Nissan is offering free safety upgrades for 2021 Rogue SUVs that didn’t perform well in a recent crash test, not as part of any recall campaign, but simply because they’re embarrassed.
These days, most cars from major manufacturers will get at least average scores on government crash tests. Genuinely poor results are rare. Among compact SUVs in 2020, for instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn’t issue a single score below three stars on its 5-star safety rating system.
So, it was a shock when the 2021 Nissan Rogue earned a 2-star score for protecting a front seat passenger in a frontal collision.
Overall, the Rogue managed a 4-star rating, even scoring a perfect five in all side-impact tests. But it falls short in the frontal test, which simulates two cars of similar size colliding head-on at 35 mph. The Rogue earned four stars for protecting its driver and only two for protecting its passenger.
Restraint Upgrade
Nissan almost immediately responded by redesigning the restraint system for the front passenger’s seat, incorporating the upgraded system into all new 2021 Rogues, and promises to retrofit vehicles already in customer hands.
To keep everyone inside safe, a car has three responsibilities in an accident. One is to deform in such a way that parts don’t crush the occupants. Another is to decelerate the occupants as slowly as possible even though the car is stopping suddenly. Every additional hundredth of a second slowing the human body from high speed to a complete stop can prevent devastating internal injuries. The third is to allow passengers to move as little as possible to avoid hitting the car’s deforming structure. It’s in this area where the 2021 Rogue struggled. Nissan says a redesign of the seat restraint system solves the issue.
Every 2021 Rogue ever built at the company’s Tennessee factory already has the upgraded restraints. Those built after Jan 28, 2021 at its Kyushu, Japan plant already have them as well.
But early Rogues built in Japan are on the road with the restraint system that earned only two stars. Nissan would like to upgrade them. In a statement, the company says, “to ensure customer confidence and satisfaction, Nissan will soon launch a service campaign to update 2021 Rogue vehicles produces in Kyushu prior to January 28, 2021. Owners will receive notification as to when to bring their vehicle in for updates.”
The service campaign isn’t precisely a recall, because it doesn’t remedy a problem any government agency has identified. After all, two stars is a passing score – it’s not good enough for Nissan’s own standards.
Nissan expects the NHTSA to test the new restraint system and issue an updated score in May.
