Fire Hazard from Garmin Nuvi Prompts Recalls from Suzuki and Nissan

After Garmin announced a voluntary recall of 1.25 million units of its popular Nuvi GPS system at the end of August amidst concerns that the batteries could overheat and catch fire, Suzuki and Nissan followed with a recall on several vehicles equipped with the affected Garmin Nuvi navigation systems including the 750, 760, or 765 models for the same reason.

The recalled Garmin units can be found on certain Suzuki vehicles including the 2008-2010MY SX4 crossovers, 2010MY Grand Vitara SUVs, and 2009-2010MY Equator vehicles, and the 2008-2010MY Nissan Altima, Frontier, Pahtfinder, Rogue, Sentra, Versa and Xterra vehicles.

In both cases, the automakers will notify owners of the affected models, and the repairs will be performed by Garmin technicians who will replace the battery and insert a spacer on top of the battery free of charge.

2010 Nissan Sentra and Sentra SE-R / V-Spec Receive Mild Facelift, Prices Lowered up to $1,100

On sale now at Nissan's US dealerships, the 2010 Sentra compact sedan has been subtly updated for the new model year while the Japanese firm also announced lower pricing that cuts as much as $1,100 off the MSRP. All Sentra models get revised headlights and taillights, a new grille and front fascia for the 2.0, 2.0 S and 2.0 SL models and new interior fabrics on all trim levels.

Furthermore, the SE-R and SE-R Spec V have been enhanced with revised instrument panel accents and illumination, new wheels, a new 4.3-inch color audio system display with USB interface and standard Interface System for iPod.

Aside from the revised option packages, Nissan has launched the first-ever Navigation Package for the Sentra (2.0 SL, SE-R, SE-R Spec V, January 2010 availability), which includes a 5.0-inch color screen and XM NavTraffic Real-Time Traffic Information with pricing set at just $400.

As we noted before, Nissan has reduced pricing on all Sentra models, with the entry-level 2.0 with 6-speed manual transmission starting from $15,420 USD. The 2.0, 2.0 S, 2.0 SR and 2.0SL are all powered by a 140-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that can be paired with a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT.

The sportier Sentra SE-R and SE-R V-Spec that come equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine delivering 177HP and 200 HP respectively, are both $1,080 cheaper than the 2009MY cars with prices set at $19,580 and $20,080 respectively.

Model	2009 MSRP	2010 MSRP	MSRP Reduction
2.0 CVT	$16,730	$16,600	$130
2.0 S CVT	$17,760	$17,160	$600
2.0 SR	$17,760	$17,160	$600
2.0 SL	$19,660	$18,560	$1,100
SE-R	$20,660	$19,580	$1,080
SE-R Spec V	$21,160	$20,080	$1,080