Top 10 Nissan Rogue Problems by Mileage in 2026: $0 to $6,473, and Exactly When Each One Hits

Most model guides tell one story. This one tells two, because the badge is the only thing a 2016 Rogue and a 2024 Rogue genuinely share.

The 2014-2020 Rogue is a CVT story with a legal deadline attached. Nissan's campaign bulletin implementing the Stringer settlement extended powertrain coverage on 2014-2018 Rogues from 60 months or 60,000 miles to 84 months or 84,000 miles. Owner-reported failures on CarComplaints cluster later: 83,000 miles on the 2016, 90,000 on the 2015 and the 2014. Coverage ends where the failures begin, and by 2026 it has run out. The full list of extensions owners never hear about covers the rest.

The 2021-2025 Rogue is an engine story, and it is live. Recall 25V437 covers 443,899 vehicles including 348,554 Rogues, for bearing failure in the 1.5-litre VC-Turbo. Recall 26V080 adds 323,917 more for a second cause of the same failure. Both remedies are free.

By the end you will know which failure is due at your mileage, which engine you have, what each costs in 2026, which ones somebody else must pay for, and the cheap cause that gets skipped.

I built Pulscar — an AI tool that identifies car problems from a 30-second recording — after spending $6,000 on misdiagnosed repairs, starting with a $380 bill for an "engine knock" that was a loose heat shield and a $5 zip tie. Nobody lied to me. Ninety seconds of listening in a loud bay bought a pattern-match to the expensive answer. Every number below is what I did not have that day.

How to use this guide

Find your mileage, read that item, then the next. Every entry has the same parts: the tell, what it actually is, the cheap cause that gets skipped, where this does not apply, and the sentence to say at the counter.

One rule overrides everything else: the mileage in a heading is when the part starts talking, not when it breaks. A CVT that shudders at 55,000 miles has not failed; it has told you it is going to. The recall says the same of a VC-Turbo bearing: "Bearing failures are not typically instantaneous and tend to progress over time, allowing drivers to receive multiple forms of audible and visible advance warnings, including abnormal noise from the engine compartment, rough running, malfunction indicator lights (MIL), and warning messages in the instrument cluster."

Claims marked 🟢 rest on a recall, bulletin, investigation or settlement listed in Sources, with the index so you can pull the document. Prices marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates, not measurements.

First: which Rogue do you actually have?

2008-2013 (S35). The first body, outside the settlement. CarComplaints rates 2013 the worst Rogue year: 209 complaints, loss of acceleration averaging $3,200 at 76,000 miles.

2014-2020 (T32), 2.5-litre QR25DE. The CVT generation, covered through 2018.

2015 Rogue Select (S35). A run-out of the old body sold alongside the new one, named separately.

2017-2019 Rogue Hybrid (T32). The March 29, 2022 Nissan bulletin covers 2014-2018 Rogue and 2015-2018 Pathfinder, "Not including Rogue Hybrid or Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles." The CVT extension is not yours.

2021-2025 (T33), 1.5-litre KR15DDT VC-Turbo. Three cylinders, variable compression, turbocharged, and a different problem list: recalls 25V437, 26V080 and 26V081.

Rogue Sport (J11), 2017-2022. A different vehicle on a different platform, not covered by the CVT settlement. It appears in some Rogue recalls and not others, which is why it gets its own section below.

The 6-minute check that dates your Rogue better than the odometer

Do this cold, before you read the ten items.

1. Count the coil packs, or read the engine badge. Three coils and a VC-Turbo badge means items 2 and 3. Four coils on a 2014-2020 car means items 5, 6 and 9.
2. Start it and stand at the front for thirty seconds. Knocking on a 1.5 is item 3, and the next move is a phone call rather than a drive.
3. From a stop, accelerate gently to 25 mph, twice. A shudder like rumble strips on a 2014-2018 car is item 6.
4. Accelerate to 45 mph with the radio off. A whine rising with road speed rather than engine revs is item 9.
5. Fold and unfold the ignition key if it is the jackknife type. A loose hinge means item 7 and recall 23V093.
6. Sit in the closed car for a minute after a short drive on a 2021-2025 model. Petrol smell with no leak and no warning light is item 2.
7. Find your in-service date — door jamb sticker, owner portal, or selling dealer. This plus your odometer decides whether item 6 is a warranty conversation or a five-thousand-dollar one.

Nothing there needs a tool, and it produces the short list of which items are yours.

Find your situation: eight ways people arrive here

"It brakes by itself." → Item 1, and there is a reprogram.

"There's a petrol smell inside the car." → Item 2, with a specific history on a three-cylinder.

"It knocks and I have a 2021-2025 Rogue." → Item 3. Call a dealer with your VIN.

"It squeals when I brake." → Item 4, and ask for millimetres.

"The A/C stopped being cold." → Item 5, the top 2015 Rogue complaint.

"It shudders pulling away from a stop." → Item 6, in-service date first.

"The engine cut out and the key folded shut." → Item 7, recall 23V093, free.

"105,000 miles, original CVT, keep it?" → Item 9 and the ladder.

What actually determines your number

Which engine you have. The first fork, bigger than mileage: a 2.5 QR25DE and a 1.5 VC-Turbo share almost no failure modes, so half this guide is not yours.

Your in-service date and odometer. On a 2014-2018 Rogue, inside 84 months and 84,000 miles a CVT problem cost nothing. Outside, four figures.

Whether your VIN has open recalls. Three of the ten items below are free if the recall applies and full price if nobody checks.

Whether the CVT fluid was ever changed. Heat degrades fluid, degraded fluid accelerates belt and pulley wear, worn surfaces make more heat. Fluid service is the only lever on that loop.

Rogue or Rogue Sport. Different parts, recalls and prices. A quote against the wrong one is wrong before the bonnet opens.

Salt. Two of the ten items are corrosion recalls whose stated mechanism is water and salt. In a dry state they barely appear.

The ten problems, in the order they arrive

1 · Automatic emergency braking that fires at nothing — 0 to 40,000 miles

The tell. The car brakes hard by itself with nothing in front of it — at railway crossings, under metal bridges, in car parks. CarComplaints lists spontaneous AEB engagement as the second-worst 2018 Rogue problem at 13,000 miles.

What it actually is. A radar-based forward-collision system reading a fixed metal object as an obstacle. NHTSA's closing resume for DP19-001 records 843 complaints after duplicates, 14 crashes or fires and 5 injury incidents, all soft-tissue.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. Sensor obstruction and alignment, not the module. The radar sits low in the grille behind the emblem, and a bent bumper cover, a plate bracket or packed slush changes what it sees. If the windscreen has been replaced, camera calibration is the other free check.

The document that answers the money question. NPSB/18-443a describes a Customer Service Initiative for certain 2017-2018 Rogue (T32), Rogue Sport (J11) and Rogue Hybrid (T32), offering an AEB update "at no cost … during the duration of the Basic Coverage under their New Vehicle Limited Warranty (3 years/36,000 miles, whichever comes first)", remedy NTB18-041. It states the initiative "is not a warranty, an extension of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty."

Where this does not apply. DP19-001's scope names model year 2017-2018 Nissan Rogue, population 674,742. The petition alleged Rogue and Rogue Sport, and the Nissan bulletin covers both plus the Hybrid, but NHTSA's header does not. NHTSA also noted AEB was not standard on MY2017 cars.

At the shop — say this: "This is the false AEB activation pattern. Before anything is replaced, check the radar for obstruction and alignment, and confirm whether NTB18-041 has been applied under NPSB/18-443a."

2 · Petrol smell and oil dilution on the 1.5 three-cylinder — 5,000 to 60,000 miles

The tell. Petrol smell inside the cabin or around the car, strongest after short trips and in a closed garage, with no warning lamp, no codes and no puddle. Some owners see the oil rise above full.

What it actually is. Two things producing one smell. The first is a leak path: recall 21V068 covers 2,150 2021 Rogues where "the fuel hose may not be secured in the proper position and the fuel tank lock ring may not be fully seated." Small population, free repair. The second and larger pattern is fuel entering the crankcase — a direct-injected three-cylinder on short cold runs washes unburnt fuel past the rings, and crankcase ventilation carries the vapour where you smell it. Class actions over 2021-2023 Rogues blame the crankcase ventilation system; those are allegations, not findings.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The dipstick, and it costs nothing. Fuel dilution shows as an oil level that climbs, an oil smell that is unmistakably petrol, and a thinner film between the fingers. A shop chasing an EVAP leak without reading the oil has skipped the free measurement.

Where this does not apply. None of this belongs to the 2.5-litre in the 2014-2020 Rogue. Recall 21V068 is 2021 only, 2,150 cars — do not assume it covers a 2023.

At the shop — say this: "Check the oil level and condition for fuel dilution before any EVAP work, and check my VIN against recall 21V068." If drivability suffers, what to do when a car stalls while driving and petrol smell diagnosis cover the rest.

3 · VC-Turbo bearing failure — 10,000 to 90,000 miles

The tell. Abnormal noise from the engine compartment — knocking, rattling, metallic tapping — often with rough running and a warning lamp. At worst it ends in loss of motive power with no restart. NHTSA opened PE23-023 on December 13, 2023 after owners reported "engine knocking noises accompanied by a loss of engine power while driving."

What it actually is. Two causes, found eighteen months apart, producing one failure. The 25V437 report describes "a potential manufacturing defect in specific engine bearings (main, A-, C-, and L-link)." The 26V080 report adds a second factor found through teardown: "increased engine oil temperature can degrade lubrication, potentially causing bearing seizure." NHTSA closed PE23-023 on July 18, 2025 with 25V437: 1,878 incidents, 12 crashes or fires, no injuries.

The cheap cause that gets skipped, and here it is a phone call. The recall itself. Both remedies start with a free ECM reprogram and provide an oil-pan debris inspection and, where confirmed, a free engine. A shop that hears "knocking on a 1.5 Rogue" and quotes an engine has skipped the only step that matters.

Fix it yourself — the part that is genuinely yours. You cannot inspect an oil pan for bearing debris to a standard a dealer will accept. You can keep the oil at the right level and interval, because the 26V080 mechanism is oil-temperature degradation. The honest limit: once you hear knocking this stops being maintenance. Debris does damage per revolution, and every mile driven listening to it moves the free repair further out of reach.

Where this does not apply. The 2.5-litre Rogue of 2014-2020 has no part in these recalls. Within the VC-Turbo cars the ranges do not overlap neatly: 25V437 covers 2021-2024, 26V080 covers 2023-2025, and cars already remedied under 25V437 are remedied of the second defect too. A 2021 is in the first and not the second; a 2025 the reverse.

At the shop — say this: "Check my VIN against recalls 25V437 and 26V080 first. If either applies, I want the reprogram and, if the noise persists, the oil-pan debris inspection under the recall rather than a paid diagnosis." The ticking guide and the knocking guide separate the sounds.

Why do two Rogue owners with the same knocking noise get bills of $0 and $6,000? Because the free repair is gated on a VIN check nobody performs automatically. Recall 25V437 covers 348,554 Rogues of 2021 to 2024 with the 1.5-litre VC-Turbo, and 26V080 adds 323,917 more from 2023 to 2025 for a second cause of the same bearing failure. Under both, the control module reprogram is free, the oil-pan inspection is free, and where metal debris is confirmed the engine replacement is free, a job the recall allows up to fifteen hours for. An independent shop is under no obligation to check any of that, and a knocking engine looks like ordinary paid work from behind a service counter. The owner who calls a dealer with a VIN pays nothing; the owner who takes the first quote pays for an engine somebody else was obliged to replace. Pulscar's free sound check names the noise before either conversation starts.

4 · Front brakes — 30,000 to 70,000 miles

The tell. A thin high squeal at low speed that stops under hard pressure — the wear indicator touching the disc at roughly 3mm. Grinding is lower, grittier and felt through the pedal: the backing plate is cutting the rotor.

What it actually is. Normal consumption; short hops wear front pads faster than a commute.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A squeal on only the first two or three stops of a damp morning is surface rust on the rotor faces: free, and gone by the fourth stop. Ask for pad thickness in millimetres — above 4mm you are being sold time you already have. Our brake pad cost guide and grinding when braking cover the rest.

Fix it yourself — realistic. Front pads and rotors are a genuine driveway job: two to three hours, jack stands mandatory, caliper tool lent free by most parts shops. The honest limit: if one side is far more worn than the other, or a slide pin will not move by hand, stop. That is a seized caliper, and it destroys new pads in weeks.

Where this does not apply. Nothing here is generation-specific, except that on 2017-2021 cars public "brakes problems" counts are contaminated by the AEB reports in item 1.

At the shop — say this: "What's the pad thickness in millimetres front and rear, and are the rotors above minimum spec? Over 4 millimetres, I'd rather rebook."

On this car the difference between a knock, a shudder and a whine is the difference between a free recall, a $200 fluid service and a $6,000 transmission, and all three are sounds rather than codes. Record thirty seconds of your Rogue and Pulscar's AI compares the acoustic signature against catalogued failure patterns, then returns the most likely cause, whether it is safe to drive, and the fair 2026 price. Free, no card, no subscription, about ten minutes. The report arrives by email as a PDF, so use the address you actually read. The sound check stays free either way.

5 · Air conditioning and heater — 30,000 to 90,000 miles

The tell. Air that starts cold and fades warm after ten minutes, or never gets cold. CarComplaints ranks "A/C/heater not working properly" as the number one 2015 Rogue complaint at an average $2,200 and 32,000 miles, and third on the 2016 at $1,500 and the same 32,000 miles.

What it actually is. Refrigerant is not consumed, so a low system is a leaking one. The condenser takes road debris; the compressor is the expensive failure. A leak found at 32,000 miles is far cheaper than a compressor seized at 90,000.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A blend-door actuator or a failed relay gives the same complaint with a healthy refrigerant circuit, and a blocked cabin filter gives weak airflow people report as weak cooling. The free step is your own observation: cold then warm points at leak or icing; never cold points at electrical or compressor. Our guide to air conditioning that will not blow cold walks the split.

Where this does not apply. This is a T32 concentration. Top reported 2021 Rogue issues on CarComplaints carry no repair cost, which marks them as warranty-age annoyances rather than owner-paid failures.

At the shop — say this: "Was a leak test performed, and where exactly is it leaking? Check the relay and blend door actuator before condemning the compressor, and the condenser for impact damage."

6 · CVT shudder, stage one — 40,000 to 84,000 miles

The tell. A shudder pulling away from a stop, often described as rumble strips. It comes and goes with throttle, is worse warm, and disappears under hard acceleration. CarComplaints puts "transmission slips" on the 2016 Rogue at an average 53,000 miles — well inside the 84,000-mile limit, which is the point of this item.

What it actually is. Degraded fluid and early wear at the belt-and-pulley interface. Not a broken transmission: one telling you its fluid has left its designed friction characteristics. Our guide to transmission slipping covers the symptom.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The fluid, plus the control module calibration. RepairPal's snippet-sourced Rogue average for a fluid change is $197 to $240, and at this stage it genuinely changes behaviour. It gets skipped because "Nissan CVT" carries a reputation, and quoting the reputation is faster than doing the procedure.

The coverage arithmetic, stated exactly. The August 30, 2022 bulletin lists 2015 Rogue Select (S35), 2014-2018 Rogue (T32) and 2015-2018 Pathfinder (R52), activation June 1, 2022, and extends the warranty "from its original duration of 60 months/60,000 miles to 84 months/84,000 miles (whichever occurs first)." Coverage includes the CVT assembly and internals, valve body, torque converter, cooler kit where fitted, and TCM reprogramming. It warns that "some owners may have opted out of the warranty extension by excluding themselves from the class action settlement, thus it is important to check the VIN."

Where this does not apply. Rogue Hybrid is excluded by name and Rogue Sport is not in the settlement. The 2019-2020 Rogue is outside the covered years despite sharing the body. And 2021-2025 cars run a different unit: CarComplaints records 1 transmission complaint for 2021 against 36 for 2016.

At the shop — say this: "Check my VIN against the CVT warranty extension for 2014-2018 Rogue. If I'm outside it, I want a fluid exchange with the correct Nissan specification plus the current TCM calibration, both on the invoice with today's mileage."

7 · The jackknife ignition key that folds shut — 50,000 miles and up

The tell. The engine stops while you are driving, sometimes with the dash going dark, and the key has folded back into the fob. A knee, a keyring or a hand brushing the column is enough.

What it actually is. NHTSA's record states that "the jackknife key may collapse into a folded position while driving," and that contact with a collapsed key "could inadvertently shut off the vehicle while driving," with the further consequence that airbags may not deploy in a crash as intended. The remedy is a free spacer in the key slot.

The cheap cause that gets skipped, and it is free. The recall. A stall with a dark dash sends people down the ignition-switch and fuel-pump path, and both are real Rogue failures — recall 21V957 covers fuel pump failure on 2021 cars. But 23V093 covers 712,458 vehicles and the fix is a plastic part.

Fix it yourself — the honest version. Confirm it in ten seconds by folding the key and testing the hinge against thumb pressure, then carry the key so nothing touches it until the dealer fits the spacer. The honest limit: do not fabricate your own shim. Improvising inside a key that operates the immobiliser ends with a car that will not start at all.

Where this does not apply. Only vehicles with the folding jackknife key, and the ranges genuinely differ: 2014-2020 for the Rogue, 2017-2022 for the Rogue Sport. A 2021 Rogue is out; a 2021 Rogue Sport is in. If your no-start differs, clicking when starting and no click at all separate the causes.

At the shop — say this: "The engine cut out and I found the key folded shut. Check my VIN against recall 23V093 before we discuss an ignition switch or a fuel pump."

8 · Under-dash harness corrosion — 60,000 to 140,000 miles

The tell. Power windows or the seat stopping, an all-wheel-drive warning light, a battery draining overnight — crucially, several in the same winter rather than one at a time.

What it actually is. NHTSA's record for 22V024 states that on certain 2014-2016 Rogues "the electrical connector for the under dash harness may corrode due to water and salt intrusion from the driver's side foot well," and that corrosion "can result in power window/seat failure, all-wheel-drive warning light illumination, battery drainage, and electrical connector damage that increases the risk of a fire." Recall 22V875 covers the same on 2017 Rogues: "water may leak into and corrode the dash side harness connector."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. Again, the recall. An intermittent window motor is ordinary paid work to a shop that has not checked the VIN. Pull the carpet at the driver's feet and feel underneath first: a wet mat is free evidence.

Where this does not apply. In dry states this barely appears, because the mechanism is water and salt. The recalls do not overlap: 2014-2016 for 22V024, 2017 only for 22V875. Neither covers 2018-2020 or the Rogue Sport.

At the shop — say this: "Several electrical faults appeared together and the driver's footwell has been damp. Before anything is replaced, check my VIN against recalls 22V024 and 22V875."

9 · CVT failure — 70,000 to 120,000 miles

The tell, in order. Shudder from a stop. Then hesitation. Then a whine rising with road speed rather than engine revs — our guide to whining under acceleration separates that from a belt or a bearing. Then a temperature warning. Then loss of drive.

What it actually is. A belt-and-pulley transmission whose surfaces micro-score under clamping pressure and heat, in a loop that accelerates once started. CarComplaints owner averages: 2014 transmission failed, $3,400 at 90,000 miles; 2015 CVT failure, $4,200 at 90,000; 2016 failure, $4,500 at 83,000.

The prices, compared. A remanufactured unit for a 2017 Rogue is listed at $3,173 to $4,326 front-wheel drive and $3,208 to $4,341 all-wheel drive, converter included. Kelley Blue Book returns $4,429 to $6,473 for a 2020 Rogue in search results, though the page renders no range to an automated request. Our transmission repair cost guide sets those against other makes.

The cheap cause that gets skipped — and here honesty requires a limit. At the shudder stage of item 6, fluid and a calibration genuinely help. Past the whine they do not, and a shop selling a $240 fluid service on a whining CVT is selling a delay. The useful cheap step is a CVT-specific diagnostic before authorising anything. And price the car before you price the transmission: on a 2015 Rogue at 115,000 miles, a $4,500 repair against a car worth not much more is a genuine sell-or-fix question.

Where this does not apply. Rogue Hybrid is outside the settlement, and Rogue Sport is a different vehicle: Kelley Blue Book snippets put a 2017 Rogue Sport transmission replacement at $4,087 to $7,751, a Rogue Sport figure that must not be quoted for a Rogue. The 2021-2025 cars run a different transmission entirely.

At the shop — say this: "Check my VIN against the CVT warranty extension. If it's outside, I want a CVT-specific diagnostic rather than a fluid service, plus separate quotes for a remanufactured unit and a new one."

Is a used Nissan Rogue worth buying in 2026? It depends less on the year than on which of two engines is in it. On the 2014-2018 cars the risk is the CVT: coverage of 84 months or 84,000 miles has expired for essentially all of them, replacement runs into four figures, and owner-reported failures average 83,000 to 90,000 miles. Buy one only with documentation that the transmission has been replaced, or at a price that reflects the risk honestly. On the 2021-2025 cars the risk is the 1.5-litre VC-Turbo engine, and the calculation differs because Nissan currently carries it: recalls 25V437 and 26V080 make the inspection, the reprogram and, where debris is found, the engine replacement free of charge. That converts the biggest number on the list into a paperwork question, provided the work has actually been done and recorded. Pulscar's free sound check is built for exactly that kind of pre-purchase listening.

10 · Wheel hubs, suspension and the emissions tail — 90,000 miles and up

The tell. A hum around 40 to 50 mph that rises with road speed and changes when you steer gently left or right, because that shifts load between the bearings. Separately, a steady check-engine light with a catalyst code and no drivability symptom is the emissions half.

What it actually is. Hub bearing rolling elements develop play and get noisy; the Rogue uses a hub assembly rather than a pressed bearing, so the part is most of the bill. On the emissions side, the computer compares the oxygen sensors before and after the converter and sets a code when their readings converge — the pair read too much alike, which is not the same as a broken converter.

The cheap cause that gets skipped, twice over. A cupped tyre produces a nearly identical drone, and rotating the tyres tells you which within a day at no cost. On the emissions side, a lazy downstream oxygen sensor sets a catalyst code with a healthy converter — RepairPal's snippet-sourced Rogue average for a sensor is $715 to $766 against $1,684 to $1,880 for the converter, and $1,424 to $1,631 on a 2021. Ask for Mode $06 catalyst values first. Our converter guide, wheel bearing costs and the most expensive codes cover the pattern.

Where this does not apply. Converter pricing on the 1.5 VC-Turbo is not the same part or number as on the 2.5, and a 2021-onward car in a state with its own emissions rules can face a different parts requirement. On a car that has never seen salt, most of this arrives far later than 90,000 miles.

At the shop — say this: "The hum changes when I steer, so I suspect a hub — but rotate the tyres first. And before any converter, I want the Mode 6 catalyst values against threshold and the downstream sensor actually tested."

The price ladder: read it from the bottom up

Read it from the bottom up, because that is the direction the money runs. The top rungs are zero, and only if somebody checks a VIN. That is the shape of this car: the most expensive failure on the current generation is currently free, and the most expensive failure on the previous one stopped being free around 2025.

Your number, by which Rogue you drive

Two rows there invert this guide rather than adjusting it. The 2021-2025 VC-Turbo row flips the shape: it removes items 5, 6 and 9 and replaces them with an engine problem that is currently somebody else's bill, which makes a newer Rogue the cheaper proposition today and possibly the dearer one in 2032. And the Rogue Sport row means this document is not about your car — settlement, recall ranges and prices all differ.

Rogue vs Rogue Sport: why one guide cannot cover both

The CVT settlement covers the Rogue and not the Sport. The campaign bulletin lists 2015 Rogue Select, 2014-2018 Rogue and 2015-2018 Pathfinder. An owner who reads "2014-2018 Rogue CVT warranty extension" and owns a 2018 Rogue Sport has read a document about somebody else's car.

The recall ranges genuinely differ. Recall 23V093 covers 2014-2020 Rogue and 2017-2022 Rogue Sport. Recalls 22V024 and 22V875 are Rogue only, and 25V437, 26V080 and 26V081 are Rogue and never Sport, because the VC-Turbo was never fitted to it.

The prices differ, and the difference runs the wrong way. Kelley Blue Book search results put a 2020 Rogue transmission replacement at $4,429 to $6,473 and a 2017 Rogue Sport at $4,087 to $7,751 — the Sport's upper bound is higher. On the used side, reman-transmission.com lists used Rogue Sport CVT units at $2,138 to $2,688 against $3,173 to $4,341 for remanufactured Rogue units. Read the vehicle line on the estimate back out loud: the two names look nearly identical on a work order.

Should you buy a used Nissan Rogue in 2026? Best and worst years

The worst years, by owner complaint volume. CarComplaints records 209 complaints for 2013, 169 for 2015, 158 for 2014, 148 for 2011 and 119 for 2016, and rates 2013 the worst model year. The 2013 car is the previous body, which also sits outside the CVT settlement — the failure pattern without the coverage. On 2014-2016 cars you get the transmission story plus the corrosion recalls of items 7 and 8.

The quiet pocket: 2019-2020. Complaint volume falls to 27 and 15: past the worst of the CVT wave, before the VC-Turbo. Also outside the settlement — no extended coverage, but far fewer people needing it.

The current generation, 2021-2025. Complaint volume is low — 20 for 2021, 8 for 2022, 9 for 2023, 1 for 2024 — but that understates a problem handled as a recall rather than as owner-paid repairs. Recall 25V437 covers 348,554 Rogues, 26V080 adds 323,917, and 26V081 adds 318,781 for a fractured throttle chamber gear. The counterweight is real: while the recalls stand the repairs are free.

Before you buy:

• Run the VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup first. Open recalls are a free repair you inherit.
• Ask for the in-service date alongside the odometer on a 2014-2018 car.
• Ask whether the CVT has been replaced, and for the invoice. A replaced unit is a feature.
• On a 1.5 VC-Turbo, ask for proof that 25V437 or 26V080 was performed.
• Drive it from a full stop three times, then at 45 mph with the radio off. Shudder appears in the first twenty feet; a whine at speed.
• Sit in it running with the windows up for a minute on a three-cylinder car.

The short version: buy 2019-2020 for the least complicated Rogue; buy 2021-2025 only with recall paperwork in hand; buy 2014-2018 only at a price reflecting a risk nobody covers any more.

What actually happens at the shop, checkpoint by checkpoint

Checkpoint 1 — the recall question, first. "What open and completed recalls does my VIN show?" Here that is the opening sentence.

Checkpoint 2 — the vehicle line on the estimate. "Read back the year, model and engine you've priced this against." Rogue against Rogue Sport, 2.5 against 1.5.

Checkpoint 3 — the write-up. "Read back the complaint as written." "Shudder from a stop, worse warm" produces a different diagnosis from "transmission problem".

Checkpoint 4 — the diagnostic fee. "What's the charge, and does it credit toward the repair?" What a diagnostic should cost has the ranges.

Checkpoint 5 — the stage question. "What stage is this — shudder, hesitation, or whine?" A fluid service on a whining CVT is a delay.

Checkpoint 6 — the authorisation ceiling. "Call me before anything over this figure." The dispute guide covers what to do if that is ignored; the overcharging signs come earlier.

Three diagnostic traps that cost Rogue owners the most

Trap 1: the free engine that gets paid for. The situation: knocking from a 2023 Rogue at 46,000 miles, warning light on. What the shop says: "That's internal. You're looking at an engine." What is really happening: recalls 25V437 and 26V080 exist for exactly this, and both provide a reprogram, an oil-pan debris inspection and, where confirmed, a free engine. Price versus bill: $0 at a dealer against four to six thousand at a shop that never checked the VIN. Your protective question: "What do recalls 25V437 and 26V080 show against my VIN, and has the oil-pan inspection been performed?"

Trap 2: the shudder postponed past the deadline. The situation: mild shudder from a stop on a 2018 Rogue at 61,000 miles. What the shop says: "They all do that. Keep an eye on it." What is really happening: that car may still be inside 84,000 miles but is almost certainly outside 84 months, since the clock runs from the in-service date. Price versus bill: $197 to $240 now, against $3,173 to $6,473 later. Your protective question: "What's my original in-service date, and how many months and miles are left on the CVT warranty extension?"

Trap 3: the stall that becomes an ignition switch. The situation: a 2016 Rogue that cut out while driving and restarted fine. What the shop says: "Sounds like the ignition switch. About six hundred." What is really happening: recall 23V093 covers 712,458 vehicles where the jackknife key can collapse while driving and shut the vehicle off. Price versus bill: $0 against $600 or more, diagnosed in ten seconds with the key in your hand. Your protective question: "Does my VIN show recall 23V093 for the jackknife key, and can we rule that out before we discuss a switch?"

Three quotes, decoded

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers — the mileages, quotes and outcomes are typical of the pattern each item describes, assembled so the arithmetic is visible. We do not publish invented testimonials, so nothing below is presented as a specific person's story.

Scenario 1 — the six-thousand-dollar repair that is free. A 2023 Rogue with the 1.5 VC-Turbo knocks at 46,000 miles. Ask an independent and the honest quote for an engine is four figures. Ask a dealer with recalls 25V437 and 26V080 named out loud and the inspection, the reprogram and, if debris is confirmed, the engine are free. Nothing about the car changed; the question at the counter did. Lesson: on the current generation the first move is a VIN check, and it is worth more than any diagnosis.

Scenario 2 — the fluid service at the wrong stage. A 2015 Rogue at 112,000 miles with a whine rising with road speed. Ask for a fluid service and the number is $197 to $240, and it will not restore scored pulley surfaces. Ask instead for a CVT-specific diagnostic plus quotes for a remanufactured unit at $3,173 to $4,341 and a new one, and you are choosing between real options. Lesson: the right cheap step at stage one is the wrong step at stage three.

Scenario 3 — the ignition switch that was a folding key. A 2016 Rogue cuts out in traffic and restarts. Ask for a stall diagnosis and the path runs through switches, relays and fuel pumps, each chargeable. Ask whether recall 23V093 applies and, if the key is the jackknife type, the fix is free. Lesson: a stall with a key that folds shut is a recognisable pattern with a free answer attached.

How can you tell a real Rogue failure from an unnecessary repair quote? Three checks cover most of it. First the recall check: run the VIN, because 25V437, 26V080, 26V081, 23V093, 22V024 and 22V875 between them convert several of the biggest bills here into free repairs. Second the identity check: read back the year, model and engine on the estimate, because Rogue and Rogue Sport carry different parts, recalls and prices, and a 2.5 and a 1.5 share almost no failure modes. Third the stage check on any transmission complaint, because a shudder, a hesitation and a whine are three points on one failure with three different correct responses. Beyond that the ordinary discipline applies — a tyre rotation before a wheel hub, a leak test before an air conditioning compressor, Mode 6 values before a catalytic converter. Ask to be shown evidence rather than told conclusions. Pulscar's free sound check names the noise before a shop does.

Your situation right now: four playbooks

"I have a 2021-2025 Rogue and it's making a noise." Call a Nissan dealer with your VIN about recalls 25V437 and 26V080 before authorising any paid diagnosis. If the noise is knocking, do not keep driving meanwhile: the recall calls the warnings progressive, and progression turns a reprogram into an engine.

"I have a 2014-2018 Rogue that shudders." Find the original in-service date today; in 2026 it will almost certainly be outside 84 months, but ask. Then get a CVT fluid change with the calibration on the invoice, and re-check in 30 days.

"Several electrical things stopped working and my footwell is damp." Items 7 and 8, both recalls rather than repairs. Check the VIN against 22V024, 22V875 and 23V093 before anyone quotes a window motor.

"It lost drive power, or it will not restart." Stop and arrange a tow. On a VC-Turbo car that is the endpoint the recalls describe; on a T32 it is the endpoint of item 9.

After the repair: verify, then prevent

Verify within a week. CVT work: the same gentle pull-away, same street, mileage written down. Recall work: ask for the repair order showing the campaign number, not a verbal confirmation — that document is what a future buyer wants. Hub bearing: the hum gone where it lived. Catalyst: light off through two drive cycles.

Record the before and after. Thirty seconds from the same position is the cheapest proof of repair there is, and the strongest position you can hold if the noise returns inside a parts warranty. The recording guide has the protocol.

Prevent the next one. On a 2.5: CVT fluid on a disciplined interval, halved for heat or traffic. On a 1.5 VC-Turbo: oil at the correct grade on the shorter interval, because 26V080's mechanism is oil-temperature degradation. On a salted-road Rogue: an underside wash through winter.

Your action plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

Next 10 minutes — free:

1. Run your VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup and note every open campaign.
2. Identify your engine — three coils and a VC-Turbo badge, or four coils on a 2.5 — and note which half of this guide applies.
3. Fold and unfold your ignition key if it is the jackknife type, and check whether the hinge holds.

Today:

4. If your VIN shows an open recall, book it. The highest-value action available, and it costs nothing.
5. On a 2014-2018 car, put your original in-service date next to your odometer reading.
6. If there is any shudder, whine or knock, record thirty seconds and run a free sound check first.

This week:

7. On a 2014-2018 Rogue with no CVT fluid record in 30,000 miles, book it and specify the fluid and calibration on the work order.
8. On a 1.5 VC-Turbo, check the oil level and condition, and shorten the interval for short cold trips.
9. Bank a baseline recording of the car pulling away and at 45 mph while it is healthy.

For the transmission whine specifically, and the dates that decide who pays for it, see the Nissan CVT whine guide.

Sources and documents

Primary documents only. Claims marked 🟢 rest on one of the items below; claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates, not measurements.

1. NHTSA recall 25V437 — Part 573 report, June 26, 2025. 443,899 vehicles, of which 2021-2024 Nissan Rogue: 348,554. Defect: "a potential manufacturing defect in specific engine bearings (main, A-, C-, and L-link)." Remedy: oil-pan inspection; where debris is confirmed, "dealers will be instructed to replace the engine … up to fifteen (15) hours." Nissan R25A8/A9, R25B1/B2. Part 573 report (PDF)
2. NHTSA recall 26V080 — Part 573 report, February 11, 2026. 2023-2025 Rogue, 323,917 vehicles, 1.5L KR15DDT only. Second cause: "increased engine oil temperature can degrade lubrication, potentially causing bearing seizure." 690 warranty claims. Expands 25V437. Nissan R25E2, R25E3. Part 573 report (PDF) · NHTSA acknowledgement
3. NHTSA recall 26V081 — Part 573 report, February 11, 2026. 2024-2025 Rogue, 318,781 vehicles, 1.5L VC-Turbo. Throttle chamber gear fracture during the start-up diagnostic routine; 3,111 warranty claims. Part 573 report (PDF)
4. NHTSA investigation PE23-023 — opened December 13, 2023, "Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure," covering 2021-2023 Rogue, 2019-2021 Altima and 2019-2021 QX50, population 454,840. Closed July 18, 2025 with 25V437: 1,878 incidents, 12 crashes or fires, no injuries. Opening resume (PDF) · Closing resume (PDF, mirror)
5. NHTSA defect petition DP19-001, granted; PE19-010 opened — Center for Auto Safety petition received March 21, 2019; opened April 8, closed September 16, 2019. NHTSA's header scope: model year 2017-2018 Nissan Rogue, population 674,742; 843 complaints after duplicates, 14 crashes or fires, 5 injury incidents. Opening resume (PDF) · Closing resume (PDF)
6. Nissan bulletin NPSB/18-443a, March 6, 2019, remedy NTB18-041 — Customer Service Initiative for certain 2017-2018 Rogue (T32), Rogue Sport (J11) and Rogue Hybrid (T32). AEB update "at no cost … during the duration of the Basic Coverage under their New Vehicle Limited Warranty (3 years/36,000 miles, whichever comes first)"; it "is not a warranty, an extension of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty." Bulletin (PDF)
7. Stringer v. Nissan North America, Inc., No. 3:21-cv-00099 (M.D. Tenn.) — CVT class action covering 2014-2018 Rogue, 2015-2018 Pathfinder and 2015-2018 INFINITI QX60, final approval March 23, 2022. BBB National Programs: "The Powertrain Warranty has been extended from 60 months or 60,000 miles … to 84 months or 84,000 miles, whichever occurs first" for Rogue and Pathfinder. BBB page
8. Nissan campaign bulletin "CVT Warranty Extension" (Revision 2, August 30, 2022) — 2015 Rogue Select (S35), 2014-2018 Rogue (T32), 2015-2018 Pathfinder (R52), activation June 1, 2022, "from its original duration of 60 months/60,000 miles to 84 months/84,000 miles (whichever occurs first)." Reimbursement deadline "March 22, 2022, or within 30 days of the qualifying repair … whichever is later"; the $1,000 voucher had to be redeemed "prior to February 23, 2023." Bulletin (PDF)
9. Nissan campaign bulletin "CVT Class Action Owner Notification" (March 29, 2022) — 2014-2018 Rogue and 2015-2018 Pathfinder, "Not including Rogue Hybrid or Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles." Bulletin (PDF)
10. NHTSA recall 23V093 (Nissan R22C5) — 2014-2020 Rogue and 2017-2022 Rogue Sport with a jackknife key, 712,458 vehicles: "the jackknife key may collapse into a folded position while driving." Remedy: a free spacer in the key slot. Part 573 report (PDF)
11. NHTSA recall 22V024 (Nissan R21B9) — 2014-2016 Rogue, 664,779 vehicles: "the electrical connector for the under dash harness may corrode due to water and salt intrusion from the driver's side foot well." Lookup
12. NHTSA recall 22V875 (Nissan PC934) — 2017 Rogue, 125,215 vehicles: "water may leak into and corrode the dash side harness connector." Lookup
13. NHTSA recall 21V068 (Nissan PC791) — 2021 Rogue, 2,150 vehicles: "the fuel hose may not be secured in the proper position." Part 573 report (PDF)
14. NHTSA recall 21V839 (Nissan R21B6) — 2017-2019 Rogue Hybrid: a blown fuse "may cause an engine stall." Lookup
15. NHTSA recall 21V957 (Nissan R21B8) — 2021 Rogue: "abnormal wear inside the fuel pump may cause it to overheat and fail." Lookup

What is not on file. The CVT extensions were issued as untitled Nissan campaign bulletins rather than numbered TSBs, so ask a dealer to check the VIN against "the CVT warranty extension," not a bulletin number. No NHTSA recall covers the 2021-plus petrol-odour complaints in item 2 — those are class-action allegations, and we have not printed a caption we could not verify. Nissan's reported extension of VC-Turbo long-block coverage to 120 months or 120,000 miles is widely described, but we could not open a primary document stating its terms, so nothing above relies on it.

For the sounds: the noise index, engine knocking, ticking, whining under acceleration, grinding when braking and shaking at idle. For the money side: what a diagnostic costs, dealer versus independent, signs you're being overcharged and how to dispute a bill. Sister guides: the Altima by mileage, which shares this car's CVT settlement machinery, the CR-V and the Escape.

How these numbers were built: 2026 US shop-price ranges from published repair-cost sources, marked where a page would not open to an automated request and the figure came from a search snippet; owner-reported costs and failure mileages from CarComplaints per-model-year pages read in September 2026; transmission prices from reman-transmission.com listings; and primary NHTSA Part 573 reports, ODI resumes and Nissan bulletins as linked. Ranges vary by region and parts choice. Eligibility depends on your VIN, in-service date and mileage — verify with a dealer before authorising paid work.

Prices verified: September 2026 · Technical documents verified: September 2026 · Reviewed quarterly

Found a failure mileage that differs from these windows? Email [email protected] with the year, engine, in-service date and odometer reading — owner data is how these ranges get sharper.