On January 21, 2022, Nissan issued a safety recall for its Rogue model. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that this recall affects about 688,946 Rogues. The recall affects vehicles with production dates from July 25, 2013, through December 31, 2016. Nissan claims that vehicles manufactured after 2016 were not affected because its production plants changed. This is an issue that Nissan may have known about since 2017.

The Japanese company claims that the problem has to do with the harness connector. If water and salt are collected on the driver’s side footwell, it can wick up the dash side harness tape and enter the connector. Once the connector becomes corroded, there is potential for the driver’s power seat or power window to become inoperative. The AWD warning light illumination can stop working and the battery discharge. There is also the potential for thermal damage to the connector. A fire can also occur.

Nissan stated that Rogue owners can experience inoperative electrical lights on the dash, a burning order, or smoke under the driver’s side dash.

The Japanese company received a field report in March 2017. That report related to the harness connector damage in the driver-side kick panel. At the time, Nissan and the supplier concluded that the water infiltration was causing the problem. However, the actual root cause was never determined.

Since that report in March 2017, Nissan ignored the problem. In December 2019, Transport  Canada contacted Nissan over a thermal event related to harness corrosion. That prompted Nissan to start investigating the issue further. It began collecting harnesses for analysis. It found two thermal incidents. The Canadian market alone found two incidents with localized thermal damage to the corroded connectors.

In the United States market, Nissan knows about three incidents that could be subject to the thermal damage related to the corroded connections. However, it states that these incidents are not confirmed.

The Safety Recall report filed with the NHTSA indicates that all Nissan Rogue cars manufactured after December 31, 2016, are not affected by this issue. It claims that each plant where the Rogue was produced was required to remove the harness tape. That the car company changed the production may signal that they knew about the issue but remained silent.

Starting on January 25, 2022, dealers will notify Rogues owners. When the Safety Recall report was filed, the company did not have a repair plan. It plans to supplement a repair plan sometime in spring 2022. That’s when it also expects the repair to be available. It also plans to include a statement concerning reimbursement for the cost of getting a pre-notification remedy since most of the affected vehicles are no longer under warranty.

Understandably, many Rogue owners will be frustrated about the length of time Nissan took to acknowledge the problem. Especially when the affected vehicles are no longer under warranty. Experienced lemon law attorneys can help in these situations. Our attorneys at Conn Law, PC have the skill and knowledge necessary to help you document your case and present options for holding the manufacturer accountable. Call Conn Law, PC at 1-877-421-9759, or visit us online today for your free consultation.