The Nissan Rogue stands out in the now-crowded compact crossover segment with many goodies, especially a 7-seat configuration. At an MSRP of $23,300, the crossover goes against the likes of the Ford Escape, the Mazda CX-5, the Toyota RAV4, and the Honda CR-V. The price point also lends it a pretty impressive sales figure of nearly 200,000 units for the previous model year. The sales look very strong and durable for the class, but there are 6 recalls and 301 complaints as well that one needs to take a look into. The most common issue reported by the owners is the transmission failure that pops up randomly and is an expensive repair. The Rogue’s windows are no less trouble than the transmission, and so is the weak headlight setup that the crossover comes equipped with. Do these issues make it less ideal than its rivals? Let’s find out!
2016 Nissan Rogue Problems
Electrical issues:
- Headlight issues: The Rogue headlight issues consist of various niggles and problems that spiral out of proportion pretty quickly. To begin with, the most common issue is the bulbs blowing their fuses. This illuminates a headlight warning light in the instrument cluster. The issue begins due to improper sealing, especially on the passenger-side headlight, which lets moisture enter the lights and causes the fuse to blow. Such moisture also affects the throw of the light and reduces visibility at night.
- Driver-side window failure: The Rogue window issues are the most prominent on the driver’s side where there is a master switch. The issue is recurring and there have been many complaints seeking a solution to this issue. The complainants say that the window rolls down fine but does not go back up. The issue is more prominent when there is moisture in the atmosphere.
- Malfunctioning air conditioning system: The Rogue AC issues are also some of the most recurring ones and affect the customers during the summer season. The blower motor shorts and blows hot air into the cabin. This hot air causes distraction and uneasiness when the temperatures are already high outside the cabin. Another complementary issue to this is that the heating/ventilation on the seats malfunction and causes a lot of issues to the driver and the front passenger.
Mechanical issues:
- Transmission issues: The Nissan CVT issues have been reported for multiple vehicles in their stable and the Rogue is no exception. The gearbox is sluggish and doesn’t pick up pace very well. People complain that the gearbox skips pace and surges forward, causing near-collision incidents. Apart from this, the transmission slips itself to neutral from park which causes unintended acceleration and may injure someone. In some cases, the gearbox slipped to neutral while the crossover was moving. This caused a spike in the RPM and stalled the vehicle.
- Faulty Engine Control Module (ECM): The Rogue’s ECM fails and causes a loss in motive power of the crossover. Such failure is also responsible for stalling many units on the highway and putting the occupants at great risk of being rear-ended by any oncoming traffic. The ECM failures illuminate the instrument panel like a Christmas tree and are also a big distraction while driving.
- Suspension noise: Many people have reported a popping noise coming from the front suspension of the 2016 Rogue crossover. The noise increases whenever the car is at low speeds or doing tight steering maneuvers. The dealerships diagnose this as an issue with the suspension strut mount and bearing, which were replaced under warranty. The only concern is the failure happening at very low mileage vehicles.
Interior issues:
- Driver seat movement/noises: The Rogue seat issues are the most annoying ones when it comes to driving. The complainants argue that the seat of the Rogue moves a bit while braking normally. If not moving, the seats make a clicking or a clunking noise which is a very confidence-reducing factor while driving.
Exterior issues:
- Liftgate stay issues: Many people complain that the Rogue liftgate does not hold its position and comes crashing down. This has caused a lot of injuries to the people who open the liftgate and work in the boot, without expecting it to come crashing down. There are no visual/audible warnings to make the person beware.
Safety issues:
- Seatbelt restraining issues: The Rogue seatbelt issues are pretty dangerous and have resulted in a couple of deaths. People claim that the seatbelts don’t retract and stop the occupant in case of a crash. In one incident the driver suffered a seizure and lost control, losing control and getting fatally injured. The driver and the passenger were declared deceased just 36 hours after this incident. In another case, the driver had to endure 8 staples to his/her head after the seatbelt failed to retract the occupant in a crash.
2016 Nissan Rogue Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
April 15, 2016 |
16V219000 |
Structure |
Corrosion of the rear liftgate support stays may cause a sudden release of pressure and break the stays, increasing the risk of injury. |
Nissan will notify the owners and initiate a recall on November 18, 2016. The dealerships will replace the rear tailgate stays without any charge. |
|
2. |
April 26, 2016 |
16V244000 |
Airbags |
Incorrectly classified passengers due to an error in the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may hinder airbag deployment, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Nissan will notify the owners and send a notice on May 31, 2016. The dealerships will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) without any charge. |
|
3. |
December 19, 2016 |
16V911000 |
Airbags |
Incorrectly classified passengers due to an error in the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may hinder airbag deployment, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Nissan will notify the owners and initiate a recall on February 13, 2017. The dealerships will replace the ECU and update the OCS software without any charge. |
|
4. |
October 18, 2017 |
17V663000 |
Seats, Seatbelts |
Improper welding on the rear seat recliner joints on the lower seat frame increase the risk of injury in a crash. The affected vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS Numbers 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages”. |
Nissan will notify the owners and initiate a recall on December 6, 2017. The dealerships will inspect the seat frames and replace the faulty ones free of charge. |
|
5. |
November 14, 2017 |
17V716000 |
Seats |
Improper welding on the front seat passenger seat frames increase the risk of injury in a crash. The affected vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS Numbers 202a, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems”. |
Nissan will notify the owners and initiate a recall on December 6, 2017. The dealerships will replace the front passenger seatback assembly free of charge. |
|
6. |
January 21, 2022 |
22V024000 |
Electrical System |
Corrosion of the electrical connector for the harness under the dashboard due to water and salt intrusion increases the risk of a fire. |
Nissan is currently developing a remedy to the issue. Interim notices have been sent to the owners on March 2, 2022. A second letter is scheduled to be mailed once the remedy is available. |
Should you buy the 2016 Nissan Rogue?
The 2016 Nissan Rogue is a good vehicle for the price but there are a lot of issues that are a sure-shot deterrent to your purchase decision. No matter how sorted the crossover looks, there is a major safety issue arising from the seatbelt restraining issues. Apart from this, the CVT gearbox Nissan employs is criticized day in and day out by the owners. Adding to this is a recurring cost for the headlight and the driver-side window regulators which further deteriorate the whole ownership experience. We’d suggest skipping the 2016 Nissan Rogue due to the half-baked nature of the crossover and going for something better-finished like the Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-5.
