Recalls
Infiniti QX4: 11V244000
RepairPal Expert Overview
Our Quick Take:
In areas where winter road salt is used, rust may form on the strut tower. The strut housing may crack, leading to a grinding noise and increased steering effort. In certain cases, the steering column could break, resulting in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
What Should You Do?
This could be considered a medium priority recall; this would change to high if any noise or other issues are noted with the steering. Please contact your Nissan or Infiniti dealer. They will check to see if your specific vehicle is affected and advise you on what to do next. Always have your vehicle identification number (VIN) handy when you call.
Summary:
In areas where winter road salt is used, a mixture of snow/water and salt may enter an assembly location hole in the upper strut housing. This corrosive mixture can collect on the mating surface of the strut housing panel and the inner hood ledge assembly; over time, this can cause rusting of the strut tower housing. The rust can weaken the housing, causing it to crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly. This can lead to grinding noises and increased steering effort, which, if severe enough, can cause the steering column to break. This would result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will inspect the strut housing and repair the vehicles as necessary. An interim notification letter should be mailed to owners prior to May 16, 2011.
Model Year(s): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Mfr's Report Date:
April 20, 2011
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V244000
NHTSA Action Number: PE11004
Component: STEERING:COLUMN
Potential Number of Units Affected: 195991
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, THISSNOW/WATER AND SALT INTRUSION MAY RESULT IN CORROSION OF THE STRUT TOWER HOUSING IN SOME SUBJECT VEHICLES.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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 .
Recall data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Well after reading this post i called NISSAN and gave them my VIN number and my truck was in that recall - So next day i went to Nissan in Manassas,Virginia to drop my pathfinder and today its been 10 days and I haven't heard from the dealer yet so I decided to call service dept. and I was told the truck cannot be fixed - status still pending...
Ref: May 31st visitor .... What was the outcome of your "Vehicle not repairable status" ?? Dan.
was told if not repairable...they take car and pay you market price??!!! Doesn't seem fair?!
My 2001 Infiniti QX4 has 119K on it, had the same issues with the recall, but to make matters worse, the brake lines were so rusted and corroded that the brake fluid starting leaking out causing a major safety issue. The Infiniti dealer closest to me was 2 hours away, and they were kind enough to tow it there no charge for the inspection. It's been there two days, has to have svc. mgr. and shop foreman inspect it, but tech did say something to the effect that there's a lot or rust, and for the car to fail the recall there has to be a "certain amount" or rust in the areas the recall specifies that are deemed fixable. Biggest problem is brake lines are rusted right thru. If vehicle is deemed unrepairable, then he mentioned something about a process where they take car back. How long does that take?