2016 Nissan Rogue problems owners report most
2016 Nissan Rogue problems are documented in public: owners have filed 541 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2016 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the powertrain clearly first, at 176 of the 541 complaints, close to a third of everything filed.
A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 33 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 176 | 33% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 125 | 23% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 86 | 16% |
| ENGINE | 63 | 12% |
| AIR BAGS | 62 | 11% |
| STRUCTURE | 31 | 6% |
Of those complaints, 35 describe a crash and 3 describe a fire. Filers reported 36 injuries. 3 complaints report a death.
Recalls on the 2016 Nissan Rogue
A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 7 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016 Nissan Rogue vehicles. The vehicles have front passenger seat frames that may be improperly welded. As such, these vehicles fail to meet performance requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 202a, "Head Restraints" and FMVSS 207, "Seating Systems."
The risk. In the event of a crash, the improperly welded seat back frames may increase the risk of injury.
The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat back assembly, free of charge. The recall began January 08, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
The risk. If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
The fix. Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Nissan Rogue vehicles. The recliner joints on the lower seat frame for the rear seats may have improper welds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
The risk. The insufficient welds can increase the risk of injury to the occupants in the event of a crash.
The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat frames and replace any defective lower seat frames, free of charge. The recall began December 6, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.
The risk. If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured July 31, 2013, to January 16, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the rear lift gate support stays may corrode due to insufficient anti-corrosion treatment.
The risk. Corrosion of one or both of the rear lift gate support stays could cause a sudden release of pressure. If this occurs, the support stays may break off, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear tailgate stays, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Rogue vehicles. The electrical connector for the under dash harness may corrode due to water and salt intrusion from the driver's side foot well.
The risk. Corrosion in the electrical connector can result in power window/seat failure, all-wheel-drive warning light illumination, battery drainage, and electrical connector damage that increases the risk of a fire.
The fix. Dealers will remove the harness tape and harness covering and replace both connectors and apply white lithium grease to the connectors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R21B9.
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.
The risk. Driver contact with a key in the collapsed position could inadvertently shut off the vehicle while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, if the vehicle shuts off while driving, the air bags may not deploy in a crash as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix. Dealers will insert a spacer into the key slot of the jackknife key, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed March 29, 2023. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
In owners own words
These are complaints filed about the powertrain, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.
I PURCHASED A 2016 ROGUE SV (VIN [XXX], I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BROUGHT IT HOME. I HAD THE HEAD UNIT REPLACE NO LESS THAN 4 SEPARATE TIMES BECAUSE IT WOULD STOP WORKING AND GO BLACK. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS BEING REPLACED WITH A "BRAND NEW UNIT". THE DEALERSHIP FORGOT TO TRANSFER MY XM SUBSCRIPTION TO THE NEW UNIT, SO WHEN I CALLED TO ACTIVATE I FIND OUT NOT ONLY IS IT NOT NEW, ITS 4 YEARS OLDER THAN THE CAR I OWN. WHILE REPLACING THIS THE TECHNICIANS DESTROYED THE SURROUNDING TRIM. LAST JUNE MY CAR STARTED STALLING OUT,
AT ABOUT 58000 MILES SEPT 2019 I FIRST NOTICED ISSUES WITH ACCELERATION AND NOISE. I WAS ABOUT TO GO OUT OF TOWN AND WAS AFRAID TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK MY CAR TO NISSAN OF BOWIE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THERE WERE NO CODES ACTIVATED AND NO RECALLS ON THE CAR. HE GAVE ME A LIST OF OTHER CONCERNS FOR MY CAR (BRAKES, ROTORS, AND TIRES). I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND DID NOT DRIVE OUT OF TOWN AS PLANNED. MY HUSBAND REPLACED MY ROTORS, BRAKES, AND TIRES. STILL THE CAR WAS SHAKY. NEXT TRIP OUT OF TOWN WAS IN MAY 2020. MY CAR STALLED OUT WHILE WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY TO VISIT MY FAMIL
MY VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER OUT OF NOWHERE WHEN I'M DRIVING CAUSING ME TO NOT BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE ABOVE 40MPH AT 4-5 RPM, THE GAS PEDDLE DOES NOT WORK YOU CAN FEEL THE PULL ON THE CAR THERE IS NO POWER. I NEED TO TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS TO NOT BLOW MY TRANSMISSION BUT THEN I DROP TO ABOUT 20MPH AND ON HIGHWAYS OR EVEN SIDE ROADS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE. BECAUSE THIS ONLY HAPPENS HERE AND THERE (3 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH) AND NEVER PREDICTABLY, THE DEALERSHIP IS SAYING THEY CANNOT FIX OR DO ANYTHING TO THE CAR WITHOUT THE ISSUE HAPPENING THERE UNDER THEIR SUPERVISION. A
MY 2016 NISSAN ROGUE EXPERIENCED AN ABRUPT AND TOTAL FAILURE OF THE CVT TRANSMISSION. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LURCH AND LOSE POWER. THIS ABRUPT FAILURE MAKES ME FEEL VERY UNSAFE FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY THAT RIDES IN THIS CAR, HAD IT STALLED ON THE BUSY ST LOUIS MO INTERSTATES WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT AND POSSIBLY KILLED, LUCKILY I WAS ON A BUSY, BUT LESS TRAVELED ROAD AND I WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 41,000 MILES ON IT. ONCE I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP, I INSISTED THAT THEY RIDE WITH ME SO THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND NOT TRY TO
Every component, by complaint count
The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.
| Component | Complaints | Share of all complaints |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 176 | 33% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 125 | 23% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 86 | 16% |
| ENGINE | 63 | 12% |
| AIR BAGS | 62 | 11% |
| STRUCTURE | 31 | 6% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 25 | 5% |
| STEERING | 23 | 4% |
| SUSPENSION | 22 | 4% |
| SEATS | 18 | 3% |
What parts cost for the 2016 Nissan Rogue
Prices read from one AutoZone store for this exact year, make and model, covering 8 kinds of part and 210 products. AutoZone year, make and model catalog prices. Engine, trim, transmission and VIN fitment are not confirmed. They are what the shelf said on the day, not a quote.
| Part | Listed | Range | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery | 9 | $179.99 to $361.99 | $219.99 |
| Brake rotors | 34 | $39.99 to $321.99 | $98.99 |
| Brake pads | 60 | $23.99 to $196.99 | $55.49 |
| Engine air filter | 7 | $20.99 to $79.99 | $26.99 |
| Wiper blades | 70 | $8.19 to $53.49 | $25.99 |
| Cabin air filter | 8 | $21.99 to $38.49 | $25.49 |
| Oil filter | 12 | $6.99 to $18.99 | $12.99 |
| Spark plugs | 10 | $7.49 to $36.99 | $11.99 |
The cheapest way to keep it serviced
Taking the lowest listed price in each routine maintenance category, the filters, plugs and wipers for this car come to $65.65 in parts. That is parts alone, before labour, tax and the oil itself, and it assumes the cheapest option fits your engine.
Battery. 9 products listed, from the ACDelco Silver Battery 35 / Group Size 35SA at $179.99 up to the Odyssey Performance Group Size 35 Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Battery ODP-AGM35 at $361.99. A refundable core deposit of $22.00 is charged on top and returned with the old part. AutoZone's own labels account for 5 of them, starting at $179.99.
Brake rotors. 34 products listed, from the PowerStop Disc Brake Rotor JBR1106SCR at $39.99 up to the EBC Brakes Disc Brake Rotor Set USR7471 at $321.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 5 of them, starting at $98.99.
Brake pads. 60 products listed, from the R1 Ceramic Series Premium Brake Pads 2310-0905-00 at $23.99 up to the EBC Yellowstuff High Friction Organic Performance Brake Pads DP41954R at $196.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 11 of them, starting at $36.99.
Fitment is by year, make and model only. Engine, trim and transmission were not selected, so confirm the part number against your own car before buying. Prices change and vary by store.
How other model years compare
The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2018 Nissan Rogue has drawn the most complaints and the 2020 Nissan Rogue the fewest.
What to check on the transmission and driveline
Powertrain reports usually describe a shift that arrives late, lands hard, or hunts between gears, often worse when the car is cold or towing. Some describe a shudder at a steady cruise rather than a bang between gears.
Buying a used 2016 Rogue
Drive it from cold. A transmission fault that hides once warm is the most common thing a short test drive misses. Take it to highway speed, let it settle into top gear, then slow and accelerate again to make it downshift under load.
If you already own one
Get the fluid condition checked before anything else, and ask for the transmission control software level at the same time. Several of these complaints were answered by the manufacturer with a reflash rather than a rebuild, which costs a fraction as much.
- Test drive from cold, not after the seller has warmed it up.
- Ask whether a transmission software update exists for the VIN.
- Check the fluid condition and when it was last changed.
- Get any rebuild quote itemised into parts, fluid and labour.
Where the 2016 Nissan Rogue problem data comes from
Every figure on this page is counted from complaints and recalls published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, read October 12, 2026. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by the agency before publication. We count each complaint once per component it names, so a complaint naming two components appears in both rows.
- NHTSA recalls and complaintsRead October 12, 2026
- NHTSA record for the 2016 Nissan RogueRead October 12, 2026
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