Is the 2008 Nissan Rogue a bad year?
429 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 156, 3.8× a quiet Rogue year.
Consider selling
Half of all transmission complaints about the 2008 Nissan Rogue were filed between 54k and 121k miles. You're at 86,000 miles.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2008 Rogue owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 86,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 156 (36%) | 54k–121k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 129 (30%) | 63k–109k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Speed controlSTANDS OUT | 51 (12%) | 63k–115k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Fuel systemSTANDS OUT | 44 (10%) | 63k–115k miles · around this mileage | Fuel pump replacement $220–$1,500 · Fuel injector replacement (one injector) $300–$1,200 |
| Electrical system | 45 (10%) | 46k–106k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Engine | 41 (10%) | 79k–117k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Seats | 13 (3%) | 45k–102k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Body structure | 20 (5%) | 34k–79k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Steering | 14 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Tires | 12 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Suspension | 11 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Latches and locks | 10 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Seat belts | 8 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Wheels | 8 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 86,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 429 complaints: 11 mention a crash · 2 mention a fire · 3 report an injury · 5 say the car was towed.
2 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Jun 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
CVT transmission failure. At 86000 miles. I was on street and heard a grinding noise and it just popped. It lost power no acceleration.
The car would lose acceleration when driving and also when starting to go from being stopped.
Was returning from trip north carolina back home to tennessee once about hour away felt car just start slowing down car wouldn't accelerate when pushing on gas.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 86,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2008 Nissan Rogue: 5
The affected vehicles may experience an electrical short in the harness connector due to a mixture of snow/water and salt seeping through the carpet on the driver side floor near the harness connector. An electrical short can cause a vehicle fire.
The batteries contained in the affected GPS units can overheat. Overheated batteries could result in a fire.
A screw in the steering gear housing cover may loosen over time and could fall out. As it loosens, the steering response of the vehicle may be compromised but the driver will retain steering control. The screw may eventually come out of the steering gear cover.
The material in the nut used to secure the sensor-transmitter of the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) may corrode and potentially crack in areas with heavy concentrations of road salt. If this occurs, the nut may come out of the sensor-transmitter and the TPMS lamp will illuminate. If the TPMS lamp is disregarded and the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, the tire will quickly lose air pressure at a consistent rate resulting in a flat tire increasing the risk of a crash.
A varistor in the OCS control unit located in the passenger seat cushion may have been manufactured out of specification. Under certain conditions, this could cause an interruption of signal between the OCS and the air bag control unit (ACU). This could result in the passenger air bag being suppressed which could fail to provide adequate protection in the event of a crash.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Nissan: 58
Repair instructions Nissan sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2008 Nissan Rogue. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Abnormal noise, vibration and/or binding feeling from rear differential
DTC P0456 caused by EVAP leak at vent control valve o-ring
CVT fail-safe condition
Oil is leaking from the upper end of the engine oil cooler
Neighbouring years
2009 Rogue: 319 complaints, consider selling.
Every Nissan Rogue year
2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Rogue years side by side
Other Nissan models: Nissan 350Z · Nissan 370Z · Nissan Altima · Nissan Armada · Nissan Cube · Nissan Frontier · Nissan Juke · Nissan Kicks · Nissan Leaf · Nissan Maxima · Nissan Murano · Nissan Pathfinder · Nissan Quest · Nissan Rogue Sport · Nissan Sentra · Nissan Titan · Nissan Titan XD · Nissan Versa · Nissan Versa Note · Nissan Xterra. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2008 Nissan Rogue a bad year?
429 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 156, 3.8× a quiet Rogue year. At 86,000 miles the tool says: Consider selling. Half of all transmission complaints about the 2008 Nissan Rogue were filed between 54k and 121k miles. You're at 86,000 miles.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Nissan Rogue?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (156), air bags (129), speed control (51), fuel system (44), electrical system (45). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 54k–121k miles.
How many recalls does the 2008 Nissan Rogue have?
5 recall campaigns list this model year: Electrical system (NHTSA 15V-032), Equipment (NHTSA 10V-401), Steering (NHTSA 09V-411), Tires (NHTSA 09V-393) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.