YearToAvoid

2020 Nissan Rogue Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

0/100

#16 most-complained of 16 Rogue years

The 2020 Nissan Rogue ranks best (16th of 16 worst-first) among all model years, with 151 complaints, a complaint index of 0, and 1 recall. Most complaints involve collision avoidance and camera systems (38% share), followed by electrical (23%) and brakes (22%).

Complaints
151
Recalls
1
Crashes / fires
9 / 6
Injuries / deaths
6 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28
25.5 city / 32 hwy

Top 2020 Nissan Rogue problems

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

  1. Collision Avoidance & Cameras57 (38%)
  2. Other36 (24%)
  3. Electrical System35 (23%)
  4. Brakes33 (22%)
  5. Structure & Body17 (11%)
  6. Engine13 (9%)
  7. Airbags8 (5%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (5%)
  9. Seat Belts4 (3%)
  10. Steering4 (3%)

What owners report

  • Automatic emergency braking activates unexpectedly at low speeds, sometimes causing the vehicle to be rear-ended or to slide off the road in slippery conditions.
  • Backup safety sensors and rearview cameras reportedly fail to detect nearby objects, leading to low-speed collisions while parking or backing up.
  • Some owners report the engine catching fire, both while driving and while parked, with visible smoke or flames from under the hood.
  • Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration at low speed, including one case where the vehicle accelerated through a garage and struck a tree.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy during crashes, including a case involving a total-loss collision.
  • Front subframe cracking and bending has been reported, discovered during routine service visits.
2020 Nissan Rogue complaints: complaints filed per quarter212020 Q12021 Q12022 Q12023 Q12024 Q12025 Q12026 Q1
226 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2020 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2021 Q1 (21).

2020 Nissan Rogue recalls

1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 23V093000Feb 16, 2023Electrical System712,458 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:immobilizer/proximity:key/sender

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Rogue and 2017-2022 Rogue Sport vehicles equipped with a jackknife style ignition key. The jackknife key may collapse into a folded position while driving.

    Risk: Driver contact with a key in the collapsed position could inadvertently shut off the vehicle while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, if the vehicle shuts off while driving, the air bags may not deploy in a crash as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will insert a spacer into the key slot of the jackknife key, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed March 29, 2023. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.

2020 Nissan Rogue fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25.5 MPG
Highway
32 MPG
Combined
28 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,325
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.

2020 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
2018Avoid87668331
2019Good47337331
2020Best0151128
2021Good402881031
2022Good27237131.5

All Nissan Rogue years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Nissan Rogue reliable?
Among the 16 model years with data, the 2020 Rogue ranks best, with a complaint index of 0 and 151 complaints logged with NHTSA.
What problems does the 2020 Nissan Rogue have?
The largest share of complaints, 38%, involve collision avoidance and camera systems, followed by electrical system issues at 23% and brake issues at 22%.
Does the 2020 Nissan Rogue have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2020 Rogue, covering a jackknife-style ignition key that can collapse into a folded position while driving; this is not a do-not-drive recall.
How does the 2020 Rogue compare to other Rogue model years?
The 2020 Rogue's complaint index of 0 is far lower than the 2023 Rogue's index of 100 and the 2017 and 2018 Rogues, which are marked Avoid with indexes of 80 and 87.
What is the median mileage for reported failures in the 2020 Rogue?
Across all problem areas, the median mileage at failure for the 2020 Rogue is 9,200 miles, with brake complaints occurring at a median of 5,300 miles and collision avoidance issues at 8,000 miles.

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.