2011 Nissan Rogue: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2011 Nissan Rogue
On the 2011 Nissan Rogue, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, and the reports cluster around 77,500 miles. The earliest to appear is other speed control problem, reported by a median of 65,000 miles. Overall it scores 72 out of 100, high risk for a 2011.
High risk for a 2011 — 108th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. 510 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 50 named failure modes on the 2011 Nissan Rogue, and the three most-reported carry 38% of everything filed.
Other powertrain problem leads with 88 reports, about 1.3 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 59k to 100,000 miles.
CVT failure follows with 62 reports, usually reported between 59k to 110,000 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.
Complete transmission failure follows with 42 reports, usually reported between 73k to 102,500 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.
By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (201), electrical (48) and engine (47).
The mileage the reports cluster at
404 of the reports on the 2011 Nissan Rogue came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 81,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 21% by 50,000 miles, 70% by 100,000 miles and 94% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 7 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 80,000 and 90,000 miles, which alone holds 12% of the dated reports.
15% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: other speed control problem around 65k, other engine problem around 73k, other powertrain problem around 79k and other electrical problem around 79k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 50. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 7 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 14 mention a crash, 16 a fire and 5 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.85, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, CVT failure at $3,000–$8,500, complete transmission failure at $2,800–$8,000 and other electrical problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
54% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 88 | 72 | 59k | 79k | 99k | 1.3 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| CVT failure | transmission | 62 | 50 | 59k | 89k | 109k | 0.9 | $3,000–$8,500 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 42 | 41 | 73k | 92k | 103k | 0.6 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 40 | 28 | 49k | 79k | 111k | 0.6 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 33 | 28 | 60k | 73k | 99k | 0.5 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 31 | 27 | 31k | 65k | 98k | 0.5 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 21 | 13 | 83k | 93k | 118k | 0.3 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 19 | 18 | 72k | 86k | 100k | 0.3 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 14 | 10 | 47k | 88k | 113k | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 11 | 9 | 64k | 82k | 89k | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 8 | 6 | — | 58k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 7 | 7 | — | 125k | — | 0.1 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 6 | 5 | — | 119k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 6 | 6 | — | 103k | — | 0.1 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 6 | 5 | — | 60k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 6 | 6 | — | 30k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Engine bay fire | engine | 5 | 5 | — | 83k | — | 0.1 | $4,000–$20,000 | Critical |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 5 | 3 | — | 50 | — | 0.1 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 5 | 5 | — | 45k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 4 | 4 | — | 97k | — | 0.1 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 2 | — | 75k | — | 0.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 3 | 3 | — | 3k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 2 | 1 | — | 39k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 75k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 2 | 2 | — | 750 | — | 0.0 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 2 | 1 | — | 63k | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 2 | 2 | — | 48k | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 2 | 2 | — | 85k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 2 | 2 | — | 64k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 1 | — | 9k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 2 | 1 | — | 33k | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Oil leak | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 33k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Cooling fan failure | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 65k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Harsh or jerky shifting | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 89k | — | 0.0 | $600–$4,000 | Moderate |
| Transmission will not engage a gear | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 95k | — | 0.0 | $1,500–$6,000 | Critical |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 106k | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 7k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Paint peeling or clear coat failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $600–$6,000 | Low |
| Blower motor or climate control failure | hvac | 1 | 1 | — | 102k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 41 | 29 | 65k | 83k | 115k | 0.6 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2011 Nissan Rogue draws about 7.6 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 90th percentile of complaint rates among 2011 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 66,973 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2011 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other powertrain problem
I have a 2011 nissan rogue that had 1000mi. On it & I was pulling out of a parking lot, I got into the middle of the lane but the rogue would not accelerate & a vehicle was on my bumper before I knew it! It did get up to 3,000rpm's, no loud noise. It was quite scary. About a wk. Later it did a similar thing but less noticeable & I took it to the dealership & the svc. Person did a diagnostic on it & it showed nothing, so he told me that the next time it did it to drive it to a dealership but if I felt unsafe to call them & they would pick me up. I have not driven it for a long distance & I am afraid to do so. The fear is that I am afraid that someone will have to die before they do something about this scary situation. *tr
While traveling on a toll road, speed limit 80, my car lost power after traveling about 45 minutes. Pressing on the accelerator resulted in the car still loosing power. It did not matter how much you pressed the accelerator, the car still slowed down. It happened again on july 17, 2013. Traveling the same road. In addition, when I got off the highway and came to a stop at a stop sign, I pressed the accelerator and the car did not go at first. Then the car slowly moved forward. I have googled this problem and have found many who have experienced the same thing. I also spoke with an employee at an oil changing business who said he had a customer last week with the same problem with her nissan. It was reported that nissan told her the sensor was doing its job and she would have to pull over after driving for an hour, shut off her car, wait 10 minutes, then proceed. That would clear the sensor and the car would drive normal again. Really! *tr
CVT failure
On july 5th 2012 our recently purchased (from carmax) nissan rogue sv AWD was taken in to carmax (where car was purchased) in raleigh nc for unidentifiable noise where we were told the transmission seals were leaking. The transmission seals were replaced by the nissan dealership in raleigh nc. July 27th, 2012 we noticed an odd whining/grinding when driving at low speeds and then when the accelerator was depressed. The whining/grinding became worse over the next week. On august 6th 2012 the vehicle was taken to the nissan dealership and we were told the transmission seals were bad again and that the CVT transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was ordered on the 6th of august and on the 13th of august we were notified by the dealership that the nissan CVT transmissions are on back order and the back order is not scheduled to release until the 17th of august. *tr
For a few days I had noticed a shutter in my car as it accelerated. Really since I had bought the car it had vibration problems. I was driving about 65 MPH on the freeway and got on a ramp to merge onto another freeway. When I slowed to merge into traffic, I could not accelerate when pressing the gas pedal all the way to the floor. The RPM gauge went up to around 4,000 but the speed of the vehicle would not go above 15 - 20 MPH. Because of this, I almost got hit by a truck that was in the distance of the stright lane that I merged into. I pulled in front of him but could not go anywhere and he was forced to make a quick swerve into another lane to avoid me. The internet is full of videos and complaints from other nissan rogue owners that are havin the exact same problems. My car does have a lot of mileage as I travel about 1,200 miles per week for my job as a territory manager. However, that only means that all this mileage is highway miles and has not put much pressure on the transmission. The other owners are experiencing the same issue at anywhere from 6,000 to 60,000 miles. Nissan has doubled their warranties on the CVT…
Complete transmission failure
We were driving the vehicle on interstate highway at 70 MPH. Car began bucking, had a high pitched whining and lost all power in acceleration, transmission went out. We immediately dropped to 20 MPH. We were almost rear-ended in traffic. Had to move to shoulder and have car towed. Dealership gave us 800 number to call nissan since the 2008-2010 models have had the same transmission problems. Nissan extended warranty on those but refused to extend warranty on 2011 which has the same transmission. The car gave no warning at all. This problem could have caused a serious accident. Nissan needs to correct the problem. Just read on edmunds.com forum that many nissan rogue owners are having problems with transmission while driving without any warning. *tr
The transmission started clicking mid-march 2014. I took it into the dealer and was told the transmission needed replacement. The vehicle is a 2011 with 85,000 miles - it should not need a new transmission and is currently out of warranty. The cost of replacement is $3,000. The previous model years 2003-2010 warranty's were increased to 10 years 120,000 miles due to issues with the transmission. It appears to me that the issue was not fixed and warranty's again should be extended for owners of model year 2011 and beyond. Nissan should stand by their vehicles and repair and replace when issues arise. *tr
Recalls on the 2011 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2011 Nissan Rogue, affecting an estimated 74,338 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover electrical system and steering:electric power assist system. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
468,815 vehicles 2015-01-26- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- An electrical short can cause a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- 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. The recall began on February 26, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
7,365 vehicles 2011-11-23- Defect
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2011 rogue vehicles manufactured from august 17, 2010, through october 30, 2010. The circuit board may not have been installed in the correct position on certain electric power steering (eps) assist control units. This may cause additional stress on the solder of the terminal to the circuit board resulting in the solder cracking and separating completely from the circuit board.
- Consequence
- As the circuit board fails, the power steering assist feature will stop functioning, increasing the force needed to steer the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the eps control unit if necessary, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2011 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2011 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2011 — 108th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 19 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2025 comes out best at 64 and 2018 worst at 80, with 2011 itself at 72.
If the model year is negotiable, 2025, 2022, 2009 and 2008 score lower than 2011 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2007–2013 generation specifically, 2009 is the strongest year at 69 and 2013 the weakest at 73.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2007-2013 generation, 2009 Nissan Rogue scores best at 69 and 2013 Nissan Rogue worst at 73.
What the numbers say to check
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other speed control problem from about 31k, other steering problem from about 47k, other electrical problem from about 49k and CVT failure from about 59k.
On a 2011 Nissan Rogue with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other speed control problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
What this page cannot tell you
510 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 510 reports, 404 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 79% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Nissan Rogue?
The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (88 reports, median 77,500 miles), cvt failure (62 reports, median 90,000 miles) and complete transmission failure (42 reports, median 92,500 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2011 Nissan Rogue problems start?
Other speed control problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 65,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 30,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 81,000 miles.
Is the 2011 Nissan Rogue reliable?
It scores 72 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 108th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2011 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Nissan Rogue is best?
Within the 2007–2013 generation, 2009 scores best at 69 out of 100 and 2013 worst at 73. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed