Reliable Auto DB

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport has 35 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 5 per year. That is about even with the other Rogue Sport years here. Their median is 5 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Key or transmitter, Retractor, and Hinge.

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

35

Per year

5

Recalls

3

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Forward collision avoidance (11 of 35), then Electrical system (7) and Engine (6). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Rogue Sport has 58 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2022 has 12 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall electrical system, ignition, anti-theft, immobilizer, key or transmitter 2023-02-16 · NHTSA campaign 23V093000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
Recall seat belts, front, retractor 2021-07-21 · NHTSA campaign 21V555000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Rogue Sport vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, reducing the protection offered to an installed child seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Dealers will replace the front passenger seat belt and as necessary both outer rear seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 14, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is RT049 & RT050.
Recall structure, body, door, hinge 2021-07-09 · NHTSA campaign 21V525000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Rogue Sport vehicles. The liftgate hinges can separate from the vehicle during a rear end crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Remedy Dealers will replace the left and right liftgate hinges, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 7, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R21A7.

Complaints by component (35 total)

Forward collision avoidance
11
Electrical system
7
Engine
6
Service brakes
6
Steering
5
Speed control
3
Air bags
2
Lane departure
2
Powertrain
2
Structure
2
Exterior lighting
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 5 more Show less
Crash-flagged

7

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120214202292023820248202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "When driving home on the evening of 3/24, I was on the interstate (70mph) when my 2021 Nissan Rogue started to decelerate and would not gain speed. I got off at the next frontage road exit and when at the stop sign my…"
    Engine · filed 2026-03-25
  • "I am reporting a serious safety incident involving my 2021 Nissan Rogue, which caught on fire unexpectedly on Feb. 6, 2026 approximately 4:30 am. The fire originated from the vehicle without warning and posed an…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-02-07
  • "Door lock actuators on driver side doors failed after less than 4 years. Both were “burnt” out according to Nissan tech. Unable to lock, unlock doors. Safety concerns."
    Electrical system · filed 2026-01-30
  • "I purchased my vehicle in October 2025 for over $20,000, and It just started having issues on December 8, 2025. I have taken it to the dealership and made the head office aware of the issue I am having. The vehicle…"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-01-28
  • "I was on the freeway, going 65mph. Suddenly, i felt my car partially brake. Thank God I was close to an exit and got off safely. My car partially braked again while i was going 35mph down the street. As i cautiously…"
    Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-01-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Nissan Rogue Sport SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Nissan Rogue Sport SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Specs and fitment

J11 generation, 2017–2022
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (Nissan Motor Oil 0W-20 SN or equivalent) , 4 qt capacity
Tire size 215/65R16 (S), 215/60R17 (SV), 225/45R19 (SL)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 23V-093 covers certain 2017-2022 Nissan Rogue Sport vehicles equipped with a jackknife-style ignition key, and also certain 2014-2020 Rogue vehicles: the jackknife key may collapse into a folded position while driving, which can shut off the engine. Dealers insert a spacer into the key slot. Recall 19V-654 covers certain 2018-2019 Rogue Sport vehicles among many other Nissan models: dealers update the back-up camera settings software.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport Next year 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport See every Nissan Rogue Sport model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport reliable?

The 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport has 35 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 5 per year. That is about even with the other Rogue Sport years here. Their median is 5 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Key or transmitter, Retractor, and Hinge.

What are common problems with a 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport?

The complaints owners file most often name Forward collision avoidance (11 of 35), then Electrical system (7) and Engine (6). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Rogue Sport has 58 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2022 has 12 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport been recalled?

The 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport?

Owners have filed 35 complaints about the 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport with NHTSA.

What oil does a Nissan Rogue Sport take?

US Rogue Sport uses Nissan Motor Oil 0W-20 SN or equivalent (about 4 qt with filter).

Does recall 23V-093 cover the Nissan Rogue Sport?

It covers certain 2017-2022 Rogue Sport with a jackknife-style ignition key (and certain 2014-2020 Rogue): the key may collapse into a folded position; dealers replace the key.

What generation is the Nissan Rogue Sport?

J11 generation for the US years this site tracks (2017-2022).