Individuals throughout the Pittsburgh area rely on automobiles each and every day for transportation. Most who regularly use cars are aware of the possibility that a car accident could occur. Accordingly, many take the steps necessary to reduce the chance of that happening, by wearing a seat belt, driving at a proper speed and focusing on the task of driving.

Most assume that the vehicle in which they are either driving or riding will not be the cause of an accident. As regular readers of this blog are aware, this is not always a good assumption.

Seemingly no automobile maker is immune from recalls due to defective parts or manufacture. One of the most recently announced recalls is due to auto components in Nissan Altimas that were not properly installed. The model years included in the recall are 2012 and 2013.

The specific issue in the recall of the motor vehicle is that some bolts used in the manufacture of the car may not have been properly torqued. This failure could possibly lead to the transverse link bolts becoming loose and falling out. Should this happen, it is possible that a car crash could occur.

A total of approximately 13,900 cars are included in the recall that is slated to commence at the end of this month. At this point it does not appear that anyone has been injured as a result of the bolts not being correctly installed. It is not clear if any accidents have resulted from the faulty manufacture.

As a part of the recall owners of the Altimas can seek assistance from dealerships. Nissan dealers of the vehicles will make sure that the bolts in question are appropriately tightened.

Source: Seattle Times, "Nissan recalling certain Altima vehicles," The Associated Press, Oct. 21, 2012

• The dangers associated with defective auto products can in some cases lead to individuals being hurt. Our firm provides counsel in situations where product defects lead to injuries. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our Pittsburgh auto defects page.