A 2012 Infiniti M35h.

Nissan Motor Co. is recalling more than 900,000 vehicles due to a problem with defective accelerator sensors used in a wide range of models that could cause their engines to stall unexpectedly.

The vast majority of the vehicles covered by the recall were produced for the Japanese export market, though some were shipped to other regions of the world. That includes the United States, were  nearly 100,000 of the products are being targeted for repair, most of them sold through the Infiniti brand.

According to Nissan, the sensor used to detect the way the throttle pedal is being depressed can become unstable. That can lead the vehicle to accelerate less aggressively than a motorist might intend – and, in some circumstances, it can cause the vehicle to stop or even stall out entirely.

It is common practice in today’s auto industry to share basic components on a wide variety of products, as a result, the recall covers models that include the Nissan Serena, X-Trail, Lafesta and Fuga. The vehicles were produced between 2004 and 2013, Nissan says.

Of the total 908,900 vehicles covered by the recall, 764,800 were sold in the Japanese home market. Another 98,300 were sold in the U.S., most of those the mid-range luxury sedan, the Infiniti M line.

Nissan says it will need to replace the defective accelerator pedals and reprogram the engine control systems on vehicles affected by the recall.  Repairs will take an estimated 90 minutes and will be made at no cost to consumers.

Though the maker has received a number of complaints, Nissan says it knows of no accidents or injuries connected to the problem.

Automakers are under increasing pressure to spot and respond to potential safety issues, often relying on warranty-related data to spot possible problems.  Delaying action can result in significant fines, as manufacturers such as BMW and Toyota have learned in recent years.

Despite their reputation for high quality, Japanese makers – Toyota and Honda, in particular — have led the charts in terms of the total number of vehicles they have recalled over the past half decade.