Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | ||||||||||||||||
| 11V244000 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | from 09/01/1996 to 10/31/2002 | V (Vehicle) | 195991 | ODI | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 04/20/2011 | 04/21/2011 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Nissan is recalling certain model year 1996-2004 pathfinder and model year 1997-2003 infiniti qx4 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, washington d.c., west virginia and wisconsin. in areas of the country in which heavy concentrations of road salt are used, a mixture of snow/water and salt may enter an assembly location hole in the upper strut housing, causing water to collect at the mating surface of the strut housing panel and the inner hood ledge assembly. over time, this snow/water and salt intrusion may result in corrosion of the strut tower housing in some subject vehicles. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly. this may lead to grinding noises, increased steering effort, and possibly the steering column to break, resulting in the loss of steering control, which could result in a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Nissan will inspect the strut housing and repair the vehicles as necessary, free of charge. an interim notification letter to owners will be mailed on or before may 16, 2011. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| ITB97026A | 07/10/2001 | 623068 | Information regarding rear suspension bottoming out. *yh | 10/25/2001 | |
| ITB98060 | 02/15/1999 | 604322 | Vehicle may exhibit steering shimmy while driven at speeds between 60 and 70 mph (w/o braking). *tt | 04/23/1999 | |
| 98001 | 03/25/1998 | 600112 | Concerns with pull and front/rear suspension excessive play. *yc | 04/24/1998 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT | |||||
| RCB-11-039-E | 06/08/2012 | 10044329 | Infiniti: see document search button for owner letter. certain vehicles registered in states where concentration of road is used, an inspection for corrosion and repair, if necessary, on front housing panels. safety recall campaign. mo | 06/12/2012 | |
| ITB-11-041 | 08/10/2012 | ITB-11-041-E | 10040864 | Nissan service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. 1997-2004 qx4. in states where heavy concentrations of road salt are used in the winter, the front driver | 09/14/2011 |
| ITB-11-041 | 08/11/2011 | 10040864 | Ready | 09/14/2011 | |
| ITB-11-041 | 08/11/2011 | 10040864 | Nissan service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. 199-2004 qx4. in states where heavy concentrations of road salt are used in the winter, the front driver | 09/14/2011 | |
| ITB-11-041 | 06/08/2012 | ITB-11-041-D | 10040864 | Nissan service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. 1997-2004 qx4. in states where heavy concentrations of road salt are used in the winter, the front driver | 09/14/2011 |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | 06/30/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | 11V244000 | |
| In their defect information report (dir) of april 20, 2011, nissan north america, inc. (nissan) notified nhtsa that it would conduct a safety recall of certain 1996-2004 nissan pathfinder and 1997-2003 infinity qx4 vehicles to repair corrosion damage to the driver's side front strut tower.the vehicles included in the recall are those that were originally sold, or are currently registered in salt belt states including connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia.the dir states in part, ...the strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly.this could lead to the strut housing panel separating and contacting the steering column lower shaft.contact with the steering column lower shaft can cause steering difficulties and may require an increase in steering effort by the driver.if the steering column lower shaft completely fractured it would result in a total loss of steering control.in some cases, the strut housing panel can contact or affect adjacent brake system components.complainants reported experiencing either steering or brake system issues, and in some cases, both.nissan dealer's will inspect the strut housing and, based on the level of corrosion found, make an assessment as to how to remedy the vehicle (see defect information report for additional details). brake system components adjacent to, and in the area of, the strut tower (i.e., brake master cylinder, left front brake line, abs wire harness, etc.) will also be inspected. | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 35 reports on the subject vehicles alleging a corrosion related failure of the driver's side front strut tower.in 18 of the reports there were allegations that the failures affected the vehicles steering, including five that reported the steering shaft or column broke resulting in a loss of steering.severe corrosion of the frame/body structure in the area of the driver's side front strut tower can allow the strut tower to fail.if the failed strut tower contacts the steering column upper joint, or otherwise restricts the rotation of the steering column shaft, it can result in increased steering effort, steering impediment, or a complete loss of steering control. | ||||||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | 06/30/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | 11V244000 | |
| In their defect information report (dir) of april 20, 2011, nissan north america, inc. (nissan) notified nhtsa that it would conduct a safety recall of certain 1996-2004 nissan pathfinder and 1997-2003 infinity qx4 vehicles to repair corrosion damage to the driver's side front strut tower.the vehicles included in the recall are those that were originally sold, or are currently registered in salt belt states including connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia.the dir states in part, ...the strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly.this could lead to the strut housing panel separating and contacting the steering column lower shaft.contact with the steering column lower shaft can cause steering difficulties and may require an increase in steering effort by the driver.if the steering column lower shaft completely fractured it would result in a total loss of steering control.in some cases, the strut housing panel can contact or affect adjacent brake system components.complainants reported experiencing either steering or brake system issues, and in some cases, both.nissan dealer's will inspect the strut housing and, based on the level of corrosion found, make an assessment as to how to remedy the vehicle (see defect information report for additional details). brake system components adjacent to, and in the area of, the strut tower (i.e., brake master cylinder, left front brake line, abs wire harness, etc.) will also be inspected. | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 35 reports on the subject vehicles alleging a corrosion related failure of the driver's side front strut tower.in 18 of the reports there were allegations that the failures affected the vehicles steering, including five that reported the steering shaft or column broke resulting in a loss of steering.severe corrosion of the frame/body structure in the area of the driver's side front strut tower can allow the strut tower to fail.if the failed strut tower contacts the steering column upper joint, or otherwise restricts the rotation of the steering column shaft, it can result in increased steering effort, steering impediment, or a complete loss of steering control. | ||||||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | 06/30/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | 11V244000 | |
| In their defect information report (dir) of april 20, 2011, nissan north america, inc. (nissan) notified nhtsa that it would conduct a safety recall of certain 1996-2004 nissan pathfinder and 1997-2003 infinity qx4 vehicles to repair corrosion damage to the driver's side front strut tower.the vehicles included in the recall are those that were originally sold, or are currently registered in salt belt states including connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia.the dir states in part, ...the strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly.this could lead to the strut housing panel separating and contacting the steering column lower shaft.contact with the steering column lower shaft can cause steering difficulties and may require an increase in steering effort by the driver.if the steering column lower shaft completely fractured it would result in a total loss of steering control.in some cases, the strut housing panel can contact or affect adjacent brake system components.complainants reported experiencing either steering or brake system issues, and in some cases, both.nissan dealer's will inspect the strut housing and, based on the level of corrosion found, make an assessment as to how to remedy the vehicle (see defect information report for additional details). brake system components adjacent to, and in the area of, the strut tower (i.e., brake master cylinder, left front brake line, abs wire harness, etc.) will also be inspected. | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 35 reports on the subject vehicles alleging a corrosion related failure of the driver's side front strut tower.in 18 of the reports there were allegations that the failures affected the vehicles steering, including five that reported the steering shaft or column broke resulting in a loss of steering.severe corrosion of the frame/body structure in the area of the driver's side front strut tower can allow the strut tower to fail.if the failed strut tower contacts the steering column upper joint, or otherwise restricts the rotation of the steering column shaft, it can result in increased steering effort, steering impediment, or a complete loss of steering control. | ||||||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | 06/30/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | 11V244000 | |
| In their defect information report (dir) of april 20, 2011, nissan north america, inc. (nissan) notified nhtsa that it would conduct a safety recall of certain 1996-2004 nissan pathfinder and 1997-2003 infinity qx4 vehicles to repair corrosion damage to the driver's side front strut tower.the vehicles included in the recall are those that were originally sold, or are currently registered in salt belt states including connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia.the dir states in part, ...the strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly.this could lead to the strut housing panel separating and contacting the steering column lower shaft.contact with the steering column lower shaft can cause steering difficulties and may require an increase in steering effort by the driver.if the steering column lower shaft completely fractured it would result in a total loss of steering control.in some cases, the strut housing panel can contact or affect adjacent brake system components.complainants reported experiencing either steering or brake system issues, and in some cases, both.nissan dealer's will inspect the strut housing and, based on the level of corrosion found, make an assessment as to how to remedy the vehicle (see defect information report for additional details). brake system components adjacent to, and in the area of, the strut tower (i.e., brake master cylinder, left front brake line, abs wire harness, etc.) will also be inspected. | ||||||
| PE11004 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 01/28/2011 | Frame/Body Structure Corrosion | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 35 reports on the subject vehicles alleging a corrosion related failure of the driver's side front strut tower.in 18 of the reports there were allegations that the failures affected the vehicles steering, including five that reported the steering shaft or column broke resulting in a loss of steering.severe corrosion of the frame/body structure in the area of the driver's side front strut tower can allow the strut tower to fail.if the failed strut tower contacts the steering column upper joint, or otherwise restricts the rotation of the steering column shaft, it can result in increased steering effort, steering impediment, or a complete loss of steering control. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 07/18/2012 | |||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that the front driver | |||
| 07/18/2012 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated she had her vehicle repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 11v244000 (suspension:front) . the contact is now experiencing the same failure on the driver side. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer has been contacted. the failure mileage was 150,000 and the current mileage was 174,000. mh | |||
| 04/22/2010 | 110000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. while traveling 55 mph, the vehicle began to wobble and vibrate violently. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic on several occasions where the front bushings, front axles, tie rods, and four tires were replaced on the vehicle however, the contact continued to experience the failure. the current mileage was 138,000 and the failure mileage was 110,000. kmj | |||
| 04/22/2010 | 110000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. while traveling 55 mph the contact noticed that the vehicle will begin to wobble and vibrate violently. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic on several different occasions where the front bushings, front axles, tie rods, and 4 new tires where equipped on the vehicle. however the contact is still experiencing the failure. the current mileage is 138000, and the failure mileage was 110000. bml | |||
| 01/24/2010 | 263000 | ||
| My husband and i were involved in an accident on january 24th 2010, while traveling n. on state hwy 87 going towards payson, az although there had been a lot of snow in the higher elevations the roads were clear and appeared dry. the incident began when i apparently encountered a patch of black ice as i began across a bridge. i felt the rear end of the vehicle quickly slide left. because of my experience in handling this vehicle and how well this vehicle handles, i was extremely confident in my ability to recover from the sliding without incident. (i was the 2nd owner & had it 10yrs) i had complete control of the vehicle through the 1st and 2nd corrections, however at the beginning of the 3rd & what would've been the last correction i felt something break in the front driver's side wheel area. (imagine being up on all fours and your left arm collapses out from under you) at that moment i no longer had control of the vehicle because whatever happened caused the fail safes in the vehicle to instantly shut everything off! the engine shut off, there was no power for anything! no steering, no brakes, no possible way to stop the vehicle from crashing. the vehicle was propelled across the hwy from the right shoulder and as if the drivers corner was pinned to the road, it turned just enough to face the concrete median, which it hit head-on at approximately 55 mph. the force of the engine pushing through the fire wall, snapped my right femur. i was air lifted from the scene with life threatening injuries & taken to the valley. my husband who was the front passenger was transported to payson via ambulance. on the morning of the 26th he suddenly had to be air lifted to the valley, where he died just a few hours later from injuries sustained in the accident. it was 1 1/2yrs later before i found out it was the driver's side strut that broke & caused the vehicle to crash. | |||
| 09/09/2011 | 200015 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that the rear bushings from the upper control arm deteriorated, causing the vehicle to roll abnormally when accelerating or decelerating. the vehicle was taken in for routine maintenance when the contact was informed of the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 200,015. | |||
| 09/09/2011 | 200015 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that the rear bushings from the upper control arm deteriorated, causing the vehicle to roll abnormally when accelerating or decelerating. the vehicle was taken in for routine maintenance when the contact was informed of the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 200,015. kmj | |||
| 06/07/2010 | 150000 | ||
| Side to side vehicle shake. at speeds over 40 mph any bump will send the car into a violent shake that can only be stopped by applying the brakes. i replaced struts, balanced tires and had wheel alignment, yet the problem persists. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 1 | ||
| 1997 qx4. consumer writes in regards to recall notice concerning malfunctioning parts *tgw the consumer stated the recalled part caused other mechanical problems to other components on the vehicle. it caused the tires to prematurely wear out, due to the shock absorbers being over-worked, and it caused problems with the steering as well. the consumer stated the dealership did not perform a thorough job in fixing the problem, as the vehicle is still unsafe to drive. recall # 11v244000. *jb | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds he started to hear a loud noise on the drivers side. the vehicle was then inspected by a dealer who informed him that the front left shock tower had completely rusted out due to corrosion. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000. tb | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 135000 | ||
| The front driver side strut tower rusted out on my 1997 infiniti qx4. part of the strut tower sheared, creating an obstruction that interfered with vehicle steering. i was notified of this problem by my mechanic after i asked him to inspect the shocks and struts to see if they needed to be replaced. my mechanic advised me to park the car until it could be repaired since it was not safe to drive. | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds he started to hear a loud noise on the drivers side. the vehicle was then inspected by a dealer who informed him that the front left shock tower had completely rusted out due to corrosion. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000. tb | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 135000 | ||
| The front driver side strut tower rusted out on my 1997 infiniti qx4. part of the strut tower sheared, creating an obstruction that interfered with vehicle steering. i was notified of this problem by my mechanic after i asked him to inspect the shocks and struts to see if they needed to be replaced. my mechanic advised me to park the car until it could be repaired since it was not safe to drive. | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds he started to hear a loud noise on the drivers side. the vehicle was then inspected by a dealer who informed him that the front left shock tower had completely rusted out due to corrosion. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000. tb | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 135000 | ||
| The front driver side strut tower rusted out on my 1997 infiniti qx4. part of the strut tower sheared, creating an obstruction that interfered with vehicle steering. i was notified of this problem by my mechanic after i asked him to inspect the shocks and struts to see if they needed to be replaced. my mechanic advised me to park the car until it could be repaired since it was not safe to drive. | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds he started to hear a loud noise on the drivers side. the vehicle was then inspected by a dealer who informed him that the front left shock tower had completely rusted out due to corrosion. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000. tb | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 135000 | ||
| The front driver side strut tower rusted out on my 1997 infiniti qx4. part of the strut tower sheared, creating an obstruction that interfered with vehicle steering. i was notified of this problem by my mechanic after i asked him to inspect the shocks and struts to see if they needed to be replaced. my mechanic advised me to park the car until it could be repaired since it was not safe to drive. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 02/01/2006 | 1 | 02/01/2004 | |
| My 1997 infiniti qx4 started to have a side to side wobble. it got worse over time. now i can barely drive on the freeway. at speeds of about 50-65 it wobbles to the point that it is very dangerous. i bought an infiniti for the safety and i do not feel safe in it anymore. i have replaced shocks, tires, have done tire balancing, wheel alignment. none have done anything to remotely fix the problem. i can not afford to fix this problem. a recall is needed for the pathfinder and qx4. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | |||
| 11/06/1998 | |||
| Vehicles coming from the manufacturer are being put out with defective coil springs which causes vehicles to lean to the left. dealer was notifed, and replaced defective coil springs. also consumer noticed that same vehicle from 1997-1999 were affected with defective parts. *ak | |||