Is the Nissan Rogue high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Not especially. The Nissan Rogue is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark, it costs about $1,746 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $90 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Nissan Maintenance Care covers up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. Owners filed 0.341 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Rogues sold (2015–2022 sales), #5 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Verdict
About average
about average to maintain
Per year
$1,746
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,730
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
0.341 / 1k
Best for SUVs
Rogue maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,746 | AAA compact SUV (FWD), 11.64¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,730 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,460+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark: 11.64¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Rogue-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
Rogue service schedule highlights
From Nissan's documents for the Rogue:
- 2026: oil 7,500 mi/12 mo; cabin filter every 7,500 mi
- Spark plugs every 60,000 miles/96 months
- CVT fluid inspected in normal use; replaced every 60,000 miles under severe conditions
- AWD severe: differential and coupling oil every 15,000 mi/24 mo; transfer case every 20,000 mi/24 mo
Oil changes
Normal service: Rogue: 7,500 miles or 12 months. Altima: 10,000 miles or 12 months.
Severe or special conditions: Same as normal: Nissan's 2026 schedule lists the same oil interval for severe conditions on both models
Intervals come from Nissan's per-component schedule pages for the 2026 model year (default configuration, no VIN entered).
Included maintenance
Nissan Maintenance Care
Term: Up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first (announced for new 2025 Nissan vehicles; 2026 terms not confirmed on pages opened)
Covers: Oil changes with Genuine Nissan oil and filter, provided through Security+Plus Protection Plans. Excludes Nissan EVs, which are covered separately by EV Carefree+.
Nissan factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rogue — every 7,500 miles or 12 months |
| 2026 Nissan Rogue Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Rogue — every 15,000 miles or 24 months |
| 2026 Nissan Rogue Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Rogue — every 30,000 miles or 48 months |
| 2026 Nissan Rogue Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Rogue — every 60,000 miles or 96 months |
| 2026 Nissan Rogue Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Altima — every 10,000 miles or 12 months |
| 2026 Nissan Altima Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Altima — every 20,000 miles or 24 months |
| 2026 Nissan Altima Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Altima — every 30,000 miles or 36 months |
| 2026 Nissan Altima Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Altima — every 60,000 miles or 72 months |
| 2026 Nissan Altima Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| Altima — every 105,000 miles or 126 months |
| 2026 Nissan Altima Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
| 105,000 miles or 84 months (first) |
| 2026 Nissan Rogue Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) |
Common Rogue problems (NHTSA data)
Owners filed 0.341 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Rogues sold (2015–2022 sales), #5 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
- 6,994 owner complaints on file with NHTSA across all Rogue model years.
- Most-reported systems: electrical system (1,025), powertrain / transmission (609).
- Model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023.
- Best-rated years: 2020.
Complaints measure problems owners reported to the government, not repair bills: a high count signals more unscheduled repairs, which AAA's category benchmark doesn't adjust for. Rogue years to avoid →
How the Rogue compares in its AAA category (compact SUV (FWD))
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Rogue | $1,746 | 0.341 Best | About average |
| Mazda CX-5 | $1,746 | 0.246 Best | About average |
| Chevrolet Equinox | $1,746 | 0.353 Above average | About average |
| Honda CR-V | $1,746 | 0.497 Above average | Somewhat — above average |
| Kia Sportage | $1,746 | 0.508 Above average | Somewhat — above average |
| Subaru Forester | $1,746 | 0.525 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Tucson | $1,746 | 0.966 Below average | Yes — higher than most |
| Subaru Outback | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Escape | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Jeep Compass | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Porsche Macan | $1,824 | — | Yes — higher than most |
| Acura RDX | Not priced | 0.541 Average | Not priced |
| BMW X3 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Audi Q5 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Volvo XC60 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Corsair | Not priced | — | Not priced |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Rogue high maintenance?
Not especially. The Nissan Rogue is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark, it costs about $1,746 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $90 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Nissan Maintenance Care covers up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. Owners filed 0.341 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Rogues sold (2015–2022 sales), #5 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Is the Rogue expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,746 a year, $8,730 over 5 years. AAA 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark: 11.64¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Rogue-specific quote.
How much does a Rogue cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,460 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the Rogue need an oil change?
Nissan's published oil-change interval: rogue: 7,500 miles or 12 months. Altima: 10,000 miles or 12 months. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Nissan to maintain?
Of the 2 Nissan models we cover, the Rogue has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,746 a year (AAA 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark).
What Rogue years should I avoid?
Our NHTSA years-to-avoid analysis flags 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023. Owners filed 0.341 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Rogues sold (2015–2022 sales), #5 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Nissan's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- 2026 Nissan Rogue Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) — Nissan (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Nissan Altima Service & Maintenance Guide — component intervals (maintenance-schedules.nissanusa.com) — Nissan (opened 2026-11-06)
- New Nissan Maintenance Care service program enhances ownership experience (Nissan USA newsroom, Jul 25 2024) — Nissan (opened 2026-11-06)