Photo: Nissan / edited
Despite being a massive fan of the GT-R and Z lineages, Nissan is otherwise dead to me as a potential car buyer due to extremely poor quality control and cheaply designed components. Recall number 23V-131 is a perfect illustration of how little regard the Japanese automaker from Yokohama has for quality and design.
On January 30th, a dealer employee reported a loose steering wheel on a brand-new Ariya crossover. It’s the second electric vehicle that Nissan sells in the United States, joining the Leaf hatchback. The dealer investigated the root cause behind this condition, discovering no steering wheel center bolt whatsoever.
Nissan received the second report from a different retailer on February 8th, also involving a brand-new Ariya crossover with the steering wheel center bolt missing. The subsequent investigation concluded that both vehicles had been subjected to a port modification to replace the steering wheel due to a quality-related issue. Nissan believes that a technician tasked with replacing the original steering wheel either used too little torque for the steering wheel bolt or forgot to install it.
How can a technician remove a steering wheel and reattach it to the steering column while missing the center bolt is beyond my comprehension. Even in case of insufficient torque, the wheel may separate from the column if pulled with enough force towards the driver.
Why did Nissan replace the original steering wheel? As it happens, the Japanese automaker tackled a potential quality concern with the steering touch sensor. Nissan claims that both vehicles mentioned earlier were serviced by the same technician, a technician I wouldn’t want working on my car.
Nissan instructed its dealers on February 11th to inspect all 418 vehicles in stock, Ariya crossovers that were previously repaired. One additional vehicle was identified with a loose steering wheel, prompting Nissan North America to issue a safety recall that encompasses 1,063 units produced to U.S. specifications for MY23.
The affected population features build dates ranging between June 21st, 2022 and October 21st, 2022. The Ariya for the U.S. market is manufactured in Japan at the Tochigi plant in Kaminokawa. The company’s largest assembly plant in Japan also produces the R35 GT-R.
Dealers nationwide have recently been instructed to – get this – replace the steering wheel bolt. Not inspect and replace, but simply replace said bolt. The job takes a little under an hour, according to Nissan. Owners can expect to be notified by first-class mail no later than March 30th.
Compared to $28,040 sans destination charge for the Leaf hatchback, the Ariya crossover plays in a different league despite being a compact as well. The most affordable spec available is $43,190 excluding taxes and the federal tax credit. In its defense, the boringly named Ariya does come with quite a few standard features, including leatherette seats, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, and a head-up display.
Nissan received the second report from a different retailer on February 8th, also involving a brand-new Ariya crossover with the steering wheel center bolt missing. The subsequent investigation concluded that both vehicles had been subjected to a port modification to replace the steering wheel due to a quality-related issue. Nissan believes that a technician tasked with replacing the original steering wheel either used too little torque for the steering wheel bolt or forgot to install it.
How can a technician remove a steering wheel and reattach it to the steering column while missing the center bolt is beyond my comprehension. Even in case of insufficient torque, the wheel may separate from the column if pulled with enough force towards the driver.
Why did Nissan replace the original steering wheel? As it happens, the Japanese automaker tackled a potential quality concern with the steering touch sensor. Nissan claims that both vehicles mentioned earlier were serviced by the same technician, a technician I wouldn’t want working on my car.
Nissan instructed its dealers on February 11th to inspect all 418 vehicles in stock, Ariya crossovers that were previously repaired. One additional vehicle was identified with a loose steering wheel, prompting Nissan North America to issue a safety recall that encompasses 1,063 units produced to U.S. specifications for MY23.
The affected population features build dates ranging between June 21st, 2022 and October 21st, 2022. The Ariya for the U.S. market is manufactured in Japan at the Tochigi plant in Kaminokawa. The company’s largest assembly plant in Japan also produces the R35 GT-R.
Dealers nationwide have recently been instructed to – get this – replace the steering wheel bolt. Not inspect and replace, but simply replace said bolt. The job takes a little under an hour, according to Nissan. Owners can expect to be notified by first-class mail no later than March 30th.
Compared to $28,040 sans destination charge for the Leaf hatchback, the Ariya crossover plays in a different league despite being a compact as well. The most affordable spec available is $43,190 excluding taxes and the federal tax credit. In its defense, the boringly named Ariya does come with quite a few standard features, including leatherette seats, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, and a head-up display.
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