— Nissan Rogue automatic braking problems have caused more than 1,400 reports about automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems that activate even though no forward objects are present.
According to Nissan, AEB “uses radar technology to monitor a vehicle’s proximity to the vehicle ahead, giving the driver audible and visual display warnings to help the driver reduce the vehicle’s speed if a potential frontal collision is detected. If the driver fails to respond, the AEB system can apply the brakes, helping the driver to avoid the collision or reduce the speed of impact if it is unavoidable.”
The Center for Auto Safety petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate automatic emergency braking complaints filed by 2017-2018 Rogue drivers when the Center knew of nearly 90 complaints.
The government finally granted the petition to investigate and found more than 800 complaints, 14 crashes and five injuries related to the AEB systems.
The Center also filed a Freedom of Information Act request and appeal, leading Nissan to announce more than 1,400 reports have been filed about Nissan Rogue automatic emergency braking problems. That's a tremendous increase above the original 87 complaints mentioned by the Center's original petition.
In addition, those 1,400 reports concern only Nissan Rogue SUVs and no other Nissan models equipped with AEB systems.
According to the Center, Nissan and NHTSA ignore the dangerous safety hazards associated with vehicles that suddenly slam on the brakes while driving. The automaker did create a service campaign in August 2019, but the Center says Nissan admits the repair rate is only 50% for a problem that could get vehicle occupants killed.
The Center also points out how a service campaign isn't a safety recall and isn't treated with the same seriousness as an official recall.
"Moreover, unlike recall repairs, which must always be done for free, manufacturers can choose to charge for service campaign repairs or only undertake the repair after the consumer has experienced the dangerous defect. This is why dangerous safety defects are required by law and regulation to be recalled, not treated as inconvenient cosmetic concerns or minor bugs." - Jason Levine, Center for Auto Safety
And while Nissan allegedly refuses to acknowledge the serious dangers of AEB defects, the Center says NHTSA hasn't done any better because safety regulators refuse to push Nissan to officially recall the Rogues.
The Center also says Nissan absurdly describes inadvertent braking on railroad tracks as only a “significant customer dissatisfaction” issue, while railroad crossings and “low overhead structures” are somehow “unique roadway environments.”
Apparently the automaker doesn't understand the meaning of the word "unique" (one-of-a-kind) because there are more than 129,000 public rail crossings in the U.S.
CarComplaints.com has complaints from drivers of the SUVs.
