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8 Troublesome Transmission Problems Of The Nissan Rogue

8 Troublesome Transmission Problems Of The Nissan Rogue

When you think about crossover SUVs, the Nissan Rogue must surely come to mind. The incredibly popular 5-seat crossover is one of the most popular Nissan’s in the US.

In this blog, we are doing a transmission overview of the last 3 generations of the Rogue and seeing how it fared. Here is a quick summary of our findings.

CVT transmission on the 1st and 2nd generation of the Nissan Rogue suffers from several problems like juddering, shaking, hesitation, and even complete failure. There are fewer problems reported after the 2018 model year, and there are currently no problems with the CVT unit on the 3rd generation Nissan Rogue.

We have observed 100s of NHTSA owners’ complaints, researched through all the Nissans technical service bulletins, and kept our eyes focused on any recalls affecting the Rogue’s transmission pallet. If you want to know all the details, make sure you don’t go anywhere. Keep reading!

Common Nissan Rogue Transmission Problems

We will list all the transmissions available in each generation of the Nissan Rogue and list their problems one by one. Let’s dig in! 

Third Generation – T33 (2021 – Present)

The third and current generation of the Rogue (dubbed the T33) features the following automatic transmission:

  • Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)

Judging by the fact that this is the only transmission available, it seems as though Nissan has complete confidence in the success of this gearbox. We hope they are right!

T33 Rogue Xtronic CVT Problems

If you do a Google search for “2020 Nissan Rogue Transmission Problems”, you will quickly be hit with search results listing all the various transmission problems of the third-generation Nissan Rogue.

Based on our research, there are no serious problems with this Xtronic CVT transmission, there are no technical service bulletins or recalls. 

The only real problem we have detected during our research is the fact that you need to push the gear selector forward in order to shift into Reverse. This is perceived as counterintuitive to some owners and potentially dangerous.

Other than that, there are currently no serious problems being reported. The search results that we mentioned are mostly false information based on the problems of the previous generations.

Second Generation – T32 (2014-2020)

Starting with the model 2014 model year, the second-generation Nissan Rogue was also available with a single transmission option:

  • RE0F10D CVT Automatic Transmission

These cars have had the time to rack up a significant amount of miles, which is why we expect there to be more reports on the potential transmission problems. Let’s see if that is the case.

T32 Nissan Rogue RE0F10D CVT Problems

Unfortunately, we cannot say the CVT unit in the second-generation Rogue is as problem-free as that in the third-generation. The RE0F10D CVT unit is known to jerk, judder, slip, hesitate and even fail completely before reaching the 100,000-mile mark.

These problems are supported by the numerous (250+) NHTSA owners’ complaints and many of Nissan’s technical service bulletins that tried to remedy these issues. We first read through the vast assortment of the NHTSA owner’s complaints.

An owner of a 2015 Rogue described the danger of these transmissions:

My teenage daughter was attempting to merge onto US 15-501 traffic and the vehicle wouldn’t accelerate, it kept hesitating. Oncoming traffic almost rear-ended her. She got off on an exit and stopped at the red light. When it turned green she had the same issue and it wouldn’t accelerate and continued to hesitate. She got it home. The vehicle was towed to the Nissan dealership and I was told the CVT transmission needs to be replaced.

NHTSA ID Number: 11451011

One of the first actions Nissan took was to offer the affected vehicles a torque converter replacement. This only applied to the 2015 model year Rogue and was applicable only if the symptoms clearly resembled torque converter problems. Refer to the NTB15-038 TSB to learn more.

Two years later, at the beginning of 2017, Nissan released the NTB16-121a. This TSB offered a voluntary transmission control unit (TCM) reprogramming to the owners of the 2014-2016 model year Rogues. The reprogramming, however did very little to resolve the numerous transmission problems.

Later that year, the NTB15-087a technical service bulletin instructed the technicians to replace the valve body on the 2014-2016 Nissan Rogue with the 4-cylinder engine. The valve body or even the entire CVT assembly was replaced if the diagnostic trouble codes matched those specified in the TSB.

Getting a new valve body or a complete transmission unit did resolve the problem. However, the same seemingly faulty transmission or parts were installed.

Due to the number of complaints related to the hesitation or the lack of power, Nissan also released the NTB15-086g technical service bulletin. If the technicians confirmed that the diagnostic trouble code P0776 was stored, the action based on this TSB was to replace the valve body or the entire CVT assembly if the CVT belt is slipping.

The same action was taken in the TSB reference NTB15-084c.

We have not seen as many complaints for the 2018 and 2019 model year Rogues. However, there still are some complaints and a rather long technical service bulletin. The NTB19-076a TSB instructs the technicians on how to handle CVT complaints and various diagnostic trouble codes. Based on this TSB, the owner of the vehicle could either receive a new control valve or a completely new CVT assembly.

If you are in the market for a second-generation Rogue, make sure that the transmission is thoroughly inspected. Inspect the service history and make sure the previous owner took action on each TSB if needed.

First Generation – S35 (2008–2013 as Rogue, 2014–2015 as Rogue Select)

The first-generation Nissan Rogue was launched simultaneously with the rise in popularity of the crossover SUVs. Dubbed the S35 by Nissan, the first-generation Rogue featured the following transmission.

  • Jatco RE0F10A JF011E CVT Automatic

Nissan was dedicated to making the CVT work for the Rogue right from the start. Looking back now, we don’t think it was the right move.

First-generation Nissan Rogue Jatco RE0F10A CVT Problems

As always, we are first interested in what the owners have to say. After our review of the NHTSA owners’ complaints, it is painfully obvious that this transmission caused a lot of backlashes. There are 100+ complaints containing serious problems and even complete failure in the 2008 Rogue alone.

Owners of these vehicles experienced everything from overheating, juddering, shaking, hesitation, unexpected deceleration, slipping and eventually, complete failure of the transmission. If you take the time and read some of the NHTSA owners’ complaints, you will see that we are not overexaggerating at all.

A Nissan dealership near Chicago, IL, described the issue best. They even included the prices of repairs for each issue. Click here to read their blog post.

Many owners complain due to an issue that seems to prevent the car from going past 3000 RPM. Oddly enough, this comes as a fail-safe function of the transmission and is addressed in the technical service bulletin reference NTB12-057. In this TSB, Nissan explains how this function might be perceived as low power or reduced engine performance.

This function can engage prematurely if there is too much CVT fluid, if there is incorrect transmission fluid or if the vehicle detects an improper coolant/water mix. To further explain this function, Nissan released the NTB14-002D TSB.

An owner of a 2011 Rogue complaints:

The CVT transmission would over heat numerous times in uphill drive after 30 miles driving. The overheating would result in sudden slowing of vehicle and loss of acceleration even when acceleration pedal is fully pressed. It puts vehicle to danger because it can be in front of fast moving vehicle.

NHTSA ID Number: 11476029

Nissan has done very little to prevent these problems; in fact, they never launched a recall campaign or revised the transmission during the time of manufacturing. Luckily enough, companies like Sonnax offer a catalog of aftermarket parts made to ease the ownership of these cars.

Other Problems Related To The Powertrain

During our research, we have come upon several other powertrain-related technical service bulletins that were also a common theme of many NHTSA owners’ complaints. If you are ever in the market for an AWD model Rogue, make sure you inspect the AWD components thoroughly. Replacing certain AWD components (rear differential, electric coupling, etc.) can be very expensive.

  • NTB20-069
    This technical bulletin relates to the 2014-2020 model year Nissan Rogue and shines a light on the vibration or judder feeling from the rear of the vehicle during the following conditions:  when making turns, on dry roads and at low speeds (under 40 MPH).

    Affected vehicles received a new AWD control unit or a new electric-controlled coupling for the rear final drive.
  • NTB20-081
    Owners of the 2021 Nissan Rogue experience vibration or a stick/slip/binding feeling from the rear of the vehicle when turning at low speed. Service technicians perform the AWD couple clutch break-in procedure to resolve the issue.

How Long Does A Nissan Rogue Transmission Last?

Unfortunately enough, we do not carry much confidence in the transmission reliability of the Nissan Rogue. The CVT in the first and second generations was prone to severe problems and premature failure. The expected lifetime is approximately 100,000 miles.

This figure is derived from the numerous NHTSA owners’ complaints and class-action lawsuits we reviewed. The technical service bulletins we listed did help resolve certain issues. However, many owners faced complete failure before they were able to get assistance.

There were fewer problems with the introduction of the 2018 model year and virtually no reported problems so far for the third-generation Nissan Rogue. Based on that, we currently expect the newest edition of the CVT to last at least 200,000 – 250,000 miles.

How Much Does A Nissan Rogue Transmission Cost?

Solving transmission problems is never a cheap trip to the service center. We want to help you by providing certain prices of eBay-sourced parts and prices of complete CVT units we find online.

  • New CVT transmission, applies to all generations, dealership price: 3000$ – 4000$
  • CVT stepper motor, applies to the 1st and 2nd generation, eBay: 40$
  • Pre-owned CVT unit, 2nd generation, eBay: 1000$
  • CVT Valve body, applies to all generations, eBay: 200$ – 300$
  • CVT chain belt, 1st and 2nd generation, eBay: 100$ – 200$ 

Closing Thoughts

While the Nissan Rogue has been a popular choice among crossover SUVs, it has not been without its share of transmission problems, particularly in the 1st and 2nd generations. These problems, including juddering, shaking, hesitation, and even complete failure, have caused significant frustration among Rogue owners.

It is crucial to stay informed about any potential issues with your vehicle, and the Rogue is no exception. If you experience any unusual behavior from your Rogue’s transmission, or issues with its liftgate and brakes for that matter do not hesitate to consult a professional mechanic or your local Nissan dealership for a thorough inspection and necessary repairs.

Here you can learn not only about the issues you may face with your Nissan Rogue but the type of fuel suits this vehicle best.

By staying proactive and addressing any issues promptly, you can ensure the safety and longevity of your Nissan Rogue. Stay safe on the road and happy driving!

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