— Drivers of more than 2,400 Nissan Altimas may lose steering control if the tie-rod ball joints detach from the steering knuckles, something that can happen if the ball joint fasteners aren't tight enough.
Drivers of 2020-2021 Nissan Altima cars may notice vibrations in the steering wheels, and if the tie-rod ball joints separate from the steering knuckles the cars will suddenly lose partial steering control.
In December 2020 Nissan learned about a dealer report where an Altima driver lost steering control.
The dealer inspected the vehicle and found the tie-rod ball joint fastener loosened and fell off, causing the ball joint to separate from the steering knuckle.
Nissan opened an internal investigation and found certain 2020-2021 Altima tie-rod ball joint fasteners weren't torqued properly.
Nissan confirmed 2,526 Altima vehicles may have been affected by the loose parts, and during a plant audit the automaker repaired 48 Altimas with loose tie-rod ball joint fasteners.
Nissan is aware of at least four Altima steering loss reports caused by missing tie-rod ball joint fasteners and washers. However, no crashes or injuries have been reported.
The automaker says about 30 Altima cars are recalled in Canada.
Nissan dealerships will tighten the tie-rod ball joint fasteners or possibly install new fasteners once the Altima recall begins March 31, 2021.
Nissan Altima owners may contact the automaker at 800-867-7769. Nissan's reference number for this recall is PC795.
