If the name is any indication of what kind of car the Rogue would be, its appearance on the car market confirmed it.
With snappy styling, a powerful (loud) engine, tons of storage, and top-of-the-line entertainment systems, the Rogue has been popular with anyone from college kids looking to escape to older folks looking for a comfortable, reliable daily driver.
But all good things must come to an end, and the Rogues that hit the market in 2007 are going on 15 years old. Add to that the constant mechanical failures Rogues and Nissan as a whole are known for, and you’ve got a Pontiac Aztek at times and a Honda Civic at others.
Some models are keepers, and some models make the question “how long do Nissan Rogues last” complicated to answer.
So we’re here to do it for you!
We’ll break down Nissan Rogue reliability, the mileage you’ll want to sell at, and the average Nissan Rogue lifespan.
Nissan Rogue: A History
The Rogue was Nissan’s answer to the CR-V and RAV-4 which had already been on the market for a decade. The Rogue was intended as an addition to Nissan’s body-on-frame Xterra – which itself did quite well in 2005 and 2006 – but the Rogue stole market share and the Xterra saw a steep decrease in sales 2007 when the Rogue hit the lots.
The Rogue took longer to gain steam than Nissan’s prior models, likely due to its similarity to the already existing Xterra. In three years, the Rogue had sold as many units as the Xterra’s first year. Soon Nissan realized they’d backed the wrong horsepower when the Rogue saw sales of 100,000 in 4 years, 200,000 in 3 more, and a decade late saw its highest sales volume of over 410,000 units.
Over the years the technology in the various Rogue models has changed significantly, and that’s why we’re here to help you navigate the differences between the individual year-models, and some have proven far more reliable than others.
A History of Mechanical Failures
The Rogue saw steady increases in sales up until the last few years when it saw dramatic decreases, even despite its constant battle with transmission failures and cheap interiors. Whether the recent slowdown is due to a tepid economy or a slower-responding gas pedal, we can’t be certain.
But we do know that the Rogue’s relatively short history has been marked with drama.
Those familiar with the Nissan know about its history of transmission failures. This is likely due to Nissan’s flagship CVT – or Continous Variable Transmission – in almost every model. While most transmissions operate like bicycles by switching from gear to gear, Nissan’s CVT works through a series of pulleys and rides at a high RPM.
Most namely, thousands of 2013 Rogue models experienced a transmission failure that caused the car to stop accelerating. Nissan increased the warranty terms for all models with a CVT transmission recently, likely as a response to the CVT issues that have plagued Nissan since the mid-2000s.
So How Long Do Nissan Rogues Last?
The short answer is: it depends on the year. As we’ve stated, every year does not a good Nissan Rogue make, so it’s important to understand not just Nissan or the Rogue, but the specifics of your model.
In order to get a better idea of the specific Nissan Rogue lifespan associated with your vehicle (or the one you’re looking to purchase), we’ll need to take a look at some of the common issues with Rogues. We’ll do this according to the year-models with the most complaints.
2007-2009
The most common issues with Nissan Rogues from year models 2007-2010 is (drumroll please) the transmission! Whether from cooling problems or overall system failure, the CVT in Rogues tended to give out at around 90K-125K miles and would cost buyers anywhere from $2,000-$5,000 to fix.
Avoid buying a 2007-2009 Rogue if you can help it. Even one with low mileage is getting close to being 15 years old and entering a different period in car maintenance.
2010
The transmission became a major issue in the 2010 Rogue. It would acquire premature wear, vibrate, overheat, and fail. In the engine, the transmission system was subject to a host of failures. Rogues would lose the power to accelerate, shudder violently, and fail.
If you’re looking to buy a 2010 Rogue, make sure you look for vibration or an uncomfortable ride during the test drive.
2011-2012
A relatively quiet time for the Rogue, 2011, and 2012 were characterized by typical transmission failures, as well as the occasional A/C or acceleration problem. If you have one of these Rogues, you likely won’t experience as many mechanical issues as owners of other year-models.
Buying one of these Rogues is a good idea, but if you live in a hot climate you’ll want to make sure to budget for the costs of A/C maintenance and repair.
2013
The year of all years for complaints to the NTHSA for the Nissan Rogue at a whopping 169.
Characteristic of transmission and drivetrain issues in the Nissan Rogue, 2013 saw catastrophic failures that started as low as 65,000 miles. Typically costs of repair were no less than $2,000, and though there were other options available the solution was often to replace the entire transmission.
Nissan and Rogue enthusiasts alike will tell you that if you’re going to buy a Rogue simply don’t buy a 2013.
2014-2016
In a new era of the Rogue, Nissan solved many of its transmission issues and moved on to more average car maintenance problems. Air conditioning, paint, and interior access issues were the most prominent problems, though repairs could cost as much as $3500. Suspension issues also plagued many vehicles, causing popping noises when pulling into small spaces.
If you’re looking to purchase a Rogue from these years, make sure you drive it over bumps and make tight turns to test out some of the kinks in the suspension.
2017
2017 saw the largest improvement in the Nisan Rogue to date. Gone were the pesky transmission, engine, A/C, and suspension issues that caused prior year models to lose power or turn uncomfortably.
However, a new issue arose in 2017 that caused the 2018 model serious issues: the brakes. Braking issues must be fixed immediately and thus interrupt the flow of life greatly.
Buying a 2017 Rogue is the best bet when considering a new Rogue purchase, and selling a 2017 Rogue will see the greatest preservation of purchase value.
2018
While there weren’t as many complaints in 2018, the nature of the complaints leads us to believe 2018 was one of the most dangerous Rogues to purchase. The braking system encountered frequent failures, including randomly engaging. That’s right, the 2018 Nissan Rogue – while infrequently – would occasionally fully engage the brakes without user input.
While other issues were minimized, this particular issue makes this model unsafe to purchase or sell.
2019+
The 2019 and 2020 Rogues have proven to be massive improvements, especially in the areas of transmission and braking. Unfortunately, being that the vehicles are still so new, few maintenance issues have had the opportunity to arise.
Can I Sell My Nissan Rogue?
We come back to the same question: how long to Nissan Rogues last? Excluding some of the more troublesome models and years, Nissan Rogues are in essence good cars. There are certainly more troublesome vehicles, and if you can manage to keep the transmission in good shape you don’t have much else to worry about.
If you want to sell a Nissan Rogue from 2012, 2017, or 2019 you’ll get the best deal while selling a 2011, 2013, or 2015 won’t get you as much as you probably hope.
As with many vehicles, Nissan Rogue reliability is highly dependent upon the year-model you’re trying to sell. Nissan Rogue lifespan varies greatly between the numerous years, and you’ll want to research the specific vehicle you’re looking to buy or sell when ensuring you get a fair price.
Should I Buy a Nissan Rogue?
If you’re looking to buy one, you should take the year-models with the most problems into consideration.
Experts highly recommend against purchasing a 2013 or a 2018 year-model Rogue. 2013’s are notoriously unreliable, and 2018’s have braking issues that are disruptive and potentially deadly.
If you’re going to buy a Nissan Rogue, consider buying new! The 2019 and 2020 models have proven to be significant improvements over previous years, namely in their transmissions which have caused a significant number of problems for Nissan and Rogue owners over the years. While they haven’t been road-proven the way model from prior decades have, and it’s always possible that issues will arise, buying a new Nissan Rogue is your best bet.
Sell That Sucker!
It’s finally time to answer the question.
How long do Nissan Rogues last?
Unfortunately for the Nissan Rogue, its makers seem to have cut a lot of corners and ignored a lot of pretty flagrant red flags in the making and design of the vehicle. It’s not particularly reliable, and older models are reaching the end of Nissan Rogue lifespan.
Purchasing a Rogue within the last few years means you’ll probably be OK. But many of the older models will cause you grief if they haven’t already, and if you arrive at the point that you’re having to replace the transmission, it’s probably best to cut and run.
If reading this has made you realize that you’re ready to part with your Rogue, head on over to our Cash for Cars or selling page today!
