Nissan SUV Recalls Issued Due to Fire Risk, Hood Latch Problems

Due to a risk of electrical shorts that could cause vehicles to burst into flames, and a defective latch which could lead to hoods flipping open suddenly, Nissan has issued recalls affecting nearly 800,000 SUVs and crossovers. 

The Nissan Rogue and SUV recalls were announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on January 23, after recognizing potential defects that could lead to sudden openings of the hood and vehicle fires. To date, the NHTSA is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the recalls.

The Nissan Rogue SUV recall (PDF) affects 552,135 vehicles from the 2008 to 2013 model years, which were manufactured from March 7, 2007 to November 26, 2013, as well as 2014 Nissan Rogue Select vehicles manufactured from September 23, 2013 to July 2, 2014. Nissan announced in their recall notice that 468,815 of the recalled Rogue vehicles are registered in the United States, 52,312 in Canada and the remaining are believed to be in three other countries.

The Rogue SUV’s are being recalled due to the potential for moisture to seek through the carpet on the driver’s side floor and come in contact with the harness connector. Through an accumulation of snow, water, or salt seeping through the carpet the vehicle’s harness connector may experience an electrical short, posing a risk of vehicle fires.

Nissan has not announced its notification or repair schedule to customers and dealers but plans to have owners schedule a repair at their local dealer to have the kick panel wiring harness inspected and replace the harness with a new connector and waterproof seal free of charge.

A Nissan and Infiniti SUV recall (PDF) was also announced, which includes 2013-2014 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured from June 20, 2012 to November 18, 2013, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles manufactured from July 18, 2013 to November 18, 2013, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured from November 29, 2011 to June 14, 2013, and 2014 QX60 vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2013 to November 18, 2013, and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles manufactured from July 18, 2013 to November 18, 2013.

Nissan reported that of the 215,789 Pathfinder and Infiniti vehicles included in the recall, an estimated 170,665 are registered in the United States and the remaining are registered in 30 additional countries.

Nissan received reports from mainly rental companies that the secondary hood release cable assembly may not properly latch, allowing the hood to flip open unexpectedly if the primary hood release inside of the vehicle is accidently engaged. Unexpected hood openings can increase the risk of a crash due to the sudden shock and obstructed view of the driver.

Nissan’s investigation has shown that the hood release cables may have been installed incorrectly, preventing the latching claw from fully engaging. The automaker plans to notify owners and dealers of the issue and how to schedule an appointment for a dealer to modify the angle of the hood release mechanism to provide additional length to the release cable.

Owners with further questions can contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261 and refer to the reference number 15V-032 for the Rogue recall and reference number 15V-033 for the Pathfinder and Infiniti recall.