Back in January, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation into corrosion problems in older Nissan SUVs. There were 35 cases reported of excessive rusting, with 18 of those cases leading to steering issues.
It didn’t take long for that investigation to result in a recall, as NHTSA has announced on its website that Nissan is recalling 195,991 vehicles for corrosion problems. According to the recall, the 1996-2004 Pathfinder and its 1997-2003 Infiniti QX4 twin contain a hole in the upper strut housing panel that can allow road salt to enter.
As a result, the corrosive ice-melter could cause corrosion of the strut tower housing, which can in some cases pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly. NHTSA says that the issue can result in “grinding noises, increased steering effort and possibly the steering column to break.” If that happens, owners may lose steering control, possibly resulting in a crash.
To fix the issue, owners will need to take their vehicle to a Nissan or Infiniti dealer, where a technician will inspect the strut housing and make any necessary repairs.
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