NHTSA closes probe into 2009–2010 Nissan Cube: Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture
On June 13, 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25005) into 2009–2010 Nissan Cube, concerning the air bags. A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage of an NHTSA defect investigation: ODI gathers information from the manufacturer and from owner reports to decide whether to close the case or take it further. ODI closed the preliminary evaluation on September 3, 2026.
- Action
- PE25005 (Preliminary Evaluation)
- Status
- Closed September 3, 2026
- Component
- Air Bags: Frontal: Driver Side: Inflator Module
- Listed
- 2 make/model/year entries in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Make | Nissan |
|---|---|
| Model | Cube |
| Model years | 2009–2010 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25005 on June 13, 2025, to assess the scope, root cause, and potential defect in 2009 Model Year (MY) Nissan Cube vehicles equipped with Takata PSDI-X air bag inflators. At the time the investigation was opened, analysis by Nissan and Takata (now New Leaf LLC) indicated that a rupture occurred at a weld point between the inflator cap and housing in a 2009 MY Nissan Cube. Nissan ruled out the propellant degradation root cause characteristic of the larger, well known, Takata recall, and instead identified a welding root cause. On April 9, 2026, Nissan North America, Inc. submitted a Part 573 Safety Recall Report to address the weld defect. Recall 26V230 includes the 28,388 2009 MY vehicles identified in the opening resume for this investigation and expands the population to include 2010 MY Nissan Cube vehicles for a total population of 47,928 vehicles produced between October 10, 2008, and September 25, 2010.Nissan identified the driver’s front air bag inflator (Takata PSDI-X, Part Number 98560-7991C) produced by TK Services Inc. within a specific lot may contain an improper body weld seal to the inflator base. This improper weld can cause the air bag module to detach from the steering wheel during deployment, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant in the event of a crash. Dealers will inspect the serial number on the driver’s air bag inflator in recalled vehicles to identify the air bag inflator lot. If the inflator is part of the affected lot, the dealer will remove and replace it with a new inflator manufactured by a different supplier. This repair will be performed free of charge. See NHTSA Recall No. 26V230 for further details. Based on Nissan's recall action, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for PE25005, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
What owners have reported
Owners filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about the model years in this investigation, reporting 4 crashes, 1 fires, 5 injuries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Cube | 56 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
Related recalls
NHTSA links these recall campaigns to PE25005.
Timeline
- ODI opens preliminary evaluation PE25005
- ODI closes PE25005
- NHTSA recall 26V230000 (recall date)
What this means for owners
- ODI closes an investigation when a recall addresses the issue or when it does not find enough evidence to continue. NHTSA’s closing report gives the reason; the recalls above are the ones NHTSA links to it.
- 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 PE25005 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.