Nissan Rogue Recall Issued Over Shift Selector Problems

More than 30,000 Nissan sport utility vehicles have been recalled, after the auto maker recognized the potential for the vehicle’s shifter to be move out of the “park” position without depressing the brake pedal, posing a potential rollaway risk and crash hazard. 

The Nissan Rouge recall (PDF) was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on December 11, after routine testing at the company’s Tennessee plant discovered design defects in the shifter assembly, which may allow the shifter to move out of the selected gear without depressing the brake.

Nissan of North America reported to the NHTSA that during routine inspections at the Smyrna, Tennessee plant, certain model year 2015 Nissan Rogue vehicles exhibited transmission shift selector knob assembly issues. Upon further investigation, Nissan found that the shift selector knob and the shifter rod were causing uneven spring pressure. This defect, and an uneven clearance between the two components, could allow the shifter lever to change position without depressing the brake pedal.

To date, Nissan has back checked warranty claims and consumer reports, and has not identified any crashes or injuries related to the defect. However, as a result of the identified defect, the Rogue vehicles do not comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention”, warranting the recall.

Rollaway hazards can be extremely dangerous to drivers, occupants and bystanders. The NHTSA has reported in past recall incidents where children have entered vehicles and accidentally bumped the shifters without depressing the brake, resulting in rollaway and collision incidents, resulting in injuries, property damage, and even fatalities.

Included in the recall are an estimated 33,880 Nissan Rogue vehicles from the 2015 model year, which were manufactured by Nissan North America, Inc. from February 10, 2015 through May 13, 2015. Nissan’s investigation identified that the manufacturing defect occurred as a direct result of the particular plants operations and no other vehicles are impacted by the recall.

The NHTSA reported that Nissan will begin notifying owners and dealers of the defect and plans to have registered dealers inspect and replace the shift selector knob, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is anticipated to begin sometime in December 2015. Customers with further questions may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.