Nissan Recalling 712,000 Rogues and Rogue Sports for Faulty Keys

Most of us have seen a set of the so-called ‘jackknife’ ignition keys. You know the ones: a press of a button causes the business end of the key to flip outwards, permitting it to light the fires on a car and instigating those of us with active personalities to say “HI-YA!” while jabbing the thing skyward as if it were a real jackknife.

No? Huh; maybe it’s just me, then.

Anyways, that type of key is at the crux of a major recall for Nissan, one which involves nearly a quarter million Rogue SUVs.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, certain 2014-2020 Rogue and 2017-2022 Rogue Sport vehicles equipped with this type of key could suffer from an issue that may cause the rig to shut off unexpectedly. Apparently, it has been found that accidental driver contact with the key whilst it is in the ignition may cause it to ‘collapse’, after which it could inadvertently shut off the vehicle while moving. This, logically, increases the risk of a crash. Not helping matters is the fact that the internal pivot of the jackknife key may weaken over time, acerbating the issue.

Owners are advised not to attach any accessories to their key and only use the key in the unfolded orientation until a remedy is available. In other words, use the bloody thing as intended, and don’t weigh it down with keychains from Vegas and that lump of enriched uranium you keep around for good luck. Interim notification letters are expected to be mailed out in March, notifying owners of the safety risk. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. There’s mention that the fix may simply be a spacer inserted in the key slot of the jackknife key, which sounds suspiciously to us like a cheap piece of plastic that prevents it from closing at all.

Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.

[Image: Nissan]

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