Owners of 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue SUVs are reporting smells of gas fumes in the cabin and gas smells in the immediate vicinity of their vehicles’ exteriors. When these drivers leave their Nissan Rogues in the garage for some time, the garages themselves reportedly smell of gas fumes.
In some cases, the Nissan Rogue gas smells are making drivers and passengers physically ill. These drivers have reported symptoms such as nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, and extreme headaches.
The culprit may be one or more defects in the KR15DDT VC-Turbo engine. According to two class action lawsuits, Nissan Rogues with these VC-Turbo engines experience gas fumes, oil dilution, engine damage and engine failure. An ongoing federal investigation reveals even more potential defects.
If your Nissan Rogue has experienced repeated engine problems and your Nissan dealership has not been able to fix your vehicle problems during the warranty period, you may be able to recover a replacement vehicle or a refund of your vehicle’s purchase price and additional expenses under the California Lemon Law.
Nissan Rogue Engine Defects Explained
How does the Nissan Rogue’s VC-Turbo engine work?
The VC-Turbo engines in these Nissan Rogue SUVs are four-stroke engines, meaning they go through four strokes: the intake stroke, compression stroke, power stroke and exhaust stroke. The strokes can be described as follows:
- Intake Stroke – The intake valve opens to let in an air and fuel mixture. The piston goes down to make room for this mixture to fill up the cylinder.
- Compression Stroke – The intake valve closes. The air and fuel mixture is trapped inside, and the piston goes up. This compresses the air and fuel mixture, building pressure.
- Power Stroke – The spark plug, a small electrical device screwed in the engine’s cylinder head, gives an electrical spark that ignites the air and fuel mixture. The resulting combustion forces the piston down again.
- Exhaust Stroke – The exhaust valve opens. The piston moves up, pushing the resulting exhaust out.
Nissan’s VC-Turbo engine also uses Variable Compression Engine technology, which allows the vehicle to change its compression ratio. According to Nissan’s marketing materials, the technology uses a unique system of connected links to adjust the position of the piston stroke by a few millimeters to change the compression ratio. This variable compression technology allows the engine to prioritize either vehicle power or fuel efficiency, depending on what driving conditions demand.
Sometimes, not all of the air and fuel inside the cylinder burns during or after the combustion process. When this mixture slips past the piston rings and into the crankcase, this is called “engine blowby.” Engines usually get rid of engine blowby by having the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system funnel these gasses back into the combustion chamber, where they are burned off.
What causes the Nissan Rogue gas smell issue?
The Nissan Rogue gas smell occurs when the engine oil is diluted or contaminated by leaked fuel or engine blowby gasses. When this contaminated or diluted oil circulates, it can cause further damage to the engine.
These class action lawsuits give two different reasons as to why the Nissan Rogue oil dilution problem exists.
- Scott Young v. Nissan claims that 2021-2023 Nissan Rogues have an oil dilution issue due to problems with the direct injection gasoline engines. These engines have fuel injectors at the top of cylinders that shoot fuel directly into the cylinders at high pressures, which result in engine blowby. This engine blowby contaminates the oil in the oil pan directly under the crankcase. While the PCV system is supposed to funnel this engine blowby back to be burned off, the lawsuit alleges that the sheer volume of engine blow overwhelms the PCV system.
- Elias v. Nissan claims that 2022-2023 Nissan Rogues have the gas fume smell due to defects in the PCV system. According to this lawsuit, the defective PCV system allows fuel to seep through porous rubber components and contaminate the engine oil.
Currently, 2021-2023 Nissan Rogues with KR15DDT are under federal investigation for reports of knocking noises, metal chunks in the oil pan, loss of power and engine failure. These lawsuits allege that the contamination of engine oil has led to sustained damage of engine components and forced Nissan Rogue owners to seek expensive repairs and replacements.
What are some other Nissan Rogue engine symptoms?
The 2021-2023 Nissan Rogues with defective engines commonly experience these issues:
- Gas smells or fumes inside the cabin
- Oil contamination or dilution
- Engine knocking sounds
- Premature engine wear and tear
- Metal shavings circulating through engine
- Metal chunks found in the oil pan
- Loss of motive power
These Nissan Rogue engine defects, which have prompted other Nissan class action lawsuits, result in oil contamination. When the diluted oil circulates throughout the engine, it leads to deterioration of other engine components and can ultimately lead to engine failure. An investigation into Nissan Rogue engine issues reveals that Nissan has attempted to address main bearing and L-link damage/seizures in the engines. The L-link is one of the many links in the engine’s multi-link system, which it uses to change the compression ratio.
How has Nissan responded to the Rogue gas smell defect?
To date, Nissan has not issued a recall on affected 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue SUVs for the gas smell issue. However, Nissan has issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) to its dealerships.
This TSB applies to 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue vehicles with KR15DDT engines. It instructs dealers to respond to complaints of gas fumes or smells by checking for signs of fuel links, malfunctioning fuel system parts or EVAP system parts. If no other concerns are found, technicians are instructed to replace an existing hose that’s part of the PCV system.
Though these vehicles are sold with the Powertrain Limited Warranty (lasting for five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first), Nissan Rogue owners allege that Nissan does nothing to correct the engine issues within this time period. Instead, Nissan either allegedly blames the drivers for the issue or admits that it cannot remedy the engine problems.
Legal Options For Nissan Rogue Owners
If you live in California and your Nissan Rogue gas smell issues have not been solved by your dealership within a reasonable number of repair attempts, you may be eligible for restitution under the California Lemon Law. However, you may have to opt out of one or more class action lawsuits to preserve your right to file an individual lemon law claim.
California owners and lessees of defective vehicles are eligible to recover cash compensation, a vehicle replacement or a lemon law buyback. This last option typically includes a near full refund of your vehicle’s purchase price, plus reimbursements of certain expenses. In contrast, members of class action settlements often get piecemeal portions of the final settlement.
Our Nissan lemon law attorneys can help you recover what you’re owed under the law and, if Nissan is found in willful violation of the law, extra compensation for your troubles. Call us at 833-208-8181 or complete the form below to sign up for a free consultation.
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2017–Present vehicle models only.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.
