YearToAvoid

2011 Nissan Rogue Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

20/100

#13 most-complained of 16 Rogue years

The 2011 Nissan Rogue has a Complaint Index of 20, ranking 13th worst out of 16 model years, earning a "Best" verdict relative to other Rogue years. It has 362 complaints, 2 recalls, and no reported deaths.

Complaints
362
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
10 / 13
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
24
22 city / 27 hwy

Top 2011 Nissan Rogue problems

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

  1. Transmission & Powertrain189 (52%)
  2. Engine94 (26%)
  3. Electrical System55 (15%)
  4. Airbags45 (12%)
  5. Other36 (10%)
  6. Brakes17 (5%)
  7. Steering17 (5%)
  8. Structure & Body15 (4%)
  9. Fuel System7 (2%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners report the vehicle suddenly lunging forward or accelerating unintentionally while parking or at low speed, leading to crashes.
  • Several owners describe electrical fires starting in the engine bay or dashboard, sometimes while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, with the horn blaring before smoke appeared.
  • Some drivers report sudden unintended acceleration while underway at highway speed, causing loss of control and collisions.
  • One owner reported the airbag warning light coming on after a minor curb impact, tied to a malfunctioning occupant classification sensor.
  • A brake-related complaint describes the vehicle failing to stop when pulling into a parking space at very low mileage.
2011 Nissan Rogue complaints: complaints filed per quarter242010 Q42012 Q42015 Q12017 Q12019 Q12021 Q12023 Q12025 Q2
487 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q3 (24).

2011 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 11V565000Nov 23, 2011Steering7,365 vehicles

    Steering:electric power assist system

    Nissan is recalling certain model year 2011 rogue vehicles manufactured from august 17, 2010, through october 30, 2010. The circuit board may not have been installed in the correct position on certain electric power steering (eps) assist control units. This may cause additional stress on the solder of the terminal to the circuit board resulting in the solder cracking and separating completely from the circuit board.

    Risk: As the circuit board fails, the power steering assist feature will stop functioning, increasing the force needed to steer the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the eps control unit if necessary, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

2011 Nissan Rogue fuel economy and fuel cost

City
22 MPG
Highway
27 MPG
Combined
24 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,700
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.

2011 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
2013Caution53610124.5

All Nissan Rogue years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Nissan Rogue reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2011 Rogue a Complaint Index of 20, the 13th worst out of 16 model years, which earns it a "Best" verdict compared to other Rogue years.
What is the top problem area for the 2011 Nissan Rogue?
Transmission & Powertrain leads with 189 complaints, 52% of all complaints, and a median failure mileage of 84,076.5 miles.
Does the 2011 Nissan Rogue have recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 2 recalls: one for the electric power steering control unit (11V565000) and one for a kick panel wiring harness connector (15V032000). Neither is a do-not-drive recall.
Are there fire risks with the 2011 Nissan Rogue?
NHTSA complaints include 13 fires and 9 of them are linked to the Electrical System category, with several owners reporting fires starting while the vehicle was parked.
How does the 2011 Rogue compare to other years?
The 2011 Rogue's Complaint Index of 20 is much lower than years like 2023 (100) and 2018 (87), which carry "Avoid" verdicts, making 2011 a relatively better choice among Rogue years.

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.