Nissan Rogue auto brake system
Forbes Magazine reported that the consumer safety advocate group Center for Auto Safety says that the 2017-2018 model of the Nissan Rogue must be recalled. According to Forbes, the Center for Auto Safety opined that the Rogue’s Automatic Emergency Braking system is faulty and endangers anyone riding in the Rogue as well as other people sharing the road with the vehicle. The consumer safety group filed a petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requesting that the agency commence an investigation that could lead to a recall. To date, the NHTSA has not issued a mandatory recall of the 2017-2018 Nissan Rogue.
The not-for-profit group cited compelling statistics to demonstrate that the AEB installed in the Nissan Rogue does not work correctly. About 87 Rogue drivers filed complaints stating that the AEB activated when there was no need. To further complicate matters, the Center for Auto Safety argued that Nissan had declared the problem a service-related issue and not a safety issue. The distinction, the group claims, violates federal law. By defining the problem as service rather than safety, Nissan Rogue owners must pay for the repairs whereas a safety issue must be repaired at the manufacturer’s expense. There are approximately 800,000 2017-2018 Nissan Rogue sports utility vehicles in circulation in the U.S. at this time.
The emergency braking feature can be disengaged by the user. However, as one consumer explained, the feature adds substantial value to the vehicle and is one of the reasons why people purchased the safety mechanism.
Why the vehicle’s AEB engages erroneously is not known. One user thought that the vehicle mistook a pile of snow for an impediment and came to a dead stop in the road. That same Rogue owner experienced incorrect AEB engagement while crossing train tracks. The vehicle stopped on the tracks without warning. The driver was able to get the car going again before a train came by.
The NHTSA has 120 days to counter the Center for Auto Safety’s petition.
