Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Nissan Rogue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, before the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact noticed black smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact had the spark plugs and boots replaced. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that an abnormal sound was coming from the engine when the vehicle was restarted. The check engine warning light and the TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The failure had progressively worsened, and the vehicle was no longer driven. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of gasoline. …
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the battery, brake, and oil warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he pulled over and needed several attempts to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was shifted into drive(D) however, the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The contact had driven the vehicle to an auto parts store where a handheld scanner was used, and it was determined that the starter coil needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 174,785.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and made an abnormal rattling sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC codes: P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold), P0113 (Intake Air Temperature Sensor), P0101, and P0102 (Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensors). The independent mechanic replaced the intake air temperature sensor and the MAF sensors; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 206,669.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the contact saw smoke coming from the front driver's side hood. The contact pulled over in a neighborhood and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the smoke dissipated independently with the Service Engine Soon warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven home however, the following day the windows and key fob malfunctioned. The contact stated that the dealer and an independent mechanic were notified of the failure however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
My son was driving at a highway speed of 55 out of Lawrence, KS. He noticed left headlight flickering and starting to smoke. He immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle. At that point, the whole front of the car was engulfed in flames. Very dangerous. I can provide pictures but for some reason the upload information won't allow me to do it here. Fire department had to put it out and was a total loss.
The transmission on my 2012 Nissan Rogue failed without any warning. While driving the car suddenly stopped accelerating, RPMs increased, when breaking the car would shake as well as the break pedal and there was a loud shaking noise coming from the engine. My car did not have any warning signs or prior issues, one morning while taking my child to school and going to work, my car began to have issues. At first it would not accelerate as fast as it normally does and the RPMS would go high. At this time it also started to run very loud and there was a shaking coming from the engine. When I tried to brake, the brake pedal began to shake and almost felt as though the breaks were slipping and not catching properly. Eventually I was able to pull off of the main road into a parking lot. …
My car is jerking/bucking when I accelerate. I was told by 2 mechanics that it is due to a transmission issue. I also was told that they have seen this issue on several other Nissan Rogues. I believe this is a safety issue because jerking while driving is dangerous because this action might cause an accident and endanger the occupants of the car and other cars driving nearby. There was a light that came on immediately when the car started to buck. This frightened me because I never experienced this before, especially since I had my car checked a month and a half prior. I am now scared to drive it due to my safety and others, but also doing more damage to the vehicle. This car has had transmissions issues in other various years. Obviously there is a defect with the CVT transmission for more years than what has been reported. My car is available to be inspected upon request.
The CVT transmission is believed to be the issue, and it is available to be inspected upon request. While driving at highway speeds or up even a small hill the car suddenly and without warning loose power and acceleration, not accelerating past 3,000 RPM. There are times when I'm either stoped at a stop sign or merging lanes and power ceases causing other vehicles to preform an emergency stop to avoid from hitting me or causing me to swerve to avoid a collision. The problem has happened multiple times. It has not been inspected by the dealership or any police or insurance agents. There are no warnings lights that appear associated to the problem. When an OBD scanner is plugged in no codes or anything alarming is shown.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The check engine warning light and the ABS warning light illuminated immediately. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
When driving on the highway the vehicle will desegregate. Check engine light goes on and off and received 5 different codes for the transmission. Tire system comes on and off. The engine overheats a lot especially on hot climates. I drove from New York to North Carolina and had to stop 5 times on the side of the road so the car could cool down.
Engine complaints in other Rogue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2012 Nissan Rogue?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2012 Nissan Rogue, 14% of the model year's 318 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Nissan Rogue engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2012 Nissan Rogue, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Rogue engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.