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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||||||||||||
| 11V244000 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | from 10/01/1995 to 07/31/2004 | 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 . | |||||||||||||||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 10/08/2012 | 103500 | 1 | |
| Noise and wobble in steering. repair shop said the passenger side, front steering control arm and frame are severely rusted. this connection is weak. should this control arm break lose, steering would fail. *tr | |||
| 10/08/2012 | 103500 | ||
| Noise and wobble in steering. repair shop said the passenger side, front steering control arm and frame are severely rusted. this connection is weak. should this control arm break lose, steering would fail. | |||
| 06/06/2012 | 188483 | ||
| I took my car to the mansfield ohio nissan mmg dealership to be inspected for a corrosion recall. the dealership provided me with a loaner while the inspections were carried out. nissan decided that the car was not repairable and offered to buy the vehicle for $5,600. i had a few days to consider the offer but was under immense pressure and threats that i would have to pay for storage charges for my car on their lot and also the loaner car if i did not accept their offer. the dealership even threatened resorting to other measures which i interpreted as call the police if i did not either accept the offer or return the loaner car. we are a single income family, partially disable spouse who can't work with 2 kids in college so i can't afford a car payment or to take a loss on the vehicle. i told nissan that i could not afford their offer because i had decided about a year ago that i need to get another 100k miles out of this car and then proceeded to invest about $4,000 into major maintenance that would extend the life of the car. i was willing to prove all of it with receipts. i was told by nissann that they would never pay me for this maintenance, no matter what. i asked for a copy of the inspection report so i could assess the risk and that was denied. i could not financially afford the offer and could not longer tolerate the stress of worrying about not having a car or the police after me so i returned the loaner and picked up my car and have put it back into full service. when leaving the lot i hear a noise in the front and felt something in the steering that i have never noticed before. i have since heard it a few more times. i asked nissan if this could have been caused by the inspection but they are not answering me. why would corrosion make a noise ? i'm scared to drive the car, can't afford the offer, can't handle any more threats. help ? | |||
| 10/30/2011 | 139000 | ||
| I was driving my vehicle when suddenly the front wheels locked. the engine went off and the power steering was also locked -up and i lost control, the car spun out, and hit the jersey barrier with the back. | |||
| 12/30/2010 | 165000 | ||
| Vehicle sways back and forth at speeds above 60 mph | |||
| 08/02/2011 | 200000 | ||
| I took my nissan 1999 pathfinder to dealer on recall and was advised vehicle unsafe to drive and was given rental and told nissan would buyback vehicle. | |||
| 07/06/2009 | 140000 | ||
| Our 1999 1/2 nissan pathfinder's steering column separated from the wheels causing the vehicle to crash into a curbing. we had the car towed to our mechanic and they did a temporary fix but stated that the vehicle was so rusted out on the driver side that it needed to be welded back together with a piece of sheet metal. we spoke to three different sheet metal shops and all said that they would not do it because of safety concerns. we believe this problem occurred due to excessive corrosion on the driver's side strut tower and led to our loosing our steering. this occurred in july 2009, at that time, we knew nothing of a recall involving this problem, i called nissan and they said there was nothing they could do and there were no recalls. due to the fact that the vehicle could not be repaired, we had to junk it. the car was only 10 years old at the time and always maintained. i feel we should get some reimbursement as the car should have been worth something, however, if the steering column is no longer attached and corrosion is so bad, we could not sell this vehicle to anyone. we would like some type of reimbursement. | |||
| 05/03/2010 | 116324 | ||
| Both front strut housing rusted. driver side strut housing crack and pull away from the assembly, damaging strut, housing touch the steering column, grinding noises from steering column. | |||
| 10/17/2009 | 135000 | 1 | |
| I was driving my car into my neighborhood. i turned a corner heard a clunk my steering was tight. i then turned into my driveway and lost my steering. fortunately i was moving slow and did not hit anything. i got out of my vehicle looked under the hood and discovered that my left front wheel well had rusted through and had rotated up and into my steering column breaking the spring in the column and knocking out my steering. so far nissan and my dealer have done nothing. they have rejected my claim that this is a safety problem and they have not given me a formal estimate of the cost to repair. they did offer me $500 of trade in value towards a new vehicle purchase. on november 13, 2009 i requested that the vehicle be repaired at my cost. i visited the dealer on december 1, 2009 to check on progress, and as of this afternoon december 4, 2009 they have not prepared an estimate. i feel this is a safety issue an additional bracket would prevent the wheel well from hitting the steering column. i am lucky that it happened in my driveway later that day was going to drive that vehicle to new york state where if this happened at high speed would have been a serious and possible fatal crash. instead i drove a rental car after my vehicle was towed to the dealer. *tr | |||
| 05/21/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| I wrote previously on issues with my 1999 nissan pathfinder & recalls safety defects etc..etc.. ? re airbag switch installation to my vehicle after years of inquiries & being told by nissan dealers & nissan north america consumer affairs there were no recalls &/or safety advisory even after receipt of a red urgent recall card from the dealer i purchased my vehicle from stating that i have been notified by my vehicle division of the existing problem ???? i was told over & over there were not any issues safety/recalls /technical bulletins or anything with my vehicle from both nissan consumer affairs & dealer who sent this card & it must have been sent in error this card is postmarked 2/2008 & states i failed to reply however i never received any prior notifications & blatantly told prior upon my inquiries & after this card there were no issues &they don't know why i received this card blatant liars the card states vin # jn8 make nissan modification ro705/or 120705 nothing comes up on either what is this for ????? im getting nowhere without i believe information must be missing on this card & emphatic denial from the dealer nissan auto mall & nissan consumer affairs they even denied any prior complaints i made blasphemous liars!!!!!! help!!!! *tr | |||
| 05/21/2004 | 1 | ||
| I'm repulsed @ the gross disregard for safety & life of consumers my 99 nissan --death trap hey im alive 3 crashes major steering lock up self acceleration problems electrical stalling shimmy seatbelts don't lock air bags do not deploy this vehicle is dangerous brakes lock up chronic check engine light issues despite numerous inquiries & complaints to nissan they denied any similar complaints with any of their vehicles i have now found multiple foreign campaign recalls which nissan north america was notified by manufacturers of components in their us vehicles by these foreign manufacturers many years later nissan is advising service/safety bulletins however the consumer is not notified & even mislead as to safety issues upon inquiry keep track of your complaints to nissan -when you call back they deny any prior complaints you made at least this has been my experience with nissan consumer affairs ----------when the whole chasis mainframe is bent in 3 major mva,s front head on please again explain to me why the airbags fail to deploy & the seat belts don't lock it seems to depend on way 2 many reasons id like to know what would make them deploy your answer is no answer thanks for your compassion for human life mine was destroyed sincerely disabled do the right thing & spare another human travesty! *tr | |||
| 08/09/2000 | 1 | ||
| Claim # 42-1281-769 - while driving, consumer attempted to exit ramp, however vehicle's steering became uncontrollable, consumer states that the vehicle's steering would not respond and began to swirl left to the edge of the highway and back again, going off the bank resulting in an overturn, there was one injury. *tt | |||
| 02/13/2000 | 1 | ||
| Claim number - 20-5208-313 while driving in rainy weather, consumer experienced steering problems, causing vehicle to flip over, there were six injuries. *tt | |||
| 03/05/2001 | 3 | ||
| While traveling at 40-50 mph vehicle started to spin in a 180 degree turn. when this problem occurred ground has always been wet. contacted dealer, and dealer stated that vehicle was in good condition, even though problem has occurred three times already. *ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 01/14/2008 | 7 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 nissan pathfinder. a mechanic informed the contact that the pinion seal was leaking in the front gear box. the mechanic further explained that it may potentially cause a fire or explosion. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls for that failure. the purchase date and failure mileage were unknown. the current mileage was 140,000. | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 02/08/2002 | |||
| Additional details avaiable upon request. nlm | |||
| 02/15/2000 | 3 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Un-controllable steering wobble at 70 mph. have taken it back to dealer twice, with only tires replaced. found similar problems on a yahoo website, with customers that have contacted nissan, that have received no fix for this problem. i will send email to your web address with comments from yahoo message board.*ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 05/03/2010 | 116324 | ||
| Both front strut housing rusted. driver side strut housing crack and pull away from the assembly, damaging strut, housing touch the steering column, grinding noises from steering column. | |||
| While traveling consumer lost control of vehicle due to steering wheel locking up, resulting in an accident. *ak | |||