Nissan North America Inc. is recalling 138,736 Sentra sedans from the 2020-21 model years because the left, right or both tie rods may be bent.
According to a defect notice filed with NHTSA, a bent tie rod could impair the driver’s ability to steer the vehicle. For one thing, the steering wheel could be off-center and experience vibration. For another, the tie rods possibly breaking could lead to a partial loss of steering control, raising crash risk.
Nissan estimates it will start notifying owners Aug. 5. The automaker says they will be told to take their vehicle to a Nissan dealer for an inspection. If bent, the tie rods will be replaced.
Nissan said the vehicles are still under warranty. It notified dealers Friday.
When asked about any accidents or injuries stemming from the recall, a Nissan spokeswoman said the automaker received one report of an accident that was determined to be unrelated to the issue.
