Nissan Rogue recall possible for emergency brakes

The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating complaints that the automatic emergency braking on the Nissan Rogue can turn on for no apparent reason.

The probe covers about 554,000 Rogue small SUVs from the 2017 and 2018 model years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 843 owners have complained to the agency and to Nissan about the problem. Owners reported 14 crashes and five injuries.

The agency says Nissan has issued a technical service bulletin and two customer service actions related to the problem. It will try to find a cause and determine how often the false braking happens, and could seek a recall.

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The investigation was opened in response to a March 21, 2019, petition from the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit group that represents consumers.

A message was left Thursday morning seeking comment from a Nissan spokeswoman.

Nissan has said in the past that it has notified all customers of a software update that improves performance of the automated braking system. But the center said the campaigns don’t acknowledge the seriousness of the safety problem and give owners little incentive to get the SUVs fixed.

In its petition, the Center for Auto Safety said that according to the complaints, the Nissan braking system can be triggered by railroad tracks, traffic lights, bridges, parking structures “and other fixed objects that do not pose a threat to the vehicle.”