2008 Nissan Pathfinder S Sport Utility 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

About 20k Nissan Pathfinder, Infiniti JX models recalled for potentially faulty brakes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder and 2013 Infiniti JX due to a problem with the front brakes. The problem is a result of the brake torque member (a part that attaches the brake caliper to the front suspension), which was cast improperly with a structural weakness that could possibly lead to "reduced braking, increasing the risk of a crash," according to NHTSA. How, you ask? If the part breaks, the brake caliper could move position and possibly make contact with the wheel.
Around 20,000 of these sister crossovers are being recalled, but it doesn't sound like all were equipped with the faulty component. Dealers will inspect vehicles built between December 3, 2012 and January 29, 2013, and replace components from the defective batch. The recall goes into effect next month, but until then, the official recall notice is posted below with information for how owners can contact Nissan.

Ford F-Series Super Duty earns Truck of Texas award

Texans love their pickup trucks, which you already knew. That means the Texas Auto Writers Association and its "Truck of Texas" award is a big deal. And the latest trophy goes to the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty. The pickup truck managed to snag TAWA's award at the 2016 Texas Truck Rodeo. The award marks the 13th time Ford's F-Series has been named the pickup king of the Lone Star State. Roughly 70 journalists converged outside at the Longhorn River Ranch, just outside of Austin, TX, for the 23rd annual Texas Truck Rodeo where a host of Ford's vehicles won awards. In addition to the F-Series Super Duty being named the "Truck of Texas," the 2017 Ford Super Duty won the Heavy Duty Pickup Truck award, while the 2017 Ford F-150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine won the Best Powertrain award. The journalists also awarded Ford for having the "Truck Line of Texas." Ford wasn't the only winner at the Texas Truck Rodeo, as Nissan brought home five awards, including one for the 2017 Titan in the fullsize pickup category and one for the Armada in the SUV segment. Ram also won a few accolades with its trucks. The 2017 Ram 1500 won for being the most luxurious pickup truck, while the 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon won the off-road pickup truck award. Last year, TAWA named the 2016 Nissan Titan XD the Truck of Texas, but Ford's all-new F-Series Super Duty managed to keep the Japanese automaker's full-size offering at bay. For the 2017 model, Ford placed aluminum body panels into the F-Series Super Duty's body, which not only shed weight, but also make the truck stronger. Scroll down to see the entire list of TAWA's winners from the 2016 Texas Truck Rodeo. Truck of Texas: 2017 Ford Super Duty SUV of Texas: 2017 Nissan Armada CUV of Texas: 2017 Volvo XC90 Truck line of Texas: Ford Motor Co.

Nissan helping Mexican dealers crack US market

Nissan may not be the top seller or even the top import brand in the United States... but it is in Mexico. South of the border, Nissan accounted for over 26 percent of new cars sold last year, and it's not only applying some of the same lessons it learned on its way to the top of Mexican market to the US – it's bringing in some of the same dealers. In an effort to increase its market share particularly in southern states with large Hispanic communities like California and Texas, Nissan is helping some of its largest dealer groups in Mexico buy up American dealerships, according to a report from Automotive News. Among those Nissan dealers in Mexico expanding into the US market are Grupo Autofin Mexico (which owns 60 locations, including three Nissan dealers in Orange Country), Grupo Autocom (which controls 17 Nissan, Infiniti and Renault locations in Mexico and now owns one Infiniti and four Nissan dealers in the San Francisco bay area) and Automotores Soni SA de CV (one of Mexico's largest dealer groups which recently took over two locations in Houston). Aside from encouraging these and other Mexican dealer groups – many of which have longstanding ties to the Renault-Nissan Alliance and its brands – to break into the US market, Nissan has been using its right of first refusal to offer dealerships going up for sale in the US to its Mexican dealers before American ones. There has yet to be any outcry from Nissan dealers in the US, though. The effort, lead by Nissan's North American chief Jose Munoz (who used to run the Mexican division), is part of the company's drive to increase its market share in the US from 7.7 percent currently to 10 percent by 2017. And the know-how of these Mexican dealership groups forms part of that strategy. But Nissan hopes to tap more than just their experience to drive an increase in sales. The Japanese automaker is also targeting the Hispanic market within the United States, offering Spanish-speaking Americans service in their own language with the benefit of a common cultural background. According to AN, Nissan has already surpassed Honda to become the No. 2 import brand among Hispanic customers in America, accounting for some 32 percent of the company's growth last year. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Nissan Nissan Car Dealers Mexico