Nissan North America Inc

Nissan North America Inc. said Friday that 775 workers at its vehicle and engine plants in Tennessee -- 12% of the factories' combined payroll -- had accepted a company buyout plan. Parent Nissan Motor Co., whose aggressive cost cutting led it to relocate its North American headquarters and 1,300 jobs from Gardena to Nashville last year, initially said it expected about 300 of the 6,200 factory workers to take the buyouts. Buyouts have been rare among Japanese automakers with U.S. factories.

Nissan North America Inc. told dealers to stop selling 2006 four-cylinder Nissan Altimas and Sentra SE-Rs after reports of engine fires. The automaker said that there had been one minor injury and that it was investigating the cause of excessive oil consumption in the cars' engines. Nissan said about 100,000 of the vehicles built in 2006 may be subject to the problem. The vehicles have not been recalled.

Katzkin Leather Inc., a major manufacturer of custom auto interiors, sued Nissan North America Inc. on Tuesday, alleging the automaker engaged in unfair business practices when it attempted to block its dealers from using Katzkin products. Montebello-based Katzkin manufactures leather upholstery kits that are popular with motorists seeking a custom look for their vehicles. Some new-car dealers sell the kits in their parts departments.

After nearly half a century of calling Southern California home, Nissan North America is preparing to call it quits. The company is scheduled to announce in Nashville today that it will relocate its corporate headquarters and 1,300 jobs from Gardena to a growing automotive center in central Tennessee. Nissan already has more than 6,500 employees at its largest U.S. assembly plant in the Nashville suburb of Smyrna.

Shortly after Nissan Motor Co. announced Thursday that it would relocate its North American headquarters from Gardena to Tennessee, the challenges facing the Japanese automaker became evident. Several employees said that they had no intention of moving and that few of their co-workers would leave either. "I'm not going to Tennessee," one woman said. A few hours after the 9 a.m.

Tennessee may not match California when it comes to beaches and celebrities, but it bested the Golden State when it anted-up to woo Nissan Corp. The Volunteer State used a relocation assistance package worth $197 million to persuade Nissan to move its North American headquarters from Gardena to the hills just south of Nashville, according to Tennessee's Economic and Community Development Department.

Eyebrows raised when Nissan Motor Co. said it would challenge Detroit in the full-size pickup market. Not even Toyota Motor Corp., maker of the top import brand in the U.S., has had much success in the Ford-Chevy-Dodge-dominated big pickup arena. But Jed Connelly, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Gardena-based Nissan North America, predicts Nissan dealers will sell 100,000 of the company's new Titan full-size pickups this year -- more than twice Toyota's 2003 Tundra sales.

Nissan North America Inc. said it would move production of the Pathfinder sport utility vehicle from Japan to Tennessee, which could mean 1,500 new jobs in the state. Nissan said the move would require an investment of $250 million at the plant in Smyrna, adding 170,000 square feet to the 5.4-million-square-foot facility. The 2005 Pathfinders should begin production in Smyrna in fall 2004.

William Kirrane, Nissan North America vice president and Nissan division general manager, is retiring this month after 32 years with the company, setting off a chain of promotions at the Gardena-based importer and distributor of Nissan and Infiniti cars and trucks. Mark McNabb, vice president and general manager of the company's Infiniti luxury car division, will replace Kirrane, effective July 20. Kirrane, 57, has overseen a major overhaul of the company's U.S.

Nissan Motor Co.'s U.S. operating arm has launched a new marketing campaign that blends music, "reality" TV, radio and seemingly outlaw behavior in a bid to capture the attention of young American urban car buyers. Gardena-based Nissan North America Inc. has hired former Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment marketing strategist Jonathon Cropper, 32, to head the campaign.