US investigating 77,000 Nissan SUVs

It is claimed that both the driver-side and passenger-side inner tie rods of the Nissan Rogue are prone to complete failure.

More than 77,000 Nissan Rogue models are under investigation because they may be equipped with a faulty inner tie rod, which could lead to a complete loss of steering control. If we were top executives at Nissan, we’d start looking at how to fund a possible recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) issued a report after receiving an owner questionnaire and Alert Report field reports of an inner tie rod failure in 2021 Rogue models. The problem was originally reported by Nissan owners and can affect either the driver or passenger side of the SUV.

Read: 2023 Nissan Rogue recalled twice for seat belts and airbags

In some cases, vehicles have reportedly had to be towed after a steering tie rod failed. NHTSA noted that if the inner steering tie rod fails, it could affect steering control, increasing the risk of a crash and/or injury.

An estimated 77,131 Nissan Rogue models may be affected by the fault. The ODI investigation aims to “further assess the scope, frequency, root causes, and potential safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.”

In the initial complaint, the owner of the 2021 Rogue stated that when his wife was pulling out of a parking lot, the SUV’s steering wheel suddenly pulled to the right, protruding the front passenger side tire out of the way. Several warning lights were triggered, and the Nissan had to be towed to the dealership, where it was determined that the tie rod was bent and needed to be replaced. Although the Rogue was repaired and had a wheel alignment, the owner claims the steering wheel did not return to center.

The dealer who performed the repairs refused to repair it under the vehicle’s warranty, claiming the fault was caused by an impact, which the owner denied.