Has anyone noticed a problem with the rims in the winter when driving at high speeds (80km +)?

I noticed the other day, during and after some major snow fall, that when reaching 100kms or so, the back of the Rogue starts shaking like crazy. I called the service dept thinking one of my rims were warped and explained the situation.

The dealer said I was the 4th caller that morning which complained about the same problem. The guy on the phone has a Rogue and he said he has the same problem also. He said snow and ice gets stuck on the rims and unbalances them to the point were the rims do not rotate properly. He said I have to go to a pressure washer and clean all the ice and snow off the rims and it will be fine.

I can't believe this is happening. Does Nissan expect me to clean why rims and tires everytime it snows out in Southern Ontario? This is incredible and surely must be a flaw in the rims if they hold snow like that.

Anyway, anyone have the same problem? I have an 09 AWD so I'm not sure if the 08s have this problem too.

I think I'm going to write a letter to Nissan and complain. BTW....the Rogue is one week old and had 520 kms on it.

This is normal with alot of vehicles, some more then others. Snow and ice build up and then freeze on the inside of the wheel. I have the same problem in the summer when off roading with my truck, except its mud that dries if you don't clean it. There really is no way to keep the slop from freezing there unless you don't drive in it.

Welcome to winter driving!

Just about every vehicle I have owned or driven had this problem at one time or another. This includes Mazda, Honda, Ford, GM etc. not just Nissan. I have only had it happen once on my FWD Rogue in the past 2 winters. And that was with steel winter rims.

Changing weather conditions are usually the culprit. Warm spells, heat from the engine, etc melts snow in the wheel wells and it re-freezes as ice on the wheels. You only need a few grams of ice on one side of the wheel to throw the balance out. The degree of vibration varies and can be very unsettling if you have never experienced it before.

The remedy is exactly as the dealer recommends. Wash the wheels at the local power wash. The warm water will melt the ice. Alternatively, park it in a warm garage for a few hours.

I've been driving during the winter for at least 18 years now and I've never had this problem. I've driven and owned cars and trucks of all makes and never experienced it before.

Is this going to happen every snow fall? If so, I'm going to have to get snow rims because I can't take the rattling and bumps.

I'm totally shocked by this.

Sucks to be a driver in Canada but I've had to deal with snow in the tires as well with different cars. It is very common in all cars. Mechanics get this all the time. Especially after a big snow storm. I usually take it to a car wash and it does the trick.

Heh. I had this problem on my Rogue last winter. I remember I had this problem on pretty much every car that I had but it was really bad shaking last winter on my Rogue. I thought something happened and was ready to take a car to the dealership but when I parked I saw a lot of snow between tires and fenders. I couldn't get it out so I took the car to a car power wash. Everything was good after that so didn't even bother myself to call a service dept.

Seems a lot of people are familiar with this and able to cope with it too...

I just find it funny how my 2001 Honda Prelude never had this problem nor did my Toyota Corolla.

Must be the rim design I guess.

I believe this is not a rim design but the clearance between the tire and the fender. You may get a smaller rim to the rogue with smaller tire but you will probably get a worst driving experience ever. Just for fun. Try to put 14"-15" wheels from corolla or something else like sentra. I'm pretty sure they should fit to the rogue and tells us how is it to drive.

^^^^^^NOT A GOOD RECOMMENDATION^^^^^^^

I had this happen once last year where the Rogue would shake like crazy on the highway. It was after a huge snowfall and I had driven on an unplowed road. Otherwise its not that bad. Now everytime I go out in the winter, I smack the crusties off the wheel well area and off the mud flaps. It seems to really accumulate on those mud flaps.

I was actually tried to make a joke.

I have noticed the same problem with my rogue. this is the the first winter i ahve had it. I have had snow buildup in other cars, but its been pretty bad in the rogue, or maybe it just feels worse. My mechanic recommended changing the rims for the winter. The stock rims are very open and alot of snow can get in there, at least with winter rims, there shouldnt be as much because not as much of the inside rim and brake will be exposed.

Has anyone had any issues with the moon roof not opening automatically?it worked and then all of a sudden i hvae to continue to push the open button for the sunroof to open.

I haven't experienced this problem yet with my Rogue, but it happened all the time with my Vibe and Grand Cherokee.

tanadude wrote:The stock rims are very open and alot of snow can get in there, at least with winter rims, there shouldnt be as much because not as much of the inside rim and brake will be exposed.

Well maybe not. I had the wheel vibration... and it was with steel rims which are mostly enclosed as you describe.

tanadude wrote:Has anyone had any issues with the moon roof not opening automatically?it worked and then all of a sudden i hvae to continue to push the open button for the sunroof to open.

There is a post regarding moonroof issues listed in the Official Rogue FAQ at the top of the forum. Read more here.