Nissan is pulling back more than 500,000 Rogue SUVs from model years 2021 through 2025 after federal regulators flagged engine defects that can kill power while driving and, in some scenarios, pose a fire risk. The recall, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on February 19, 2026, spans two overlapping campaigns targeting different mechanical failures in the automaker’s best-selling crossover. For the hundreds of thousands of owners affected, the practical risk is the same, an engine that can quit without warning on a highway or in heavy traffic.
Two Campaigns, One Core Danger
The federal safety action actually covers a pair of distinct defect populations under NHTSA campaign 26V080. One campaign addresses potential engine bearing failure in roughly 323,917 Rogues from the 2021 through 2023 model years, according to figures reported by The Wall Street Journal. A second campaign targets a throttle-gear problem in approximately 318,781 units from the 2024 and 2025 model years. Together, the two actions account for well over 600,000 vehicles on paper, though some overlap in VIN ranges may reduce the net count. The combined scope still places the action among the larger single-nameplate recalls in recent memory, and it is formally logged in federal records accessible through the agency’s main recall database.
Both defects converge on the same safety outcome: sudden loss of motive power. In the engine-bearing scenario, internal components can seize, stalling the powertrain entirely. The throttle-gear defect can similarly disable the engine’s ability to respond to driver input. According to Journal coverage, the bearing failure also carries a secondary hazard: potential oil discharge that could lead to a fire. A driver who loses power at highway speed faces an immediate collision risk, and an oil-fed fire compounds that danger significantly. Even when drivers manage to steer to the shoulder, the possibility of a blaze under the hood raises the stakes for occupants and first responders arriving on scene.
What NHTSA Complaint Data Reveals
Federal complaint records show that Rogue owners have been reporting problems consistent with these defects for some time. Consumer complaints about loss of motive power exist for Nissan Rogue model years 2023 through 2025, according to NHTSA’s public complaint datasets. Separate filings cover earlier vehicles equipped with Nissan’s variable compression turbo engine, known as the VC-Turbo, which powers the Rogue lineup. These complaints describe engine knocking, stalling at speed, and an inability to restart, all symptoms that align with the bearing and throttle-gear failures now formally identified by the recall. Some owners also report intermittent warning lights or unusual noises before failure, while others say the engine simply shut down without any prior hint of trouble.
NHTSA’s vehicle detail page for the 2025 Rogue aggregates open recall campaigns, complaint volumes, and any linked investigations for that model year, offering a snapshot of how the problem evolved over time. The pattern of complaints across multiple consecutive model years suggests the underlying engineering issues were not isolated to a single production run. Instead, the problems appear to track with the VC-Turbo engine platform itself, raising questions about whether Nissan’s variable compression technology introduced durability trade-offs that only surfaced after tens of thousands of miles of real-world use. For owners, the clustering of reports on the agency’s model information page underscores that their experience is not an isolated fluke but part of a broader reliability concern.
Nissan’s Response and Dealer Remedy
In its Part 573 Safety Recall Report dated February 19, 2026, Nissan stated that it “is not aware of any accident or injuries related to the subject condition.” That language, contained in the company’s formal recall filing, is standard in early-stage safety actions, but the absence of confirmed crashes does not diminish the severity of the defect. Loss of power on a busy road can produce a collision in seconds, and fire risk elevates the stakes further. The gap between “no known injuries” and “no possible injuries” is wide, and NHTSA’s decision to formalize the recall signals that regulators view the risk as material. The agency’s acceptance of Nissan’s remedy plan also means it will monitor the campaign’s progress and can push for broader action if new evidence emerges.
The remedy program involves Nissan dealers, who will inspect and, where necessary, replace the affected components at no cost to owners. Nissan has not publicly detailed the specific parts or labor involved, and the company has not released statements from executives explaining the root engineering cause. That silence is notable given the scale of the action and the fact that it touches five consecutive model years of the same vehicle. In practice, owners can expect dealers to perform diagnostic checks aimed at detecting bearing wear or throttle-gear malfunction, followed by component replacement where thresholds are met. Owners who suspect their Rogue may be affected can search their vehicle identification number through NHTSA’s online tools or contact a local dealer to confirm eligibility and schedule an appointment.
Broader Questions About VC-Turbo Reliability
The dual recall raises a harder question that Nissan has yet to address publicly: whether its VC-Turbo engine architecture carries a systemic reliability problem. Variable compression ratio technology was marketed as a breakthrough when Nissan introduced it, promising both performance and fuel efficiency by physically adjusting the engine’s compression ratio on the fly. That mechanical complexity, however, introduces more moving parts and tighter tolerances than a conventional engine. When bearing surfaces or throttle-gear assemblies fail across hundreds of thousands of units spanning five model years, the pattern points beyond isolated manufacturing defects toward a design-level vulnerability. Even if the immediate safety issues are resolved through part replacements, the underlying architecture may require deeper reengineering to restore confidence.
Most coverage of the recall has focused on the immediate safety risk, which is appropriate. But the downstream consequences for Nissan’s business deserve attention as well. The Rogue is one of the company’s highest-volume models in North America, and a recall of this size will generate significant warranty and parts costs at a time when the automaker has been working to stabilize its financial position. Dealer service bays will absorb a wave of inspection and repair appointments, potentially delaying routine maintenance for other customers and straining staff capacity. For Rogue owners specifically, the recall means scheduling a dealer visit, possibly arranging alternate transportation, and living with uncertainty about whether their engine could fail before the fix is applied. Resale values for affected model years may also come under pressure as buyers factor in the history of engine-related defects.
What Affected Owners Should Do Now
Owners of 2021 through 2025 Nissan Rogue SUVs should not wait for a mailed notification to act. NHTSA’s online recall search allows anyone to enter a 17-digit VIN and see whether their specific vehicle is covered by campaign 26V080 or any other open safety action, and Nissan’s own customer service channels can confirm the same information. Drivers who experience symptoms such as engine knocking, hesitation under acceleration, dashboard warnings related to the powertrain, or sudden loss of power should treat them as urgent signs to stop driving and contact a dealer. Documenting the date, mileage, and conditions under which problems occur can help technicians diagnose issues more quickly and create a clearer record if further regulatory action is needed.
Until repairs are completed, owners may want to avoid long highway trips or high-speed driving where a sudden stall would be most dangerous, especially in heavy traffic or on roads without wide shoulders. When recall letters arrive, they will outline the free remedy and provide instructions for scheduling service, but proactive owners can often book appointments sooner by reaching out directly to dealerships. While Nissan’s filing emphasizes that no related injuries are known, the combination of stall risk and potential fire hazard makes this a recall that affected drivers should treat as a top priority rather than a routine service campaign. By moving quickly to verify coverage and arrange repairs, Rogue owners can reduce their personal risk while regulators and the company grapple with the broader questions raised by the VC-Turbo’s troubled rollout.
More from Morning Overview
*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
