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Everyone has heard the saying before,
“They just don’t make ’em like they used to.”
Usually, it’s the preamble to a rant about the lack of carburetors, steel bumpers, or the looming electric sedan. But every once in a while, the grumbling hits home.
The 2022–2023 Nissan Rogue and Murano, crossover darlings from the same company eyeing a merger with Toyota. These aren’t exotic high-tech experiments; they’re family cars, and yet, thanks to one astonishingly foolish design decision, they’ve become monuments to modern cost-cutting gone horribly wrong. The problem? A plastic oil pan. With a metal drain plug. Yes, really.
It’s not just the absurdity of pairing dissimilar materials with opposing heat expansion and torque resistance. It’s that this setup fails at the one job it’s supposed to do, survive an oil change. These pans don’t crack over years of abuse or high mileage.
Costly Design Flaw & $500+ Repair Nightmare
They fail when a trained technician, dealership or otherwise, removes the drain plug for scheduled maintenance. In some cases, the threads rip out entirely. In others, the plug won’t seal afterward. Either way, the car is grounded. And the cost to replace that plastic pan? Over $500 in parts and labor if you can find one. Many can’t. They’re on national backorder.
One Instagram mechanic summed up the fiasco:
“So Nissan, in their infinite wisdom, see Nissan, genuine part, decided that they should make their oil pans out of plastic. And then still use a metal drain plug.
It just threads into that guy, then hot presses into there. Not a big problem until it’s even slightly over-tightened and then it just pops right out. This piece is $200. This is ridiculous. This is a brand new car. It’s a 2023 Nissan Rogue. Do better.”
The post has racked up thousands of views and dozens of comments from fellow techs and owners alike. The sentiment is near-universal; this is a bad idea executed worse.
Stories are flooding forums and Facebook groups. One Rogue owner wrote:
“Who else here has had the issue with the PLASTIC oil pan having the metal drain plug assembly fail on the three cylinder engine fail during a normal oil change?
I had it happen last Friday to my 2022 Rogue when I stopped in for an oil change.
The guy changing my oil showed up at my window with the whole assembly (drain plug and housing) in his hand. What a mess!
Come to find out, it appears that the last oil change shop (I just moved to another state or else I would have been going back to the place I had used since I got the vehicle) had over torqued the plug.
Now, the car inoperable. I had to have it towed to the dealer. Now, THE OIL PAN IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER!
I had to go across state for my Onocolgy appointment yesterday so I stopped in at their Nissan dealership. They have FIVE rogues SITTING ON THEIR LOT waiting for new oil pans.
I have found dozens of recent posts reporting this same issue.
There was a service bulletin that directed the dealership to never tighten the drain plug more than a certain amount. I don’t think oil change stores got that memo!
If you have had the issue, how was it resolved? Did Nissan or with oil change place take responsibility or did you have to foot the whole bill?”
He wasn’t exaggerating. At a dealership he visited during a trip for cancer treatment, there were five Rogues sitting on the lot awaiting the same part. Other owners are being turned away by oil change chains outright.
“We don’t service the 1.5L Rogue anymore.”
One shop reportedly told a customer.
“Too many pans ruined. Not worth the liability.”
Even Nissan insiders are ringing alarm bells. One forum user claiming to work at a dealership chimed in on a thread with this sobering admission:
“Those plastic oil pans are terrible. I work at a Nissan dealership, and I’ve done the same thing before. It needs a new oil pan that is plain and simple. Good luck holding the dealership accountable. It’s just poor design and quality.”
Another replied:
“Replaced five already this year. They pop out when you loosen them, so the last place over-torqued it, and you only realize when the tech yells across the shop.”
To their credit, sort of, Nissan did issue a Service Bulletin (NTB22-003) in early 2022. It outlines torque specs for the KR15DDT (I3) engine’s oil pan drain plug:
“NEVER tighten the drain plug greater than its specified torque… Over-tightening may loosen the threaded insert in the oil pan (lower), causing an oil leak.”
The bulletin specifies 33.5 N•m (25 ft-lbs). But good luck assuming every oil change technician from coast to coast read that memo.
Independent shops, especially high-volume chains, rarely dig through service bulletins unless there’s a recall. And Nissan hasn’t issued one.
Nissan & Honda Merger Talks Fizzle
- In December 2024, Nissan and Honda announced plans to merge, aiming to create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales. This strategic move was intended to enhance competitiveness in the evolving automotive industry, particularly in the transition toward electric vehicles.
- By February 2025, reports indicated that Nissan was stepping back from merger talks with Honda. Differences arose, notably Honda’s proposal for Nissan to become a subsidiary, which conflicted with Nissan’s preference for a merger of equals. This led to the cessation of negotiations.
- Toyota’s Chairman, Akio Toyoda, commented on the Nissan-Honda merger discussions, expressing initial excitement about the potential collaboration. However, he later voiced disappointment, noting that the discussions lacked focus on product development and innovation, emphasizing that mere consolidation doesn’t necessarily equate to increased competitiveness.
The result? Owners are stuck between dealerships denying responsibility and quick lube shops scared to touch their cars. Many are already hunting for aftermarket solutions or OEM aluminum pan retrofits before they’ve even had their first oil change. Others, like forum user David Lammon, are left asking tough questions:
“If they were warned, do you think the place that I took it to last, the one previous (who probably over-tightened it), or Nissan (who built a very inferior oil pan to save a few ounces per car) should pay for the repair?”
It’s a fair question.
This isn’t a one-off lemon or a rare assembly error. It’s a systemic, design-level failure baked into one of Nissan’s most popular vehicles. And it’s the kind of move that reinforces every half-baked argument about how
“They don’t build ’em like they used to.”
Except now, the cranks at the coffee shop have a point. Because when your oil pan rips out during a routine oil change, that’s not just bad luck. That’s engineering malpractice.
Until then, their customers will keep learning the hard way that some of the worst breakdowns happen not on the road but in the service bay.
Image Sources: Mechanic Advice Subreddit, Nissan Media Center, Nissan ROUGE Facebook Group
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
