WASHINGTON, May 29 Reuters Owners of nearly 84,000 older Nissan vehicles in the United States equipped with recalled, unrepaired Takata air bags should immediately stop driving them due to a safety hazard, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday.

The agency made its announcement after the Japanese automaker issued a warning on Wednesday telling vehicle owners not to drive certain vehicles the 20022006 model year Nissan Sentra, 20022004 Nissan Pathfinder and 20022003 Infiniti QX4 that were recalled in 2020 but have not been fixed.

If you have one of these vehicles, do not drive it until the repair is completed and the defective air bag is replaced, NHTSA said in a statement, noting that Nissan dealers are offering free towing, mobile repair and in some places loaner vehicles.

Over the past decade, more than 100 million Takata air bag inflators have been recalled worldwide including 7 million in the United States in the biggest auto safety callback on record.

More than 30 deaths worldwide including 27 in the United States and more than 400 injuries have been reported since 2009 in vehicles sold by various automakers due to Takata air bag inflators that can explode, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks. The air bag problems have been blamed on propellant that can break down after longterm exposure to hightemperature fluctuations and humidity.

NHTSA said that even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags…