2015 Nissan Rogue Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2015 Nissan Rogue most often describe transmission trouble: shuddering, hesitation, loss of acceleration and, in many cases, a diagnosis that the CVT needs replacement, usually from around 50,000 miles upward. A second cluster of complaints concerns water inside the cabin (sunroof drains and a damp driver's footwell, the latter tied to a wiring-harness recall), along with airbag warning lights, door-lock and latch problems, and the glass sunroof or liftgate. Complaints in this sample were filed mostly between 2020 and 2025 on vehicles already out of warranty.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   CVT transmission shudder, hesitation and loss of power

   • 153 complaints (28%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (92 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners describe shuddering at a stop, jerking or hesitation when accelerating, and sudden loss of power at speed, sometimes with the engine revving while the vehicle slows. Complaints report that dealers or independent shops often diagnose a failed CVT and recommend replacement; some owners say they were told the vehicle was out of warranty or not covered by a recall. A few describe the transmission being replaced more than once. Widely spread across the sample, from roughly 27,000 to 185,000 miles, with most reports between about 50,000 and 110,000 miles.

   Recall 15V7750003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at both low speed and highway speed and watch for shuddering, delayed engagement or hesitation; ask whether the CVT fluid was serviced and whether any transmission calibration or replacement was done. A pre-purchase scan for transmission codes is worthwhile.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle was bought new, 77k miles and I experienced sudden shaking, shuddering and I tried to at least get it home but it will not accelerate at all. Cvt transmission absolutely and prematurely quit on me! Ridiculous! Get it together Nissan, lives are at risk with this!!”

   NHTSA complaint #11321460, filed 2020-04, 77,000 miles

   “The Nissan Rogue 2013-2016 have a bad transmission issue on the CVT driving on the highway my car got stuck in gear and would not drive my sister also own a rouge same year 2015 her car transmission got her stuck in the middle of a city street”

   NHTSA complaint #11353298, filed 2020-09, 58,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Water leaks into cabin from sunroof and footwell

   • 54 complaints (10%)
   • median 39,350 mi at 5.0 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,300 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe water soaking the headliner, staining the visor and trim, and pooling on the floor, especially on the passenger side, with a damp or moldy smell in the driver's footwell after rain. Owners report the sunroof drains clogging or leaking and dealers sometimes cleaning drains or telling them to vacuum out the carpet. Some mention the check engine light coming on in wet weather and reference the under-dash harness recall. Reported from about 10,000 to 50,000 miles in the sample, typically noted during or after rain.

   Recall 22V024000

   What to check: Check the headliner, sun visors, carpet and floor mats for water stains or a musty smell, and ask whether the sunroof drains have been cleaned. Ask whether recall 22V024000 for the under-dash harness was completed, since water intrusion in the driver's footwell relates to it.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This model has a widely known issue with the moonroof leaking/clogging due to a poor design. Depending on the amount of water collected, it can pour inside the cabin on the driver and front passenger. When bright to the dealership (numerous times for the same issue) clogged in the front passenger side, the technicians confirmed that this is a design flaw. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11405687, filed 2021-03, 10,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that there was a strong damp and mold like odor coming from the front driver's side footwell location. The contact stated that the front driver's side footwell was continuously wet in rainy weather. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated intermittently. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11501102, filed 2023-01, 32,000 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Sunroof glass shattering and liftgate struts

   • 45 complaints (8%)
   • median 56,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners describe the glass sunroof shattering with a loud bang while driving on the highway with no impact, sending glass into the cabin, and dealers referring them to their insurer. Other complaints cover liftgate support struts corroding so the hatch will not stay open, and sunroof seals or rails coming loose. Reported from very low mileage up to about 92,000 miles, often during highway driving.

   Recall 16V219000

   What to check: Inspect the sunroof glass and seal for chips or looseness, and check that the liftgate holds itself open when raised. Ask whether recall 16V219000 for the liftgate struts was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On friday, january 24th at approximately 11:50am, my sunroof exploded on my 2015 Nissan Rogue. Weather was dry, road conditions dry and free of debris. Outside temperature between 52 and 56 degrees. No overpasses were traveled under. No traffic in front of me. Traveling at approximately 60 ' 63mph. I heard a loud explosion and glass fell from the sunroof onto the me, the middle console, both front floor mats, the passenger seat, rear seat and rear floor on both sides. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11302367, filed 2020-01, 65,000 miles

   “Driving on highway at 70mph when I heard what sounded like a gunshot and then my sunroof exploded causing large chunks of glass to go flying in the air and on the highway behind me. There were no other vehicles in sight.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362769, filed 2020-10, 70,000 miles
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Door locks cycling and latches or handles failing

   • 79 complaints (14%)
   • median 42,959 mi at 4.4 yrs old (34 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe the door locks locking and unlocking by themselves while driving or idling, a door opening despite being locked, and a 'trunk ajar' message with the hatch closed. Others report chrome peeling from interior door handles leaving sharp edges, and an exterior door handle breaking off. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 117,000 miles in the sample.

   Recall 15V453000

   What to check: Cycle the locks from the fob and the interior switch and listen for repeated cycling; open and close each door and the liftgate, and check interior handles for peeling chrome or sharp edges. Ask whether the door-latch recall 15V453000 applies to this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The hood latches in the lock but is shakes really bad while driving especially while on I-10 highway it seems as if it catches one good wind it will come out and shatter my windshield!”

   NHTSA complaint #11363152, filed 2020-10, 75,025 miles

   “The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she pulled the driver’s side door handle and the handle fractured. The contact then had to enter the vehicle through the passenger’s side door. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,281.”

   NHTSA complaint #11466960, filed 2022-06, 107,281 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and occupant sensor faults

   • 94 complaints (17%)
   • median 30,500 mi at 3.0 yrs old (38 state mileage)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report the passenger or driver airbag warning light flashing or staying on, sometimes with several stored codes, and dealers recommending airbag module, spiral cable or occupant-detection sensor work. Some complaints mention that the vehicle was outside warranty when the fault appeared, and a few describe airbags not deploying in a crash. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 115,000 miles, often found at inspection or on startup.

   Recall 16V911000Recall 16V2440001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Turn the key to on and confirm the airbag light goes out after the self-test; have any stored airbag or occupant-detection codes read. Ask whether the occupant classification recalls (16V911000, 16V244000) were performed for this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “During vehicle inspection, Nissan dealership diagnosed problem with flashing passenger side airbag. Technician found DTC p1564, b0001, b0002 and recommended replacing airbag module and spiral cable. During multiple conversations with Nissan consumer affairs, manufacturer is denying responsibility for defect of factory install issue. Supervisor lindsay appeared to link lack of responsibility to drive train, as if standard is that safety is no longer a concern if vehicle 5 years old has travelled 100,000 miles despite airbag never being deployed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11377953, filed 2020-12, 111,002 miles

   “The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated and blinking. The contact called the independent mechanic where the vehicle was purchased and was informed that the vehicle needed to be serviced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bags were missing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 113,615.”

   NHTSA complaint #11664660, filed 2025-06, 113,615 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the CVT, the sunroof drains and the cabin floors covers most of what owners report here. Ask for service records showing transmission fluid service or any CVT work, and confirm which open recalls have been completed for the specific vehicle.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.