YearToAvoid

2010 Nissan Rogue Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

13/100

#14 most-complained of 16 Rogue years

The 2010 Nissan Rogue ranks 14th out of 16 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 13 and a 'Best' verdict. NHTSA lists 282 complaints, 2 recalls, and 17 fire reports, with the top problem area being Transmission & Powertrain at 44% of complaints.

Complaints
282
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
10 / 17
Injuries / deaths
10 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
23.5
21.5 city / 26.5 hwy

Top 2010 Nissan Rogue problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain124 (44%)
  2. Engine98 (35%)
  3. Other40 (14%)
  4. Airbags39 (14%)
  5. Electrical System34 (12%)
  6. Fuel System26 (9%)
  7. Brakes9 (3%)
  8. Steering9 (3%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (3%)
  10. Structure & Body6 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners report smoke and flames emerging from the dashboard or passenger-side vents while the vehicle was parked or idling, sometimes requiring the fire department to extinguish the fire.
  • Some owners describe fires starting under the hood near the headlights while driving or parked, with smoke and a burning smell preceding visible flames.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a moderate-speed rear-end collision, resulting in injuries to the driver.
  • In at least one case, an airbag deployed but did not adequately restrain the passenger, leading to a head injury requiring staples.
  • One owner reported the brakes failing to engage at low speed, resulting in an accident shortly after the vehicle was purchased new.
2010 Nissan Rogue complaints: complaints filed per quarter322010 Q12012 Q12014 Q12015 Q42017 Q32019 Q22021 Q12023 Q1
398 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2025 Q1; peak 2015 Q3 (32).

2010 Nissan Rogue recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V032000Jan 26, 2015Electrical System468,815 vehicles

    Electrical system

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured March 7, 2007, to November 26, 2013, and 2014 Nissan Rogue Select vehicles manufactured September 23, 2013, to July 2, 2014. The affected vehicles may experience an electrical short in the harness connector due to a mixture of snow/water and salt seeping through the carpet on the driver side floor near the harness connector.

    Risk: An electrical short can cause a vehicle fire.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the kick panel wiring harness connector and will if necessary install a new harness connector and waterproof seal, free of charge. The recall began on February 26, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

  2. NHTSA 10V401000Sep 10, 2010Other7,948 vehicles

    Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)

    Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.

    Risk: Overheated batteries could result in a fire.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2010. Owners may contact garmin directly at 1-866-957-1981 or nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

2010 Nissan Rogue fuel economy and fuel cost

City
21.5 MPG
Highway
26.5 MPG
Combined
23.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,750
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other Rogue years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Best13282223.5
2011Best20362224
2012Best7318224

All Nissan Rogue years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Nissan Rogue a good used car to buy?
Compared to other Rogue model years, the 2010 has a 'Best' verdict, ranking 14th out of 16 years for reported problems with a complaint index of 13.
What is the biggest problem with the 2010 Nissan Rogue?
NHTSA data shows Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 44% of complaints, the largest share, followed by Engine problems at 35%.
Does the 2010 Nissan Rogue have recalls?
NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2010 Rogue: one for an electrical kick panel wiring harness connector and one for overheating batteries in an optional Garmin nuvi GPS unit. Neither is a do-not-drive recall.
Are there fire risks with the 2010 Nissan Rogue?
NHTSA records 17 fire reports for the 2010 Rogue, several tied to the Electrical System problem area, which accounts for 12% of complaints.
How does the 2010 Rogue compare to later years like 2017 or 2018?
The 2010 Rogue has a much lower complaint index of 13 versus 80 for 2017 and 87 for 2018, both of which carry an 'Avoid' verdict.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.