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The
Nissan Navara has been heavily criticised by independent crash test authority Euro NCAP. It says the Navara, and also the Isuzu Rodeo, have scored some of the lowest results ever recorded and the Navara's airbags were too slow to deploy.
In the crash tests, the Nissan's airbag went off too late to prevent serious injury and the pick-up scored only one star out of a possible five for adult occupant protection. The Isuzu Rodeo scored only marginally better with two stars.
Nissan has reacted quickly to the news and issued a recall for all Navaras built between May and December 2007, which it says are affected by a software fault. The recall supplies a new airbag control unit for free, and Nissan has extended the offer of a free upgrade to all Navaras built from 2005 onwards to reassure owners.
The Navara originally tested by Euro NCAP was one of the cars built during the May to December 2007 period and Nissan has since supplied a car with the improved software for retesting. Brian Carolin, senior vice president of sales and marketing of Nissan Europe, said: "We take safety very seriously and we encourage Euro NCAP to publish the result of the re-test as soon as they have it."
Alisdair Suttie - 26 Feb 2008