Nissan Has A Fix For Embarrassing Rogue Problem

The redesigned 2021 Nissan Rogue is a huge deal for the Japanese automaker. Its predecessor was the brand’s best-seller in the US and the new model needs to achieve the same. Last month, we reported the 2021 Rogue earned a troubling two-star rating for the passenger-side crash test from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

That was a two-star drop from the old model, but the government safety agency still awarded the new Rogue an overall four-star crash test rating. Still, that two-star rating in this vital category was not good news, to say the least.

Fortunately, Nissan quickly clarified this rating was given only to vehicles built before January 28, 2021 at its Kyushu plant in Japan. Changes have already been implemented at Kyushu and the Tennessee factory to the vehicle’s structure that should improve the test score and a re-test is expected soon. But what about that first batch of SUVs? They can’t continue being on the road with a two-star rating. Well, Nissan has just confirmed it will retrofit those vehicles with safety structure fixes.

“Nissan is committed to vehicle safety and is pleased with the 2021 Nissan Rogue’s overall 4-star safety rating. All 2021 Rogue vehicles fully comply with federal safety standards,” the official statement reads.

“To ensure customer confidence and satisfaction, Nissan will soon launch a service campaign to update 2021 Rogue vehicles produced in Kyushu prior to January 28, 2021. Owners will receive a notification as to when to bring their vehicle in for updates.”

This is obviously excellent news to owners who are rightly concerned about their new Rogue’s safety. Why Nissan didn’t build the new Rogue with the necessary front passenger restraint system to begin with is a little strange, but it’s certainly doing the right thing now. Chances are the redesigned Mitsubishi Outlander, essentially a heavily rebadged Rogue, will not suffer from this same early build problem.