NHTSA Complaint #11206409 — 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER

AT APPROXIMATELY 135000 MILES MY PATHFINDER BEGAN MAKING A A GRINDING SOUND WHEN I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE ACTUAL STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE AND COULD BE MOVED BACK AND FORTH. WITHIN A FEW DAYS I BEGAN HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY WHEN MAKING TURNS WHILE DRIVING. I HAD MY HUSBAND CHECK THE STEERING FLUID, WHICH WAS AT THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL. I THEN TOOK MY PATHFINDER TO THE MECHANIC TO BE INSPECTED AND FIND THE ROOT OF THE STEERING PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE NISSAN FRONTIER AND XTERRA HAS RECALLS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR THE SAME YEAR, BUT NOT THE PATHFINDER. I HAVE 3 CHILDREN WHO TRAVEL REGULARLY WITH ME IN MY VEHICLE. I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC, THAT EVENTUALLY I WOULD LOSE ALL STEERING CAPABILITY IF THE STEERING COLUMN IN NOT REPLACED I FIND THIS TO BE GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON BEHALF OF NISSAN. MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE HAVE BEEN MADE, AND YET NO RECALL?! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH COULD PUT NOT ONLY MINE, BUT MY CHILDREN'S LIVES AT RISK. THE REPLACEMENT COST IS AROUND $1500. I HOPE NISSAN DOES THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUES A RECALL SOON.