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 | |||
| 03/27/2011 | 109000 | 1 | |
| Car veered off road to right unexplainable causing me to hit a guard rail dead on the end. airbags never deployed either. i thought i did something but got the recall notice right after my accident. unfortunately, i had already settled with the insurance company on a payout and they took possession of the car so i have no way of verifying that this is what caused it but i honestly believe it was! *tr | |||
| 03/27/2011 | 109000 | ||
| Car veered off road to right unexplainably causing me to hit a guard rail dead on the end. airbags never deployed either. i thought i did something but got the recall notice right after my accident. unfortunately, i had already settled with the insurance company on a payout and they took posession of the car so i have no way of verifying that this is what caused it but i honestly believe it was! | |||
| 04/19/2012 | 176000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle exhibited an abnormal noise and the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer stated that the suspension was completely rusted and it would cost over $2000 to repair. the contact had previously received notification of nhtsa campaign id numbers: 11v244000 (suspension: front) and 11v244000 (steering: column), in which the vehicle was repaired under both recalls. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that they would send out a representative to inspect the vehicle. the failure mileage was 176,000. kmj | |||
| 12/22/2011 | |||
| Recall r1107 pertains to interstrut towers. were repaired had in shop from dec 22 2011 - jan 4 2012. complaint: we were informed that the vehicle was properly repaired at this time. after i inspected my vehicle i found that they plated the left side, and they left a hole in the frame rail. they said they could not fill a hole without being held liable. right side was just sprayed with undercoat. picture shows undercoat inside of frame rail badly rotted out and no repairs made. also there is a 6 hole in right rear frame rail around spring mount which is a common problem in other pathfinders. i had a 1992 pathfinder that upper frame rail rotted out and upper trailing arm mounts ripped out of frame and rear end was ripped loose. nissan said our 2000 pathfinder claim has been closed (satisfied) and we have no recourse. we feel nissan should buy this vehicle from us under their level three plan. we just paid this vehicle off and bought it from the dealer five years who did all the maintence work on it prior to us buying it and this vehicle has always been taken care of. we were planning on driving this vehicle for years and now it is a safety hazard. i won't drive it because my grandchildren are in my vehicle daily. my husband is a mechanic and has been all of his life. we have pictures that can be emailed to you. we have contacted nissan and so far they have been no help. we would appreciate any help you can provide. | |||
| 04/26/2012 | 116000 | ||
| We purchased a new 2000 nissan pathfinder in march of 2000. the vehicle has 116,000 miles on it and has been driven exclusively on urban roadways and highways (no off-road usage). there has been no unusual usage of the vehicle. we have not used it for towing or transport of heavy or corrosive materials. the vehicle has never been involved in any accidents. the vehicle has been maintained per the manufacturer requirements. when not in use, the vehicle is stored in a garage. the vehicle has been regularly evaluated and inspected by nissan mechanics during the free inspections offered by nissan dealerships. they never reported any serious problems with the vehicle. about a month ago, we developed a noise in the front end when turning the vehicle. we took it to a dealership for an evaluation. the dealership determined that a portion of the frame was severely corroded and had cracked. i immediately requested that they inspect the rest of the frame for corrosion. they refused and told me that any repair would have to be made by a body shop. they said the vehicle was no longer under warranty. . after picking up the vehicle i immediately drove the vehicle to an auto body shop for evaluation and repair. the auto body shop removed the engine from the vehicle and inspected the frame. they found extensive corrosion of the frame. there are many locations in the frame where it has rusted completely through. the vehicle manufacturer must have improperly or inadequately applied anti-corrosive materials to the frame. it is obvious nissan is aware of corrosion issues with pathfinder frames. nissan repaired a corrosion related problem with the strut housing while the car was at the dealership. there are numerous references to pathfinder frame corrosion on the internet. | |||
| 12/21/2011 | |||
| I have had to have muffler replaced twice, front brakes.replace exhaust. system replaced both axles,drive belts and rotors turned.i also need converter replaced asap.i went in for brakes and ended up getting this items fixed can't afford.i had to get loan but need converter replaced now. can i get reimbursed. for repairs paid for out of pocket? | |||
| 11/12/2010 | 120000 | ||
| Took a left hand turn into alley, driver side strut tower broke free from inner fender, busted steering shaft. had to have the vehicle towed, to auto body shop. inner fender needed to be replace. steering arm also needed replacing. an allignment was also needed after the repair. corrosion was the cause auto body shop applied coating to the inner fender so that this would not happen again. total cost of everything was around 2500 dollars. | |||
| 07/21/2011 | |||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that after receiving notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 11v244000 ( steering:column), the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer informed the contact that the parts needed for repairs were not readily available. two months after receiving the recall notice, the dealer had not yet received the parts and the vehicle was not repaired. the contact did not feel safe driving the vehicle knowing a faulty strut housing was in the steering system. the contact had not experienced a failure. the current mileage was 130,000. | |||
| 07/21/2011 | |||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that after receiving notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 11v244000 ( steering:column), the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer informed the contact that the parts needed for repairs were not readily available. two months after receiving the recall notice, the dealer had not yet received the parts and the vehicle was not repaired. the contact did not feel safe driving the vehicle knowing a faulty strut housing was in the steering system. the contact had not experienced a failure. the current mileage was 130,000. kmj | |||
| 07/21/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated after receiving a nhtsa campaign i.d number 11v244000 ( steering:column) the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer informed the contact the parts have to be order. two months after receiving the recall notice the dealer had not receiving any parts and the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact does not feel safe driving the vehicle knowing a faulty strut housing in the steering system could result in a crash. the failure mileage was 130,000. jo | |||
| 04/07/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while making turns at any speed, a noise that sounded similar to banging pieces of metal could be heard coming from the front end. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, who stated that the front struts were separating from the frame, causing the steering failure. the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the dealer was not authorized to perform the repairs associated with nhtsa campaign id number 11v244000 (steering: column). the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 130,000. sm. | |||
| 04/07/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated while driving at any speed and turning right or left the vehicle front end made a loud metal noise. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who performed a diagnosed that located the failure at the front tires strut was separating from the frame causing the steering to fail. the manufacturer was contact and they advised that the dealer was not given the authorization to performed nhtsa campaign id number:11v244000 component: steering: column. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and the current miles was 130,000. li | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 149000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated she heard a noise within the steering column while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed her that the front driver's side strut tower was severely corroded. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was again informed that the front driver's side strut tower was corroded. the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 11v244000 (steering:column). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 149,000. | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 149000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated she could hear noises coming from the steering column while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where she was informed the front driver's side strut tower was severely corroded. the vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was again informed the front driver's side strut tower was corroded. the contact was also informed the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 11v244000 (steering:column). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 149,000. sm. | |||
| 02/19/2011 | 140000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated the driver side strut tower rotted and the welds were fracturing from the steering column. when driving 10 mph and over, the vehicle would become extremely difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who inspected the steering and found that the strut tower was rusting against the steering. the mechanic was unable to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 140,000. | |||
| 02/19/2011 | 140000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated the driver side strut tower rotted and the welds forced itself up the steering column. this steering was very hard to steer even while driving more than 10 mph. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic center who inspected the steering and found the strut tower rusting up against the steering. the mechanic center cannot repair the failure. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 140,000...mw | |||
| 03/04/2011 | 197620 | ||
| 2000 nissan pathfinder major front drivers strut tower corrosion, caused steering column to snap | |||
| 09/04/2010 | 165000 | ||
| Also after having the previously mentioned problem fixed, 1 week later i noticed the following: my 2000 nissan pathfinder seemed excessively bumpy and the steering seemed very stiff at times after hitting a pothole. i took it into my mechanic and was told that the frame has rusted through where the wheel well is attached to a strut mount. the strut is loose (causing the bumpy ride) and the strut is pressing against the steering system causing the steering to be stiff. i was told that if i continued to drive it and went over a bump, the strut could plunge through the hood. i feel that this is a safety issue that could cause a serious or fatal accident if i were to hit a pothole at on a highway at a high rate of speed. after investigating the incident further, i have come to find out that this is a structural defect issue with pathfinders and the and the cause was that the frame rusted through. | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 135000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2000 nissan path finder. the contact heard a squeaking noise, when he noticed that the driver side strut tower weld was coming apart almost causing the contact to loose steering. he also hears a rubbing noise when steering. the dealer or manufacturer was not notified nor was the vehicle repaired. the current and failure mileages was approximately 135,000. the vin was unavailable. bw | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| I am looking for any information regarding 2000 pathfinders lossing control of steering at any speed or conditions, or direction to find this information. i am not the owner of the suv, i am a family member of a person that lost his life in a crash while driving a pathfinder. i am looking for a reason for this crash, autopys showed no medical reason for crash and he was in good health, driving conditions were clear and warm temp. any help would be very helpful. thank you for your time. *ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 09/04/2010 | 165000 | ||
| Also after having the previously mentioned problem fixed, 1 week later i noticed the following: my 2000 nissan pathfinder seemed excessively bumpy and the steering seemed very stiff at times after hitting a pothole. i took it into my mechanic and was told that the frame has rusted through where the wheel well is attached to a strut mount. the strut is loose (causing the bumpy ride) and the strut is pressing against the steering system causing the steering to be stiff. i was told that if i continued to drive it and went over a bump, the strut could plunge through the hood. i feel that this is a safety issue that could cause a serious or fatal accident if i were to hit a pothole at on a highway at a high rate of speed. after investigating the incident further, i have come to find out that this is a structural defect issue with pathfinders and the and the cause was that the frame rusted through. | |||
| 07/29/2000 | 2 | 01/01/2000 | |
| After a routine tire rotation, the steering wheel would shake from side to side during speeds of 35-40 and again at 50-65. steering rack replaced, rear diff replaced, tires replaced, tires balanced, drive shaft replaced. now vehicle has a excessive vibration a speeds of 30-35, and again at 50-60. causes numbness and tingling in hands and noted on feet. it is not just the wheel that vibrates excessively, it can be felt on the shifter and down by the driver and passenger foot well. | |||