Nissan Rogue Remote Start: The Full Rundown

in Model Info and Features
Nissan Rogue

Nissan Rogue by Wagon Master Johnson — CC BY-SA 4.0

We live in a world where convenience is everything. And rightly so – even after the year 2020, when the pace of life seemed to brake suddenly and leave skid marks on the pavement, we’re busier than ever, and it often feels like there’s not enough time in the day to get things done.

There’s no time to sleep, no time to eat, and certainly no time to let your car warm up on a chilly winter morning. Luckily, car manufacturers have found a way to swerve around that last point and give vehicle owners a few minutes of their life back.

Remote starts have been around for years, but since 2018 have quickly been moved from the nice-to-have list and into the necessities category. Nissan was one of the first car brands to offer remote start in their high-end vehicles, and today their most popular cars still sport this super-convenient feature. In this article, we’ll go over everything there is to know about the Nissan Rogue remote start: how it works, the ups, the downs, and what you can do instead.

What Is Remote Start?

Remote start is a feature on many new cars that allows you to turn on, warm up, or cool off your vehicle from inside your home, the parking lot, or the office.

One of the significant advantages of remote start is the ability to influence climate control within your car before you step into it. If your Rogue has been sitting in the sun or external temperatures are uncomfortably cold, remote start will get your vehicle going. If you have automatic climate control, adjust AC or heater settings to ensure the inside of your car is a comfortable experience. This also lets your engine get to temperature for maximum efficiency in colder weather.

Modern remote starts as part of a larger connective system, enabling you to control things like climate, security, and other settings and startup from an application on your phone. More traditional remote starts are operated via a button on your key fob and send radio signals to a receiver in your car to turn it on.


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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Nissan Rogue Remote Start

While not the first to introduce remote start into the global market, Nissan was still one of the early pioneers of the fob-based distance-ignition system. Their contemporary solution demonstrates the time and energy this manufacturer has put into perfecting remote start.

The Rogue rolled off the factory floor in 2007, the same year Nissan began introducing remote starts in its consumer vehicles. Early editions of the remote start system in Nissan vehicles had a frustrating glitch wherein the engine would shut off as soon as the driver opened the door.

This meant that, while your car might be warmed up, you still had to manually turn on the vehicle before you could drive, rendering remote start nearly pointless. This is a point that aftermarket remote start manufacturers quickly call out. Nissan has, of course, addressed this issue in its more recent vehicles, whose remote starts operate smoothly.


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To turn on your Nissan Rogue using your key fob, follow these steps:

  1. Push the lock button on your key fob.
  2. Within the next 5 seconds, push and hold the remote-start button for at least 2 full seconds.
  3. Your Nissan Rogue should be on and will continue running for the next 10 minutes.

The Rogue also offers a free trial of the more tech-savvy Nissan Connect system, which you will need to enroll to use. You can use NissanConnect to turn on your vehicle from your smartphone or your voice to operate either Amazon Alexa or your Google assistant. This application was initially imagined as an infotainment system and now includes such functions as remote start, remote locking/unlocking, and remote vehicle status updates.

To connect your Rogue to the NissanConnect app, follow these steps:

  1. Download the NissanConnect app from the Apple store or Google Play.
  2. Login to your NissanConnect account, or create a new one if you are a first-time user.
  3. Enter your Rogue’s vehicle identification number into the app to begin the pairing process.
  4. Find the pairing code on your Rogue’s infotainment display.
  5. Enter the pairing code into your NissanConnect app.
  6. Activate connectivity.

And you’re done! You should now be able to remote start your car from your NissanConnect application.

Nissan Rogue Remote Start: The Downsides

The expense is the only major downside to the Nissan Rogue’s remote start. Once your NissanConnect trial has expired, you must get a paid subscription to keep enjoying the service. This will cost Rogue owners 11.99 per month, or 24.99 per month if you decide to spring for Premium Plus.

And even getting access to remote start in the first place will cost you upfront. Remote start is not a standard option on the base model Rogue S FWD, selling new for $25,850 MSRP. To get a remote start, you need to go for the upgraded Rogue SV FWD, which will cost you $2,000 more for the extra features. Of course, the Rogue SV also has upgraded features such as standard driver assistance, advanced safety systems, and more, which might make the added cost well worth it.


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Nissan Rogue Remote Start: Other Options

If your Nissan Rogue doesn’t already have a remote start, consider purchasing one of the many plug-and-play aftermarket kits available at various price points and functionalities. Because they come from specialist manufacturers, some of these setups have a much longer range than car brand remote start systems and will increase the distance you can successfully start your Rogue. You can find straightforward push-button designs or get more complicated setups integrated as part of a more extensive security system.

Alternatively, you can replace your regular oil with winter oil if you live in a colder climate and only need a remote start to help your engine warm up. Engine lubricants designed for optimum function in cold weather require less heat to reduce viscosity and will take less time to warm up on chilly mornings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Remote Start available in all Nissan models?

The Nissan Remote Start feature is only available in select models. To know whether or not your car has a remote start, look for the circular arrow on your key fob. Otherwise, you can access the Remote Start feature via the NissanConnect app for iOS and Android.

How do you activate the Remote Start feature in your car?

Before using the Remote Start feature, you’ll have to download the NissanConnect app to your smartphone. After which, that’s when you can access the feature via the app. Alternatively, you may access the Remote Start feature through the MyNISSAN Owner portal.

How long does your engine run after using Remote Start?

Once you have used Remote Start to turn on the engine, it will continue to idle for 10 minutes. However, you can extend the idle time for another 10 minutes by giving the command through the smartphone app.

Is Remote Start illegal?

The act of engaging the engine via Remote Start isn’t illegal. However, in some states, keeping the engine running for extended periods is unlawful. Some states have anti-idling laws that make it illegal to let your car idle without a driver in it.



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