UsedScore

2020 Nissan Rogue: Best bet

Owners filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Nissan Rogue in its first five years on the road, about 41 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Rogue year. That's among the fewest of any Rogue year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (44% of complaints, median 7,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.5×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Rogue year
Rank
1st of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
106
first five years; 41 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
1
campaign
2nd generation, 2014–2020 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2017–2020 Nissan Rogue

Photo: 2017–2020 Nissan Rogue · Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Driver assistance44% · 47 complaints · median 7,000 miles
  2. Brakes27% · 29 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  3. Electrical17% · 18 complaints · median 20,000 miles
  4. Air bags7% · 7 complaints
  5. Seats and belts8% · 8 complaints
  6. Speed control6% · 6 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  7. Engine2% · 2 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion2% · 2 complaints
  9. Powertrain4% · 4 complaints
  10. Lights4% · 4 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

Brakes

Owners of this Rogue describe the car unexpectedly slamming on its brakes or locking up with no obstacle in sight, often on highways or while backing up. Dealers frequently can't find a cause, though some have cleaned sensors, updated software, or replaced parts with mixed results.

Warning signs:
Many report an AEB or forward collision warning light flashing, a beeping or bell sound, or a dashboard malfunction message just before or during the sudden braking.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate the issue or found no fault codes; some replaced sensors, performed software updates, or an electronic module but the problem sometimes returned.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 20,000 miles, among 15 complaints that give it

“It made a loud grinding sound as it jerked my vehicle to an immediate stop in traffic, causing all the seat belts to jerk tight”

“Suddenly and automatically came to an almost complete stop. I was able to cruise to the shoulder and avoid being hit”

Driver assistance

Owners of this model report that the forward collision or automatic emergency braking system sometimes triggers unexpectedly, slamming on the brakes with nothing in front of the car. Dealers frequently can't reproduce the issue, leaving some owners uneasy about trusting the safety feature.

Warning signs:
Many report a forward collision or AEB warning light flashing, a beeping alert, or a brake/malfunction message appearing just before or during the sudden stop.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or find a cause for the problem; some replaced sensors or cameras or performed software updates, while others told owners to keep a log or turn the feature off.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 15,000 miles, among 20 complaints that give it

“It made a loud grinding sound as it jerked my vehicle to an immediate stop in traffic”

“my Automatic Emergency Braking activated for a instant and then released”

Electrical

Owners of the 2020 Rogue report frequent false AEB/forward collision warnings and sudden braking with nothing ahead, as well as door lock actuators that stop working reliably. A few also describe engine bay fires and starting or key fob issues, which some say dealers struggled to diagnose or repair.

Warning signs:
Many report AEB or forward collision warnings triggering with no obstacle present, sometimes after rain, fog, or dirt on sensors; some note key fob or start button not responding.
What shops did:
Some dealers cleaned or diagnosed sensors as dirty, while others could not reproduce fault codes; some owners report door actuators replaced or repairs quoted at their own expense.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 20,000 miles, among 5 complaints that give it

“AEB light flashes on and off at random driving times. sent in for inspection no code generated but have videos of each one.”

“started smoking, then stalled. I immediately got out and popped the hood and there was flames everywhere.”

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

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 23V093000February 2023712,458 vehicles

    Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: immobilizer/proximity: key/sender

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Rogue and 2017-2022 Rogue Sport vehicles equipped with a jackknife style ignition key. The jackknife key may collapse into a folded position while driving.

    Risk: Driver contact with a key in the collapsed position could inadvertently shut off the vehicle while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, if the vehicle shuts off while driving, the air bags may not deploy in a crash as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

    Fix: Dealers will insert a spacer into the key slot of the jackknife key, free of charge.

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 122 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2020 Rogue. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • NTB15-049CC · March 2026TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT: This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU.
  • NTB19-033G · February 2025INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page)…
  • NTB19-042F · February 2025AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or…
  • NTB20-066C · October 2024LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires aiming, the values in Table A on page 4 must be used.
  • 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.
  • NTB21-106B · May 2024DTC C1A17-49 OR C2580-49 STORED IN LASER/RADAR This bulletin has been amended.

All 2020 Rogue bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2020 Nissan Rogue reliable?
Owners filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Nissan Rogue in its first five years on the road, about 41 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Rogue year. That's among the fewest of any Rogue 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 2020 Rogue problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (44%), the brakes (27%) and the electrical system (17%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2020 Nissan Rogue been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Nissan Rogue, the most recent in February 2023 (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 2020 Nissan Rogue on NHTSA.gov · How we rate