Infiniti and Nissan preliminary evaluation PE14034
Steering column separation. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the column on 4 model years (2008–2009). Opened Nov 4, 2014, closed Feb 27, 2015 after 4 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedIn a January 28, 2015 letter to NHTSA, Nissan identified a safety defect in the steering column assemblies used in certain model year (MY) 2008 and 2009 Infiniti EX35, Infiniti FX35/45 and Nissan GT-R vehicles equipped with power tilt/telescope steering columns supplied by Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd (NHTSA Recall No. 15V-054, Nissan R1501/R1502).The recall covers a total of 16,973 vehicles, including 15,647 MY 2008 Infiniti EX35 vehicles manufactured from June 29, 2007 (SOP) to April 25, 2008; 1,100 MY 2009 Infiniti FX35/45 vehicles manufactured from October 31, 2007 (SOP) to April 16, 2008; and 226 MY 2009 Nissan GT-R vehicles manufactured from March 14, 2007 (SOP) to April 25, 2008. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with a steering column outer tube that is out of specification (out of round), which may result in stress at the upper bearing. According to Nissan, in rare instances, the condition caused the bearing retainer to fracture creating excessive play in the steering wheel. In this condition, if excessive axial force is applied to the steering wheel, the column may separate and cause a loss of steering control. Nissan's remedy instructs dealers to replace the steering shaft on the Infiniti EX35 and FX35/45 vehicles and to replace the entire steering column assembly on the Nissan GT-R vehicles. ODI's analysis of complaint and warranty data related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles identified a total of 5 incidents in which steering column separation appears to have occurred, including one alleging that a crash resulted. Sixteen (16) additional incidents of loose steering were identified in Nissan complaints (1) and warranty claims (15).The 5 separation incidents identified by ODI involved vehicles built from November 7, 2007 to February 5, 2008, including 3 vehicles built from February 2 to February 5, 2008. The 16 incidents of loose steering involved vehicles built from January 19, 2008 to April 3, 2008, including 9 vehicles built from February 1 to February 11, 2008. None of the incidents involved the approximately 1,800 MY 2008 EX35 vehicles that are not included in the recall, which either were not equipped with the Fuji Kiko power adjustable steering columns (the manual adjustable steering columns were made by a different supplier) or were built after April 25, 2008. This investigation is closed based on Nissan's safety recall. The VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10350255 and 10605536.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2008 Infiniti EX35; 2009 Infiniti FX35; 2009 Infiniti FX45; 2009 Nissan GT-R.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE14034 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE14034 still open?
No. It closed on Feb 27, 2015 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE14034 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 4 model years: 2008 Infiniti EX35, 2009 Infiniti FX35, 2009 Infiniti FX45, 2009 Nissan GT-R. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.