2018 Nissan Rogue Problems

What owners reported to NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Rogue, its recalls, and what to check before you buy one.

Nissan Rogue, 2014 to 2020 model years
Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0
How the 2018 compares

Worse than most Rogue years

Owners filed about 1.3 times as many complaints as a typical Rogue year. The main thing to watch is the brakes and stability control, which half of owners reported by about 12,000 miles. Years with fewer complaints: 2012, 2020 and 2021.

Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Rogue years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

Owners have filed 672 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Rogue. The most reported problem area is the brakes and stability control (273, 41% of complaints), followed by the driver assist systems and the electrical system. That ranks 2nd of 13 Rogue years from 2012 to 2024 for complaints. It has 3 recalls.

Complaints672filed with NHTSA
Recalls3for this model year
Crashes3549 injuries reported
Fires2reported in complaints

2 of these complaints came from Utah owners.

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Most reported problems

Problem areas ranked by how many complaints mention them. One complaint can name more than one area. Open an area to see what to check on a 2018 Nissan Rogue before you buy.

Brakes and stability control

273 complaintsBrakes that feel soft or grab, grinding, ABS and stability control faults.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 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

While driving nothing in front of me, the car breaks. It happen a few times while doing 70 mph. The car breaks and slows down. It's done it while going 30 mph as well.Owner complaint, filed 2026
Shortly after purchasing the vehicle, I experienced a sudden and severe brake system failure that created an immediate safety hazard. While driving at low speed, the brake pedal traveled to the floor with little to no braking response. The vehicle could not decelerate normally and required significantly increased stopping distance…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Driver assist systems

184 complaintsPhantom braking, false collision warnings, and lane keeping or backup sensors that act up.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 5,000 miles. Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (118), Warnings (32).

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

While driving, my vehicles automatic braking system sometimes beeps and begin to brake when there are no objects or other vehicles in front of me. This is could potentially put me at risk because it causes my car to suddenly brake and stall while driving. I do not know if the problem has been confirmed by a dealer and I have not taken it…Owner complaint, filed 2026
When driving down the road my Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) sensor trigger when nothing is in the road. Causing the AEB go off when nothing is there. This happens often. Is there a recall on the 2018 Nissan Rogue AEB?Owner complaint, filed 2026

Electrical system

96 complaintsDead batteries, warning lights, failed screens and cameras, and electrical shorts.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 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

Driver display, dash, lights all shut off randomly! Bluetooth disconnects. Reconnects right away. Like if it has a short. Does this especially on long trips.Owner complaint, filed 2026
The door locks on the front 2 doors do not lock when the car key lock button is pressed. You have to manually lock those doors everything you get in and out. You also have to manually unlock them each time to open themOwner complaint, filed 2026

Engine and cooling

58 complaintsStalling, misfires, oil consumption, leaks, overheating and engine failure.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 24,000 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

2018 Nissan Rogue. With just over 96,000 miles. I have been working on cars for 35 years and understand mechanics at a professional level. What component or system failed or malfunctioned?: Oil level sensor. Oil temp sensor. Knock sensor. Complete rod bearing failure. Outrageously high Oil temperature and Oil consumption. Rod Bearing…Owner complaint, filed 2026
After driving for awhile it will take a minute once putting foot on the gas for car to take off at a traffic light. Also malfunction error comes up on dashboard and car starts to slow down and try’s to cut off. Have to pull over and turn off the car, wait for a few minutes then restart the car.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Transmission and drivetrain

49 complaintsHarsh or delayed shifts, slipping, shuddering, CVT whine, and drivetrain clunks.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 39,000 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

2018 Rogue Hybrid FWD, ~101,090 miles. Driving normal, stopped car due to traffic, on acceleration had sudden revving without corresponding acceleration/lurching, hybrid warning followed by CEL, P0776 and P0701, Nissan dealer diagnosis requiring replacement of hybrid transaxle 31020-3ZX4C, quoted transaxle $8,818.28 and total repair…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The vehicle was sold to me 3 months outside of the extended manufacturer's warranty in December of 2025 with known issues with the CVT transmission. Since owning the vehicle for less than one year, the transmission has begun to fail. The vehicle was taken to a different Nissan dealership (Poughkeepsie Nissan in Wappingers Falls, NY)…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Cruise control and acceleration

36 complaintsHesitation, loss of power, sudden acceleration and cruise control problems.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 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

Issues accelerating from a complete stop. Happens sporadically, unable to replicate for mechanic, and no codes or warning lights. Has become a safety issue when needing to cross left at any intersection. Doesn’t not accelerate fast enough to safely cross even after flooring the pedal for multiple seconds and no warning when this issue…Owner complaint, filed 2025
The car has never been in an accident or flooded. Mechanics have been unable to computer diagnose the problem. Warning lights depend on what is happening at the time. However the rear camera light remains on as that feature ceased to function within days of the warranty expiring. Vehicle has begun to intermittently shake violently.Other…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Air bags

32 complaintsAir bag warning lights, air bags that did not deploy, and inflator recalls.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 42,000 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

passenger airbag light turn off a few second after starting the vehicle. Nissan of Staten Island, NY Technician tried to perform zero-point rest but was unable to do. Found current code B0040-00 Occupant sensor unit in abnormal voltage and pass diagnostic trouble code B-00A0-02 occupant sensor unit malfunction. Recommended to replace…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was a possible computer component failure and that the OCS sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 129,000 miles

Seats and seat belts

20 complaintsBelts that will not latch or retract, seat adjusters and passenger occupancy sensors.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 27,000 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

My drivers seat moves, the back is breaking off of the bottom, as I drive the seat moves and is breaking. This is a big safety issue. I took it to Nissan and they want to charge me over $5000.00 for parts to replace the finisher, the track/ frame and the seat back. This is a 2018 vehicle, driven by a small female, with 68,000 miles. This…Owner complaint, filed 2025
This is about Driver Seat making click noise under the seat whenever you break or start from a stop(accelerate from stopped position). The same click noise during driving if you break and accelerate. Its similar to noise if you click seat belt. Its something wrong going within the seat itself or seat assembly to the car's body. The seat…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Steering

19 complaintsLoss of power steering assist, wandering, play in the wheel and noises when turning.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 26,000 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

Intermittent issue where turning the wheel quickly, typically when turning left or right through a full rotation (parking or turning down different streets) the wheel will locked bounce back the other way before being able to turn the wheel again. The last time this happened, the issue occurred 2-3 times in succession. I am scheduling an…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 43,000 miles
At March 23rd, 2024, we have oil change on the car. The service sales came back to tell us that the front lower control arms' bushing is torn and needed repair immediately. Without repairing them, the wheels may disengage from the car. So we have them replaced, since losing the wheels during driving will cost our lives. This is for our…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Body, doors and structure

18 complaintsRust, doors and liftgates that will not latch, leaks, and frame or structure concerns.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 26,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (10).

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 2018 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the front driver's side door failed to lock. The contact associated the failure with the door actuator from an unknown recall found online. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 24,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that after loading groceries into the trunk, she reached into a hidden compartment in the trunk when the rear liftgate unexpectedly closed. The contact tripped and fell on the pavement, injuring her cheekbone, wrist, and knee, and sustained a black eye. The contact received medical…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 43,000 miles

Lights, wipers and visibility

16 complaintsHeadlights that dim or fail, wiper and washer failures, and windshield cracks.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 4,000 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

Head lamp on Driver side collect moisture (condensation) for no apparent reason. This vehicle was inspected at a local Nissan Dealership on 4/13/26. No exterior or interior damage noted. The moisture in the lamp causes the light from the lamp to be dim. Notice that the passenger head lamp is much brighter. I don't drive at night ....not…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The heat and cold setting is stuck on the a/c cold setting. Unable to defrost or use heat to defrost windows. The gear to switch the settings is worn out and stripped.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Wheels and tires

10 complaintsTire failures, wheels and lug nuts, and tire pressure sensor faults.What to check before you buy

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

Putting air in my tires I noticed cracking on all tires on the outside of the sidewall area and not just in one location. It appears all around in a line on each tire.Owner complaint, filed 2023
Purchased nissan rouge new from dealership. Upon accruing 21,000 miles vehicle started shaking and vibrating all of a sudden while traveling down the interstate. Took vehicle to dealership and found out after investigation that there is foam inside the tire from [VIN], to prevent road noise, that had come disengaged from the inner tire…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 21,000 miles

Fuel system

8 complaintsHesitation, stalling, fuel smell, fuel pump and injector failures.What to check before you buy

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

Nissian refused to fix this problem, even though it occurs on hundreds of cars made in Korea I believe it is a safety problem and indicates a false temperature reading but am not sure. please read letter i sent them Case #[XXX] Note only cars beginning vin with KN are affected INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION…Owner complaint, filed 2025
We have had a gas smell in our garage, outside the car and inside the cabin and inside our house since 2022 and the service technician confirmed it but said I'd have to pay $160 for them to diagnose it plus parts and labor to fix it. There are lots of "Nissan Rogue gas smell in cabin" complaints AND there is a class action lawsuit filed…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Suspension

5 complaintsClunks over bumps, broken springs, worn struts and uneven tire wear.What to check before you buy

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

Vehicle at any speed highway, interstate and rural, will kick on AWD while in motion. Then the triangle warning light and a code on dash stating awd is overheating to stop vehicle. I am the second owner of this rogue haven’t had it 2 months and just in the last week it’s done it about 40 times. It does affect the steering and brake…Owner complaint, filed 2026
At March 23rd, 2024, we have oil change on the car. The service sales came back to tell us that the front lower control arms' bushing is torn and needed repair immediately. Without repairing them, the wheels may disengage from the car. So we have them replaced, since losing the wheels during driving will cost our lives. This is for our…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Nissan Rogue complaints by year

Compare the 2018 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.

Compare with similar 2018 compact SUVs

Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.

CarVs. its other yearsRecallsMost reported
2018 Nissan RogueWorse than most years3Brakes and stability control
2018 Toyota RAV4About average3Electrical system
2018 Honda CR-VAmong the worst years5Fuel system
2018 Mazda CX-5Worse than most years3Engine and cooling
Compare side by side

2018 Nissan Rogue recalls

This is every recall issued for the 2018 Nissan Rogue, not what is still open on one car. A recall that was fixed does not show up any differently here. Check a VIN at NHTSA to see what is still open on the car you are looking at, and ask the seller for proof any recall work was done.

Electrical system Key / sender

Feb 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V093000
Risk
Driver contact with a key in the collapsed position could inadvertently shut off the vehicle while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix
Dealers will insert a spacer into the key slot of the jackknife key, free of charge.
Full recall summary

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.

Engine and cooling Engine control module

Oct 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V839000
Risk
A blown fuse may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix
Dealers will install a harness protector cover, free of charge.
Full recall summary

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Rogue Hybrid vehicles. Contact with the Electronic Control Module (ECM) bracket may damage the engine harness, causing a blown fuse.

Backup camera

Sep 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V654000
Risk
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix
Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge.
Full recall summary

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

2018 Nissan Rogue questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Nissan Rogue?

The most reported problem areas on the 2018 Nissan Rogue are the brakes and stability control (273 complaints), the driver assist systems (184 complaints) and the electrical system (96 complaints).

Is the 2018 Nissan Rogue a good year to buy?

Worse than most Rogue years. Owners filed about 1.3 times as many complaints as a typical Rogue year. The main thing to watch is the brakes and stability control, which half of owners reported by about 12,000 miles. Years with fewer complaints: 2012, 2020 and 2021. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Rogue years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

How many recalls does the 2018 Nissan Rogue have?

NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2018 Nissan Rogue. The most recent, from Feb 2023, covers the key / sender. Recalls cover the whole model year, so check the VIN of the car you are looking at to see which are still open.

At what mileage do 2018 Nissan Rogue problems start?

Half of the owners who reported a problem with the brakes and stability control gave a mileage of about 12,000 miles or less. Half of the owners who reported a problem with the driver assist systems gave a mileage of about 5,000 miles or less. Plenty of cars have these problems later or never, so ask for service records.

Which Nissan Rogue years should I avoid?

The Rogue years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2023. Years with clearly fewer complaints are 2012, 2020 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.