NHTSA Probes 2021 Nissan Rogue for Steering Issues

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated a preliminary evaluation of 77,131 Nissan Rogue vehicles from the 2021 model year following multiple reports of inner tie rod failures, which could lead to a potential loss of steering control. This investigation will assess the safety implications, scope, frequency, and root cause of the alleged defect.

This probe follows an incident in which a 2021 Nissan Rogue owner reported a sudden pull of the steering wheel to the right at 16,655 miles, resulting in a misaligned front passenger-side wheel. A dealership diagnosed a bent tie rod but denied warranty coverage, attributing the issue to an impact, which the owner disputed. The NHTSA's evaluation will determine if these inner tie rod failures warrant a safety recall.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue has already been subject to nine recalls for various issues, including seat belt retraction problems, missing internal brake caliper bushings, overheating fuel pumps, improperly welded second-row seatbacks, disconnecting fuel hoses, and wheel nut failures causing wheel separation.

In December 2023, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) launched a probe into over 450,000 Nissan vehicles, including the Altima (model years 2019-2023), Rogue (2021-2023), and Infiniti QX50 (2019-2023) and QX55 (2022-2023) SUVs, due to reports of premature engine failures. This investigation focused on the 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder and 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines, both variable-compression engines. Issues with main bearings or the L-link in the bottom end were suspected causes of the failures, which included loss of power, knocking sounds, metal chunks in the oil, and complete engine failure.