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2011 Nissan Rogue problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
69%
216 of 314 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

69% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2011 Nissan Rogue are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 91% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 48 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 60%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Nissan Rogue have transmission problems?

Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 216 of 314 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Rogue concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (69%), and the largest group is filed under power train (189). For comparison, the 2010 scores 67% and the 2012 scores 65%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
216
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
362
this model year
Fires reported
13
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
10 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN189 · 52%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL62 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM52 · 14%
AIR BAGS45 · 12%
ENGINE45 · 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER36 · 10%

The years either side

2010
67%
160 of 282
2011
69%
216 of 362
2012
65%
181 of 318
2013
76%
396 of 610
2014
58%
206 of 440
2015
43%
187 of 553
2016
50%
229 of 540
2017
39%
225 of 672
2018
17%
113 of 703
2019
19%
78 of 436
2020
20%
39 of 210
2021
34%
104 of 324
2022
79%
215 of 277
2023
67%
479 of 728

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Nissan Rogue

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN12/26/2025
The CVT transmission started to fail. 1 day it started jerking some. 2 or 3 times. The next time was more jerking and harder. The last day the jerking was longer in length of time. Then the transmission became a little louder. The jerking was constant with acceleration. We made it home and parked the car. I did not …

One of 216 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Nissan Rogue?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2011 Nissan Rogue, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

2 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electrical system15V032000 · Jan 2015
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…
steering: electric power assist system11V565000 · Nov 2011
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Nissan Rogue? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2011 Nissan Rogue

Does the 2011 Nissan Rogue have transmission problems?

Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 216 of 314 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Rogue concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (69%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Nissan Rogue?

No. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2011 Nissan Rogue, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Nissan Rogue years are better?

Among the Nissan Rogue years we track, the 2018 (17%), the 2019 (19%) and the 2020 (20%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2011 (69%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2011 Nissan Rogue?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2011 Nissan Rogue has an elevated transmission complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing transmission work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.