Have you ever been in the middle of a repair when the service manual called for a nut to be torqued to a very specific specification, except you didn't have a torque wrench? If this scenario sounds familiar to you, we're guessing "tight enough" may ring a bell as well. But the fact of the matter is that torque tools exist for a reason; a lesson even automakers need to learn from time to time.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced the recall of 4,038 2010 model year Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra SUVs due to defective fasteners securing the passenger front air bag module and the steering shaft positioning bracket. The problem? The fasteners weren't torqued to the correct specification. In the event of a crash, the poorly torqued fasteners may cause the passenger front airbag to deploy at an imperfect trajectory. And since airbags literally explode in the event of an accident, imperfect trajectory could lead to potentially serious injuries. Luckily for Nissan and its customers, the problem was caught relatively early. NHTSA says defective models were built between February 22 and March 13.

To remedy the problem, Nissan dealers will inspect the steering column and passenger front airbag fasteners, properly tightening or replacing loose or missing fasteners. The recall is expected to officially begin in April, and if you are unsure whether your Pathfinder or Xterra is affected by the recall, you can call Nissan at 1-800-647-7261. Hit the jump to read over the NHTSA press release.



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