The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently closed a seven-year investigation into some Nissan Altima and Maxima models. Even after such a long process, the government will not issue any recall.
The NHTSA has closed its investigation into 2 million Nissan sedans, saying the declining number of reports helped their decision not to order a recall. This investigation was to determine if the lower rear control arms of these vehicles were defective. This part could have broken off and separated from the chassis due to road dirt and salt rusting.
According to Reuters, in 2018 the NHTSA began investigating the 2013-2018 Nissan Altima and the 2016-2018 Maxima. They turned this investigation into an engineering analysis in 2019. The agency reviewed reports from 1,300 owners who said their cars' lower rear control arms were malfunctioning. No injuries were reported, and just one complaint involved a collision, in which the car "hit a trailer hitch" at slow speed.
Most of these complaints were found in the "salt belt" states, and the average age of the cars was 113,000 miles. According to NHTSA, Nissan recognized that in areas where road salt is used to melt snow, rust can cause general wear and tear on the control arm. The car maker changed the design of the suspension part for the 2019 model year, eliminating this problem.
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Even though no recall was officially called, Nissan launched a "customer service campaign" in 2019. Under this campaign, customers from states where more salt is used on the road could bring their cars to the dealer for inspection.
If the lower rear control arms were malfunctioning or showing signs of wear, they were replaced with new parts found in the 2019-model Altimas and Maximas. Nissan repaired 47,000 vehicles under this customer service order. The company extended the warranty of these cars up to 10 years for future problems associated with control arms.
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The NHTSA cited Nissan's voluntary campaign without a recall as another reason to close the investigation. Reports of the problem have also slowed down, suggesting that the manufacturer's steps successfully solved the problem.
This is good news for the beleaguered carmaker, which has recently faced many difficulties on its way to success. Nissan announced that it will cut its workforce worldwide by 15 percent, which is equivalent to 20,000 employees. The carmaker is also considering selling its world headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, and then renting it back from a new owner.
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Quality concerns are one of the biggest priorities in Nissan's "Re: Nissan" improvement plan. The plan includes making the vehicle development process better and simpler so that fewer problems crop up. Nissan's goal is to ensure that its vehicles give customers the least hassles and a better experience.
Source: Reuters
