2013 Nissan Rogue: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2013 Nissan Rogue
On the 2013 Nissan Rogue, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, and the reports cluster around 71,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other steering problem, reported by a median of 35,000 miles. Overall it scores 73 out of 100, high risk for a 2013.
High risk for a 2013 — 124th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. 855 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 60 named failure modes on the 2013 Nissan Rogue, and the three most-reported carry 38% of everything filed.
Other powertrain problem leads with 141 reports, about 2.1 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 58k to 95,000 miles.
CVT failure follows with 121 reports, usually reported between 66k to 102,500 miles.
Complete transmission failure follows with 61 reports, usually reported between 73k to 110,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (333), adas (86) and engine (77).
The mileage the reports cluster at
594 of the reports on the 2013 Nissan Rogue came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 75,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 25% by 50,000 miles, 75% by 100,000 miles and 98% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 2 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 60,000 and 70,000 miles, which alone holds 12% of the dated reports.
16% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: other steering problem around 33k, other body or interior problem around 40k, other electrical problem around 50k and other engine problem around 55k.
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 60. 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 2 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, 21 mention a crash, 29 a fire and 6 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 4.88, 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 engine problem at $300–$4,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
53% 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 | 141 | 108 | 58k | 71k | 95k | 2.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| CVT failure | transmission | 121 | 92 | 66k | 85k | 103k | 1.8 | $3,000–$8,500 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 61 | 48 | 73k | 90k | 110k | 0.9 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 58 | 40 | 37k | 55k | 81k | 0.9 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 45 | 33 | 50k | 84k | 104k | 0.7 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 42 | 23 | 35k | 50k | 73k | 0.6 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 38 | 20 | 47k | 79k | 101k | 0.6 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 37 | 30 | 53k | 72k | 103k | 0.6 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 34 | 29 | 65k | 66k | 87k | 0.5 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 24 | 18 | 37k | 76k | 90k | 0.4 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 20 | 17 | 19k | 40k | 70k | 0.3 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 15 | 7 | — | 115k | — | 0.2 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 11 | 8 | 23k | 33k | 58k | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 8 | 4 | — | 91k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 8 | 5 | — | 92k | — | 0.1 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 7 | 2 | — | 125k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 7 | 3 | — | 87k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 6 | 2 | — | 11k | — | 0.1 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 5 | 5 | — | 103k | — | 0.1 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 5 | 2 | — | 24k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 4 | 3 | — | 88k | — | 0.1 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 4 | 4 | — | 40k | — | 0.1 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 4 | 2 | — | 88k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 4 | 4 | — | 5k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Thermostat failure | cooling | 3 | 3 | — | 122k | — | 0.0 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 3 | 2 | — | 56k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 3 | 3 | — | 19k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 3 | 3 | — | 118k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 3 | 1 | — | 79k | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 3 | 1 | — | 116k | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Windshield cracking | glass | 3 | 3 | — | 28k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 3 | 2 | — | 2k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Oil leak | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 2 | 2 | — | 78k | — | 0.0 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 89k | — | 0.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 82k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Paint peeling or clear coat failure | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $600–$6,000 | Low |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 2 | 2 | — | 39k | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 2 | 1 | — | 14k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 2 | 1 | — | 29k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 68k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Engine knock or bearing noise | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $2,500–$9,000 | High |
| Transmission slipping | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 63k | — | 0.0 | $1,200–$5,500 | High |
| Transmission will not engage a gear | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,500–$6,000 | Critical |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 40k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 40k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 29k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Airbag deployed without a crash | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 93k | — | 0.0 | $2,500–$8,000 | Critical |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 60k | — | 0.0 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Door latch or handle failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 61k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 35k | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 78 | 46 | 35k | 76k | 96k | 1.2 | — | 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 2013 Nissan Rogue draws about 13 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 92nd percentile of complaint rates among 2013 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 2013 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
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 500 and the current mileage was 1500.
A day before the incident, the malfunction light came on in my car on the dashboard. The next day, about one mile from home, I stopped on a hill at a traffic light with several cars ahead of me. When the light turned green, I moved my foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator and the car started rolling backward. It would not go into drive even though the gear was in drive. After trying once more unsuccessfully to get the car to move forward, I put the car in park, put on my flashers and turned the engine off. I restarted the car, and put the gear in drive and it went forward but somewhat haltingly. I slowly proceeded to the nissan dealer about 2 miles away. Each time I stopped at a traffic light, the engine sounded funny. Today, the nissan dealer informed me that there is an electrical problem in the transmission that they can't repair. Nissan usa is replacing the transmission under warranty. I find this outrageous that a newly purchased car of 5 months with less than 5, 000 miles has a defective transmission. *tr
CVT failure
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan rogue. The contact stated that the front of the vehicle would shake when driving various speeds. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was determined that the CVT transmission caused the vibration. The contact stated that the vehicle would rock when driving 4-6 MPH and then even out until the vehicle reached 40 MPH and began shaking erratically. The manufacturer was contacted but stated that the failure was normal when driving 80 MPH and above. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 12,000. Updated 08/27/13*lj the consumer stated the entire vehicle vibrated and various speeds.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan rogue. The contact stated that the front of the vehicle would shake when driving various speeds. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was determined that the CVT transmission caused the vibration. The contact stated that the vehicle would rock when driving 4-6 MPH and then even out until the vehicle reached 40 MPH and began shaking erratically. The manufacturer was contacted but stated that the failure was normal when driving 80 MPH and above. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 12,000. Updated 08/27/13*lj the consumer stated the entire vehicle vibrated and various speeds.
Complete transmission failure
I own a 2013 nissan rogue.that I have kept up the service on at the dealership for everything, but while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate properly. The failure was intermittent.the mileage was between 80,000.to 85,000. At that point the rogue becomes unresponsive and can't accelerate past 40 MPH. This is incredibly dangerous and it has left my family and I stranded on the interstate 3 times, now I can't trust this vehicle at all and fear for the safety of my family. And nissan for some reason can't find anything wrong when they hook it up to the computer because there is no code error. (but they do have the [xxx] to tell me I need to buy a new transmission for a cause of over $5000 before taxes)this rogue is only 3 years old, this all has been very frightening to me and my family, as I am on the freeway every day and someone could very easily crash into me when the transmission fails or even when I am trying to pull out into traffic from an on ramp or out of a parking spot in the city or a tool booth and there is zero power, I can't express how dangerous this is. Nissan please do something about…
I own a 2013 nissan rogue.that I have kept up the service on at the dealership for everything, but while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate properly. The failure was intermittent.the mileage was between 80,000.to 85,000. At that point the rogue becomes unresponsive and can't accelerate past 40 MPH. This is incredibly dangerous and it has left my family and I stranded on the interstate 3 times, now I can't trust this vehicle at all and fear for the safety of my family. And nissan for some reason can't find anything wrong when they hook it up to the computer because there is no code error. (but they do have the [xxx] to tell me I need to buy a new transmission for a cause of over $5000 before taxes)this rogue is only 3 years old, this all has been very frightening to me and my family, as I am on the freeway every day and someone could very easily crash into me when the transmission fails or even when I am trying to pull out into traffic from an on ramp or out of a parking spot in the city or a tool booth and there is zero power, I can't express how dangerous this is. Nissan please do something about…
Recalls on the 2013 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2013 Nissan Rogue, affecting an estimated 66,973 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. 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.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
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.
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 2013 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 2013 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2013 — 124th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
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 2013 itself at 73.
If the model year is negotiable, 2025, 2022, 2009 and 2008 score lower than 2013 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 body or interior problem from about 19k, other steering problem from about 23k, other electrical problem from about 35k and other engine problem from about 37k.
On a 2013 Nissan Rogue with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other body or interior 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.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
What this page cannot tell you
855 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 855 reports, 594 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 69% 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".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
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 2013 Nissan Rogue?
The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (141 reports, median 71,000 miles), cvt failure (121 reports, median 85,000 miles) and complete transmission failure (61 reports, median 90,000 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 2013 Nissan Rogue problems start?
Other steering problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 35,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 25,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 75,000 miles.
Is the 2013 Nissan Rogue reliable?
It scores 73 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 124th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2013 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