Head-to-head reliability
Nissan Rogue vs Nissan Maxima
How the Nissan Rogue and Nissan Maxima 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 Maxima: The Rogue has 3,427 complaints over 10 years (about 343 per year), while the Maxima has 488 (about 49 per year). The Rogue's issues often involve engine, brakes, and driver-assist systems, while the Maxima's complaints more often involve power train and air bags. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Nissan Rogue or Nissan Maxima more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue is a compact SUV with a high volume of owner complaints—3,427 over 10 years, averaging about 343 per year. That's a lot of reports for a mainstream vehicle, suggesting owners frequently encounter problems. The most common areas are engine, brakes, and forward collision avoidance, with some complaints describing sudden acceleration, stalling, and braking issues. While not every Rogue will have these problems, the pattern shows that living with one may mean staying on top of recalls and being alert for warning signs.
Nissan Maxima
The Nissan Maxima is a large sedan with far fewer complaints—488 over 10 years, about 49 per year. That's a much lower rate, but the complaints it does have often involve serious issues like power train failures, air bag problems, and electrical glitches. Owners report stalling, gear shifter failures, and air bags not deploying in crashes. For a buyer, this means fewer overall reports but potentially more severe individual incidents.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Nissan Rogue | Nissan Maxima |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 3,427 | 488 Better |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 43 | 16 Better |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 193 | 35 Better |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 342.7 | 48.8 Better |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 185 | 32 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 OTHER769
- 02ENGINE713
- 03SERVICE BRAKES575
- 04FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE506
- 05ELECTRICAL SYSTEM420
Owners report sudden acceleration, engine stalling, and loss of power while driving. One complaint describes a Rogue violently accelerating forward without warning, with ineffective brakes. These issues can be dangerous and may require immediate attention.
Complaints include unusual brake noises and brake pedal application being ineffective during sudden acceleration events. This suggests potential brake system failures that could increase stopping distances or lead to loss of control.
Owners report that the ProPilot assist system can fail to stop for stopped vehicles and that lane keeping can cause the car to drift over lane lines and then sharply correct. These flaws in driver-assist features could lead to collisions if not addressed.
While not detailed in the sample, electrical system complaints are among the top five. This could include issues with sensors, infotainment, or power accessories, which can be frustrating and costly to diagnose.
“I am reporting a serious safety incident involving the powered rear liftgate of my 2026 Nissan Rogue Platinum. On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at approximately 9 AM, I was helping my daughter unload her cosmetology case at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. The rear l…”
“My car was sitting in a parking lot facing the south. It was over 100 degrees that day. I had a front window shade in the front window, and both front windows were down about 2 inches. I went to my car to grab something around 1:30pm and all was fine. When I…”
Nissan Maxima
- 01POWER TRAIN97
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER88
- 03AIR BAGS75
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM63
- 05SERVICE BRAKES53
Owners report abnormal engine sounds, jerking, and stalling while driving. One complaint describes a gear shifter failing to shift into park, the stop button not responding, and sudden acceleration that caused a crash. These are serious safety concerns.
Complaints include air bags not deploying in crashes, leading to injuries. One owner reported that after crashing into another vehicle, the air bags did not deploy, causing their face to hit the steering wheel. This is a critical safety issue.
Owners report instrument panel dimming intermittently and other electrical glitches. These can affect visibility and vehicle operation, and may be hard to reproduce for repair.
This category includes issues like a sunroof blowing out while driving. Such unexpected failures can be startling and costly, though they may not affect all vehicles.
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle jerked before stalling in the middle of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The Police were calle…”
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while her husband was attempting to park and turn off the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to shift into park, the STOP button failed to respond, and the vehicle suddenly accelerated, crashed into…”
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 — 43 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 2026 Rogue vehicles. The instrument panel may not display the transmission gear selection indicator. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever S…
The risk: A missing gear selection indicator may lead to unintended vehicle movement or a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission control valve assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 31, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number fo…
The defect: 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.
The 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 int…
The fix: 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 3…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Rogue vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. Increased temperatures can break down the engine oil, which may cause the engine bearings to seize and become damaged, leading to engine fai…
The risk: Engine failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.
The fix: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, inspect for diagnostic trouble codes, and test drive the vehicle, free of charge. The dealer may also inspect the oil pan for metal debris, and replace the engine if necessar…
Nissan Maxima — 16 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
The risk: Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additio…
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additio…
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-60…
The risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer s…
Buyer analysis
Nissan Rogue or Nissan Maxima: which should you buy?
The Nissan Maxima has far fewer complaints per year (about 49) compared to the Nissan Rogue (about 343), meaning you're less likely to encounter problems overall with the Maxima. However, the Maxima's complaints often involve severe safety issues like power train failures and air bag non-deployment, while the Rogue's higher volume includes many different areas. In practice, the Maxima may have fewer but potentially more serious incidents, while the Rogue may have more frequent but varied issues.
Key differences
- The Rogue has about 7 times more complaints per year than the Maxima, but the Maxima's complaints more often involve severe safety systems like air bags and power train.
- Rogue owners frequently report forward collision avoidance and brake issues, while Maxima owners report stalling, gear shifter failures, and air bag non-deployment.
- The Maxima has fewer recalls (16 vs 43 for the Rogue), but both have recalls for critical systems like brakes and electrical components.
- The Rogue's top complaint category is 'Unknown or Other,' suggesting a wide range of issues, while the Maxima's top category is 'Power Train,' indicating a more focused but serious problem area.
- During a test drive, check for any hesitation, sudden acceleration, or stalling, especially when parking or at low speeds. Also test the brakes for unusual noises or spongy feel.
- Ask if the forward collision avoidance and lane keeping systems have been updated or repaired, and test them if possible. Look for any warning lights related to these systems.
- Listen for abnormal engine sounds and feel for jerking or stalling during a test drive. Check that the gear shifter engages properly in all positions and that the stop button works.
- Inspect the air bag warning light and ask if any air bag recalls have been addressed. Also check the instrument panel for dimming or flickering.
Before you buy
- Run a VIN check for open recalls on both models and confirm they have been fixed.
- Take a lengthy test drive that includes highway, city, and parking situations to replicate complaint conditions.
- Have a trusted mechanic inspect the engine, transmission, brakes, and electrical system for signs of trouble.
- For the Rogue, specifically test the forward collision avoidance and lane keeping features if equipped.
- For the Maxima, check the air bag system and ensure all recalls related to air bags and brakes are completed.
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 Maxima |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 728 | 1 |
| 2022 | 264 | 5 |
| 2021 | 289 | 3 |
| 2020 | 152 | 22 |
| 2019 | 336 | 18 |
| 2018 | 609 | 36 |
| 2017 | 598 | 103 |
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 Maxima in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Nissan Rogue vs Nissan Maxima
- Nissan Rogue total complaints
- 3,427
- Nissan Maxima total complaints
- 488
- Nissan Rogue total recalls
- 43
- Nissan Maxima total recalls
- 16
- Nissan Rogue avg complaints/year
- 342.7
- Nissan Maxima avg complaints/year
- 48.8
- More reliable overall
- Nissan Maxima
- Nissan Rogue top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Nissan Maxima top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN