Home » Recalls » R23B3 – Tie Rod May Bend – 2020-2022 Nissan Sentra

R23B3 – Tie Rod May Bend – 2020-2022 Nissan Sentra

August 15, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23V581000

Tie Rod May Bend

A bent tie rod can break and cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581

Manufacturer Nissan North America, Inc.

Components STEERING

Potential Number of Units Affected 236,238

 

Summary

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.

 

Remedy

Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Interim letters are expected to be mailed October 5, 2023. A second letter will be mailed once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Nissan’s customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan’s number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 

Check if your Nissan has a Recall

 


Tie Rod Replacement
Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign

Reference: R23B3
Date: August 16, 2023

 

***** Campaign Summary *****

Nissan is committed to the safety and security of our customers and their passengers.  Nissan has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it is recalling certain MY2020-2022 Sentra vehicles, manufactured from November 25, 2019 to March 31, 2022, to address a potential issue with the tie rods.  Once the remedy and parts are available, Nissan dealers will replace both the lefthand and right-hand tie rod with a countermeasure part.

The tie rod’s strength may be insufficient under certain real world conditions with high input force. This situation can lead to the left and right side tie rod becoming bent on the affected vehicles.  A bent tie rod condition may impair the driver’s ability to steer the vehicle. The steering wheel may be off-center and/or experience vibration. In the worst case scenario, if the tie rod breaks, it can lead to a loss of control.

Affected vehicles are subject to stop sale and are either currently in dealer inventory or assigned and in transit to the dealer.

 

***** Release Schedule *****

Repair

Nissan is currently developing its remedy plan. If a customer presents their vehicle to the Dealer with a tie rod issue, send pictures of the VIN and the bent/damaged tie rods to FQA for review at this time until further notice. The remedy and parts are NOT readily available. Ahead of publication of the campaign repair bulletin, please reach out to FQA for support by contacting FQA_Inspection_Support@nissan-usa.com.

Nissan anticipates remedy availability in Winter 2023-24.

 

Owner Notification

Nissan will begin mailing interim notification letters to owners of affected vehicles in October 2023, via U.S. Mail.  Once the remedy is available, owners will receive an invitation to repair letter instructing them to bring their vehicle to an authorized

Nissan dealer to have the remedy work completed at no cost to the owner.

 


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): 

 

Is this a recall?

Yes.

 

Is this a Stop Sale?

Yes.

 

What is the reason for the recall?

The tie rod’s strength may be insufficient under certain real world conditions with high input force.

 

What is the possible effect of the condition?

A bent tie rod condition may impair the driver’s ability to steer the vehicle. The steering wheel may be off-center and/or experience vibration. In the worst case scenario, if the tie rod breaks, it can lead to a loss of control.

 

What will be the corrective action for this voluntary recall campaign?

Once the remedy and parts are available, dealers will replace both the left-hand and right-hand tie rods.

 

How long will the corrective action take?

Once the remedy and parts are available, this service, which is conducted at no charge to you for parts and labor, could take up to two and one half (2.5) hours to complete. However, your Nissan dealer may require your vehicle for a longer period of time based upon their work schedule.

 

When will vehicle owners be notified?

Nissan will begin sending notifications to owners of all potentially affected vehicles in October 2023 via U.S. Mail.

 

Is my vehicle safe to drive?

If the steering wheel is off-center and/or you experience vibration, please contact your local Nissan dealer for immediate inspection and instructions on how to transport your vehicle to the dealership.

 

Is there anything owners can do to mitigate this condition?

If the steering wheel is off-center and/or you experience vibration, please contact your local Nissan dealer for immediate inspection and instructions on how to transport your vehicle to the dealership.

 

Are parts readily available?

No. Nissan is currently developing a remedy.

 

Will a rental vehicle be provided while the dealer is servicing the vehicle?

Please consult your dealer for alternate transportation availability while your vehicle is being serviced. Rental is available upon customer request, while parts are on order.

EXPENSE CODE DESCRIPTION AMOUNT
502 Rental Expense $120 (Max)
Contact the Warranty claims call center 1-800-258-7008 Option 7, if additional expense is required. Please refer to the Goodwill Rental Guidelines in the APRM for detailed information regarding application of rental reimbursement.

 

Is there any charge for this remedy?

No. The remedy, once available, will be performed for the customer free of charge for parts and labor.

 

Will I have to take my vehicle back to the selling dealer to have the service performed?

No, once the remedy is available, any authorized Nissan dealer is able to perform the recall campaign.

For Consumer Affairs: Please inform us of the dealer where you would like to have the corrective action completed.

 

I have lost confidence in the vehicle. Will Nissan replace or repurchase the vehicle?

Once available, the remedy will fully correct this condition. As the condition will be corrected, there is no basis for repurchasing or replacing your vehicle.

 

What model year vehicles are involved?

Certain Model Year 2020-2022 Nissan Sentra vehicles manufactured from November 25, 2019 to March 31, 2022.

 

Are you experiencing this condition on any other Nissan (or INFINITI) models?

No.

 


Description of the Defect:

On affected vehicles, the left and/or right side tie rod’s strength may be insufficient under certain operating conditions. If the tie rod experiences a high input force (such as a curb impact) it may deform. A bent tie rod may impair the driver’s ability to steer the vehicle. Additionally, the steering wheel may be off-center and/or experience vibration. In the worst case scenario, if the tie rod breaks, it can lead to a partial loss of steering control which may increase the risk of a crash.

 

Chronology of Principle Events:

January 18, 2023 – Nissan identified a warranty claim for MY22 Sentra vehicle that alleged the steering wheel was off-center. The dealer technician identified the right front inner tie-rod end as being broken. Nissan requested the incident part for analysis.

February 2023 through March 2023 – Nissan’s initial investigation of the incident part suggested signs of fatigue fracture. However, upon further investigation, Nissan observed deformation from bending of the tie rod {possibly due to impact) which may have led to fracture at the ball end housing. Nissan conducted additional material testing, but the tests were inconclusive as no structural defects were observed. Nissan initiated a field parts collection activity and warranty claim review. During its review, Nissan determined that the incident vehicle was not subject to the previous tie rod recall (21V-461) as this vehicle was built after the production clean point.

April 2023 through May 2023 – Nissan conducted bench testing to try to recreate the subject condition. Nissan was unable to duplicate the condition during bench testing as the tie rods showed sufficient strength. During its review, Nissan identified four (4) additional warranty claims on MY 2022 Sentra vehicles alleging bent or broken tie rods.

June 2023 through July 2023 -Nissan conducted in-vehicle testing. During in-vehicle testing, Nissan observed possible tie rod deformation when subjected to a sufficiently high input force (such as a curb impact or large pot hole). Nissan determined the tie rod met Nissan design specifications and performed as expected in bench tests; however, the tie rod strength may be insufficient under certain driving condition.

August 8, 2023 – Out of an abundance of caution, Nissan decided to recall all potentially affected MY20-22 Sentra vehicles produced during the period November 25, 2019 to March 31, 2022 to replace the left and right side tie rods with a new specification part.

As of the date of determination, Nissan is aware of 91 total field incidents from August 2021 through July 2023 attributed to a bent or broken tie rods on MY2020-2022 Sentra vehicles in the U.S. Nissan received five (5) reports of accidents since issuing recall 21V-461 which alleged bent or broken tie rod, but has been unable to determine if they may have related to the subject condition. Nissan has not received any reports of injuries since issuing recall 21V-461 related to the subject condition.

 

Description of Corrective Action:

Dealers will be notified on August 16, 2023. Owners of all potentially affected vehicles will be notified with an interim owner letter beginning October 5, 2023. The interim notification will instruct owners to contact dealers for diagnosis and transport instructions if they experience an off-center steering wheel or vibration. If a dealer confirms a tie rod is bent or broken, the dealer will replace the affected part with a new design part at no cost to the owner. When additional remedy parts are available, currently expected beginning in Winter 2023-24, owners will receive an invitation to repair letter instructing them to bring their vehicle to a dealer for remedy. Dealers will replace both the left and right side tie rods with the new design parts. This repair will be performed free of charge for parts and labor and may take up to two and a half (2.5) hours to complete.

 


Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign PM985 – Inner Tie Rod Inspection – 2020-2021 Nissan Sentra

 

Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign PM985 – Inner Tie Rod Inspection – 2020-2021 Nissan Sentra

 


3 Affected Products

Vehicle

MAKE MODEL YEAR
NISSAN SENTRA 2020-2022

 


4 Associated Documents

Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-23V581-6600.PDF 213.729KB

RCLRPT-23V581-6600

 


Nissan – Defect Report – August 2023

RMISC-23V581-5871.pdf 982.073KB

RMISC-23V581-5871

 


Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-23V581-5153.pdf 646.022KB

RCAK-23V581-5153

 


Nissan – R23B3 Dealer Announcement – August 2023

RCMN-23V581-3023.pdf 147.863KB

RCMN-23V581-3023

 


Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=23V581&docType=RCL

 


 

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Last update on 2023-09-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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