UsedScore

2012 Nissan Rogue: Solid

Owners filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Rogue in its first five years on the road, about 64 for every 100,000 sold: 0.8× the rate of a typical Rogue year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (35% of complaints, median 65,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.8×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Rogue year
Rank
3rd of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
88
first five years; 64 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
2
campaigns
1st generation, 2008–2013 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2008 Nissan Rogue

Photo: 2008 Nissan Rogue · IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Powertrain35% · 31 complaints · median 65,000 miles
  2. Air bags13% · 11 complaints · median 48,000 miles
  3. Electrical11% · 10 complaints · median 49,000 miles
  4. Brakes9% · 8 complaints · median 3,000 miles
  5. Engine9% · 8 complaints · median 54,000 miles
  6. Speed control11% · 10 complaints · median 50,000 miles
  7. Wheels and tires9% · 8 complaints · median 16,000 miles
  8. Fuel and propulsion5% · 4 complaints
  9. Seats and belts6% · 5 complaints
  10. Visibility3% · 3 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Owners of this Rogue commonly report the airbag warning light coming on due to a passenger seat sensor issue, sometimes leaving airbags disabled. Many say dealers quoted expensive out-of-warranty repairs and told them their vehicle wasn't included in related recalls.

Warning signs:
Many owners first noticed the airbag or SRS warning light illuminating or flashing on the dashboard, sometimes with a 'passenger air bag off' indicator staying lit even when the seat was occupied.
What shops did:
Dealers often diagnosed a faulty occupant classification sensor or airbag module and quoted costly replacement, frequently telling owners the repair wasn't covered by warranty or recall.
Mileage:
most between 45,000 and 70,000 miles, among 23 complaints that give it

“The dealer said that the passenger side airbag will not deploy and a new airbag module was needed at a cost of $1,500”

“The passenger air bag stays off even with a person in the seat. They stated it is the occupancy sensor”

Electrical

Many owners describe electrical wiring issues, particularly around the driver's kick panel, that they say caused fires while parked or driving, sometimes destroying the vehicle or property. Others report stalling, sudden loss of power, warning lights, and lock or sensor malfunctions that dealers often struggled to diagnose or fix.

Warning signs:
Owners report smoke, burning smells, popping noises, flickering lights, warning lights (airbag, TPMS, stability control) illuminating, and sudden loss of acceleration or power before failures.
What shops did:
Some owners had a wiring harness inspected or replaced under a recall, while others report dealers could not diagnose the issue, replaced batteries or sensors without lasting results, or denied responsibility for fires outside the recall.
Mileage:
most between 45,000 and 90,000 miles, among 23 complaints that give it

Powertrain

Owners describe frequent CVT transmission problems including sudden loss of power, whining noises, and overheating, often occurring during highway driving. Repairs are typically costly, with many owners reporting the transmission needed full replacement and little help from Nissan once out of warranty.

Warning signs:
Many report whining or squealing noises, RPM surges without corresponding acceleration, shaking, and sudden loss of power especially during highway driving or after prolonged use.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently diagnosed the CVT or its components (valve body, torque converter, cooling system) as failed, often requiring full transmission replacement at high cost, sometimes outside warranty coverage.
Mileage:
most between 65,000 and 105,000 miles, among 104 complaints that give it

“Nissan has a long standing issue with the CVT transmission that allegedly was resolved after a redesign.”

“When driving the CVT transmission will overheat and lose all power, usually while you are driving on the freeway”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (2)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 15V032000January 2015468,815 vehicles

    Electrical system

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured March 7, 2007, to November 26, 2013, and 2014 Nissan Rogue Select vehicles manufactured September 23, 2013, to July 2, 2014. 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.

    Risk: An electrical short can cause a vehicle fire.

    Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the kick panel wiring harness connector and will if necessary install a new harness connector and waterproof seal, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 12V068000February 20122,983 vehicles

    Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems

    Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 murano and rogue vehicles, manufactured from november 23, 2011 through january 11, 2012. During assembly, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) was not activated. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 138,”tire pressure monitoring system.”

    Risk: A non-active TPMS cannot warn a driver that a tire is underinflated. Underinflated tires can result in tire overloading and overheating, which could lead to a blowout and possible crash.

    Fix: All of the affected vehicles are still in dealer inventory.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Nissan sent NHTSA 118 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2012 Rogue. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • NTB10-066C · May 2024CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended.
  • NTB13-027D · May 2024CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended.
  • NTB13-107G · May 2024VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended.
  • NTB23-049 · June 202312 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V…
  • NTB23-053 · June 2023SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components.
  • NTB13-107F · April 2023VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended.
  • NTB16-003C · April 2023INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended.
  • NTB12-055J · March 2023CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended.

All 2012 Rogue bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2012 Nissan Rogue reliable?
Owners filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Rogue in its first five years on the road, about 64 for every 100,000 sold: 0.8× the rate of a typical Rogue year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Rogue years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2012 Rogue problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (35%), the air bags (13%) and the electrical system (11%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2012 Nissan Rogue been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Nissan Rogue, the most recent in January 2015 (electrical system). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Nissan. The 2012 Nissan Rogue on NHTSA.gov · How we rate