FaultScore

FaultScore report

2012 Nissan Rogue problems

Owners have filed 434 complaints about the 2012 Nissan Rogue with NHTSA between 2011 and 2026. The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain. Across this model's run it ranks 15 of 19 worst.

B

FaultScore 40/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Nissan Rogue.

How this is worked out

The numbers

434

Complaints

15

Crashes reported

13

Fires reported

7

Injuries reported

70,000 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

22%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 40 vs 50 Severity 42 vs 50 Early failure 38 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 40
Against the median year of the Nissan Rogue. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 42
8.1% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 38
22% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2012 compares with every other Nissan Rogue

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2012 Nissan Rogue

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Median failure at 80,500 miles

Engine & Cooling 45 10.4%

1 crashes, 2 fires · median 82,500 mi

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 70,500 mi

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 74,500 mi

Airbags 41 9.4%

5 crashes, 0 fires · median 61,000 mi

1 crashes, 9 fires · median 55,000 mi

Median failure at 69,000 miles

Brakes 14 3.2%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 13,000 mi

Wheels 9 2.1%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 14,633 mi

Seats 8 1.8%

0 crashes, 1 fires · median 44,000 mi

Tires 7 1.6%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 14,500 mi

Body & Structure 6 1.4%

1 crashes, 1 fires · median 41,500 mi

Stability & Traction Control 5 1.2%

Median failure at 82,000 miles

Seat Belts 4 0.9%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 28,000 mi

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 4 0.9%

Median failure at 2,050 miles

Steering 3 0.7%

Median failure at 82,000 miles

Equipment & Accessories 2 0.5%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 12,750 mi

Suspension 2 0.5%

Median failure at 61,000 miles

Doors, Latches & Locks 1 0.2%

Median failure at 1,000 miles

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance 1 0.2%
Lights 1 0.2%

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 12 4.2%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 19 6.7%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 20 7.0%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 33 11.6%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 74 26.1%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 59 20.8%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 51 18.0%
150,000+ miles 16 5.6%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Nov 2011 peak 13 Apr 2026

Recalls on the 2012 Nissan Rogue

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2015030 52,312 units in Canada

Electrical

On certain vehicles, wiring harness connector could corrode due to exposure to snow/water containing road salt. This could result in an electrical short causing damage to the connector and increasing the risk of a fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will add a waterproof seal, inspect the harness connector and replace as necessary.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

at 140,000 miles Sanford, CT Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that 6 hours after their vehicle was parked around sometime after midnight the vehicle suddenly caught fire. The key fob began to sound off an alarm where the contact had pressed a button to deactivate about 2 times before going to check the vehicle. Before being able to reach the vehicle the contact was stopped by a family member as well as verbally warned by a neighbor that the vehicle had caught on fire. The fire department arrived then broke into the vehicle and put out the fire. A fire report and police report was filed. The fire department had stated that they believed it was a mechanical issue that caused the failure however it had not been confirmed. The vehicle was not towed but had not been inspected to determine if the condition results in totaling the vehicle or not as of yet. The inside of the vehicle was completely burned and the vehicle was unable to be driven. There was no damage to property other than the vehicle. There were no injuries. There was no medical attention needed. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA complaint #11575271 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Linwood, KS Fire

STRUCTURE:BODY

My son was driving at a highway speed of 55 out of Lawrence, KS. He noticed left headlight flickering and starting to smoke. He immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle. At that point, the whole front of the car was engulfed in flames. Very dangerous. I can provide pictures but for some reason the upload information won't allow me to do it here. Fire department had to put it out and was a total loss.

NHTSA complaint #11563722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Linwood, KS Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My son was driving at a highway speed of 55 out of Lawrence, KS. He noticed left headlight flickering and starting to smoke. He immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle. At that point, the whole front of the car was engulfed in flames. Very dangerous. I can provide pictures but for some reason the upload information won't allow me to do it here. Fire department had to put it out and was a total loss.

NHTSA complaint #11563722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Linwood, KS Fire

ENGINE

My son was driving at a highway speed of 55 out of Lawrence, KS. He noticed left headlight flickering and starting to smoke. He immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle. At that point, the whole front of the car was engulfed in flames. Very dangerous. I can provide pictures but for some reason the upload information won't allow me to do it here. Fire department had to put it out and was a total loss.

NHTSA complaint #11563722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pearland, TX Crash

AIR BAGS

Nissan driver side air bag, the air bag deployed, could have been deadly.

NHTSA complaint #11509957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pearland, TX Crash

SEAT BELTS

SRS air bag light was on, called dealer, light stayed on, CVT transmission has issues, electrical problems while driving, car will decelerate and stop without warning. My safety is at risk everyday, the car can stop at anytime without warning, airbag deployed. The dealership has not found any problems that they are willing to be accountable for. The vehicle has not been inspected before or after accident. Check engine light was on, transmission was replaced twice at my own expense. SRS light was on before accident.

NHTSA complaint #11509951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Port Washington, NY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The doors unlock or lock on their own. Some locks then don’t lock or unlock. Sometimes they have to be unlocked manually. The trunk does not unlock at all. I can’t open the trunk.

NHTSA complaint #11733848 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Indianola, IA

POWER TRAIN

August 1, 2025 I was trying to get to [XXX] from [XXX] to see my mother, before Kansas City, Mo. Before getting to KC while cruise was engaged car RPM’s began amping but car did not speed up. I put it park and turned motor off and tried to drive again, but did the same thing. I called my mechanic in XXX and he suggested I try to come back but I couldn’t go over 30mph driving on the shoulder ALL the way back to XXX.!! Very tramatic experience.!! Mechanic said it sounded like possible transmission problem.!!! That’s when my son told me about Nissan’s new transmission they went to that is in this Nissan.!! They know it was a bad idea.!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11727612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Indianola, IA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

August 1, 2025 I was trying to get to [XXX] from [XXX] to see my mother, before Kansas City, Mo. Before getting to KC while cruise was engaged car RPM’s began amping but car did not speed up. I put it park and turned motor off and tried to drive again, but did the same thing. I called my mechanic in XXX and he suggested I try to come back but I couldn’t go over 30mph driving on the shoulder ALL the way back to XXX.!! Very tramatic experience.!! Mechanic said it sounded like possible transmission problem.!!! That’s when my son told me about Nissan’s new transmission they went to that is in this Nissan.!! They know it was a bad idea.!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11727612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Indianola, IA

ENGINE

August 1, 2025 I was trying to get to [XXX] from [XXX] to see my mother, before Kansas City, Mo. Before getting to KC while cruise was engaged car RPM’s began amping but car did not speed up. I put it park and turned motor off and tried to drive again, but did the same thing. I called my mechanic in XXX and he suggested I try to come back but I couldn’t go over 30mph driving on the shoulder ALL the way back to XXX.!! Very tramatic experience.!! Mechanic said it sounded like possible transmission problem.!!! That’s when my son told me about Nissan’s new transmission they went to that is in this Nissan.!! They know it was a bad idea.!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11727612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chicago, IL

SEATS

2008-13 Nissan Rogue/2014 Rogue Select (S35) Driver’s Kick Panel Harness Connector Inspection Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign Reference: R1421 I spoke with Nissan and the recall does not cover my VIN number however I had previously owned a 2015 Nissan Altima and experienced the same issue. My car will be serviced on 2/24/26 with a Nissan Dealership in Hampton, VA for repairs related to this issue. My daughter drives the car while she is away at college. The issue began a few weeks ago when snow and rain occurred and now the bluetooth is going out and now the check engine light appears. I'm pretty certain this VIN should be included in the recall previously issued. The car maybe out of warranty but this appears to be a manufacturer related problem. I'm attaching current video.

NHTSA complaint #11719896 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chicago, IL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2008-13 Nissan Rogue/2014 Rogue Select (S35) Driver’s Kick Panel Harness Connector Inspection Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign Reference: R1421 I spoke with Nissan and the recall does not cover my VIN number however I had previously owned a 2015 Nissan Altima and experienced the same issue. My car will be serviced on 2/24/26 with a Nissan Dealership in Hampton, VA for repairs related to this issue. My daughter drives the car while she is away at college. The issue began a few weeks ago when snow and rain occurred and now the bluetooth is going out and now the check engine light appears. I'm pretty certain this VIN should be included in the recall previously issued. The car maybe out of warranty but this appears to be a manufacturer related problem. I'm attaching current video.

NHTSA complaint #11719896 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chicago, IL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2008-13 Nissan Rogue/2014 Rogue Select (S35) Driver’s Kick Panel Harness Connector Inspection Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign Reference: R1421 I spoke with Nissan and the recall does not cover my VIN number however I had previously owned a 2015 Nissan Altima and experienced the same issue. My car will be serviced on 2/24/26 with a Nissan Dealership in Hampton, VA for repairs related to this issue. My daughter drives the car while she is away at college. The issue began a few weeks ago when snow and rain occurred and now the bluetooth is going out and now the check engine light appears. I'm pretty certain this VIN should be included in the recall previously issued. The car maybe out of warranty but this appears to be a manufacturer related problem. I'm attaching current video.

NHTSA complaint #11719896 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Houston, TX

WHEELS

I was looking at the fact that this car has 2 recalls for problems that I never bothered to check, but it's better to have everything in order. everything is in order.

NHTSA complaint #11702428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Houston, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I was looking at the fact that this car has 2 recalls for problems that I never bothered to check, but it's better to have everything in order. everything is in order.

NHTSA complaint #11702428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Caguas, PR

ENGINE

That my engine stalled while I’m driving. And I almost crashed another car.

NHTSA complaint #11694009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Westminster, MD

ENGINE

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.

NHTSA complaint #11692381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Baltimore, MD

POWER TRAIN

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 it

NHTSA complaint #11689014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 210,000 miles Iota, LA

ENGINE

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 hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact had the spark plugs and boots replaced. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that an abnormal sound was coming from the engine when the vehicle was restarted. The check engine warning light and the TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The failure had progressively worsened, and the vehicle was no longer driven. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of gasoline. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

NHTSA complaint #11669200 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Meridian, ID

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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 someone. Not acceptable, Nissan needs to recall 2012 Rogues due to transmission issues before someone gets killed.

NHTSA complaint #11633835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 206,669 miles Tulsa, OK

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and made an abnormal rattling sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC codes: P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold), P0113 (Intake Air Temperature Sensor), P0101, and P0102 (Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensors). The independent mechanic replaced the intake air temperature sensor and the MAF sensors; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 206,669.

NHTSA complaint #11633951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wooster, OH

POWER TRAIN

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 model

NHTSA complaint #11621506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richland Hills, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The main and most dangerous issue is first hearing high pitch whining/winding sound while driving as the rpm's start to spike and stay high resulting & causing vehicle to lose power and speed for no apparent reason. Subsequently, as you attempt to depress the gas pedal to increase speed to try to mitigate the issue, the vehicle continues to lose power and speed regardless of how depressed gas pedal is (even completely depressed to floorboard). Within seconds vehicle is forced to a stop from lack of power and acceleration and will not continue to drive at all. This issue is nothing less than terrifying and incredibly dangerous especially while on the freeway with heavy traffic speeding and whizzing past you at 70+ mph. If this is happening to people at night, it's only a matter of time before someone will be killed by the speeding and oblivious traffic coming from behind if that has not already occurred. I was travelling with my child and our dog in the back and wonder would have happened if I couldn't have merged into the slower lanes in heavy traffic and off to the shoulder to "safety." What will happen to a family in the fast lane that is not able to merge to safety or when they find themselves forced and stuck in the middle of the freeway between the median and the fast lane?? In addition, upon starting, vehicle will also idle higher than normal and stay high with slight fluxuation even while in park. While driving, rpm's continue to spike with every gear shift and vehicle is slow to respond and keep up with desired speed and will continue to worsen as time progresses. The longer the drive, the more (tired) and sluggish it seems with both lack of response, lack of power, and lack of speed. First signs of issue were while idling at stoplights, vehicle will shake and seem to idle very low as if going to die while at idle. There is also a noticeable shake while driving especially at higher speeds with this problem remaining and lasting the duration of drive.

NHTSA complaint #11598723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richland Hills, TX

ENGINE

The main and most dangerous issue is first hearing high pitch whining/winding sound while driving as the rpm's start to spike and stay high resulting & causing vehicle to lose power and speed for no apparent reason. Subsequently, as you attempt to depress the gas pedal to increase speed to try to mitigate the issue, the vehicle continues to lose power and speed regardless of how depressed gas pedal is (even completely depressed to floorboard). Within seconds vehicle is forced to a stop from lack of power and acceleration and will not continue to drive at all. This issue is nothing less than terrifying and incredibly dangerous especially while on the freeway with heavy traffic speeding and whizzing past you at 70+ mph. If this is happening to people at night, it's only a matter of time before someone will be killed by the speeding and oblivious traffic coming from behind if that has not already occurred. I was travelling with my child and our dog in the back and wonder would have happened if I couldn't have merged into the slower lanes in heavy traffic and off to the shoulder to "safety." What will happen to a family in the fast lane that is not able to merge to safety or when they find themselves forced and stuck in the middle of the freeway between the median and the fast lane?? In addition, upon starting, vehicle will also idle higher than normal and stay high with slight fluxuation even while in park. While driving, rpm's continue to spike with every gear shift and vehicle is slow to respond and keep up with desired speed and will continue to worsen as time progresses. The longer the drive, the more (tired) and sluggish it seems with both lack of response, lack of power, and lack of speed. First signs of issue were while idling at stoplights, vehicle will shake and seem to idle very low as if going to die while at idle. There is also a noticeable shake while driving especially at higher speeds with this problem remaining and lasting the duration of drive.

NHTSA complaint #11598723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richland Hills, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The main and most dangerous issue is first hearing high pitch whining/winding sound while driving as the rpm's start to spike and stay high resulting & causing vehicle to lose power and speed for no apparent reason. Subsequently, as you attempt to depress the gas pedal to increase speed to try to mitigate the issue, the vehicle continues to lose power and speed regardless of how depressed gas pedal is (even completely depressed to floorboard). Within seconds vehicle is forced to a stop from lack of power and acceleration and will not continue to drive at all. This issue is nothing less than terrifying and incredibly dangerous especially while on the freeway with heavy traffic speeding and whizzing past you at 70+ mph. If this is happening to people at night, it's only a matter of time before someone will be killed by the speeding and oblivious traffic coming from behind if that has not already occurred. I was travelling with my child and our dog in the back and wonder would have happened if I couldn't have merged into the slower lanes in heavy traffic and off to the shoulder to "safety." What will happen to a family in the fast lane that is not able to merge to safety or when they find themselves forced and stuck in the middle of the freeway between the median and the fast lane?? In addition, upon starting, vehicle will also idle higher than normal and stay high with slight fluxuation even while in park. While driving, rpm's continue to spike with every gear shift and vehicle is slow to respond and keep up with desired speed and will continue to worsen as time progresses. The longer the drive, the more (tired) and sluggish it seems with both lack of response, lack of power, and lack of speed. First signs of issue were while idling at stoplights, vehicle will shake and seem to idle very low as if going to die while at idle. There is also a noticeable shake while driving especially at higher speeds with this problem remaining and lasting the duration of drive.

NHTSA complaint #11598723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ess, AZ

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

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.

NHTSA complaint #11596618 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Forsyth, GA

SEATS

Passenger side air bag inoperable,have been told it was sensor in seat

NHTSA complaint #11594340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Forsyth, GA

AIR BAGS

Passenger side air bag inoperable,have been told it was sensor in seat

NHTSA complaint #11594340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kansas City, MO

ENGINE

A problem with the torque converter clutch solenoid12 causes the car's RPM to increase while the vehicle loses speed.

NHTSA complaint #11588142 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Springfield, MO

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Unknown I was driving to st. Louis on the highway and was going 70 mph and then I hear a winding noise and loss acceleration and had my foot all the way down on the gas pedal and it would not speed up I was only going 40 on a highway that I was going 70 mph on and kept losing speed

NHTSA complaint #11586248 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Springfield, MO

ENGINE

Unknown I was driving to st. Louis on the highway and was going 70 mph and then I hear a winding noise and loss acceleration and had my foot all the way down on the gas pedal and it would not speed up I was only going 40 on a highway that I was going 70 mph on and kept losing speed

NHTSA complaint #11586248 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.