A round of applause is due to Nissan Motor Company, which recently notified, voluntarily, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that there was a problem with some bolts not being tightened properly on 2012 and 2013 Nissan Altimas.
Nissan will be recalling 13,919 of the top-selling Altima sedans because of this problem, and owners are being notified by mail on October 29th. The cars were manufactured at the Canton, Mississippi plant, and the problem was diagnosed during regular safety testing.
The bolts in question are attached to the steering column, and may come loose because of the natural vibration caused by driving. Should those bolts come completely off, steering would be nearly impossible. As of this time, no accidents have been caused by the faulty bolts.
In the U.S., the Altima accounts for 27% of the Nissans sold in the United States, and sales of the Altima were up 27% from last year. Owners will be asked to bring their Altima to a dealership, where the bolts will be tightened to proper specifications.
Interestingly, this notification comes several weeks after Toyota announced the biggest recall since 1996 because of faulty manufacturing of one of their window parts. In that case, however, Toyota received black marks on its record for at first denying that a problem existed and then being fined for not properly notifying drivers and the NHTSA of the problem.
Nissan should be praised for being up front with the public about this problem, and for taking the proper steps to assure safety. Let’s face it, anything mechanical has the possibility of being manufactured improperly; that’s just the nature of the business. All parts, whether it be a transmission or fuel pump, brakes or engine, have a chance of being produced with some error. We at All Import Auto Parts are encouraged when a company like Nissan takes responsible action.
As always, for all of your replacement auto parts needs, come to All Import Auto Parts for the best in used parts and customer service. Like Nissan, we always believe that the customer comes first. We have built a great reputation based on quality customer service, and we offer only the best in recycled auto parts. Like Nissan Motor Company, the safety of our customers will always be our primary concern.
Nissan Motor Company and All Import Auto Parts: two companies that put you, the driver, first and foremost in our business plan.