NHTSA opens audit query into 2018–2022 Ford and Nissan vehicles: Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls
On December 16, 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an Audit Query (AQ22003) into 2018–2022 Ford and Nissan vehicles, concerning the latches/locks/linkages. An Audit Query reviews whether a manufacturer has met its federal safety reporting or recall obligations. As of NHTSA’s latest data it is still open.
- Action
- AQ22003 (Audit Query)
- Status
- Open
- Component
- Latches/Locks/Linkages: Hood: Latch
- Listed
- 7 make/model/year entries in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Makes | Ford, Nissan |
|---|---|
| Models | Altima, Explorer, redundant ALTIMA |
| Model years | 2018–2022 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
NHTSA is opening this audit query to investigate whether The Hertz Corporation (Hertz) has complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act). The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a rental company shall not rent a vehicle subject to a safety recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i).NHTSA is in receipt of information that indicates Hertz rented vehicles to customers without having performed required recall repairs. Accordingly, we are opening this audit query to seek additional information concerning this issue.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for AQ22003, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
What owners have reported
Owners filed 1,448 complaints with NHTSA about the model years in this investigation, reporting 76 crashes, 19 fires, 50 injuries, 1 deaths. These are all complaints on file for those vehicles, about any problem, not only this one; complaints are unverified owner reports.
| Vehicle | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Altima | 226 | 11 | 6 | 0 |
| 2019 Altima | 232 | 22 | 11 | 0 |
| 2020 Altima | 158 | 15 | 13 | 1 |
| 2021 Altima | 70 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022 Altima | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 Explorer | 732 | 16 | 13 | 0 |
| 2022 Redundant Altima | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recalls and problems for these vehicles
Timeline
- ODI opens audit query AQ22003
- OpenNo closing date yet
What this means for owners
- An investigation is not a recall. NHTSA has not made a defect finding here, and owners are not asked to do anything yet. If a safety defect is confirmed, the manufacturer recalls the vehicles and the repair is free.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search AQ22003 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.