Nissan announced a recall on its 2007 Altima cars. The automaker’s best selling U.S. Vehicle is said to have an air filter that can catch fire if a hot object is drawn into it.

The recall affects Altima cars with a 2.5-liter, four- cylinder engine, the Tokyo-based automaker told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nissan told the Washington-based agency it began notifying owners July 3. The company also reported that four fires were reported in February and March.

The filter will be replaced because it can ignite if something hot such as cigarette ash enters through the vehicle’s fresh-air intake valve, Nissan said. An air deflector also will be installed to prevent a buildup of debris at the filter.

The Altima accounted for 140,253, or 26 percent, of Nissan’s U.S. sales this year through June. The model was ninth in sales among all cars and light trucks in the U.S. during the period.

The recall affects Altimas built from Sept. 25 through May 11 at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, and from Oct. 30 through May 11 at its Canton, Mississippi, factory, Nissan reported. They also said that the vehicles are under warranty.

Tony Pearson, a spokesman for Nissan’s Nashville, Tennessee- based U.S. unit, declined to say how much the recall will cost the automaker. Nissan expects to notify all owners by Oct. 1, he said in an interview.

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