Head-to-head reliability
Nissan Rogue vs Nissan Frontier
How the Nissan Rogue and Nissan Frontier compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Nissan Rogue vs Nissan Frontier: The Rogue averages 315.6 complaints per year with 42 recalls, including engine stalling and brake failures. The Frontier averages 1.7 complaints per year with 2 recalls, mainly for transmission hesitation and airbag lights. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Nissan Rogue or Nissan Frontier more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue, a compact SUV, has a high complaint rate averaging 315.6 per year over a decade, with 42 recalls. Owners report a wide range of failures, from engine stalling and brake surging to malfunction warnings and sunroof explosions, suggesting a vehicle that may be unreliable and unpredictable in daily use.
Nissan Frontier
The Nissan Frontier, a midsize pickup, has a very low complaint rate of 1.7 per year and only 2 recalls. Reported issues are limited to electrical glitches, transmission hesitation, and airbag warning lights, indicating a generally reliable vehicle with minor, isolated problems.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Nissan Rogue | Nissan Frontier |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 3,156 | 17 Better |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 42 | 2 Better |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 176 | 1 Better |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 315.6 | 1.7 Better |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 173 | 0 Better |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Nissan Rogue
- 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER730
- 02ENGINE614
- 03SERVICE BRAKES562
- 04FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE493
- 05ELECTRICAL SYSTEM383
Owners report the engine stalling or losing power while driving, sometimes accompanied by smoke or failure to restart, which can be dangerous in traffic.
The auto stop/start system causes unpredictable braking behavior, including sudden acceleration when reversing, leading to loss of control.
The ProPilot assist system fails to brake for stopped cars and the lane-keeping feature overcorrects, causing the vehicle to swerve sharply.
Dashboard malfunction lights and check engine lights appear at low mileage, and the sunroof can explode without warning.
“I am reaching out because recently I have been getting messages display on my dashboard of malfunction lights along with a check engine light currently my car has 27k miles I bought it brand new zero miles at the dealership of universal city nissan who closed…”
“Sunroof exploded Would not go into drive or neutral Lost all power going 75mph going down highway Brake went all the way down to floor and shuts off wouldn’t start back up for about 5 min Was stuck in reverse world not go into drive until I shutdown vehicle a…”
Nissan Frontier
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4
- 02POWER TRAIN4
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
- 04AIR BAGS3
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
The airbag warning light flashes intermittently, and the vehicle can surge forward unexpectedly when braking, posing a crash risk.
The transmission hesitates from a stop, causing a lack of power, and a recall reprogramming reduced fuel economy by about 3 MPG.
The airbag warning light illuminates and flashes while driving, indicating a potential system fault that may prevent deployment.
Excessive rattling from the passenger footwell due to a loose heater core bracket, and concerns about warranty coverage not being honored.
“I [XXX] PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM DAYTONA, NISSAN ON [XXX] ON THE MORNING OF [XXX], THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. AND WAS FLASHING. I TOOK VIDEOS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT OCCURRENCES.I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TALKED TO THE SALESMAN THAT SOLD IT TO US.HIS NAM…”
“My husband and I bought a new truck. My husband pulled the truck into our garage, once in the garage the back tires started to spin out of control, he looked down and saw he had his foot on the brake only, but truck surged forward causing no injuries but have…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Nissan Rogue — 42 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2026 Rogue vehicles. The incorrect-size spare tire may have been installed, which does not match the tire size and inflation pressure information on the tire placard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Mot…
The risk: Incorrect spare tire pressure information on the placard may lead to incorrect inflation of the spare tire, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spare tire assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 25, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number for this recall…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 Rogue, Pathfinder, and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The driver's powered seat may not be fully secured to the seat frame, causing the seat frame welds to detach from the rear inboard seat bracket.
The risk: An unsecured seat with broken welds may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the driver's seat rail clearance, and if necessary, replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 10, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer serv…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 Nissan Rogue vehicles. The fastener in the rear seat belt anchor attachment points may not have been tightened properly and can loosen over time.
The risk: A loose rear seat belt anchor fastener may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt anchor bolts. Additionally, dealers will apply warning labels to the seat belt attachment points to indicate the bolt size and torque value required for any future seat belt repair. Repai…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag to deploy improper…
The risk: An air bag that deploys improperly may not protect the driver as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD10…
Nissan Frontier — 2 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
The risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will replace the transmission parking pawl pin, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's cus…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Titan, 2020-2022 Frontier, and 2023 Z vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
The risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will perform the applicable repairs below, free of charge: Model Year 2020-2022 Frontier vehicles: reprogram Transmission Control Module (TCM) Mo…
Buyer analysis
Nissan Rogue or Nissan Frontier: which should you buy?
The Nissan Frontier has far fewer complaints per year (1.7 vs 315.6) and only 2 recalls versus 42, making it the more reliable choice. In practice, Frontier owners face minor electrical or transmission issues, while Rogue owners risk serious failures like engine stalling and brake malfunctions.
Key differences
- Rogue has 315.6 complaints per year; Frontier has 1.7 per year.
- Rogue owners report engine stalling and brake surging; Frontier owners report transmission hesitation and airbag light issues.
- Rogue has 42 recalls; Frontier has 2 recalls.
- Rogue has 176 crash-related complaints; Frontier has 1 crash-related complaint.
- Check for engine stalling or loss of power during test drive, especially at highway speeds.
- Test the ProPilot assist system on a road with stoplights to see if it brakes properly.
- Verify that the airbag warning light does not flash or stay on during a test drive.
- Test acceleration from a stop to feel for transmission hesitation or surging.
Before you buy
- Check NHTSA recall status for both vehicles using the VIN.
- On the Rogue, test the forward collision avoidance and lane-keeping systems on a curve.
- On the Frontier, drive at highway speed and check for airbag light illumination.
- Review service history for any transmission reprogramming on the Frontier.
- Inspect the Rogue's sunroof for cracks or signs of stress.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Nissan Rogue | Nissan Frontier |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25 | 0 |
| 2025 | 158 | 0 |
| 2024 | 165 | 0 |
| 2023 | 632 | 0 |
| 2022 | 237 | 0 |
| 2021 | 266 | 17 |
| 2020 | 147 | 0 |
| 2019 | 328 | 0 |
| 2018 | 612 | 0 |
| 2017 | 586 | 0 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Nissan Rogue or Nissan Frontier in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Nissan Rogue vs Nissan Frontier
- Nissan Rogue total complaints
- 3,156
- Nissan Frontier total complaints
- 17
- Nissan Rogue total recalls
- 42
- Nissan Frontier total recalls
- 2
- Nissan Rogue avg complaints/year
- 315.6
- Nissan Frontier avg complaints/year
- 1.7
- More reliable overall
- Nissan Frontier
- Nissan Rogue top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Nissan Frontier top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM