2001 Nissan Frontier Steering Problems

“Dt: caller was having steering problems. After pulling to the side of the road consumer discovered that a bolt had come off. The steering shaft became misaligned causing loss of vehicle control. This occurred today while driving to work. The vehicle is now parked on the side of the road. The vehicle owner is getting a bolt to make repairs before moving vehicle.”

“Dt: the truck was taken by the owner to the dealership for inspection. The dealer found out that the left outer tie rod end had to replaced. The dealer advised that they would have to do a repair of the whole linkage system. Dealer advised they are aware of the problem but a recall has not been issued yet. So many repairs now will be at the cost of the owner. The consumer has no idea there was a problem with the tie rod end until the inspection. No indication as to why or how the tie rod became loose. The tie rod end is located on the front left side of the vehicle. …”

“The contact owns a 2001 Nissan Frontier. While driving various speeds, the steering wheel would not turn properly and was stiff. When turning the steering wheel, it would not return back. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the tie rod and ball joints, but the failure continued. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified. The failure mileage was 132,000.”

“The contact owns a 2001 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that a clunking noise could be heard coming from the steering column. The contact also expressed serious concern over the possibility of the steering column cracking, increasing the risk of a crash. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. There was a recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 10v554000 (steering:column) that may be related to the failure. The vehicle was not yet taken in to have the failure diagnosed. The failure mileage was 120,000.”

“In 2001 Nissan Frontier pick-ups without steering wheel adjustments, the directional signals can not be seen by the driver since the steering wheel is too thick and the placement of the directional lights are quite poor. One has to push the seat back and tilt the seat to see the directional lights through the steering wheel. As a result the front of the truck can't be seen and can easily lead to a collision due to midjudging the vehicle in front of the truck.”