2020 Nissan Rogue Problems and Top Complaints – Is Your Car A Lemon?

Automatic Emergency Braking System, electrical and powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners

Updated on Author: Brian Jones

With SUVs taking over the road, one might wonder what makes the 2020 Nissan Rogue special. The automaker claims it makes owners “feel at home on the road,” but relaxing in a house isn’t nearly as frightening as driving this vehicle. With a defective electrical system, malfunctioning powertrain, troublesome structure and scary service brakes, this vehicle puts people in a lot of danger.

Click on other model year to view more problems:  2019   2021   2022   2023

Problems with the Electrical System

With a properly functioning electrical system, the new tech advances and critical systems run as they are supposed to. However, the Rogue is suffering from multiple complaints.

Here is one Edmunds review to consider. “There is a feature on this dashboard called Android Auto, an app that connects your phone to the dashboard. It worked for a couple weeks then stopped. The dealer can’t fix it cause it’s an app issue and the app people have been trying to fix it over a month with no luck. I tried buying a new phone and it still doesn’t work properly. Now I am stuck with a vehicle that I bought for certain features that do not work.”

While that review focuses on the comfort features, there are more dangerous occurrences happening behind the scenes. Service Bulletin #NTB19-071 discusses trouble with the Occupant Sensor Unit, which could prevent the air bag from deploying properly. To ensure customers “feel at home on the road,” it might be better to bring some pillows along for the ride. At least there would be some protection during an accident.

2020 Nissan Rogue Complaint Summary

Complaint CategoryNumber of Complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
43
43
Service Brakes
30
30
Electrical System
22
22
Unknown Or Other
21
21
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
16
16
Air Bags
9
9
Vehicle Speed Control
8
8
Engine
7
7
Power Train
6
6
Seats
5
5

Transmission Problems

As part of the powertrain, the transmission is a vital aspect of a smooth ride. Yet, this is one more part that seems to disappoint customers.

Another Edmunds review states, “The car is nice but the engine is sluggish and the CVT transmission from Nissan seems to have a habit of failing from all the research I have done. I have had one CVT fail five months after warranty expired of course. I will NOT use a CVT again.”

Aside from performance, there are mechanical issues with this transmission. Service Bulletin #NTB17-003a talks about fluid leaking because of a bad transfer assembly. Without a replacement right side drive shaft seal, the fluid would run out and cause major transmission failure. Is this something new SUV owners should be concerned about? Not typically. At this point, if a customer wants to feel at home, it might be best to simply stay there.

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Problems with the Vehicle Structure

No one expects a new vehicle to start falling apart at the seams, but that’s exactly what is happening with the Rogue.

Just read this Edmunds review. “We have been generally happy with our Rogue SE, but they had a serious screwup in their painting department. We have had a brand new 2020 car for four months, and it has 3 doors with rust spots!”

Among Nissan’s communications, there is nothing said about paint defects or rust. At this point, it’s a problem that Nissan doesn’t want customers to be aware of. Instead, the company is hoping customers will simply focus on the “home-like” ride that is offered and forget that there is paint falling off of the sides of the SUV. At worst, the chips of paint can serve as a breadcrumb trail to lead you home.

Problems with the Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEB)

Rounding out the list, a look at the braking system is required. This defective system appears to be causing some dangerous issues on the roadway.

One NHTSA complaint states, “On today, February 27th, at approximately 12:56pm, I was driving my 2 week old 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport on 31st heading south to state street in Chicago, Illinois suddenly applied to brake with flashing warning lights and sirens, with no obstruction in front of the vehicle. However, there was a van behind me which may have caused an accident as my fault. I then parked my vehicle and contacted the dealer and I was told that if it happens again to bring the vehicle to the dealership for an inspection because once the ignition is off the diagnostic wouldn’t read.”

Once again, the Nissan camp is strangely quiet. If the company is hoping to provide peace of mind to customers, there are things that must be addressed. Anyone who does research into this SUV knows that it would be entirely better to remain home if that is what the owner wants the ride to feel like. However, if someone is looking for a thrill ride that can be dangerous, the Nissan Rogue is the ideal option.

Your Lemon Law Legal Rights

Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Nissan pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.

 

Brian Jones

About the Author:

Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.

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6 COMMENTS
  • Renee F

    I am so disappointed with my black 2020 Rogue. The paint chips and scratches very easily. I have road rash on my hood and have not had this car 2 years! I am not hard on my cars and my Ford Escape did not do this! I love the safety package it has but I wish I had never bought it and I’m in it for my finance duration. I’m not sure how to remedy this!

  • KD

    I brought my 2020 Rogue SV in February of 2022. Problem with my bumper didn’t show up for 30 days or so. They are not tight to the body of the car. I too can see the clips. Nissan needs to fix my bumper this problem.

  • Patrick

    I bought mine with 18k miles on my 2020 rogue sport and i stopped near a car and the brakes grabed weirdly like a grinding sound. I have small paint knicks and also. The car clicks real quick on start up and i wait then i push it softly and it turns over real soft a couple times then fires up. A yeallow triangle with exclamation and red car with key stays on. The fob is starting to not recognize my car also. Two auto parts said well its the altenator other says battery and no codes are putting out. Seevice dept says they have no clue about what they are doing now they are charging me 400 for battery not sure why i have all these warranty and nothing covered

  • Micki G

    I bought my 2020 Nissan Rogue in January 2021 and whenever I lock my car with the fob it has a history of random beeps – 2 sets of 3 beeps. The dealer told me it was because both of my fobs were on the same key chain. I now leave my spare one at home and the issue continues. Recently when I use my fob to lock the door the beep is very faint. Also when it’s very cold the accident/collision warning light flashes until the car warms up. I have also had the weird brake issue out of nowhere – once as I drove down the road at 50 mph with nothing in front,on the side, or behind me. I have an appointment with the dealer about these issues. I have little white nick like marks on my hood’s paint as well as the small uneven area on my front driver’s side bump. It sounds like I have the same issues as both of the previous posts. Yikes. I bought the car with 29 miles so I guess that’s considered new. I currently have just under 15K. I may be trading her for a 100K miles warranty Hyundai.

  • Kira

    I bought my 2020 Nissan Rouge in August and as soon as I turned the fan on, it rattled my car! This issue was, I believe, a unique incident, however, the dealership sold me a car that clearly had something wrong with it. When I took it in, a rodent has chewed through and made a nest in my air filter. This caused the dealership to completely open up my dashboard to get to the issue.

    The bigger issue that I am now experiencing is my brake warning light has been coming on. The first time it can on, I refilled the fluid, though it seemed extremely odd that I would be doing this about 7000 miles. The next day (2/25/2021) I was driving on an empty road and my automatic brakes kicked in. There was clearly no obstruction in front of me and my brakes kicked on in the middle of driving. I found this extremely odd and unsettling but brushed it off. The next day (2/26/2021), my brake fluid light kicked on once again. Unfortunately, it is now a Saturday and the dealership service shop is closed after noon on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. I do NOT feel safe in my, what is supposed to be, brand new, reliable car.

  • Gregory

    I brought my 2020 Rogue sv 6 months ago now. I wouldn’t think the body would have problems this early. My bumper isn’t tight on the body it’s about a 1/4 inch off the body. I can see the white clips this shouldn’t be. The service department at loyalty Nissan trying to say that’s standard. I’ve seen a lot of rogue that don’t have this problem. I want my car bumper fixed.

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