2006 Nissan Frontier Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while pulling out of his driveway, he noticed that the steering wheel was significantly loose. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they were not aware of that failure. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.

ON A CITY STREET, WENT TO PARALELL PARK AND NOTICED THE STEERING WAS STIFF. AFTER PULLING OUT, NOTICED STEERING HAD STAYED STIFF AND WAS HARD ENOUGH TO TURN THAT IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING HAD LOCKED. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO BE LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC, HE INFORMED US THAT IT WAS A STEERING COLUMN SHAFT FAILURE AND IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF NISSAN, AND FOR US TO CHECK TO SEE IF THIS WAS UNDER RECALL AS IT SHOULD BE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME WOBBLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN AND ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. UPDATED 07/13/16*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER STEERING SHAFTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD WOBBLE AND THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. ...UPDATED 01/05/17 *BF UPDATED 8/30/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY LOOSE WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,396.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 5 MPH WHEN A POPPING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO STEER BUT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST DID NOT COMPLETELY FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,626 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,700. UPDATED 8/23/12 *CN UPDATED 09/06/2012 *JS

2006 NISSAN FRONTIER - STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME VERY LOOSE, AND PHYSICALLY MOVES, WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE. THE STEERING HAS ALSO BECOME VERY TIGHT AND DIFFICULT TO STEER VEHICLE. A DEADLY COMBINATION!!!!!!!!!! CAME TO A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AFTER TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR APPROXIMATELY 300 MILES. WHILE STOPPED I NOTICED ALOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND STEERING BECAME VERY TIGHT AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE MOVEMENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY PRONOUNCED MOVING RIGHT AND LEFT UP TO TWO INCHES IN EITHER DIRECTION. I SHOWED MY WIFE AND KIDS, WHO WERE IN THE VEHICLE, AND I BECAME VERY CONCERNED FOR OUR SAFETY, AS WE STILL HAD NEARLY 100 MORE MILES TO DRIVE TO REACH OUR DESTINATION. NO DEALERSHIP WAS IN OUR VICINITY, SO I DROVE VEHICLE BACK HOME TWO DAYS LATER. ON THE RETURN TRIP I WAS VERY AWARE AND NERVOUS FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND FAMILY, I HAVE NEVER HAD A STEERING WHEEL MOVE LIKE THAT (AND IT SHOULDN'T). WAS CONCERNED AND VERY NERVOUS THE STEERING COULD EITHER FAIL OR THE AIRBAG COULD INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH TO MY FAMILY OR OTHER MOTORIST. I CALLED MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP (CARRIAGE NISSAN, GAINESVILLE GEORGIA) ON 6-18-2012 TO DISCUSS MY OBSERVATIONS AND THEY INFORMED ME THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS WITH STEERING. UNFORTUNATELY FOR NISSAN, AFTER I INVESTIGATED MY ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, "I AM NOW CONVINCED THAT NISSAN IS WELL AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH STEERING ISSUES, AS THEY HAVE BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO NISSAN USA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS". ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET, BY FRONTIER TRUCK OWNERS, NISSAN DEALERS ARE REPLACING STEERING COLUMNS TO FIX THIS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM. IT IS OF CONCERN TO ME THAT THE NHTSA HAS NOT FORCED NISSAN TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING ISSUE, BY FORCING A RECALL, SINCE IT APPEARS NISSAN HAS NO INTENTIONS OF VOLUNTARILY FIXING THEIR PROBLEM. *JS

STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME VERY LOOSE (1" PLAY IN ALL DIRECTIONS) RESULTING IN DIFFICULTY AT TIMES CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE (APPEARS THE INTERNAL BEARINGS OR SIMILAR MECHANISM HAS FAILED). I FEAR THIS MAY LEAD TO A CRASH DUE TO INABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AN UNKNOWN SPEED WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND BEGAN TO HAVE DIFFICULTY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,436 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING COLUMN HAD BECOME EXTREMELY LOOSE AND HE COULD EASILY MOVE IT BACK AND FORTH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT A BEARING FOR THE STEERING COLUMN WAS BAD OR WORN OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,750. UPDATED 05/04/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL SENDING FAILED AND HE HAD TO PAY OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET, BEFORE FINDING OUT MONTHS LATER A RECALL WAS ISSUED. UPDATED 09/01/11

STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES, CHANGE TIRES ALL FOUR, RE-BALANCE FRONT TIRES, CHANGE BRAKES ALL FOUR, TRUCK HAS 52,000.00 MILES. *TR

ON 08-18-10, I WAS BACKING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WITH MY 06 NISSAN FRONTIER, UPON ENTERING THE STREET, THE STEERING COLUMN MADE A LOUD POP AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE, MOVING LEFT TO RIGHT, UP AND DOWN 3/4' OUTSIDE THE MANUFACTURED TOLERANCES. I HAD THE TRUCK EVALUATED, 08-18-10, AT MURRAYS NISSAN, MUSKOGEE, OK 74403, 918-683-6605, AND THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT REPLACED, 2ND TIME. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING REPAIR WOULD BE $980.00, AND NISSAN WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIRS AT 80,000 MILES. THEY STATED THAT THE BEARING WAS BAD AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED, ADMITTING, 'THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN THIS REVISED MODEL.' AFTER REPAIRING THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT, I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, AND RESEARCHED THE DEFECT AND DISCOVERED OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS A MAJOR STEERING DEFECT WITH THIS MODEL, AND YEAR, FURTHER VALIDATED BY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THIS AGENCY, INCLUDING HIGH-SPEED TOTAL STEERING LOCKUP, RESULTING IN COLLISIONS. ON 02-15-11, 87,000 I RETURNED TO HAVE THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT REPLACED, 3RD TIME/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED OFF, 3RD TIME/REVIEWED FOR A STEERING RECALL STATUS UPDATE DUE TO INCREASED STEERING ISSUES. NISSAN WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE STEERING REPAIR, AT A COST OF $988.00, AND INDICATED THAT THE EMISSION CONTROL CANISTER FAILED, $700.00. ON 02-18-11, AFTER 3 DAYS VOID OF ANY REPAIRS, I PICKED UP THE TRUCK BEING REASSURED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. I FILED A REQUEST WITH NISSAN NA CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ON 02-22-11. NISSAN NA CALLED ON 02-25-2011, REFUSING ASSISTANCE ON THE STEERING AND EMISSION CONTROL CANISTER FAILURE. WE OWN 4 NISSAN FRONTIERS AND 1 ARMADA FROM 2001-2009, 06 TRUCK HAVING MULTIPLE REPAIR ISSUES SINCE PURCHASE EVIDENCED THROUGH NISSAN SERVICE RECORDS. MY SON, AGE 16, DRIVES THIS TRUCK DAILY TO WORK AND SCHOOL AND TRANSPORTS HIS 9-YEAR-OLD BROTHER. I FEEL THAT THE STEERING AND EMISSION CONTROL CANISTER FAILURE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED UNDER RECALL PROVISIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND HEARD A CRACKING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER HEARING THE SOUND THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE AND IT COULD BE MOVED IN ANY DIRECTION ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 57000.

WE BOUGHT A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER 2WD PICKUP. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS A LITTLE LOOSE BUT THE DEALER ASSURED US IT WAS OK. THE VEHICLE HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT AND WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT THE STEERING COLUMN BEARING HAS FAILED AND MUST BE REPLACED AND THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND RECURRENT PROBLEM ON CERTAIN NISSAN VEHICLES. THIS IS AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE AS THE FAILURE OF THE BEARING LEADS TO LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. WHEN WE CONTACTED THE DEALER WE WERE TOLD THAT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED, ALTHOUGH MANY COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED. FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE BEARING BEING SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT IS THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL PART AND MAY FAIL AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO DISPLAY ACCURATE FUEL LEVELS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE RADIATOR FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION. AS A RESULT, THE RADIATOR, THE POWER TRANSMISSION, AND STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V075000(FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

STEERING WHEEL FEEL LOOSE, LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL OFF AND SOMETIMES STICKS OR HAS A RATCHET FEEL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WITH MY 8 YEAR OLD SON IN THE TRUCK WHEN I CAME IN TO A CURVE AND THE STEERING WOULD NOT TURN. I HAD TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE GET OUT OF THE TRUCK IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND GET THE STEERING BROKE LOOSE SO I COULD MOVE THE TRUCK TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NOW THE STEERING COLUMN HAS A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN EVERY DIRECTION. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE NISSAN DEALER SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE BEARING IN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS BAD AND THAT THE REPAIR WOULD BE ABOUT $980.00. THE SERVICE TECH SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS A SEVERAL TIMES. NISSAN SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT BECAUSE THE TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRENTY. THE TRUCK HAS 74,000 MILES ON IT NOW. IT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. I THINK NISSAN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY ISSUES LIKE THIS ON AUTOMOBILES WITH THIS LOW OF MILEAGE. *TR

MY STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE ON MY 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER PICKUP. IT WOBBLES ABOUT 1/2 TO 1 INCH IN EACH DIRECTION. THE CAR STILL STEERS OK BUT I'M CONCERNED THAT IT WILL FAIL WHILE I'M DRIVING. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT AND THEY SAY IT WILL COST $400 TO CHECK AND REPLACE IT. I SEE THIS REPORTED ON NUMEROUS FORUMS AS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT HE COULD NOT MANEUVER THE STEERING COLUMN. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING INCREASES THE RISK OF VEHICLE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 36862.