2011 Nissan Rogue: engine and transmission complaints
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 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 48 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 60%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners 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 …
POWER TRAIN06/30/2025
No idea why. My transmission has went up again. After about 55k ish since it was replaced the last time. Done at the Nissan dealer and everything.
POWER TRAIN05/22/2024
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the contact smelled an abnormal odor after which the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer the vehicle to the shoulder before getting the vehicle to restart. The contact took the vehicle to a mech…
Three of 216 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 Rogu…
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
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 …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2011 Nissan Rogue
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.