Nissan recalls 800,000 Micras over fears of steering failure

Nissan has recalled more than 800,000 cars (EPA)

Nissan has been forced to recall 841,000 vehicles across the globe – including 133,869 models of the Micra in the UK – after discovering a glitch in the steering wheel of one of its models.

The Japanese car manufacturer said it would recall models of the Micra produced in Britain and Japan between 2002 and 2006, as well as the Cube, which was produced in Japan around the same period.

The company said it will fix the problem by either tightening a bolt in the steering wheel or replacing it with a new one.

It said there was no danger of sudden failure and the repair is expected to take about 15 minutes.

A Nissan Motors GB spokesman said: “Over time, the nut that holds on the steering wheel can become loose. Drivers could start notice some wobbling of the wheel and if this is ignored there is the possibility that it could come off completely.“

He added: ”There have been a few incidents of steering wheels becoming loose, but there have been no accidents.”

In April this year Nissan was forced to recall 480,000 cars over fears that air bags were not inflating correctly on passenger sides.

The recall was part of a glitch that affected some 150,000 Japanese cars owned by UK motorists.

Nissan has invested heavily in the UK in recent years and announced plans to expand its operations in 2012 in a £125m investment programme that created 2,000 jobs.

At the time, the Business Secretary Vince Cable hailed the news as a “clear vote of confidence” in this country’s manufacturing industry, while a union leader said the announcement was a “ray of sunshine”.

Trevor Mann, Nissan’s senior vice president for manufacturing in Europe, said: “This plant [in Sunderland] has a 20-year heritage in producing successful compact cars stretching back to the first Micra rolling off the line in 1992.

“I’m delighted that Sunderland has secured what will be another very important model for Nissan in Europe. It is a testament to the workforce, the ongoing support from the UK government and all of our regional partners and suppliers.”

The workforce at Sunderland, where Nissan first started producing cars in 1986, increased to a record 6,000. Nissan first established its Sunderland plant in 1984 and production began two years later, with total investment since then now reaching £3.3bn.