Franklin, TN — October 20, 2015 — Suspension issues in certain Nissan vehicles may be even worse with the rise of cold weather. Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted documents concerning a new Nissan recall.
According to these files, more than 218,000 Nissan Versas sold in 22 different states could have defective front coil springs. What makes this issue especially concerning is the way road salt could potentially make the faulty springs more likely to crack, possibly due to a lack of protective coating.
The model years for affected vehicles range from 2007 to 2012, and mostly concern states on the east coast and Midwest, including New York, Iowa, Illinois, Virginia and Wisconsin. The recall action follows discussions in August between the car manufacturer and the NHTSA about the seriousness of the issue.
Although the Part 573 Safety Report describes spring breakage as “rare,” it does describe the ways road salt could aggravate the already fragile springs. Prolonged exposure to road salt could leave the springs at a greater risk of fracturing, posing serious risks for drivers.
“If this condition is ignored, in extreme cases, the broken front coil spring may damage the front tire while driving, which may increase the risk of a crash if the driver is unable to bring the vehicle to a controlled stop,” the report states.
The supplier responsible for the spring has supposedly corrected the process to prevent further issues. Dealerships will have access to replacement parts starting in November, and are asked to replace the front coil springs using instructions in the Electronic Service Manual. The remedy also involves realigning the front wheels.
