Nissan next in line for US recalls

BRAKE pedal pins that could become loose, and faulty fuel gauges that leave drivers stranded are the cause of the latest voluntary recall in the United States, this time by Nissan, which is dragging back almost 540,000 light trucks, SUVs and minivans for remedy.

Hard on the heels of embarrassing recalls by Toyota and General Motors, Nissan has come forward with a plan to check and, if necessary, repair the brake pedals of 205,000 of its late-model series of its Titan full-size pick-up, Armada SUV, Quest minivan and Infiniti QX56 large SUV.

In the fuel gauge recall, the 472,118 affected vehicles also include the American-made Nissan Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra.

No vehicles sold in Australia are affected

From top: Pathfinder, Xterra, Infiniti QX45 and Nissan Quest MPV (2008).

Nissan has blamed a manufacturing error at supplier for the brake pedal pin problem, which it says has surfaced on three vehicles.

The fault causes the pin to partly disengage, “causing loss of normal braking ability”. It says it has no reports of crashes or injuries as a result of the fault.

Most of the 2008-10 vehicles affected by the recall were sold in the US, with others going to export markets such as Canada, the Middle East and Russia.

In a separate recall, high-mileage vehicles may have fuel gauges that incorrectly indicate the amount of fuel in the tank.

“This may result in the vehicle running out of fuel while the gauge reads greater than empty,” Nissan says, adding that all new vehicles now on sale are free of both problems.

“Beginning in March, owners of potentially affected vehicles in the brake pedal pin recall are being notified to bring their vehicles to a Nissan or Infiniti dealership for a quick, simple, visual inspection and, if necessary, repair.

“Also beginning in March, owners of potentially affected vehicles under the recalls for fuel gauge inaccuracies will be notified as to when they should bring their vehicles to their dealers for repair.

“Until their fuel gauge senders are repaired, customers with potentially affected vehicles are encouraged to maintain a fuel level of at least a half-tank.”