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• Nissan is recalling just over 1,000 Ariya SUVs due to a steering wheel that can fall off.
• Fortunately, the problem was discovered before any units were delivered to customers.
• The Tesla Model Y is currently under investigation by the NHTSA for a similar problem.
Hard to believe, but for the second time in a week, we're seeing a problem with a steering wheel that can fall off a vehicle.
After the American NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) opened an investigation into the Tesla Model Y for a very similar problem, Nissan having to recall 1,063 units of its new Ariya electric SUV Ariya.
The good news is that the company says it became aware of the issue before the vehicles afflicted with it made it into buyers’ hands.
What's not so good for the company is that the problem is not related to a supplier, but to work done internally. The defect was discovered by Nissan technicians dealing with a separate quality issue on Ariyas waiting to be shipped from Nissan's port facilities. The Japanese firm says its technicians likely made one of the two errors found.
Nissan reported that “as part of the activity, a technician may have inadvertently applied the incorrect torque settings to the steering wheel bolt. In certain cases, the steering wheel bolt may not have been installed.” Nissan explained that “as a result, the steering wheel may experience some play or potentially separate from the steering column if pulled towards the driver. If this occurs, loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.”