Fuel leak worries spur Nissan Sentra recall

WASHINGTON – Nissan North America Inc. is recalling 49,200 Sentra sedans because of concerns over possible fuel leakage, officials said Friday.

The recall affects Sentras from the 2005 model year.

Company officials told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that in some vehicles a vapor hose in the fuel tank may not have been properly manufactured.

When the vehicle is parked with a full gas tank, fuel could flow into the vapor hose, which is connected to a vapor canister.

The government said the vapor canister could become full, and excess fuel could spill out onto the ground, potentially starting a fire.

Nissan said 43,000 of the vehicles were sold in the United States and the remainder are in Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico.

There have been no injuries or fires reported, Nissan spokesman Kyle Bazemore said.

Nissan will begin notifying customers about the recall in August. Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and, if necessary, replace it at no charge.