There are a lot of things to love about the Nissan Rogue. An efficient, speedy little SUV that feels nice to drive, has high safety marks. And… a transmission that can feel like more trouble than it’s worth.
What exactly is wrong with the Nissan Rogue’s transmission?
Well, here are some of the common issues:
- Vehicle may not stay in Park
- Transmission jerks while driving
- Vehicle may not accelerate
- Vehicle may accelerate suddenly
Nissan has been using Continuously Variable Transmission, or CVT, as its main transmission design for the last couple of decades. Here’s what you need to know about that:
A Look at The Nissan Rogue Transmission
A conventional transmission transitions between different sized gears as necessary. It basically works like a more sophisticated version of a six-speed bicycle. A CVT achieves seamless transition by adjusting the belt diameter with a single set of moving cones.
This is why Nissans are so fun to drive. There’s no skip from gear to gear, it’s just one smooth ride. This is also why Nissans have so many transmission problems. These systems can be delicate and take a little more TLC than a conventional transmission.
4 Common Nissan Rogue Transmission Problems
Vehicle May Not Stay in Park
In several complaints, owners say that they put their Rogue in Park on an incline, and either immediately after stepping out of the car, or soon thereafter, they would hear a pop and see their vehicle rolling down the hill.
When the transmission goes, all you can really do is replace the transmission. You can check to see if your Rogue has been recalled at the NHTSA VIN lookup, and you may be able to prevent some issues by changing the transmission fluid every 50,000 miles. But there’s no easy fix for a busted CVT.
Transmission Jerks While Driving
Just about every problem you might have with your Nissan’s CVT starts with the transmission jerking on the road. It may start with a few little jumps here and there, and before long it’s rattling violently.
Once again: The fix is to replace the transmission. You can check for a recall, you can try to prevent it with frequent transmission fluid changes, but there’s no easy DIY fix for this one. Nissan has offered extended warranties as a result of their troubles with CVT, but have been slow to issue recalls.
Vehicle May not Accelerate
Several drivers have reported that their vehicle will stop accelerating in traffic. It may shift into neutral, or it may appear to be in gear while the RPMs climb but there is no forward motion.
If you have this issue and there’s no recall for your Nissan, check your warranty, and then file a complaint with the NHTSA. You can do it all online, and if a recall is issued as a result of enough complaints, you may even be reimbursed for the repair costs.
Vehicle May Accelerate Suddenly
In some instances, the Rogue may accelerate suddenly even when your foot is not on the pedal. You may be noticing a pattern here: Just about anything that can go wrong with a transmission can go wrong with a Nissan Rogue.
Same story: Keep your transmission fluid fresh, check for recalls, and read your warranty.
Should You Buy a Nissan with a CVT?
The problems listed above paint a dire picture of the Nissan Rogue’s CVT, but transmission problems aren’t exactly limited just to CVT, and replacing a conventional transmission isn’t cheap, either.
The real concern with the Rogue isn’t if CVTs are more prone to failure, but that Nissan often seems slow to issue necessary recalls. This can be a major deciding factor when buying a car.
