The 2021 Nissan Rogue received overall decent crash test scores from the NHTSA, with one distinct exception: Its passenger frontal crash test, which received an unimpressive two stars out of a possible five.

Nissan has now released a statement responding to this low safety rating. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re considering this vehicle.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue’s two-star safety rating

The 2021 Nissan Rogue has a respectable overall safety rating of four stars from the NHTSA. In fact, the Rogue is largely on par with its competition when it comes to safety: It received five-star ratings in all of its side crash testing, and four stars in its rollover crash testing.

However, its frontal crash tests leave something to be desired. Although the front driver side received a four-star rating, the front passenger side only received two stars. This lowered the overall frontal crash test score down to three stars.

MotorTrend points out that in addition to being “troubling,” these low scores put the Rogue far behind some of its biggest rivals in frontal crash test scores.

This could serve as a problem for Nissan, as consumers may opt for similar vehicles — such as the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V — that have a lower risk for passenger injury in the event of a crash.

How Nissan is responding

In response to these low safety ratings, Nissan has released a statement with further explanation for the public. MotorTrend reports that the NHTSA’s score applies only to Nissan Rogue vehicles that were built in Japan’s Kyushu Plant prior to January 28, 2021 (approximately 50,000 vehicles, according to Jalopnik). This is an important distinction, as there are many Rogues that have since been built at the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.

In its statement, Nissan says that it is “committed to vehicle safety,” and that each of its vehicles is in full compliance with federal safety standards. According to the automaker, it has applied an update to the Rogue’s front passenger restraint system.

This update is in place in every Rogue assembled at the Smyrna Plant, as well as every Rogue assembled at the Kyushu Plant after January 28, 2021.

The NHTSA has not yet tested these updated Nissan Rogues. The automaker states that a new test is scheduled and that we should expect results sometime in May. In the meantime, Jalopnik reports that Nissan is “evaluating options” regarding what to do with the 50,000 impacted vehicles.

Is the Nissan Rogue a good car?

As long as you’re getting a vehicle with updated passenger restraints, the 2021 Nissan Rogue is an appealing SUV. It contains a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 181 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque.

The Rogue gets an estimated 27 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway for an estimated combined fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon.

Standard features include remote keyless entry, 60/40-split folding rear seats, and an 8.0-inch touch screen display. Android Auto also comes standard, although Apple CarPlay does not. 

The Rogue has a fair number of driver assistance technologies. These include cruise control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. Automatic brake hold, hill start assist, and active ride control also come standard.

Additionally, MotorTrend observes that the Nissan Rogue “looks sharp.” While certain vehicles have troubling safety ratings, the Rogue as a whole is stylish and well-designed, with plenty of enticing tech features.

The high amount of advanced safety equipment that comes standard on this vehicle is also appealing. Once Nissan has figured out what to do with the non-updated versions, there’s no reason not to give the 2021 Rogue a chance.