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2012 Nissan Rogue

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

317 owner complaints · 2 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (43% of complaints, typically reported near 81k miles).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Complaint reports have faded — early issues appear resolved or aged out.

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)88
Severity (30%)83
Recall load (20%)95
Trend (10%)98

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20112026

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2012 Nissan Rogue, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miTransmission & drivetrain~81k mi · 136 reportsEngine~67k mi · 43 reportsElectrical system~60k mi · 41 reportsSpeed control~70k mi · 41 reportsAirbags~44k mi · 41 reports

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Transmission & drivetrain

43%

136 complaints · typically near 81k mi · 3 in the last 2 years

The rear transmission area makes a loud grinding noise on turns under 10 miles an hour. Needs a rear electronic coupler. Happening on many years of this car model

Engine

14%

43 complaints · typically near 67k mi · 4 in the last 2 years

That my engine stalled while I’m driving. And I almost crashed another car.

Electrical system

13%

41 complaints · typically near 60k mi · 3 in the last 2 years

I was looking at the fact that this car has 2 recalls for problems that I never bothered to check, but it's better to have everything in order. everything is in order.

Speed control

13%

41 complaints · typically near 70k mi · 2 in the last 2 years

1/2024 car loses power going from 70mph to about 40mph - dealership adjusted transmission fluid, 12/2024 started having power issues again dropping from 40mph to 20mph…

Recalls (2)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Electrical System · 15V032000

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. 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.

Risk: An electrical short can cause a vehicle fire.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and 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. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Tires · 12V068000

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. THUS, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138,”TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM.”

Risk: A NON-ACTIVE TPMS CANNOT WARN A DRIVER THAT A TIRE IS UNDERINFLATED. UNDERINFLATED TIRES CAN RESULT IN TIRE OVERLOADING AND OVERHEATING, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A BLOWOUT AND POSSIBLE CRASH.

Fix: ALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES ARE STILL IN DEALER INVENTORY. DEALERS HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO ACTIVATE ALL OF THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS.

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Nissan ROGUE beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2012? See how every Rogue model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2012 Nissan Rogue against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2012 Nissan Rogue as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.