Nissan to recall Altimas for third time to fix hood latches

Nissan Motor Co said Friday it will recall about 870,000 Nissan cars in the United States and Canada for potentially faulty hood latches, marking the third time since 2014 the automaker has recalled vehicles to address the problem.

These vehicles were recalled previously recalled, however the remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk.

If the primary and secondary latches don’t work, the hood might open unexpectedly while you’re driving, presenting a greater risk of an accident in the process.

The first campaign listed approximately 220,000 vehicles, while another 625,000 were added early last year after the company discovered “a number of incidents” in a broader range of cars from the 2013-2015 model years.

The issue is paint that can flake off the latch, allowing the bare metal to rust and subsequently jam the secondary hood latch open. But Nissan spokesman Steve Yaeger said the company has no reports of any crashes or injuries.

Now, Nissan has instructed to dealers to replace the latch entirely, to make sure there is no issue again. Owners can contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Nissan will begin notifying owners in mid-February.