Nissan4 independent sources
2016 · SUV
2016 Nissan Rogue Problems, recalls and specs
One engine and one transmission: the QR25DE 2.5-litre four, rated 170 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 175 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm, and the Xtronic CVT, in front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Power train is the largest NHTSA complaint category for this model year, at 170 of 536 reports, and there is no recall behind it - what exists instead is a Nissan warranty extension covering 2014-2018 Rogue CVTs, which states no defect and names no failure mode.
Photo coming
Power170 hpTorque175 lb-ftEPA comb.28 mpg
Against 2015
What changed for 2016
- Forward Emergency Braking was added to the SL Premium Package.
- NissanConnect Services telematics was added to the SL.
- Siri Eyes Free was added to the SV Premium Package and the SL.
- The engine and the Xtronic CVT carried over unchanged.
Before you hand over money
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first - clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon buyback.
- Work out where the car sits against Nissan's CVT warranty extension before anything else. The bulletin covers 2014-2018 Rogue and takes the CVT from 60 months and 60,000 miles to 84 months and 84,000 miles, which for a car of this age is a question of dates and mileage, not of eligibility in principle.
- Drive it from cold and hold a steady 40 to 50 mph, then accelerate gently. A CVT is judged on how it holds and changes ratio under light load, and the transmission is the largest complaint category on this model year.
- Look up open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Seven campaigns cover this model year, including two seat-frame recalls and an under-dash wiring connector recall for 2014-2016 Rogues. Dealers close open recalls free.
One engine offered that year
Engines
Which engine a listing has is the first thing that changes the answer.
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | Drive | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QR25DE2.5L I4 | 170 hp | 175 lb-ft | Xtronic CVT | FWD or AWD | 26 city / 32 hwy / 28 combinedFWD |
EPA city / highway / combined, from fueleconomy.gov.
NHTSA public records
Complaints and recalls
Where the complaints land · top 6
POWER TRAIN170
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM101
UNKNOWN OR OTHER56
AIR BAGS54
STEERING23
STRUCTURE21
All other categories111
A complaint count is not a failure rate. It tracks how many of these were sold and how much attention a problem drew, so a popular car will always show more complaints than a rare one. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, retrieved 2026-08-13.
Documented mechanisms
Known problems
Charging system: battery and alternator
The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.
Air conditioning compressor failure
The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.
Suspension and steering noise
Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.
CVT judder, slip and failure
A continuously variable transmission transmits torque through a steel belt or chain running between two variable-diameter pulleys. It depends on a specific fluid and on the clamping pressure between belt and pulley, which makes fluid condition central to its condition.
Nissan's CVT warranty extensions — which car, which years
Nissan has extended the CVT warranty on a long list of cars from 5 years/60,000 miles to 7 years/84,000 miles, in three separate rounds tied to three separate class actions. The lists do not line up with the generations, and a year that looks covered often is not. This file exists to get the years right, because the difference is a transmission.
What it is good at
Strengths
Running it
Ownership and maintenance
Drivetrain
FWD or AWDThe economy figure quoted is EPA's front-wheel-drive row. Nissan also offered a third-row seat on some cars of this generation, which changes the cargo layout rather than the drivetrain.
Parts
Common — parts and independent shops are easy to findA high-volume crossover with one engine and one transmission across the range, which keeps the parts catalogue short and independent-shop familiarity high. CVT work is the part most often sent to a dealer or a transmission specialist.
Transmission note
Xtronic CVTThe Xtronic CVT is the part of this car with a manufacturer document attached to it: a warranty extension from 60 months and 60,000 miles to 84 months and 84,000 miles for 2014-2018 Rogue. The bulletin states no defect and names no failure mode - it refers to customer concerns including those expressed in class actions - so it is evidence that Nissan responded, not a description of what goes wrong.
Service intervals
Engine oil and filterPer the manufacturer's stated interval
CVT fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalXtronic uses a specified fluid. Condition of that fluid is central to how the transmission ages, and a generic substitute is not the same thing.
Spark plugsPer the manufacturer's stated interval
Engine and cabin air filtersPer the manufacturer's stated interval, shorter in dusty use
All-wheel-drive coupling fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalAll-wheel-drive cars only.
Cost items
Relative bands only. What a job costs depends on your region, the shop and where the parts come from, so a dollar figure written here would be wrong for most readers — and a wrong number costs more trust than a missing one.
HighCVT replacementThe extension covers the transmission for a defined period and mileage; outside it, this is the largest single item on the car.
MediumCVT fluid service
MediumAir conditioning compressor
LowBrake and suspension wear items
LowBattery and alternator