Nissan 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 out, increasing the risk of a crash, according to US safety regulators.
The Altima sedans are from the 2012 and 2013 model years and were made at the Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi, from 10 May to 26 July, N
Nissan North America told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a letter the NHTSA published showed on its website: “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.”
As a result, the bolts may shake loose during driving, the letter continues, and drivers may notice a rattling noise.
Nissan said there had been no crashes or injuries as a result of this issue.
Up to the end of September, 27 percent of the vehicles Nissan sold in the US market were Altima sedans - a total of 234 040 in the first nine month of the year.
Altima owners will be asked to bring their cars to Nissan dealers, where the bolts will be torqued to the proper specification ubnder warranty.
Nissan told the NHTSA: “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 said that on 26 July, 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 21 September Nissan confirmed that some of the subject vehicles were at its dealers and, on 3 October it decided a safety defect existed and a recall should be issued.
Nissan said it would begin notifying owners on 29 October - Reuters