Nissan recalls new Altima in U.S. on loose steering bolts
Reprints
Print
Respond
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co is recalling 13,919 of its top-selling Altima sedans in the United States because bolts that may not have been tightened properly during production could fall off, increasing the risk of a crash, according to U.S. safety regulators.
The Altima sedans are from the from the 2012 and 2013 model years and were made at the Nissan plant in Canton, Miss., from May 10 to July 26, Nissan North America told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Some of the subject vehicles may have been manufactured with four transverse link bolts and two power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to the proper specification," Nissan told regulators in a letter NHTSA disclosed on its Web site.
As a result, the bolts may shake loose during driving, the letter states, and drivers may notice rattling noise.
There was no mention of any injuries or crashes as a result of this issue on the NHTSA Web site.
Through September, in the U.S. market, 27 percent of the vehicles Nissan sold were Altima sedans.
Altima sales through September were up 17 percent from last year, at 234,040, according to the Automotive News Data Center.
Altima owners will be asked to bring their cars into Nissan dealerships, where the bolts will be torqued to the proper specification, NHTSA said. The cars are under warranty protection.
"Based on engineering judgment, it was determined that if a loose bolt falls out completely, the driver may experience difficulty in controlling the direction of the vehicle," Nissan told NHTSA.
Nissan said that on July 26, the last day the vehicles involved in the recall were produced with the potential problem at the Canton plant, workers noticed the issue during a routine test.
On September 21, Nissan confirmed that some of the subject vehicles were at its dealers. On October 3, it decided a safety defect existed and a recall would be conducted.
Owners will begin to be notified on October 29, Nissan told NHTSA.
"Nissan is committed to a high level of customer service and satisfaction and is working with its dealers to provide an outstanding ownership experience to Nissan Altima owners," the automaker said in a statement.
NISSAN STATEMENT
Nissan is conducting a Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign on certain specific MY2012 and 2013 Nissan Altima vehicles to inspect and if necessary, adjust the torque levels on the transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts. Some of the potentially affected vehicles may have transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that are not tightened to the proper torque specification levels.This issue can cause these bolts to become loose while the vehicle is being driven, and in extreme cases, affect vehicle drivability.
Nissan will notify customers in late October. Nissan dealers will inspect and retighten the transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts to the proper torque specification. If the dealer determines that any of the transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts do not meet the proper torque specification, the loose bolts will be replaced and tightened to the proper torque specification at no charge to the customer for parts and labor.
Nissan is committed to a high level of customer service and satisfaction and is working with its dealers to provide an outstanding ownership experience to Nissan Altima owners.
No crashes or injuries have been reported to Nissan concerning this issue.
Contact Automotive News
