected tires are used on certain
Nissan Altima vehicles.
October 2020 to November 2020 – Nissan began an internal investigation into the issue.
Specifically, Nissan conducted plant audits at both its Smyrna, TN and Canton, MS plants to
determine if any suspect tires were in inventory or installed on production vehicles. The
audit did not show any affected tires in inventory or on production vehicles.
During this time, Nissan met multiple times with CTA and continued to conduct internal
meetings to understand CTA’s investigation and evaluate the scope of affected tires. On
October 26, CTA submitted a Defect Information Report concerning the subject tires and
subsequently provided additional information concerning the potential quantity of subject
tires shipped to Nissan. Nissan then identified the production period of potentially affected
vehicles based on the information provided by CTA.
November 4, 2020 – Based on the foregoing, Nissan decided to conduct a safety recall
campaign to remedy affected vehicles.
7. Description of Corrective Action:
Nissan notified all owners of potentially affected vehicles on December 10, 2020. Dealers
were notified on November 6, 2020. Dealers will inspect the sidewalls of all four (4) tires for a
specific TIN date code and MOLD ID number. If any subject tires are found, the dealer will
remove and replace the tires with new ones. All removed tires will be collected and
returned to Continental for quality and investigation purposes; after which, Continental will
dispose of the tires according to local regulations.
Nissan will coordinate with CTA concerning the appropriate instructions for any
reimbursement requests.
8. Copy of Notices:
Copies of all notices will be provided to NHTSA as they become available.
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OWNER NOTIFICATION
NOTIFICACION PROPRIETARIO
Dear Nissan Altima Owner:
NHTSA RECALL 20V-685
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety
Act. Nissan has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 2020 model year
Nissan Altima vehicles. Our records indicate that you own or lease the Nissan vehicle identified by the VIN on
the inside of this notice.
Reason for Recall
Motivo del Retiro
During manufacturing, the tires on your 2020 Altima vehicle may have been over cured. As a result, the affected
tires may experience a rupture in the sidewall without warning, leading to sudden air loss. Additionally, the tires
could develop a belt edge separation that could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss. Both conditions can
increase the risk of injury or a crash.
What Nissan Will Do
Que Hara Nissan
Dealers will inspect all four (4) tires and, if necessary, replace any that are found with the suspect Department of
Transportation (DOT) number and mold number provided by the tire manufacturer. Your vehicle may require
anywhere from zero to four tires to be replaced.
This free service could take up to two (2) hours to complete, depending on number of tires requiring
replacement, but your Nissan dealer may require your vehicle for a longer period of time based upon their work
schedule.
What You Should Do
Que Debes Hacer
Contact your Nissan dealer at your earliest convenience in order to arrange an appointment to have your
vehicle tires inspected. Please bring this notice with you when you keep your service appointment.
Comunfcate con cualquier concesionario Nissan a la mayor brevedad para concertar una cita de reparaci6n
para tu vehfculo. Se requiere que traigas esta notificaci6n el dfa de tu cita.
For more information about the recall, please visit
https://nna.secure.force.com/recall?camp=PC764.
Para obtener mas informaci6n sobre el retire, visite
https:/ /nna.secure.force.com/recall?camp=PC764.
If the dealer fails to, or is unable to make the necessary repairs free of charge, you may contact the National
Consumer Affairs Department, Nissan North America, Inc. P.O. Box 685003, Franklin, TN 37068-5003. The toll free
number is 7-800-867-7669.
Si el concesionario no cum pie, o no le es posible realizar las reparaciones necesarias sin cargos, puedes
contactar al Departamento Nacional de Asuntos del Consumidor a: National Consumer Affairs Department,
Nissan North America, Inc. P.O. Box 685003, Franklin, TN 37068-5003. El numero libre de cargos es 7-800-867-
7669.
You may also submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 7200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 7-888-327-4236 (TTY: 7-
800-424-9753); or go to http:/ /www.safercar.gov.
Federal law requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the
lessee within ten days.
Thank you for your cooperation. We appreciate your Nissan ownership and apologize for any inconvenience
this may cause you.
Gracias por tu cooperaci6n. Agradecemos tu patrocinio coma dueno de un Nissan y te ofrecemos nuestras
disculpas por cualquier inconveniente que esto pueda ocasionar.

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CAMPAIGN ID: PC764| REVISION 1
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NISSAN
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SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN
BULLETIN
Tire Inspection
Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign
Reference: PC764
Date: December 17, 2020
Attention: Dealer Principal, Sales, Service & Parts Managers
REVISED December 17, 2020
Please discard earlier versions of this bulletin.
The announcement from November 6, 2020 has been revised to include the following:
NTB20-078 has been updated with a new tire return process for quality and investigation
purposes. Tires replaced beginning December 21, 2020 (according to open date of RO)
should be returned to Nissan North America, via YRC freight, within 70 calendar days of claim
payment
Dealers should use the straight bill of lading and shipping instructions located in the
bulletin (page(s) 6-7). The tires should be individually labeled. Dealers should be
prepared to provide the following information:
VIN
Part Number
Dealer Code/ Dealer Name
RO#/ RO Date
Copy of RO
Number of tires to be included in shipment (Example: 7 of 4, 2 of 4, 3 of 4, etc)
Tires should be banded together in stacks of 2 (if possible)
NOTE: To avoid non-refundable charges, oversized items must be shipped using YRC freight
For part return questions and support, please email nnawarrantypartsreturn@nissanusa.
com.
IMPORTANT: It is a violation of Federal law for retailers to sell or deliver new vehicles in their
inventory covered by this notification until the campaign’s final remedy action is performed.
Affected
Models/Years:
2020 AltIma (L34)
Affected
Population:
2,214
***** Campaign Summary*****
Dealer
Inventory:
1,440
SERVICE COMM
Activation date:
November 6, 2020
Stop Sale
In Effect
Nissan is issuing a Voluntary Safety Recall to inspect all four (4) tires and, if necessary, replace any that are
found with the suspect Department of Transportation (DOT) number and mold number for specific 2020
Altima (L34) vehicles identified in Service Comm Subject vehicles may require zero (O) to four (4) tires to
be replaced.
CAMPAIGN ID: PC764 | REVISION 1
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There may be other return processes, related to Continental tires, that are
separate from the process outlined in the campaign specific repair bulletin.
During manufacturing, the affected tires may have been over cured. As a result, the affected tires may
experience a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss, or they could develop a belt edge
separation that could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss. In addition, tires may experience a sudden air
loss without warning while others may exhibit localized tread wear, which may manifest as excessive
vibration and/or bulging in the tread area. These conditions could increase the risk of serious injury or
death.
Affected vehicles are subject to stop sale and are either currently in dealer inventory or assigned and in
transit to the dealer.
***** What Dealers Should Do****
Verify if vehicles are affected by this Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign using Service Comm or
DBS National Service History Campaign ID. PC764
New vehicles in dealer inventory can also be identified using DBS (Sales-> Vehicle
Inventory, and filter by Open Campaign).
Refer to NPSB 75-460 for additional information
Please continue to check newly arriving inventory for campaign applicability.
Dealers must not sell, lease, trade, rent or loan any vehicles in dealer inventory affected by this
recall campaign until after the vehicle has been repaired.
Dealers should use NTB20-078 to inspect and, if necessary, remedy any vehicles subject to this
campaign.
Once remedied dealers should submit the claim, using the claims coding provided, and release
the vehicle.
***** Release Schedule *****
Affected vehicle replacement tires, if necessary, are orderable via normal process
through the Nissan Maintenance Advantage program: Phone 877-NIS-NMAl (877-
647-6621) Website order via link on the dealer portal; www.NNAnetcom and click on
the “Maintenance Advantage -Tire/Battery/Chemical” link.
OETIR-03035 – Continental 275/60 R16
NOTE: Claiming instructions are provided in the Recall Campaign Technical Bulletin
(NTB20-078}. DO NOT claim the Dealer Tire part number on the claim
Dealers should inspect any applicable tires in their inventory and contact their Dealer
Tire or Nissan Carline representative to obtain a refund or exchange for any that are
found with the suspect Department of Transportation (DOT) number and mold
number.
Follow the campaign repair bulletin (NTB20-078) for the specific tire return
process identified. Tires are being collected, by Nissan North America for quality
and investigation purposes.
CAMPAIGN ID: PC764 | REVISION 1
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Repair
Owner
Notification
NTB20-078
Nissan began sending notifications to owners of all potentially affected vehicles in
December 2020 via U.S. Mail.
***** Dealer Responsibility*****
It is the dealer’s responsibility to check Service Comm or DBS National Service History using the
appropriate Campaign I.D. for the campaign status on each vehicle falling within the range of this
voluntary recall campaign, which for any reason enters the service department. This includes vehicles
purchased from private parties or presented by transient (tourist) owners and vehicles in dealer
inventory. If a VIN subject to this recall campaign was part of a dealer trade, the letter associated with
that VIN should be forwarded to the appropriate dealer for service completion.
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Aftersales DIVISION
Frequently Asl Q. Is this a recall?
A. Yes.
Q. Is this a Stop Sale?
A. Yes.
Q. What is the reason for the recall?
A. During manufacturing, the affected tires may have been over cured. As a result, the affected tires
may experience a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss, or they could develop a belt
edge separation that could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss.
Q. What is the possible effect of the condition?
A. Tires may experience a sudden air loss without warning while others may exhibit localized tread
wear, which may manifest as excessive vibration and/or bulging in the tread area. These
conditions could increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Q. What will be the corrective action for this voluntary recall campaign?
A. Dealers will inspect all four (4) tires and, if necessary, replace any that are found with the suspect
Department of Transportation (DOT) number and mold number for specific 2020 Altima (L34)
CAMPAIGN ID: PC764 | REVISION 1
vehicles identified in Service Comm. Subject vehicles may require zero (0) to four (4) tires to be
replaced
Q. How long will the corrective action take?
A This free service could take up to two (2) hours to complete, depending on number of tires
requiring replacement, but your Nissan dealer may require your vehicle for a longer period of time
based upon their work schedule.
Q. When will vehicle owners be notified?
A Nissan began sending notifications to owners of all potentially affected vehicles in December
2020 via US Mail.
Q. Is my vehicle safe to drive?
A If your vehicle is subject to this campaign, you will receive an Owner Notification letter from Nissan,
which will provide instructions on how to remedy your vehicle. Affected owners are encouraged
to have their vehicles inspected and, if necessary, remedied as soon as possible upon notification.
Q. Is there anything owners can do to mitigate this condition?
A No.
Q. Are parts readily available?
A Yes.
Q. Will a rental vehicle be provided while the dealer is servicing the vehicle?
A Yes. Complimentary alternate transportation is available, upon customer request, while tires are
on order.
Rental Expense
Contact the Warranty claims call center 1-800-258-7008 Option 7, if additional
expense is required Please refer to WBP19-017 for additional information on
application of rental reimbursement
Q. Is there any charge for the repair?
A No. The remedy will be performed for the customer free of charge for tires and labor.
CAMPAIGN ID: PC764 | REVISION 1
Q. Will I have to take my vehicle back to the selling dealer to have the service performed?
A No, any authorized Nissan dealer is able to perform the recall campaign.
For Consumer Affairs: Please inform us of the dealer where you would like to have the corrective
action completed
Q. I have lost confidence in the vehicle. Will Nissan replace or repurchase the vehicle?
A The remedy will fully correct this condition. As the condition will be corrected, there is no basis for
repurchasing or replacing your vehicle.
Q. What model year vehicles are involved?
A Certain MV2020 Nissan Altima (L34) vehicles manufactured between September 2, 2020 and
September 29, 2020 may be affected
Q. Are you experiencing this condition on any other Nissan (or INFINITI) models?
A No.
Revision History:
Voluntary Safety Recall
December 17, 2020 REVISION 1 New tire return process

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