Folding key may fold while driving
Nissan will notify owners, but no fix yet
Nissan is recalling more than 800,000 of its Rogue and Qashqai crossovers in the U.S. and Canada. The reason: A folding key that might fold while you’re driving. If driven that way, it could lead to the driver shutting off the engine while driving.
The recall covers certain 2014-2020 Nissan Rogue models and 2017-2022 versions of the Nissan Rogue Sport in the U.S. and Nissan Qashqai in Canada. The latter two are the same vehicle badged differently in each country. 96,900 vehicles are affected in Canada, 712,458 in the U.S.
In documents provided to U.S. safety regulators, Nissan said that the affected vehicles are equipped with a “jacknife” style folding key. Over time, the inner pivot of the key can weaken and that could stop the key from locking in the extended position.
If the driver drives the car with a partly folded key, contact with the fob could shut off the engine. Turning off the engine while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Nissan Canada says it affects only “S” trim level models. It should not affect any vehicles with a push button start.
Nissan said it is working on a final fix for the issue, but in the meantime owners are told to avoid attaching any accessories to the key and to be sure not to use the key when partly folded. Adding extra accessories and keys increases weight which could make the key more likely to fold.
Vehicles at dealers will have a set screw inserted into the key slot to stop the key from folding.
Customers should start getting letters in the mail in March. They can also visit Nissan Canada’s recall site or contact Nissan in the U.S. at 1-800-867-7669.
