Nissan Canada has issued a do-not-drive warning for 48,000 vehicles in the latest effort to expand its campaign about defective airbags.

The recall includes cars and SUVs as old as the 2002 model year that were recalled as a part of an ongoing campaign to recall defective Takata airbag inflators.

The automaker is asking drivers of the 2002 QX4, 2002-2004 Pathfinder and 2002-2006 Sentra to stop driving their vehicles and contact to Nissan for a free recall repair.

Takata airbags contain a calcium sulphate-absorbing propellant that may degrade after long exposure to high humidity and temperatures and could cause a rupture during deployment.

In December, Ford Motor Co. issued a similar safety recall for 275,000 vehicles in Canada, warning of the risks of airbag ruptures.

In the U.S., about 6.2 million vehicles with potentially dangerous airbag inflators remain on U.S. roads.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.