Safety Recall: 2002-2004 Xterra and Frontier Steering Steering Shaft

[Alex]

Just a heads up; this came in the mail today:

OWNER NOTIFICATION

Dear Nissan Xterra Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Nissan has decided that the defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2002-2004 Model Year Nissan Frontier and Xterra vehicles.  Our records show that you own or lease one of the potentially affected vehicles.

Reason for Recall

On some of the affected vehicles, corrosion may form in the steering column joint.  If the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, over time, it may lead to cracking of the steering shaft during low speed maneuvers.  In an extreme case where large steering inputs are required, the steering shaft may break.  If this happens, it may result in a loss of steering control and could increase the risk of a crash.

What Nissan Will Do

Your Nissan dealer will replace the steering column shaft and joint with a shaft of a different design.  This service, free of charge for parts and labor, should take about an hour to complete, but your Nissan dealer may require your vehicle for a longer period of time based on their work schedule.

What You Should Do

Contact your Nissan Dealer at your earliest convenience in order to arrange an appointment to have your vehicle repaired. Please bring this notice in with you when you keep your service appointment.  Instructions have been sent to your Nissan dealer. If your steering wheel has noticeable stiffness and you believe it is harder to turn or slower to respond to steering inputs, we strongly urge you to take your vehicle to your Nissan dealer for immediate repairs.

If the dealer fails, or is unable to make the necessary repairs free of charge, you may contact the National Consumer Affairs Department, Nissan North America, Inc., P.O. Box 653003, Franklin, TN 37068-5003.  The toll-free number is 1-800-NISSAN1 (1-800-647-7261).   You may also submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington DC 20590; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Federal law requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

Thank you for your cooperation.  We are indeed sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.

[XterracerX]

Yup! This recall was posted November of last year in the General Discussion thread.

http://www.sccxterra.com/smf/index.php/topic,829.msg7894.html#msg7894

I just got mine done a week ago. Took about an hour and a half but well worth the peace of mind.

[Alex]

Ah, didn't catch that; thanks. I'm going to stop by the local dealer this week.

[zachbiz]

just called them up and set up an appointment. are they going to freak out about my body lift?

[Alex]

I just had my service done today at Raceway Nissan in east Riverside, and the whole process was done in a hour and a half. They even gave it a complimentary wash afterwards! Very cool!
I can already feel that the steering is smoother across the entire range.