NHTSA Complaint #11229156 — 2018 NISSAN ROGUE

WHEN DRIVING IN SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE AIR INTAKE FILTER CLOGS WITH SNOW RESULTING IN AN IMMOBILIZING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. WHEN DRIVING FROM COLORADO SPRINGS CO TO LAWRENCE KS IN MARCH 2019 WHILE IT WAS SNOWING, WE LOST POWER AND HAD TO STOP THREE TIMES TO CLEAR THE SNOW FROM THE AIR INTAKE FILTER BECAUSE THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND COULD NOT ASCEND THE RATHER GENTLE HILLS IN KANSAS ON INTERSTATE I-70. THIS CAUSES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, THE VERY SLOW MOVING OR STALLED VEHICLE CAUSES A HAZARD FOR THE OTHER TRAFFIC IS TRAVELLING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SECONDLY, STOPPING ALONG THE HIGHWAY DURING SNOWY CONDITIONS TO CLEAR THE AIR FILTER PUTS THE OPERATOR OF THE STALLED CAR IN DANGER AS WELL. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY OTHER DIFFERENT VEHICLES IN SNOWY CONDITIONS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THE 2018 NISSAN ROGUE SPORT HAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT ALLOWS THE AIR INTAKE FILTER TO EASILY BECOME CLOGGED WITH SNOW. THE ROGUE SPORT FUNNELS THE INTAKE AIR DIRECTLY FROM THE GRILL, WHILE OTHER VEHICLES SEEM TO HAVE PLACED THE AIR INTAKE IN A MORE PROTECTED LOCATION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.