The Nissan Rogue's driver and front passenger seatbelt pretensioners are supplied by Mexico-based ZF Occupant Safety Systems. According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 10,000 examples of the 2023 Nissan Rogue may have been assembled with partially crimped lap pretensioners.
Improper front occupant protection is a tremendous concern, which is why dealers have been instructed to replace the left- and right-side seatbelt assemblies at no cost to affected owners. The operation takes roughly an hour. Owner notifications will mailed via first-class mail no sooner than April 19, 2024.
The supplier identified a partially crimped pretensioner on the passenger-side seatbelt anchor sub-assembly on June 27, 2023. The part was quarantined, an investigation was initiated, then Nissan North America was informed of the situation at the beginning of July 2023. The automaker conducted a parts audit at the Smyrna plant in Tennessee, identifying a single incorrectly crimped pretensioner.
ZF's investigation determined that a software logic error caused the crimping machine to fail to reach the final position. The supplier also determined that a new technician started working on said machine in June 2023, a technician who didn't follow the scrap handling procedure. What's more, ZF Occupant Safety Systems determined that suspect parts were produced from June 2 through June 27.
Based on ZF's production records, Nissan was able to identify the production range tied to the suspect assemblies. More specifically, 2023 models assembled at Smyrna between June 7 and July 12. Thankfully for affected owners, Nissan isn't aware of any injuries related to the described condition.
Photo: Nissan
No fewer than four part numbers are listed in the report below for the left- and right-hand front seatbelt assemblies in either charcoal or light gray. In addition to the increased safety risk posed by incorrectly crimped pretensioners, the condition also goes against Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 for occupant crash protection, 209 for seatbelt assemblies, plus 210 for seatbelt anchorages.
Easily the best-selling Nissan in the US market, the Rogue moved 271,458 units last year as opposed to 128,030 for the Altima and 109,195 for the Sentra. Slotted above the Kicks and below the Pathfinder, the Rogue is considered a mid-size crossover.
The Canadian market gets a 2.5-liter I4 engine, but for some reason or another, prospective customers in the United States are presented with a turbocharged inline-three motor. Codenamed KR15DDT, said engine and its 2.0-liter sibling are under investigation by the Office of Defects Investigation over allegations of engine failure.
The KR20DDET powers the Altima, Infiniti QX50, and Q55. Both the KR15 and KR20 are advertised under the VC-Turbo moniker due to their ability to vary the compression ratio automatically between maximum efficiency and maximum power. The investigation was opened in December 2023, and thus far, the NHTSA hasn't provided any updates.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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