The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has finished its investigation of 2 million Nissan vehicles because it determined the suspension failure risk does not need further action.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finished its engineering analysis of 2013–2018 Nissan Altimas and 2016–2018 Maximas because the rear suspension control arm corrosion did not require additional action.
NHTSA reports that Nissan confirmed regular driving stress combined with road salt exposure would cause the part to crack and accelerate rust formation. The company introduced a design modification in January 2018 to enhance durability and simultaneously launched a customer satisfaction program that provided extended warranties and replacement parts.
The regulators decided against further investigation because the number of complaints decreased and the manufacturer had implemented a solution. The updated control arms were installed in certain vehicles while other vehicles gained extended warranty coverage that extends to 10 years with unlimited mileage.
Nissan has encountered past criticism regarding rust-related suspension problems but has taken steps to enhance vehicle durability through design improvements. The regulatory agency ended the investigation without requiring a costly recall because they accepted the corrective actions Nissan had taken.
