WASHINGTON -- Nissan Motor Co. is recalling more than 240,000 trucks in 20 cold-weather states to fix a problem that could prevent front air bags from deploying in a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a posting on its Web site Wednesday that the recall affects the Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra for the 2005-2009 model years.

In states where wintertime road salt is used, a mix of snow and salt could enter a crash zone sensor area and rust, interrupting the signal and potentially preventing the front air bags from deploying in a crash.

The recall involves the three vehicles in these states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The NHTSA said that to fix the problem, Nissan dealers will replace the front crash zone sensor with a redesigned sensor. Owners can contact Nissan at 800-647-7261.

Nissan spokesman Colin Price said the problem was discovered through warranty claims and there had been no crashes or injuries linked to the issue.

More Information:

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration