US probing suspension part failures in 2013 Nissan Altimas

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FILE- This Nov. 15, 2018, file photo shows Nissan logo at the automaker's showroom in Tokyo. U.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that a suspension part on Nissan Altimas can come loose from the frame due to corrosion. The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers about 374,000 cars from 2013. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)

U.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that a suspension part on Nissan Altimas can come loose from the frame due to corrosion.

The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers about 374,000 cars from 2013. The agency says it has four complaints that rear lower control arm assemblies failed. One owner in Seneca Falls, N.Y., wrote that the problem caused a crash, but didn't give details. Three complaints allege the part failed while cars were moving.

Control arms let the wheels and tires travel up and down over bumps.

The complaints came from states that use salt to clear roads of ice and snow.

Investigators will determine how often the problem happens and whether a recall is needed.

Nissan says it's examining data and cooperating with investigators. Any owner who suspects a problem should have their car checked by a dealer, the company said.