2012 Nissan Rogue Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

My vehicle is making this rattling noise so I took it to the dealership and they said I need a subframe. Be advised this vehicle has never been in a accident so why is the subframe needed and I only have 81,000 miles on itOwner complaint, filed 2025

The rear transmission area makes a loud grinding noise on turns under 10 miles an hour. Needs a rear electronic coupler. Happening on many years of this car modelOwner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

I have a Nissan Rogue 2012...I get a P0101 error code a lot...doing a quick search on the internet, seems like I'm not the only one.Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, before the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact noticed black smoke coming from under the…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 210,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 55,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The car had been parked for 2 days. It began smoking from underneath and it was an electrical smell. The power locks would not operate, nor would the remote. Within 3 minutes of increasingly heavy smoke, fire broke through the windshield. I was able to break the glass and extinguish the fire however the vehicle was destroyed.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Vehicle had been parked for approximately 2 days. With no one around the car alarm started, brake lights came on and rear wiper started to operate. Heavy electrical burning smell followed 2-3 minutes by smoke. 3-4 minutes later fire broke through the windshield. I was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher however the dash…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 74,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

1/2024 car loses power going from 70mph to about 40mph - dealership adjusted transmission fluid, 12/2024 started having power issues again dropping from 40mph to 20mph. Dealership said they couldn't do anything until it starts happening more frequently. So I'm suppose to just drive it with a potential crash that could hurt or kill…Owner complaint, filed 2025

When driving for so long as in long distance the vehicle won't accelerate. Speed limit could be 75 MPH and after on the highway for about a hour car speed will drop and won't accelerate pass 60 MPH. Gas pedal could be all the way down and still won't accelerate.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 100 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 61,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Censor light came on making the vehicle unsafe to drive and unable to be inspected and the manufacturer said it's a known defect with the sensor but is not under recall so they are not under obligation to repair. Estimated costs to repair $3000. They said for year 2013 and beyond it was covered by a recall but not for my vin numberOwner complaint, filed 2022

An airbag light came on on the dashboard of the vehicle. The Nissan Dealership diagnosed the “D/S AIRBAG MODULE OPEN” and quoted me for $1,614.64. They said the airbag was faulty and would not deploy in the event of an accident.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 69,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

There is a very strong odor of gas that I can smell inside the cabin and fuel consumption is at an all time high.I drove on a full tank less than 100 miles and it was on empty. The storing gas odor is concerning and Nissan refuses to address or fix.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Reported this issue to NHTSA 12/2018. Around 8/2022 incident started - full tank of gas, range 280 miles (typically 320 miles). Following daily drive/use the fuel gauge and electronic display not in sync with distance/miles remaining. I re-fueled a full tank end of August + early September (engine light pops on display) and the range as…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 36,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while in reverse(R) an abnormal dragging sound was coming from the vehicle while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on three separate occasions however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. On the…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 90,000 miles

Customer states brake pedal went to floor with no brakes, and ran a red light as a result. Unable to replicate the failure at this time, though complaint matches others reported to NHTSA. Brake system looks good in visual inspection and on multiple test drives performed acceptably. Fluid is full and clean. No codes present for any…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 98,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

There is a tpms recall however, my VIN isn't shown as affected even though the tpms light on my dash has been on for over a year. No notification from nissan for my VIN. Just seems more than a little "odd" that it's a validated recall issue but mine isn't part of the recall.Owner complaint, filed 2020

The contact owns a 2012 nissan rogue equipped with yokohama yk580 tires, size: 225/60/r17 (na). While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started to vibrate. The contact continued driving and the vibration worsened. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and noticed a brake check automobile center. The vehicle was…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 11,542 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 44,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Wednesday august 7, 2019, I parked my car in a parking lot in full sun at 11:30 a.m. When I came back out to my car and got in, I noticed smoke coming up from what looked to be from the floor on the front passenger side. I'm not sure what I used to extinguish it as I was on emergency mode. I do remember that I made sure it wasn't…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 56,700 miles

The contact owns a 2012 nissan rogue. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag light was illuminated. The failure occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that an object was under the passenger seat. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 57,778 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 33,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 nissan rogue. While driving 30 MPH, the hood flew open and would not close. The contact stated that the hood, two front fenders, and roof were damaged. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be repaired. The [VIN] was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 50,000 miles

The contact owns a 2012 nissan rouge. The contact stated that he exited the vehicle with the key still inside the ignition and the door independently locked after he closed the doors. The contact stated that he used his spare key to enter the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that there was no…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 1,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Sun visors no longer stay in an upright position at any time. They produce a hazard by constantly blocking your view of the highway. Vehicle has 50,000 miles on it.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 50,000 miles

Heating / ac fan suddenly started making loud noises when fan was turned on. This is on a vehicle less than 6 months old. Local nissan dealership mechanic investigates the climate control system, discovers the fan area has leaves and debris in it that was causing the noise. Nissan refuses to cover the debris removal under the [VIN]…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 3,100 miles

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Air bags are common problem. It can be googled. Ours stopped working. When braking the steering wheel shakes bad. Got fixed and came right back week later. Common problem. O2 sensor needed changed cause when slippery road indicator comes on car won't accelerate over 25 mph. Have to cut engine off wait for seconds and cut back on and its…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Clock spring issues, as far as I know a clock spring should last as long as the life of the vehicle, unless there is an accident or something unavoidable. Due to this issue my horn stopped working; this happened while in motion. I hope nissan takes responsibility and replaces my clock spring at no charge. Also, in less than a month two…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 126,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The CVT component on these cars causes it to lose power and acceleration which can cause an bad accident..one morning while going to work i got onto the expressway and car did not want to acceleration and almost caused me to get into a collision with an 18 wheeler.. The next day i took it to an mechanic shop whereas they told me nothing…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

When driving on the highway the vehicle will desegregate. Check engine light goes on and off and received 5 different codes for the transmission. Tire 🛞 system comes on and off. The engine overheats a lot especially on hot climates. I drove from New York to North Carolina and had to stop 5 times on the side of the road so the car could…Owner complaint, filed 2022