2012 Nissan Rogue: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
317 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Rogue is an unusual case: its complaint counts through the CVT era (2013–2018) are moderate rather than severe, because the Rogue's transmission calibration and cooling were revised earlier than the Altima's. The 2013–2018 years score between 65 and 83. Read the full note on the model page. 2012 specifically: a year the record favours — 317 complaints, score 87/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Nissan's CVT problem: the Altima, Sentra, Rogue and Pathfinder years to avoid, including 2012 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 317 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 22.64
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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.
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 X…
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 daught…
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 12V068000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 MURANO AND ROGUE VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 23, 2011 THROUGH JANUARY 11, 2012. DURING ASSEMBLY, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) WAS NOT ACTIVATED. |
| 15V032000 | 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 Rogue Select vehicles manufactured September 23, 2013, to July 2, 2014. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train136 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other44 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine43 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System41 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control41 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Air Bags41 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Nissan Rogue years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Nissan Rogue?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (136 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Nissan Rogue a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 87/100, computed from 317 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Nissan Rogue's most common problem?
136 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Nissan Rogue sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Nissan Rogue cost to run per year?
About $5,499 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,498 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Nissan Rogue have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Nissan Rogue, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 22/02/2012. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Nissan Rogue really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 317 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 317 NHTSA complaints on record (22.6/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (53.8/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems