The 2021 Rogue launched on a new platform with the VC-Turbo 1.5L three-cylinder as the primary engine, replacing the older CVT-plagued generations. Early signs point to catastrophic internal engine failures on the 1.5L turbo at surprisingly low mileage, while the 2.5L four-cylinder (less common) shows typical Nissan CVT concerns.
1.5L VC-Turbo Catastrophic Engine Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 30,000-70,000 mi
Symptoms: Sudden loss of power, severe knocking or rattling from engine bay, Metal shavings in oil, low oil pressure warning, Engine seizes or throws a rod without prior warning in some cases, Check engine light with misfire codes or cam/crank correlation faults
Fix: Complete engine replacement or rebuild required. Nissan has issued recalls for internal hard parts but coverage is inconsistent. Short block replacement typically 18-24 labor hours, full rebuild 25-30 hours if pistons, rings, bearings, and crank are damaged.
Estimated cost: $8,000-15,000
CVT Transmission Oil Cooler Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission overheating warning on dash, Limp mode or refusal to shift properly when hot, Pink or milky transmission fluid indicating coolant cross-contamination, Sudden loss of drive or erratic shifting after cooler ruptures internally
Fix: Replace transmission oil cooler, flush CVT and cooling system if contamination occurred. If coolant entered CVT, full transmission replacement often necessary. Oil cooler replacement alone is 3-4 hours; with CVT replacement add 8-10 hours.
Symptoms: Rear brakes dragging, abnormal heat or burning smell from rear wheels, Premature rear pad and rotor wear, often one side more than the other, Parking brake warning light or ABS activation during normal braking, Reduced fuel economy due to constant brake drag
Fix: Replace rear calipers (often both sides for even wear). NHTSA recalls cover some VINs but not all. 2-3 hours labor for both rear calipers including bleed and adjustment.
Estimated cost: $600-1,000
Backup Camera and Display Glitches
Occasional · low severity
Symptoms: Backup camera shows black screen, distorted image, or 'camera unavailable' message, Intermittent display freezing or failure to activate in reverse, Guidelines not displaying or misaligned on screen, Total infotainment system crash requiring hard reboot
Fix: Software reflash or camera module replacement. Recalls issued for some builds. Diagnosis 0.5-1 hour, camera replacement 1.5-2 hours if hardware fault, software update 0.5 hours.
Estimated cost: $200-800
Fuel Pump and Fuel Line Failures
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 15,000-60,000 mi
Symptoms: No-start condition, engine cranks but won't fire, Stalling at idle or under load, especially when fuel tank below half, Rough idle, hesitation, or loss of power under acceleration, Fuel smell in cabin or visible leak under vehicle near tank
Fix: Replace fuel pump assembly or repair/replace fuel lines and fittings depending on fault location. Recalls cover some VINs for pump and line issues. Pump replacement 2-3 hours, fuel line repair 1-2 hours.
Estimated cost: $600-1,400
Transmission Mount Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 40,000-70,000 mi
Symptoms: Excessive vibration at idle, especially in drive with brake applied, Clunking noise when shifting from park to drive or reverse, Abnormal movement or rocking sensation during acceleration or deceleration, Visible sag or misalignment of drivetrain when inspected on lift
Fix: Replace one or more engine/transmission mounts, typically the front or rear mount shows failure first. 1.5-2.5 hours labor per mount depending on location and access.
Estimated cost: $300-600
Owner tips
If buying a 1.5L VC-Turbo model, verify all engine-related recalls completed and request oil consumption test records—Nissan has extended warranty coverage on some VINs but not all
Change CVT fluid every 30,000-40,000 miles regardless of 'lifetime fill' claims; use only Nissan NS-3 spec fluid
Inspect rear calipers and brake lines annually, especially in rust-belt states—corrosion accelerates caliper seizure
The 2.5L four-cylinder is mechanically simpler and more reliable if you can find one, though less common in this generation
Hard pass on the 1.5L turbo unless it's a screaming deal with a bulletproof extended warranty—too many grenaded engines under 60k miles; 2.5L models are safer bets but still carry CVT risk.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
Be the first to unlock repairs for the 2021 Nissan Rogue
Procedures haven't been generated for this vehicle yet. Become the founding sponsor and we'll generate expert-grade, step-by-step repair walkthroughs for every common job on it — free for every mechanic and DIYer who looks it up after, forever.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL · 25V437000
2025-06-27
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
Consequence: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER · 23V791000
2023-11-22
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Rogue vehicles. The left and/or right rear brake caliper assemblies may be missing an internal bushing, allowing the O-ring seal to move and brake fluid to leak.
Consequence: A loss of brake fluid may reduce braking performance, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right rear brake calipers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 12, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC933. The two vehicles that were previously inspected under recall 21V-286 and did not receive a brake caliper replacement will need to have the new remedy completed.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION · 22V772000
2022-10-13
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2022 Titan, Titan XD, Frontier, and 2021-2022 Rogue vehicles. The in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system may continuously reboot when the vehicle is restarted, which can result in an inoperative rearview display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence: An inoperative rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The IVI software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R22B8, R22C1, and PC923/25.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rogue vehicles. The rear seat belts for the left-hand and right-hand rear seats may not retract properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 209, "Seatbelt Assemblies."
Consequence: Seat belts that do not retract properly may be difficult to operate, preventing their usage, which can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear seat belts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 27, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC915.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA · 22V527000
2022-07-21
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rogue, 2022 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Titan rental vehicles. When the Sirius XM subscription is set to "Not Subscribed," it may cause the infotainment head unit to reboot, resulting in an inoperative rearview camera. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence: An inoperative rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The Infotainment system software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 29, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22A5 PC901 PC902.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Rogue vehicles. Abnormal wear inside the fuel pump may cause it to overheat and fail.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R21B8.
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY · 21V474000
2021-06-24
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Rogue vehicles. The second-row upper tether wires may have been improperly welded to the seatback frame, preventing a child seat from being securely anchored. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Consequence: An insecurely anchored child seat can move during a sudden stop or crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear seatbacks as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC812.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER · 21V286000
2021-04-22
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Rogue vehicles. The rear left and/or right brake caliper assemblies may be missing an internal bushing, allowing the O-ring seal to move and brake fluid to leak.
Consequence: A loss of brake fluid may reduce braking performance, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and/or right rear brake calipers, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 10, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC804.
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS · 21V186000
2021-03-17
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Nissan Rogue vehicles. The incorrect wheel nuts may have been installed, and may loosen causing wheel vibration.
Consequence: The wheel vibration may break the wheel studs and cause the wheel assembly to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wheel nuts and replace any incorrect ones, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC799.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS · 21V068000
2021-02-11
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Nissan Rogue vehicles. The fuel hose may not be secured in the proper position and the fuel tank lock ring may not be fully seated.
Consequence: An improperly secured fuel hose may leak, increasing the risk of a fire. The fuel hose may also disconnect completely, causing the engine to stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, reposition and secure the fuel hose and lock ring, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC791.
Building an app?
Free API access to all this data — 50 requests/day, no card required.