Nissan is recalling more than 640,000 Rogue SUVs across two separate safety campaigns after federal regulators flagged engine bearing failures that could spark fires and throttle body defects that could cut drive power without warning. The recalls cover model years 2023 through 2025, targeting one of the automaker’s best-selling vehicles in the U.S. market. Together, the two campaigns represent a significant quality challenge for Nissan at a time when the company is already under financial pressure and facing intensifying competition from hybrid and electric rivals.
Engine Oil Breakdown Creates Fire Risk in 323,917 Rogues
The larger of the two recalls, filed under NHTSA campaign number 26V080000, covers 323,917 units of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Nissan Rogue. According to the agency’s safety records, elevated operating temperatures can break down engine oil prematurely, which in turn causes bearing seizure and damage. Once bearings fail, the engine itself can follow, and a breach of the engine block may allow hot oil to contact heated surfaces, creating a fire hazard.
The practical danger for drivers goes beyond a check-engine light. A seized bearing can cause sudden loss of engine power on a highway, leaving a driver unable to accelerate or safely merge. If the failure escalates to an engine block breach, the discharge of hot oil onto nearby components raises the risk of an under-hood fire. For the roughly 324,000 owners affected, the recall means a dealer visit for inspection and, where necessary, parts replacement at no charge. Nissan has indicated that technicians will evaluate engines for signs of excessive wear or heat damage and apply updated repair procedures intended to prevent repeat failures.
Throttle Body Gear Breakage Threatens Loss of Drive Power
A second, concurrent recall targets a different mechanical failure in certain 2024 and 2025 Rogue SUVs. In these vehicles, gears inside the electronic throttle body assembly may break, according to NHTSA documentation. When those gears fracture, the throttle can no longer regulate airflow to the engine properly, which may result in a complete loss of drive power while the vehicle is in motion. In some cases, drivers may notice reduced acceleration or the vehicle entering a “limp home” mode before power is lost entirely.
Loss of drive power is distinct from an engine stall in one critical way: the driver may still have some electrical systems active but no ability to propel the vehicle. That scenario is especially dangerous in high-speed traffic or during left turns across oncoming lanes, where even a few seconds without acceleration can lead to a collision. Combined with the engine-bearing recall, the two campaigns affect well over 640,000 Rogue SUVs and address two independent failure modes, each capable of stranding or endangering occupants. NHTSA’s summary for the throttle issue underscores that even if steering and braking remain available, the sudden inability to move with traffic flow materially increases crash risk.
A Pattern of Bearing Failures Across Nissan Powertrains
The engine-bearing defect in the Rogue does not exist in isolation. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has examined bearing-related failures in Nissan and Infiniti vehicles equipped with VC-Turbo engines across multiple prior campaigns. Those earlier actions documented a similar chain of events: oil degradation under stress, bearing seizure, and the potential for fire when engine integrity is compromised. The agency’s investigation closure summaries for campaigns covering related turbocharged models and additional Nissan and Infiniti vehicles confirm that the bearing-failure mechanism has been a recurring concern across the automaker’s engine lineup.
This history raises a pointed question about Nissan’s engineering validation process. The VC-Turbo engine family uses a variable compression ratio design that subjects internal components to unusual mechanical and thermal loads. If oil formulations or bearing materials were not tested rigorously enough under those specific stresses, the same failure mode could keep surfacing in different vehicle lines. The Rogue recall suggests the problem is not confined to the VC-Turbo architecture alone, which may indicate that Nissan’s broader powertrain testing protocols have not fully accounted for real-world thermal cycling. Without a public statement from Nissan detailing root-cause engineering changes, owners and analysts are left to judge the fix by whether future recalls follow the same pattern. For a company competing aggressively on technology and fuel efficiency, repeated bearing issues risk undermining consumer confidence in its most advanced engines.
What Affected Rogue Owners Should Do Now
Owners of 2023 through 2025 Nissan Rogues should check whether their specific vehicle is included by using the federal VIN lookup tool, which cross-references individual vehicle identification numbers against active recall campaigns. If a match is found, the owner is entitled to a free dealer repair. Nissan dealers will inspect the affected components and replace parts as needed, with notification letters expected to reach owners in the coming weeks. Even if a letter has not yet arrived, NHTSA advises scheduling service promptly once an open recall appears in the database.
Until repairs are completed, drivers should pay attention to warning signs. For the engine-bearing issue, symptoms may include unusual knocking or ticking sounds from the engine bay, oil pressure warning lights, burning smells, or a sudden drop in power. For the throttle body defect, watch for intermittent hesitation during acceleration, unexpected surging, or dashboard warnings related to the throttle or engine control system. Either symptom warrants an immediate dealer appointment rather than a wait-and-see approach, given the fire and power-loss risks involved. Owners should also keep documentation of all repair visits, which can be useful if future technical service bulletins or warranty extensions are issued related to the same components.
Broader Implications for Nissan’s Competitive Position
Recalling more than 640,000 units of a single nameplate across two campaigns in the same month is not routine, even by the standards of an industry that processes hundreds of recalls each year. The Rogue sits at the core of Nissan’s U.S. lineup, and large-scale quality problems on a flagship crossover can ripple through dealer networks, used-vehicle values, and brand perception. While safety recalls are often seen as a sign that oversight systems are working, repeated issues tied to engine durability and basic drivability risk reinforcing a narrative that Nissan is struggling to match the long-term reliability of key rivals.
The timing compounds the challenge. Nissan faces intensifying competition from hybrid and battery-electric SUVs that promise lower running costs and fewer moving parts, while many mainstream brands are also touting improved internal-combustion efficiency without major reliability trade-offs. To reassure buyers, Nissan will need to demonstrate not only that the current Rogue defects are addressed, but that lessons from the earlier bearing investigations and related turbo campaigns have been fully integrated into new-engine development. Transparent communication about root causes, clear repair timelines, and visible improvements in future model years will be critical if the company hopes to prevent these recalls from becoming a lasting drag on its competitive position in the crowded compact SUV segment.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
