NHTSA Complaint #10384866 — 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER

ON 08-18-10, I WAS BACKING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WITH MY 06 NISSAN FRONTIER, UPON ENTERING THE STREET, THE STEERING COLUMN MADE A LOUD POP AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE, MOVING LEFT TO RIGHT, UP AND DOWN 3/4' OUTSIDE THE MANUFACTURED TOLERANCES. I HAD THE TRUCK EVALUATED, 08-18-10, AT MURRAYS NISSAN, MUSKOGEE, OK 74403, 918-683-6605, AND THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT REPLACED, 2ND TIME. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING REPAIR WOULD BE $980.00, AND NISSAN WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIRS AT 80,000 MILES. THEY STATED THAT THE BEARING WAS BAD AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED, ADMITTING, 'THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN THIS REVISED MODEL.' AFTER REPAIRING THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT, I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, AND RESEARCHED THE DEFECT AND DISCOVERED OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS A MAJOR STEERING DEFECT WITH THIS MODEL, AND YEAR, FURTHER VALIDATED BY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THIS AGENCY, INCLUDING HIGH-SPEED TOTAL STEERING LOCKUP, RESULTING IN COLLISIONS. ON 02-15-11, 87,000 I RETURNED TO HAVE THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT REPLACED, 3RD TIME/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED OFF, 3RD TIME/REVIEWED FOR A STEERING RECALL STATUS UPDATE DUE TO INCREASED STEERING ISSUES. NISSAN WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE STEERING REPAIR, AT A COST OF $988.00, AND INDICATED THAT THE EMISSION CONTROL CANISTER FAILED, $700.00. ON 02-18-11, AFTER 3 DAYS VOID OF ANY REPAIRS, I PICKED UP THE TRUCK BEING REASSURED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. I FILED A REQUEST WITH NISSAN NA CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ON 02-22-11. NISSAN NA CALLED ON 02-25-2011, REFUSING ASSISTANCE ON THE STEERING AND EMISSION CONTROL CANISTER FAILURE. WE OWN 4 NISSAN FRONTIERS AND 1 ARMADA FROM 2001-2009, 06 TRUCK HAVING MULTIPLE REPAIR ISSUES SINCE PURCHASE EVIDENCED THROUGH NISSAN SERVICE RECORDS. MY SON, AGE 16, DRIVES THIS TRUCK DAILY TO WORK AND SCHOOL AND TRANSPORTS HIS 9-YEAR-OLD BROTHER. I FEEL THAT THE STEERING AND EMISSION CONTROL CANISTER FAILURE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED UNDER RECALL PROVISIONS. *TR