NHTSA investigating Infiniti QX4, Nissan Pathfinder over corrosion fears

2003 Infiniti QX4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into certain late modelInfiniti QX4 and Nissan Pathfinder SUVs over corrosion of the driver’s side front strut tower. Affected Queue-By-Fours are from the 1997 to 2003 model years, while the Pathfinders are from 1996 to 2004.

According to NHTSA’s summary, the government organization has received 35 reports of corrosion instances, with 18 citing that this problem caused the vehicle’s steering to suffer. What’s more, five of these reports stated that the steering “shaft” or “column” broke, resulting in a complete loss of steering.

This investigation was opened on January 28, and pending NHTSA’s findings, an official recall should be announced in the near future. For the full summary, follow the jump for NHTSA’s release.