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 | |||
| 10/29/2010 | 73000 | 1 | |
| Driving home from work on freeway with 1/4 tank of fuel - engine stalled in fast lane and would not restart. i was stuck in the traffic lane for 40 mins until the state police had a tow truck tow me away. turns out, the fuel gauge was inaccurate because my tank was empty. my gauge goes above the f when i fill up and it is empty at just above a the 1/4 mark. very dangerous situation and i could have been killed over a faulty gas gauge that seems to be a big problem after seeing all of the complaints on the internet. when the gauge goes bad - the low fuel warning light does not come on so i was completely caught off guard. i was a sitting duck on the freeway with cars slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting me even with my hazard lights on. please help. *tr | |||
| 10/29/2010 | 73000 | ||
| Driving home from work on freeway with 1/4 tank of fuel - engine stalled in fast lane and would not restart. i was stuck in the traffic lane for 40 mins until the state police had a tow truck tow me away. turns out, the fuel gauge was inaccurate because my tank was empty. my gauge goes above the f when i fill up and it is empty at just above a the 1/4 mark. very dangerous situation and i could have been killed over a faulty gas gauge that seems to be a big problem after seeing all of the complaints on the internet. when the gauge goes bad - the low fuel warning light does not come on so i was completely caught off guard. i was a sitting duck on the freeway with cars slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting me even with my hazard lights on. please help. | |||
| 06/18/2011 | 143000 | ||
| Vehicle taken to nissan dealership for recall campaign 11v-244 inspection and repair of strut housings and steering column. dealership confirmed corroded strut towers were pulling away from the body of the vehicle and that it was unsafe to drive. dealership indicated that nissan usa refused recall because vehicle was not in a specified vin range. nhtsa later confirmed that the recall was not limited to a vin range and that the vehicle meets the recall criteria because it is within the applicable year range and is registered in massachusetts. nissan usa has not contacted me directly yet. | |||
| 07/13/2010 | 101500 | ||
| While traveling at a speed of less than 30 mph in the left turn lane i heard a loud grinding noise that felt like the gears stuck. the car then suddenly and without warning, reved up,speed forward with the steering wheel locked to the right. the steering and brakes were nonresponsive, and i had no control. my car, at a high rate of speed, crossed three additional lanes striking a telephone pole(actually split the pole in 2 places), transformer, fire hydrant, and finally rolling down a hill where it came to rest in a parking lot. there was fire from the power lines touchin and water gushing from the fire hydrant at the same time. my father was two cars ahead of me and witnessed the entire accident. we had just left from getting the annual emissions checked on our vehicles and had travelled less than a mile towards home, when the accident occurred. i was told by the paramedics that they never saw anyone walk away from an accident this severe. i suffered whiplash, minor cuts and a 2nd degree concussion but this malfunction could have resulted in the death of me or someone else. | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 05/16/2009 | 2 | ||
| 2003 nissan pathfinder. consumer states problem with the steering wheel column *tgw the consumer stated in the spring of 2009, she began having problems with the steering column making noises. the mechanic performed a wheel alignment, in addition to other work totaling over $660. however, she continued to experience steering problems. the consumer returned to the dealer where they replaced the brakes, but the steering column still was not feeling right. finally, the consumer went to another establishment who was able to ascertain and fix the problem. the repair shop found the rack and pinion very tight and adjusted the steering gear. the consumer stated since nissan only sent her an interim notice, she did not know she should have taken the vehicle to the dealer for a free service, nor did she know to inform the mechanic about the strut tower housing damage to the steering column. *jb | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 06/18/2011 | 143000 | ||
| Vehicle taken to nissan dealership for recall campaign 11v-244 inspection and repair of strut housings and steering column. dealership confirmed corroded strut towers were pulling away from the body of the vehicle and that it was unsafe to drive. dealership indicated that nissan usa refused recall because vehicle was not in a specified vin range. nhtsa later confirmed that the recall was not limited to a vin range and that the vehicle meets the recall criteria because it is within the applicable year range and is registered in massachusetts. nissan usa has not contacted me directly yet. | |||