2018 Nissan Rogue sport
The Verdict
The 2018 Nissan Rogue sport has 89 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (27 complaints) and brakes (18 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 76/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Nissan Rogue sport, consider the 2022 model year which has 87% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2022 has 87% fewer complaints
View the 2022 Nissan Rogue sport dashboard →
Klunk Score: Solid Pick
Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
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Worst Problems
Complaints
CVT issue my Rogue Sport has 81000 miles and now needs a transmission according to the mechanic shop. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Radiator cooling fan completely stopped working in 2023 and caused my car to overheat. Also caused all coolant to evaporate from the heat. Can not use AC at all without car overheating.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, the contact noticed an abnormal loud sound. The contact stated that all the air bags independently deployed. The contact stated that the deployed air bags impaired the contact vision. The contact held the steering wheel tightly. The contact stated that the vehicle veered off the road and into a desert. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed into serveral hills of dirt, tree branches and trees before coming to a stop. The contact crawled out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the front windshield was fractured and the front passenger's tire was bent at a 45 percent angle. A Police report was filed. The contact sustained minor cuts and bruises. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,436.
While driving my 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport the car began to overheat when i slowed down or came to a stop. I brought it to my mechanic who informed me the radiator cooling fan failed and had to be replaced. I found out that many Nissan Rogue Sport models have had this issue. I think it is a saftey isse when you car overheats....
2018 NISSAN ROGUE SPORT Cooling fan sudden stop and causing overheating in engine, warm air through AC, and AC clutch to shut off. Known problem with 2018-2020 NISSAN ROGUE models. Only an issue at lower speeds and when max air and coldest setting fan does not engage.
My 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport has been exhibiting intermittent CVT transmission hesitation for several months. The hesitation occurs regularly after stops and during longer drives, and the only way to temporarily resolve the issue is to turn the vehicle off and back on. The check engine light has also illuminated. My vehicle only has 67,000 miles on it. I brought the vehicle to a Nissan dealership where I was quoted $7,240 + tax to replace the full transmission assembly. I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs who declined to offer any assistance. This is a serious safety concern — the hesitation after stops creates a significant risk of accident, particularly in traffic. I fear that the transmission will fail completely while driving, potentially causing a severe accident. This appears to be a widespread and well-documented issue with Nissan's CVT transmission. I am requesting that this issue be formally investigated and that Nissan be held accountable
While driving my engine began to smoke, I had to pull over on a very dangerous highway. After getting the vehicle towed my mechanic determined that the engine over heated due to a faulty cooling fan on the engine. The head gasket now needs to be replaced, as well as the whole engine. He informed me this is a common issue they see in Nissan Rogue Sports. There were no warnings or issues noted. Only two months prior the car was serviced by the dealer.
On June 5th 2025, the radiator fan in my 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport stoped working while my idling in traffic and caused my engine to overheat and smoke. I immediately pulled over and turned off the engine to allow it to cool down. This problem could lead to catastrophic engine failure, warped cylinder heads, blown gaskets, and could even cause a fire, which places my safety and the safety of others around me in imminent danger!
I was stationary at a red light, and car traveling behind me at full speed (approximately 50-60 mph) did not stop and crashed into my car (rear-ending me). My airbags did not deploy: not even the side airbags, even though the trunk was crashed/pushed up into the middle of the car, damaging the side supports between the front and back seats. ALSO, the driver's seat reclined fully upon impact! This car has electric adjustable seats, so the seat has a mechanized gear that faulted.
There appears to be a problem with the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), while driving on 2 occasions, my Nossan 2018 roque automatically slowed down by itself and flashed a warning on the dash board and made an audible beeping sound. The tires also had friction against the road, showing the breaks activated on their own although there was no risk of an accident or obstacle in the way so t should not have activated. Thos seems dangerous because it slows the car down randomly and might actually cause an accident. It happened 22Dec2025 and about 6 driving sessions before that so it's a recurring issue.
The vehicle experienced a sudden failure of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) while in operation. The failure occurred at a four-way stop during snowy conditions when I attempted to proceed through the intersection and the vehicle would not initially move or transmit power to the wheels, leaving me stopped in the roadway and unable to clear the intersection, creating a safety risk due to oncoming traffic and reduced traction and visibility. At the moment of failure, the check engine light illuminated solid and remained on, and has not turned off since. Although the vehicle was able to move afterward and be driven to a dealership, it exhibited loss of normal drivability. The vehicle was inspected by a Nissan dealership, which diagnosed a failed CVT solenoid and advised that the transmission is expected to progress to complete CVT failure. The dealership provided a repair estimate consistent with a full CVT replacement. The vehicle has not been repaired due to the cost and remains unsafe to operate. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The manufacturer (Nissan) was contacted for goodwill assistance and denied coverage. I am aware of a prior lawsuit involving Nissan CVT transmission failures; however, my vehicle’s model year was not included in that settlement despite experiencing a similar failure.
The CVT transmission in my 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport is malfunctioning and poses a serious safety hazard. The vehicle hesitates, loses power during acceleration, and displays warning lights while driving. This failure creates extremely dangerous situations, especially when merging into traffic, accelerating from a stop, or crossing intersections. Despite the widespread CVT issues in Nissan vehicles and identical symptoms reported in other Rogue models, Nissan refused to repair my CVT because they claim the Rogue Sport is not included in the extended CVT warranty. I also requested Goodwill Assistance due to the clear safety risk, but this was denied as well. The dealer quoted me around $1,500 just to diagnose the CVT problem, with repair costs likely much higher. It is unreasonable for a critical safety component to fail at this mileage and for Nissan to reject all support. This issue continues to occur unpredictably, and the vehicle can suddenly lose power during normal driving, putting me and others at serious risk. Nissan has refused responsibility despite this being a well-documented, safety-related CVT defect. I am filing this complaint because the malfunction poses a risk of crashes and injuries, and Nissan has declined to address a known safety problem.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport. The contact stated that while her brother was driving 55 MPH on the Interstate, the hood flew open, struck and shattered the front windshield. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall and a case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.
The car would not start after it rained all day.I had it towed from my job at Walmart to Firestone and they said it was an electrical problem and that I need to have it towed to the Dealership .So I had it towed to the Dealership and they called me the next day and said it was an engine Harness.They also told me that this car was bought in March the 12th by the previous owner for the same problem.I brought this car from DriveTime on July the eleventh and they did not let me know that this car needed major work. Now they refuse to help me solve the problem.
In 2023, the car started rattling, smoke appeared near the engine, fluid leaked from the bottom of the car (front), the coolant tank began to overheat and bubble, and then the car would not turn on. Scheduled a maintance check at local auto shop, informed me a hose was loose and needed replacement. Hose was replaced. The same symptoms occurred a few months later. If the car is in idle, the coolant tank overheats, and the car shuts off. I took the car back to the same shop in September 2025, and they informed me that the issue is not with the hose. Instead, the coolant tank has a hairline crack, and the fan, thermostat, and coolant expansion tank need to be replaced.
The radiator cooling fan on 2018- 2020 Nissan Rogue Sports has failed and does not turn on, which causes the vehicle to overheat and the air conditioning system to stop functioning properly. This problem creates a significant safety risk, as the vehicle can quickly overheat when idling or driving in traffic, potentially leading to engine damage, vehicle breakdowns in unsafe locations, or even fire hazards due to overheating. The issue has been widely reported by many Nissan Rogue owners, and I have confirmed through online forums and news reports that there is an active class action lawsuit related to defective cooling fans in Nissan Rogue models. The cost of replacing the cooling fan is significant, often over $1,000, and there are widespread reports of shortages in replacement fan assemblies, making it difficult to repair the vehicle in a timely manner.
I was driving on a highway when my car began to stutter. It felt like the vehicle was struggling to accelerate, so I attempted to pull over to a side street for safety. However, before I could do so, the car completely lost the ability to accelerate and gradually came to a full stop. I managed to get it onto the shoulder just in time, but this occurred on a bend in the road, where visibility was limited and traffic was fast-moving. Multiple vehicles had to swerve suddenly to avoid hitting my car. Because the road was narrow, I couldn’t safely exit the vehicle without risking being hit. Police were called to the scene and had to park with emergency lights to protect me and other drivers from a potentially serious crash. A tow truck was dispatched, and the vehicle was transported to a Nissan dealership. The dealership confirmed that the CVT transmission had failed. This failure placed my safety and the safety of other drivers at serious risk, especially due to the sudden and complete loss of power in highway conditions. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms, the failure was immediate and catastrophic, transitioning directly from stuttering to full power loss. The vehicle has since been inspected by Nissan, and the diagnosis confirmed a total CVT transmission failure.
We have a 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport S fwd., and the AC began to cool off & on, then there was no air at all coming from the vents. Took the car to Firestone and they said it was the blower motor & blower motor resistor - so I had those replaced. Not even a week passes and there's a noise coming from the engine especially when ac is on and a vibration to go along with it. I carried it back to Firestone and they tell me it's the cooling fan, it wasn't wanting to turn off when car was shut off, so I have to make an appointment to bring in etc..etc.., 2 days later the cooling fan just stops working and the engine temp, of course, wants to run hot. So - the car isn't drivable in its current state, and from what I've been reading online, these cars definitely have some issues! I read that Nissan had recalled the year 2019 & up for these same problems ?! What about the 2017 & 2018s with the same issue?? Shame on you Nissan!! Knowing that you put a defected part in these cars that just stop working out of the blue, causing cars to over heat and could potentially cause unnecessary damage to engine. It's just wrong any way you look at it.
Last year our AC stopped working intermittently, took it to the Nissan dealership and they charged me almost $2,000 to replace the AC compressor. This year the Engine Radiator Coolant fan became an issue, the coolant fan bearing has something wrong with it and causes it to turn the ac off and overheat the engine. Possible causing catastrophic internal damage to the engine. It wasn’t until I was looking at forums to figure out how to replace the electric fan that I realized how many others had the exact experience, and then to find that they recalled 2019 and up. I believe they should have included 2018 and from what others have said 2017 as well.
For about a year now when starting my car I sometimes get a message that states No Key detected. I have two keys in the vehicle with new batteries. I does not do it all the time but often. Yesterday the car would not start at all. I pressed the buttons on the key fob several times to lock and unlock the doors and the car finally recognized the key was in the car. Once i started rolling out the garage the brakes locked up and I could not turn the wheel. Thankfully, I was able to stop before entering the street. I feel this is a manufacturers defect because I have had several people with Nissans say they had the same issue and paid over $1000 to get it corrected. My co worker was talked into trading hers in for another vehicle for the exact same issue. I made a claim with Nissan customer service. The case number is [XXX}. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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