NHTSA Complaint #10462198 — 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER

2006 NISSAN FRONTIER - STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME VERY LOOSE, AND PHYSICALLY MOVES, WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE. THE STEERING HAS ALSO BECOME VERY TIGHT AND DIFFICULT TO STEER VEHICLE. A DEADLY COMBINATION!!!!!!!!!! CAME TO A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AFTER TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR APPROXIMATELY 300 MILES. WHILE STOPPED I NOTICED ALOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND STEERING BECAME VERY TIGHT AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE MOVEMENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY PRONOUNCED MOVING RIGHT AND LEFT UP TO TWO INCHES IN EITHER DIRECTION. I SHOWED MY WIFE AND KIDS, WHO WERE IN THE VEHICLE, AND I BECAME VERY CONCERNED FOR OUR SAFETY, AS WE STILL HAD NEARLY 100 MORE MILES TO DRIVE TO REACH OUR DESTINATION. NO DEALERSHIP WAS IN OUR VICINITY, SO I DROVE VEHICLE BACK HOME TWO DAYS LATER. ON THE RETURN TRIP I WAS VERY AWARE AND NERVOUS FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND FAMILY, I HAVE NEVER HAD A STEERING WHEEL MOVE LIKE THAT (AND IT SHOULDN'T). WAS CONCERNED AND VERY NERVOUS THE STEERING COULD EITHER FAIL OR THE AIRBAG COULD INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH TO MY FAMILY OR OTHER MOTORIST. I CALLED MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP (CARRIAGE NISSAN, GAINESVILLE GEORGIA) ON 6-18-2012 TO DISCUSS MY OBSERVATIONS AND THEY INFORMED ME THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS WITH STEERING. UNFORTUNATELY FOR NISSAN, AFTER I INVESTIGATED MY ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, "I AM NOW CONVINCED THAT NISSAN IS WELL AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH STEERING ISSUES, AS THEY HAVE BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO NISSAN USA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS". ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET, BY FRONTIER TRUCK OWNERS, NISSAN DEALERS ARE REPLACING STEERING COLUMNS TO FIX THIS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM. IT IS OF CONCERN TO ME THAT THE NHTSA HAS NOT FORCED NISSAN TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING ISSUE, BY FORCING A RECALL, SINCE IT APPEARS NISSAN HAS NO INTENTIONS OF VOLUNTARILY FIXING THEIR PROBLEM. *JS