Nissan Motor Co. has found that an air bag made by Takata Corp. ruptured abnormally and injured a passenger in a Nissan vehicle last month, the transport ministry said, announcing the first such case in Japan.
Automakers have been recalling tens of millions of vehicles around the world since 2008 due to fears that air bag inflators made by the Tokyo-based supplier could explode with too much force, spraying metal fragments inside cars.
The latest incident brings to 14 in Japan the number of cases that have been reported in which Takata air bags deployed abnormally. No injury was reported in the 13 previous cases.
Nissan on Tuesday reported its finding to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.
A woman sustained minor injuries to her forehead and left arm from metal fragments from the inflator when the passenger air bag deployed in a collision on Oct. 28 in Shizuoka Prefecture, according to Nissan.
The vehicle involved in the collision was a Nissan X-Trail sport utility vehicle produced in 2006. Nissan recalled the model in May.
The vehicle was taken to a dealer in August, but the recall was delayed due to a lack of replacement parts.
A total of eight deaths have been reported abroad linked to Takata air bags.