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 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 . | |||||||||||||||
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 | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 199000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1999 infiniti qx4. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact lost control of the steering causing him to crash into a pole. the vehicle sustained damage to the front driver side. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to an auto shop where the mechanic advised that the steering shaft had fractured and caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 199,000. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 199000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 infiniti qx4. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact lost control of the steering causing him to crash into a pole. the vehicle sustained damage to the front driver side. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to an auto shop where the mechanic advised that the steering shaft had fractured and caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 199,000. kmj | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 199000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 infiniti qx4. while driving at approximately 30 mph the contact lost control of the steering causing him to crash into a pole. the vehicle sustained damage to the front drivers side. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to an auto shop. the mechanic stated the steering shaft had fractured causing the contact to lose control of the steering. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 199,000. ds | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 112380 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 1999 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the vehicle would jerk violently. the vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. the manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 112,380. vf | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 112380 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 1999 infiniti qx4. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the vehicle would jerk violently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 112,380. pm | |||
| 03/20/2011 | 255000 | ||
| I was driving at a slow rate of speed when i felt and heard a noise in the steering column and brake pedal. upon further inspection i saw the driver side strut tower had broken loose from the welds on the frame causing the tower to become dislodged from the frame itself. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 99500 | ||
| I brought my 1999 infiniti qx4 to the dealer to determine why the check engine light came on while i was driving. they told me that my strut tower was separated and it needed to go to a body shop. the body shop told me that the problem was that the metal along strut tower welds was rotted, posing a danger of collapse on the steering column. their check of the passenger side found the same problem, although it's less severe. i have photos and video. they wanted over $6,000 to fix it. insurance wouldn't cover it so i took it back to infiniti. they brought it to a body shop they use and fixed the driver's side for $1800. they said the passenger side wasn't a problem to worry about. the dealer is aware of this problem with the qx4 and suggested i complain to their corporate office. corporate wouldn't acknowledge the rotting around welds and said there'd be no compensation because it's out of warranty. i saved the parts. i believe infiniti should pay for the fix of the passenger side and reimburse my $1800. their mechanics and dealers know this is a problem but corporate will risk customers lives for profit. | |||
| 11/30/2010 | 135000 | ||
| I have a 1999 infiniti qx4, which overall has been a sturdy vehicle. however, over the past few years we have replaced both front strut towers & associated parts, last year had to replace the entire steering column & just had in the shop for engine related issues. it's going back in the shop tomorrow as it seems it now has transmission issues. the strut & steering column repairs were hundreds of dollars each. | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 1 | ||
| 1999 infiniti qx4. consumer states rapid rust of vehicle *tgw the consumer stated one year after the vehicle was purchased, she noticed rusting around the driver side mirror. shortly after, it began to rust on both fenders. in the next few years, the vehicle began to rust out rapidly. both fenders, the rear hatch, runners, side mirrors, gas tank, gas tank cover, gas tank neck and pipes all had rust out. the consumer stated the vehicle was poorly designed, because the fender welds held leaves, dirt and water from the hood. also, in the winter when there was snow and ice on the road, the vehicle had to be placed in 4-wheel drive or it would slide out of control. the steering column had to replaced and needs to be replaced again, because it was difficult to turn and the driver side strut was making a noise. *jb | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 09/14/2001 | 05/01/1999 | ||
| Steering locked up - gearbox or steering column failure. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 09/15/1999 | 9 | ||
| Steering wheel shook. vehicle has been at dealer 9 times for this problem, could not solve problem. dealer has done wheel alignment/replaced tires and rack and pinion. but, this did not improve condition. factory representative stated once rack and pinion was replaced and most consumers were satisfied.*ak*tt | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 99500 | ||
| I brought my 1999 infiniti qx4 to the dealer to determine why the check engine light came on while i was driving. they told me that my strut tower was separated and it needed to go to a body shop. the body shop told me that the problem was that the metal along strut tower welds was rotted, posing a danger of collapse on the steering column. their check of the passenger side found the same problem, although it's less severe. i have photos and video. they wanted over $6,000 to fix it. insurance wouldn't cover it so i took it back to infiniti. they brought it to a body shop they use and fixed the driver's side for $1800. they said the passenger side wasn't a problem to worry about. the dealer is aware of this problem with the qx4 and suggested i complain to their corporate office. corporate wouldn't acknowledge the rotting around welds and said there'd be no compensation because it's out of warranty. i saved the parts. i believe infiniti should pay for the fix of the passenger side and reimburse my $1800. their mechanics and dealers know this is a problem but corporate will risk customers lives for profit. | |||
| 02/24/2011 | |||
| Component 1 - strut tower rusted in several locations, component 2 - running boards rusted out and were repaired. i understand there maybe be a recall for the strut tower. my current condition will need to be repaired for pa inspection. the last recall i had to do w/the gas tank, nhtsa campaign #07v435000, which i already had replaced before the recall. just trying to save having something done twice, but it needs to be repaired for safety. i have pictures that can be sent, should you request. thank you. | |||