The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·11V244000·Announced 2011-04-20

Nissan Recalls Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 for Steering Column Defect

Nissan is recalling certain 1996-2004 Pathfinder and 1997-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles because corrosion may cause the steering column to break, leading to loss of control.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where the steering column may break, resulting in loss of steering control and a potential crash, which aligns with the 'Severe' criteria for structural defects and significant injury risk.

Plain-English summary

Nissan North America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 1996-2004 Nissan Pathfinder and model year 1997-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles. The recall applies to 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 where 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. Over time, this intrusion may cause corrosion of the strut tower housing. The strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly, which may lead to grinding noises, increased steering effort, and possibly the steering column breaking. This could result in the loss of steering control and a crash.

Nissan will inspect the strut housing and repair the vehicles as necessary, free of charge. An interim notification letter was sent in May 2011, and a second notice was mailed on July 25, 2011. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
INFINITI, NISSAN QX4, PATHFINDER
Brand
INFINITI
Manufacturer
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Category
Vehicle — SUV
Hazard
Affected units
195,991

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • QX4
  • PATHFINDER

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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