The Nissan Rogue Sport Years To Avoid
Nissan Rogue Sport by Kevauto - CC-BY-SA-4.0
Nissan used to be one of the best car manufacturers around, standing shoulder to shoulder with Japanese giants like Honda and Toyota. However, due to the growing competition in the auto industry and Nissan’s own issues, the company just can’t enjoy a semblance of popularity these days.
Despite its decline, Nissan still sells a few of the most popular vehicles in the market, including the Nissan Rogue. The Rogue strikes a good balance between size and capability, making it an ideal choice for many different types of drivers. Plus, the compact SUV offers a wide variety of features for its price, including comprehensive standard safety technologies and an upmarket interior.
Nissan introduced the Rogue Sport to cater to SUV enthusiasts’ demand for a smaller, city-friendly vehicle option. Also known as the Qashqai in some markets, the Rogue Sport is a compact version of the standard Rogue, providing buyers with the utility of an SUV but in a more convenient size.
THE MOST RELIABLE YEAR FOR THE NISSAN ROGUE SPORT
The Rogue Sport had a short run between 2018 to 2022 models. In this guide, we’ll review the entire lineup and identify the most reliable Nissan Rogue Sport year and the ones to avoid altogether.
Today, we walk you through the Nissan Rogue Sport years to avoid, our reasons why you should avoid them, and which ones you can safely buy as used. Let’s dive right in.
Which Nissan Rogue Sport Years to Avoid?
The Nissan Rogue Sport was generally considered to be a reliable vehicle. However, as with any car, the reliability can vary based on the specific model year. Below are the Nissan Rogue Sport years to avoid when buying used:
- 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport
- 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport
2017 Nissan Rogue Sport
Here at CoPilot, we generally recommend being wary of buying a first production year of any vehicle – the 2017 Rogue Sport is no exception. According to CarComplaints.com, the 2017 Rogue Sport has 51 complaints and one recall. The top issue with this model year is the loss of power while driving, as many drivers complained about the lack of power, hesitations, jerking, and stopping and restarting.
Moreover, Consumer Reports was not so thrilled with the 2017 Rogue Sport, with a dismal reliability rating of 1.0 out of 5.0, citing trouble spots like engine, transmission, drive system, and more.
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Nissan’s Faulty CVT Transmission
Unfortunately, the 2017 Rogue Sport had Nissan’s highly-problematic CVT transmission. As a result, frustrated drivers encountered the following issues:
- Transmission Failure: In some cases, Nissan CVTs were reported to experience premature failure compared to regular automatic transmissions. This could involve the car no longer being able to change gears, effectively leaving the vehicle immobile.
- Loss of Power: Some owners have reported a loss of power with Nissan’s CVT. This can be particularly dangerous when accelerating or overtaking another vehicle on the highway.
- Overheating: CVTs can overheat, causing the vehicle to go into a fail-safe mode which can significantly limit engine power.
- Jerking or Shuddering: Some drivers have experienced a jerking or shuddering sensation when accelerating.
These gearboxes caused so much trouble and hassle that Nissan was forced to recall their vehicles with CVTs throughout the 2000s to 2010s – including the 2017 Rogue Sport.
Nissan has responded to these issues over the years, extending the warranty on some of its vehicles and initiating several recalls. By the mid-to-late 2010s, many of the CVT issues had reportedly been resolved or at least reduced. However, it’s always worth checking for transmission issues if you buy a used model.
2018 Nissan Rogue Sport
Unfortunately, the following year was also one of the worst Nissan Rogue Sport years to avoid due to a wide range of reliability issues. Some common problems reported by owners of the 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport were similar to the complaints about the 2017 model. As per CarComplaints.com, the 2018 Rogue Sport received over 80 user complaints and two recalls.
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Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Issues
Many drivers have reported issues with the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in some Nissan vehicles, including the Rogue Sport SUV. This system uses radar technology to monitor the vehicle’s proximity to the car ahead. It can issue warnings and apply the brakes to help avoid or reduce the severity of a frontal collision.
However, some owners reported that the AEB would sometimes activate unexpectedly when there was no risk of a collision. This could cause the vehicle to suddenly brake while driving, potentially leading to accidents and increasing your risk of being rear-ended by a car closely following behind.
As you might expect, this issue led to a class action lawsuit alleging that the AEB activates and deactivates suddenly without warning. According to the case, the culprit of the AEB malfunction was due to the Continental ARS410 radar sensors used by almost all Nissan vehicles, including the 2017-2021 Nissan Rogue Sport models.
As of this writing, this issue is still under investigation, so it’s best to avoid the 2018 Rogue Sport.
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We looked into price, reliability, features, and more to create this list of the best used SUVs under $10k on the market today. Take a look - some of the best used SUVs have gone mostly overlooked or forgotten.
Which Nissan Rogue Sport To Buy?
Fortunately, the rest of the Rogue Sport lineup is looking good in terms of reliability and longevity. Below are the best Rogue Sport years you can safely buy as used.
2019 Nissan Rogue Sport
The 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport had a few complaints, so there’s not much data on its long-term reliability. However, many critics have praised this compact SUV for its predicted reliability.
For instance, Consumer Reports rated the 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport quite favorably with a perfect 5.0 out of 5.0 score in reliability. It did well in several major trouble spots like the engine, transmission, drive system, suspension, brakes, and body hardware. However, the 2019 Rogue also struggled in the climate system and in-car electronics category.
Safety-wise, the 2019 Rogue Sport includes a number of advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Plus, higher trims include Nissan’s semi-autonomous driving aid, ProPILOT Assist.
Despite its compact size, the 2019 Rogue Sport offers impressive cargo space, making it a versatile compact SUV. It also has good fuel economy for its class, making it a good option for those conscious about fuel costs.
If you don’t mind a newer used Nissan Rogue Sport, the 2019 model year is a solid choice.
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