Nissan Rogue Door Lock Actuator Recall: What’s Real & Who Pays

Hit unlock. Nothing. Handle won’t move, door’s stuck, kid’s in the backseat, and every switch is dead. It’s happening to more Rogue owners than Nissan wants to admit.

Sure, there was a recall, but it barely touched the problem. 15V-453 only covered a small batch of 2015s with a known latch code issue. Meanwhile, lock failures have been showing up from 2014 models all the way to the newer ones.

Nissan’s play? Service bulletins instead of full fixes. One blames cold weather. Another flags wiring faults. All of them push techs to “inspect and replace”, at your cost. That’s why lawsuits are stacking up.

This guide cuts through the noise. You’ll see which models are actually recalled, which ones keep breaking, and what the service desk won’t tell you until they’re sliding over the invoice.

1. What Nissan recalled, and what keeps failing anyway

A recall that barely scratched the surface

The official recall everyone quotes, 15V-453, was issued back in 2015. It covered just 6,595 vehicles across the 2015 Rogue, Sentra, and Versa Note lineup.

The issue? Faulty left-side door latches that didn’t meet FMVSS 206 safety rules. Nissan replaced those coded latch assemblies for free and called it a day. But the lock actuator, the actual part that controls the lock, wasn’t touched.

Failures that kept spreading

Outside that tiny batch, owners kept running into stuck doors. Some couldn’t unlock at all. Others relocked themselves mid-use. In a few cases, all four doors failed in a single day.

That’s not a supplier defect. That’s a system-wide flaw. But Nissan didn’t expand the recall. Instead, it leaned on Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs), nudging dealers to “inspect and replace” if they found something wrong. Translation: you pay for the diagnosis and the parts.

The bulletins show the fault line growing

The first bulletin, NTB15-059, came out alongside the recall and focused only on the driver’s lock. A year later, NTB16-092 expanded coverage to 2013–2016 Rogues that locked up tight around 14 °F.

That pointed straight at a design that couldn’t handle cold contraction. Fast forward to 2022, and NTB22-104 flagged issues in the latest generation (2021–2023 T33), telling techs to check the wiring harness if an actuator seemed dead. If jiggling the harness made it work, both parts had to be replaced.

What the official memos actually reveal

2. Why these lock actuators keep burning out

The small part doing all the heavy lifting

Each Rogue door hides a small electromechanical unit, the actuator. It’s powered by a basic DC motor, geared down to flip the latch open or closed. When you hit the key fob, voltage flips on a two-wire circuit to drive the motor forward or backward.

Nissan’s gone through a few versions: 80501-JM00A, JM10A, and now 80501-6MT0A on the 2021–2023 models, all attempts to strengthen a part that just keeps breaking down.

The slow slide toward failure

Before it dies completely, the actuator starts making noise. First a click, then a faint grinding. Worn motor brushes and stripped nylon gears are usually to blame.

As drag increases, the motor draws more amps, heats up, and eventually stalls. Winter only makes things worse. Around 14 °F, grease thickens, plastics contract, and the underpowered motor just can’t push through. The door feels like it’s locked out of spite.

The hidden fault behind multi-door failure

When more than one lock goes out, it’s often the wiring, not the actuators. The door harness bends every time you open or close the door. Over time, copper strands near the hinge start breaking.

Even half-broken wires can test fine when still, then fail when flexed. That’s why slamming the door or pressing the switch a few times sometimes makes the lock work for a minute. Cracked insulation lets moisture creep in, corroding the wires until the whole circuit gives out.

The new bulletin that changed how techs approach it

With NTB22-104, Nissan finally acknowledged it’s not always just the actuator. Now, before replacing anything, techs are told to check for things like stuck rods or binding trim.

If wiggling the harness brings the door back to life, both the lock and the harness must be replaced. It’s a quiet shift, but a big one. Instead of just swapping actuators, dealers are now expected to treat it like a full electrical fault, not a bad part in isolation.

3. Two safety failures, and how they hit both extremes

When a latch lets go on the move

Federal safety rule FMVSS 206 exists for one reason: keep the door shut at speed. If a latch fails to hold, the right mix of body flex, outside pressure, or a mid-turn bump can pop it loose.

At highway speed, the wind catches that door like a sail. Hinges get yanked, and anyone sitting near it faces full ejection force, not just a draft.

When no door opens at all

But most Rogue lock failures don’t send doors flying; they lock everyone inside. The actuators quit. The interior handles stop responding. Windows won’t drop.

That’s not just a dead button; it’s a total egress failure. If neither the power system nor the mechanical backup works, there’s no way out without force.

Why one weak wire can take out every lock

Rogue doors don’t work in isolation. They share power and ground through wiring branches that flex at the hinges. One weak splice or cracked conductor drops voltage across the whole circuit.

That’s how two or more doors can stop working at the same time. It’s also why the windows often go silent too; they ride the same wire path.

Cold snaps and corrosion finish the job

When temps drop near 14 °F, things snowball. Grease thickens, plastic contracts, and motors that were just barely hanging on start failing.

Water creeping into a connector lowers resistance just enough to short or corrode the line. Regions with road salt? They see it first, and it usually comes back after every deep freeze.

4. Which Rogue years get hit, and how the parts kept shifting

First generation, long list of ghosts

Model years 2014 through 2020 used the older actuator families. Nissan revised them more than once, swapping in newer part numbers as issues piled up. This is where cold-weather complaints show up first.

In freezing temps, latch tension rises and motors bog down. Most repairs only replace the actuator, not the stiff cable it fights against, so failure comes back fast.

New body style, same electrical bruises

The 2021–2023 Rogue (T33) rides on a new platform with a newer actuator. But this time, it’s the wiring harness that’s the weak point. Every door open flexes the wires at the hinge.

Over time, copper strands harden, then crack. Under load, voltage starts dropping. Nissan’s NTB22-104 tells dealers to replace the actuator and harness together if wiggling the wires changes the fault. That’s why newer models sometimes lose multiple locks at once.

Part numbers tell the quiet story

Earlier models used 80501-JM00A, later replaced by 80501-JM10A on the driver’s door, a sign Nissan was tweaking internals. The T33 moved to 80501-6MT0A, with a new connector layout and updated guts.

None of these parts triggered recalls. They’re behind-the-scenes changes aimed at adding torque, sealing out moisture, or just lasting longer. If your Rogue was built during one of those transitions, odds are higher you’ve got the in-between version, and a shorter lifespan.

Why the recall line never moved

To expand a safety recall, federal regulators need proof of a specific hazard that violates the rules. 15V-453 met that bar because those left-side latches could let a door swing open while driving.

But cold-weather failures, wiring fatigue, and stuck actuators don’t qualify. So Nissan kept them under technical bulletins, not recalls. That’s why two owners with nearly identical Rogues can end up with totally different outcomes: one gets a free fix, the other a repair bill.

5. What this repair really costs, and why the range is so wild

A single door, real-world numbers

At an independent shop, replacing a Rogue door actuator usually runs $423 to $516. Most of that is parts, often in the low $300s. Labor adds 1.5 to 2.0 hours.

But at the dealer, prices climb fast. A front driver door often lands between $1,188 and $1,747, thanks to OEM list pricing stacked on book labor.

Where the costs spike

Rear actuators on certain trims need more teardown. That can push totals into the $1,668 to $2,503 range. For 2021–2023 T33 models, adding a door harness tacks on another 0.5 to 1.0 hour, plus parts.

And if fasteners are seized or clips break, labor stretches. Any job involving glass or window regulators means setup time and anti-pinch calibration.

How parts pricing skews the whole job

The OEM actuator for older Rogues, part 80501-JM10A, lists around $365.47 before markup. Aftermarket units can save money, but quality varies. Some lack the torque or sealing you need in cold climates.

The newer 80501-6MT0A actuator pairs with a specific door harness, and skipping that harness on a worn system can keep resistance high and stress the motor.

Labor that never shows on the invoice line

Shops have to strip the door panel clean, reseal vapor barriers, and route cables with the right bend radius. Harness installs at the hinge require proper strain relief, or the fix won’t last.

Glass alignment sometimes needs a re-aim so the window doesn’t bind. Rush those steps, and you’re back in the shop within months.

What owners are actually seeing

You can avoid surprises by asking your shop to quote the harness upfront. For some builds, it’s the only way to get lasting durability.

6. Why regulators stayed quiet, and why the lawsuits didn’t

Why the recall line stayed tight

To trigger a federal recall, there has to be a clear safety violation. 15V-453 had that, a left-side latch that might not hold, linked to specific supplier lots. Broader failures looked like reliability issues or cold sensitivity, not outright safety defects.

That kept them in Nissan’s service guidance, not federal recall campaigns. Result? Free repairs stayed rare. Most owners were left footing the bill after diagnostic work.

Bulletins became the fallback

Instead of expanding the recall, Nissan rolled out Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs). NTB15-059 focused on the driver’s door. NTB16-092 pointed to faults around 14 °F on 2013–2016 models.

NTB22-104 told techs on 2021–2023 Rogues to replace the actuator and harness together if wiggling the wires changed the issue. These bulletins clearly trace the failure path, but none gave owners automatic repair rights after warranty.

The lawsuit that tried to change the stakes

The Khalifa v. Nissan case calls out 2014–2025 Rogue models, plus Altima and Sentra siblings. Plaintiffs argue Nissan knew about the defect for years, citing internal bulletins, hundreds of complaints, and repair invoices that shifted the cost onto owners.

Their core claim? A shared, hidden flaw that causes locks to fail either shut or open, both of which pose safety risks.

When the fault crosses into danger

Complaint records include full lockouts with a child trapped inside, broken windows to escape, and doors that opened while driving. They also report lock and window failures happening together.

That’s where plaintiffs say the safety line gets crossed. Shared wiring and flex-point fatigue turn one weak spot into a system-wide hazard.

Where owners might find relief

A recall only helps if your VIN is included. But a class-action lawsuit seeks broader remedies, reimbursement, expanded repair coverage, and damages.

Lemon law may be another route for recent models with repeat failures. In many states, if a defect affects safety and keeps coming back, it meets the threshold for replacement or refund after just a few documented attempts.

The regulatory and legal record, side-by-side

7. What your VIN check really tells you, and what it doesn’t

Why “no open recalls” doesn’t mean “no problem”

Punch your 17-digit VIN into NHTSA or Nissan’s lookup tool, and chances are you’ll see “no open recalls.” That just means your car isn’t part of the narrow group covered by 15V-453.

It says nothing about actuator failures, stuck doors, or electrical issues. Those fall outside federal scope, and fixing them comes down to dealer goodwill or your wallet.

How the same failure earns different outcomes

Two Rogues with identical symptoms can walk into the same service lane and leave with totally different paperwork. One gets a free repair under the recall. The other gets a quote north of $1,000.

Why? It all depends on VIN sequencing and how the failure was classified. 15V-453 covers a mechanical latch tied to a supplier lot. Later failures, like frozen locks and dead circuits, are labeled “reliability problems,” not safety defects. That shift changes everything.

What makes the Rogue’s case different

Other compact SUVs, CR-V, RAV4, and Tucson, have had scattered lock recalls. But none match the Rogue’s combo of cold sensitivity and shared-circuit design. Nissan wired the doors through common power and ground points.

One weak link, usually at a hinge, can knock out every lock in the cabin. That kind of architecture turns a single fault into a full lockout and helps explain the growing list of owner complaints now backing class-action cases.

Why service visits often stall out

To get warranty coverage, the dealer has to reproduce the fault. But intermittent wiring issues usually vanish once the car warms up. If the lock suddenly starts working, the claim dies.

Only if the tech can trigger a failure, say, by wiggling the harness under NTB22-104, will both the actuator and wiring get replaced.

Independent shops can chase these faults longer, but that’s full price out of pocket. In the end, the outcome depends on timing and whether the problem shows up in front of the tech.

8. What the official fix can handle, and what it leaves behind

How the new bulletin actually helps

NTB22-104 tells techs to treat the actuator and harness as a package if wire movement affects the lock. That one change solves a major blind spot.

Cracked wires often pass a static test but fail the second the door moves. Replacing both parts restores full current and helps stop the on-again, off-again symptoms that wear owners down over months.

Why winter and moisture still win too often

Drop the temp to around 14 °F, and things get messy. Grease stiffens. Plastic contracts. A motor that worked fine in July suddenly can’t push the latch. Add moisture to the mix, inside connectors or behind insulation, and corrosion kicks up.

Resistance climbs, voltage drops, and the motor chokes. The bulletin can guide repairs, but it can’t fight physics. Cold states and wet climates still see the worst repeat rates.

Why one fixed door doesn’t fix the system

Rogue doors run off shared wiring. So fixing a single actuator won’t help if the main power feed is still weak. Replace the driver’s lock, but ignore the upstream splice or hinge fault, and you’ll be back in the shop.

One body twist, say, backing out of a driveway, can shift resistance just enough to knock the system offline again. Until the full path is clean, even new parts are working uphill.

Part upgrades that buy time, not immunity

Earlier left-front actuators were swapped from 80501-JM00A to JM10A, while the newer T33 models use 80501-6MT0A. These weren’t recall triggers, just behind-the-scenes tweaks: stronger gears, better seals, slightly more torque.

But if your harness is already worn thin or your cables still drag, even the upgraded part won’t go the distance. Cars built between revisions tend to suffer the most, just enough change to cause confusion, not enough to prevent failure.

Why the warranty rarely catches the worst faults

Dealers need proof in the moment. But marginal wiring often hides in plain sight. A warm garage, a straight frame, and no frost on the seals? That’s enough to mask the issue.

The lock clicks once, and the claim’s denied. Independent techs can go deeper, but they don’t work for free. The bulletin helps if the failure shows up at the right time. But if your car only acts up in the cold before sunrise, the system just isn’t built to catch it.

9. What to expect, and how to stay ahead of the next failure

If you already own a Rogue with symptoms

Lock problems tend to spike during cold snaps or after heavy rain. If tugging the hinge-side harness wakes up a dead door, your wiring is shot, even if a scan shows nothing.

Ask your shop to test voltage while the door moves, not just at rest. Cracked strands often pass static tests but drop voltage under load. If the issue changes with movement, NTB22-104 backs a full repair, actuator, and harness together.

If you’re pricing the job before it snowballs

Expect to pay $423 to $516 at an independent shop using OE-equivalent parts for a single door. Dealers often quote $1,188 to $1,747 for a front lock, and complex rear modules can reach $2,503.

For 2021–2023 models, swapping the harness adds parts cost and another 0.5 to 1.0 hour of labor. If your Rogue sees 14 °F winters or lives on salted roads, better sealing and routing now can save you another visit down the line.

If you’re checking recall coverage

“No open recalls” means you’re not covered under 15V-453, but it doesn’t clear your car of failure risk. NTB16-092 and NTB22-104 document issues that don’t trigger federal campaigns. Warranty coverage still hinges on in-bay reproduction.

If the problem only shows at 6 a.m. in 18 °F, take video. Show the unresponsive switch and dead handle before the car warms up. That footage could make or break your claim.

If you’re tracking policy or legal fallout

Complaints going back to 2014 show two dangers baked into one system. First: latch failures that echo the FMVSS 206 hazard from the 2015 recall.

Second: full cabin lockout when shared power lines drop voltage to both locks and windows. That’s why such a small recall coexists with thousands of costly failures, and why broader relief is still very much on the table.

Fix it right, the first time

Don’t treat the actuator and harness as separate problems. If moving the hinge-side wiring changes anything, replace both and be done with it.

Price the job based on real-world numbers,$423 to $516 at an independent shop, $1,188 to $1,747 at the dealer, and expect more if you’re dealing with a rear door or a T33 harness.

Check your VIN for 15V-453, record failures when they happen, and push for the repair that restores full voltage to the door. That’s the only fix that lasts.

Admin

Rami Hasan is the founder of CherishYourCar.com, where he combines his web publishing experience with a passion for the automotive world. He’s committed to creating clear, practical guides that help drivers take better care of their vehicles and get more out of every mile.