The Nissan Rogue has been gaining decent momentum in sales after receiving its first facelift back in 2011. With starting price of just over $20,300, the Rogue offers a good amalgamation of affordability, practicality, and daily usability. Essentially being in the class of SUVs that mostly end up as daily commuters, the ease of maintenance and dependability is crucial for this midsize SUV, something which it came out doing just in our short initial tests. However, the user complaints generally have been on the higher side, with the NHTSA recording over 500 for this model year, which is by far the highest in its class with CVT issues being the major contributor to this significant rise in complaint numbers. So, should you be even looking at buying one of these or should you just put down the money on something like the Honda CR-V, the Hyundai Tucson, or the Mazda CX-5? This section lists out all the issues with the 2013 Nissan Rogue which should help you out with that decision.
2013 Nissan Rogue User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
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Transmission/CVT Problems- CVT problems, like most Nissan cars in recent times, is one common problem that has been plaguing the 2013 Nissan Rogue as well. Users complain about experiencing a sudden loss of acceleration combined with whining noises, lurching, excessive vibration, and over-revving of the engine as if the transmission has been shifted to neutral before failure. Faulty torque converter clutch solenoid, valve body issues, and premature internal component wearing are some common faults found on this CVT unit. Though the former issues could be rectified by replacing the affected part, failure due to excessive wear does require a transmission replacement. The cost involved is reported to be around $4,000 without warranty coverage. Improper cooling leading to transmission overheating is also another common issue to what out for on the Rogue’s CVT.
Electric System complaints
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Wiring harness issues- The wiring harness that goes under the driver-side carpet on the 2013 Nissan Rogue may short due to moisture. A few owners have complained about getting a ‘burning-plastic’ odor inside the cabin with a few instances of fire officially recorded by the NHTSA. Random stalls, loss of electrical functions like exterior lighting and power windows, or premature drainage of 12V battery are some indications of faulty wiring. The manufacturer has a recall (ID- 15V032000) initiated to inspect and rectify this issue.
Structural Complaints
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Paint Peeling- The 2013 Nissan Rogue which has been optioned with the Pearl White paint job is subject to excessive coat peeling and chipping. As Nissan’s response was more or less laid back on this issue, a class action lawsuit even has been registered against the manufacturer. A settle meant has been rolled out to inspect and re-finish affected products, but multiple owners have complained about their VINs not being included.
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Faulty door locks- Serval issues regarding malfunctioning of the door locks on the 2013 Nissan Rogue have been recorded by the NHTSA. The locks do not respond intermittently to the key fob unlock request and owners are forced to unlock the vehicle manually. A stuck or unresponsive door handle is another common issue that several owners have been pointing out. Since no service bulletin or recall is available on these issues, the complaints are dealt with on a customer basis.
Safety Complaints
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Airbags Issues- Passenger side airbag issues have been common in the 2013 Nissan Rogue. Though the dealers have been approached with the issue, owners claim that no proper assistance has been provided. Recalls or warranty replacements are not available at the moment despite the frequency of occurrence and owners generally are forced to fix it at their expense.
2013 Nissan Rogue Recalls
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
26th January 2015 |
15V032000 |
Electrical short due to water seepage |
The affected vehicles may experience an electrical short in the harness connector due to a mixture of snow/water and salt seeping through the carpet on the driver side floor near the harness connector, increasing the risk of fire. |
The dealers will inspect the kick panel wiring harness connector and will if necessary install a new harness connector and waterproof seal, free of charge. The recall began on February 26, 2015. |
Should you buy a used 2013 Nissan Rogue?
With nearly 60% of the complaints prevailing against the Nissan Rogue coming soles under the transmission (CVT) issues, this midsize does come out to be a tough recommendation for us this model year. People browsing for a reasonably priced midsize SUV would mostly appreciate a trouble-free ownership experience and a $4,000 transmission replacement is something they probably won’t want to go through in under 100,000 miles of usage. This reason alone is enough to stay away from this SUV for 2013, however also knowing that this generation of the Rogue is soon to be replaced, this would be the worst year to get one brand new. However, if you are planning to buy one soon, the recently updated fourth-generation Honda CR-V or the brand new Mazda CX-5 would come out as better options.