Similar parts, some cracks, varied solutions?
Nissan confirms that it is looking into potential driveshaft yoke problems in North America, the result of Dana supplied parts.
A potential recall would involve a “small number” of current production four-wheel-drive trucks and SUVs at both the Nissan and Infiniti brands.
“Nissan/Infiniti vehicles built with one of these yokes will not experience a loss of control or present a safety risk even in the unlikely event the part should fail,” a spokesperson promptly told TheDetroitBureau.com.
Toyota immediately recalled 2010 model Tacoma trucks that use similar parts after being informed last Thursday by component supplier Dana of a cracking defect that occurred during manufacturing.
In the current recall environment, dominated by Toyota actions, and where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been criticized for its inaction in several matters that ultimately resulted in serious injuries and deaths, I will bet that Nissan recalls the trucks.
Nissan has five business days to so, giving Nissan until the middle of next week. Nissan would not name the vehicles involved, but sources close to the matter who are not authorized to speak about it say Titan and Frontier models are involved in the investigation.
“We are investigating the situation to determine the best course of action to address the issue. Nissan is committed to a high level of customer service and satisfaction and is working to promptly address this issue,” the official spokesperson said.
Dana Statement on Driveshaft Yoke Cracking – KZ, editor. Views expressed are Dana’s:
“On Feb. 11, Dana notified NHTSA of a crack in certain tube yokes used in driveshafts installed on certain Ford, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles. Attached to the end of a driveshaft tube, the tube yoke transfers torque between the tube and a universal joint.
“This involves a total population of approximately 34,000 parts sold to Toyota, Nissan, and Ford. The issue was detected quickly, and Dana believes only a small percentage of the affected vehicles have been sold to the public. We also estimate that less than 2 percent of the parts may have a problem.
“Dana is not aware of any accidents or warranty claims.
“Dana’s investigation into the root cause continues, and the company is working closely with its supplier, customers, and NHTSA. Remedies may be specific to each vehicle application.”
My 2008 Nissan Xterra recently had a front driveshaft slip yoke failure.
I need advice. Nissan is denying me warranty coverage.
Not enough, or any, details here to even intelligently comment; and we are not in the legal opinion business. Anyway, I suggest: File a complaint with NHTSA. Recontact Nissan. Contact a lawyer.
Hi, Jason, I am not familiar with this problem. If it is the dealer who is denying coverage you have the option of contacting the corporate representative who handles such disputes. The dealer may offer contact information or you can check your owner’s manual. Beyond that, ask if there have been any recalls, Service Bulletins or other actions by the company that might involve this problem. If so, repairs might be mandated and/or you might get a break on the price. The fact that Nissan is investigating this problem, if it does appear to be related to the reported defects, would seem to make for a better argument and I would personally press hard on that when talking to the dealer or the Nissan factory rep. Sadly, this may still be a situation where it is up to corporate goodwill as to how you are treated. Consider a friend who has the reported problems with Prius HID headlamps. He was told by two Toyota dealers that they would do the repairs and not charge for the parts, but would still charge him for labor, which cut the $300 bill about in half. He is now trying to get Toyota to swallow the rest of the bill.
BTW, if this is a repeat problem, you can always check under your state’s Lemon Law statute, but the odds are this won’t be covered.
Good luck,
Paul A. Eisenstein
Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com
The front drive shaft on my 2008 Nissan Xterra snapped with only 36,000 miles on the vehicle. The dealer (Woodman Nissan, Colorado Springs) said it was covered by the powertrain warrenty. Amazingly, they had the part and replaced it without any hassle. They could not explain why it snapped but they did a great job of taking care of the problem.