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NHTSA defect investigation · Preliminary Evaluation

Nissan preliminary evaluation PE24020

2021 Nissan Rogue Inner Tie Rod Failures. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the tie rod assembly on 3 model years (2021–2023). Opened Aug 5, 2024, closed Aug 24, 2026 after 2.1 years without a recall. closed

What NHTSA says

Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filed

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to assess allegations of tie rod bending, deformation, or related steering linkage damage in certain 2021 Nissan Rogue vehicles. A bent tie rod can affect wheel alignment and steering geometry, and in some circumstances may result in steering pull, abnormal tire wear, reduced steering precision, difficulty maintaining directional control, or loss of vehicle steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. ODI reviewed Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs), Early Warning Reporting data, manufacturer field reports, warranty claims, consumer complaints submitted to the manufacturer, and other information provided by Nissan in response to ODI’s information request. ODI also evaluated the reported failure circumstances, vehicle age and mileage, incident severity, and whether the available evidence indicated a defect trend occurring in the absence of external impact or other non-defect causes. Based on the information reviewed, ODI identified a low number of tie rod bending or deformation allegations relative to the subject vehicle population and exposure. The available reports did not indicate a consistent failure pattern, common production period, common mileage, or repeatable failure mode suggestive of a safety-related defect. Many of the reviewed incidents involved circumstances consistent with external loading or impact-related damage, including pothole strikes, curb contact, road debris impacts, prior collision damage, or other abnormal steering/suspension loads. ODI’s analysis did not identify a trend of tie rod bending occurring during normal vehicle operation without evidence of external influence. The complaint and warranty rates were low, and ODI did not identify a pattern of crashes, injuries, or loss-of-control events attributable to a tie rod defect in the subject vehicles. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by new circumstances or additional information. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Stage Preliminary Evaluation — NHTSA works to complete one within eight months Opened Aug 5, 2024 Closed Aug 24, 2026 Manufacturer Nissan North America, Inc. Components Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly

A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.

What this means for an owner

Source: and what happens next

An investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.

This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.

Model years it names

Source: as NHTSA filed them

A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.

Common questions

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Is PE24020 a recall?

No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Is PE24020 still open?

No. It closed on Aug 24, 2026 without a recall.

Which vehicles does PE24020 cover?

NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2023 Nissan Rogue, 2022 Nissan Rogue, 2021 Nissan Rogue. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.