2020 Nissan Rogue
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Forward collision avoidance is the leading concern among 151 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 18th highest complaint count among 19 Rogue model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 9 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 6 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical system, ignition, anti-theft, immobilizer/proximity, key/senderFeb 16, 2023
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.
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 intended, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 23V093000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
151 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Structure, Sep 9, 2026
While trying to get into my vehicle my door wouldn't open. I had to open it manually with my key. Once inside, I noticed the door locks Also wouldn't lock or unlock my driver's side door. After searching into this, I fear if I dont manually lock it while in use (driving) my car door can fly open.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 7, 2026
My front and back auto collision breaking sensor keeps going off as if something is in front of me. It’s not in the back as well. Also will indicate on my dash that there is a vehicle following me too far fast or too close and there will be nothing behind me. This is very scary when I first started happening. I looked it up online and a lot of vehicles are having problems with this as well as the break, actually stopping and not being able to release as a mother that travels with three children daily and take care of patients in my vehicle. This is very concerning. on the form it only allows you to give one pacific date but this is an ongoing issue. I would say on average. I see this sensor go on my dashboard at least 10 to 12 times a month. It eventually goes off, but I’m very fearful that I will be driving in the brake system will activate due to the faulty system sensors for the front and back.
Electrical system, Seats, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 28, 2026
Drivers seat, unsafe movement wall car in motion, and when applying Brake. Seat lever at times constantly drains battery rear and forward motion sensor applies brakes when nothing obstructing rear seat belts have made it difficult to either secure or unsecure passengers door locks on driver side need to go around through passenger to unlock. We have taken in the gate to be fixed because the rear gate hatch comes down on its own so many issues with this vehicle. There are documentations at the dealership with service advisor in capital Auto Mall Parkway, Nissan. San Jose, California.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 28, 2026
Vehicle Information: 2020 Nissan Rogue Component: Structure/Doors Latch/Lock/Linkage Description of Incident: I am writing to report a serious safety defect regarding the front door lock actuators on my 2020 Nissan Rogue. Without warning, the front door lock actuator(s) completely failed, rendering the electronic locking and unlocking mechanism useless.This is a critical safety hazard. When the actuator fails, the door can become jammed and I cannot lock my front doors. In an emergency situation or a motor vehicle accident, first responders would not be able to open the doors from the outside, and occupants would be trapped inside due to this component failure. In safety situations I am unable to use the fob to unlock/lock the doors nor the buttons inside the car to lock/unlock. This is a well-documented and widespread issue with the 2014–2020 Nissan Rogue generation. Nissan is aware of this defect but has not issued a recall. I am requesting that the NHTSA launch an official safety investigation into Nissan's door latch and actuator assemblies before this defect results in a severe injury or fatal entrapment.
Structure, May 8, 2026
The door lock actuator no longer reliably locks or unlocks the driver's door.
Electrical system, Apr 28, 2026
Driver's side door locks intermittently will not lock or unlock with button or intelli key fob. Requiring to use manual key inside intelli key to unlock/lock car or manual inside lock itself. Multiple people have filed complaints about this. There is even a class action lawsuit. Something should be done to force Nissan to do a recall instead of saying we can fix it for $700. I understand that some may not see this as a specific safety issue but when coming to your car in a dark parking lot and having to search for the key to manually unlock it, feels a little like a safety issue to me. Thank you for your time.
Electrical system, Apr 9, 2026, fire
The 2020 Nissan rogue as I was driving, started smoking, then stalled. I immediately got out and popped the hood and there was flames everywhere. Entire engine bay burned. I saved the car from burning completely by dumping water. As I was in a national forest, that is very acceptable to wildfires. Fire department and fire investigator came out. Fire investigator said it was of his opinion that it started on the passenger side, electric cooling fan for the radiator. Which I agree after looking at the aftermath and noticing where to fire was coming from as I was putting it out.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 9, 2026
The front passenger door lock does not fully engage or disengage with the key fob or when putting the car in park. The lever must be maually controls by hand to unlock or lock the door.0
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 7, 2026
Today when we attempted to back out of our driveway, the ABS came on unexpectedly and stopped the vehicle for no reason (spilling my hot coffee in my lap). I set the parking brake and got out of the car and walked around the back but there was no obstacle in the way or under the vehicle. I got back in, tried again and it locked up again. I then backed up the rest of the way, shifted to drive and drove it for a few minutes without incident. About 1/2 hour later, my wife experienced the exact same thing backing out of the driveway. Recently, the vehicle was struck in the rear corner (passenger side) and was repaired with no apparant issues by a professional body repair shop. I can see this is a common problem (many internet posts), and I want to report it since no recalls are in place. This is DANGEROUS and has also happed to drivers when driving at highway speeds. This MUST BE ADDRESSED or you guys (NTSB) have no purpose to exist anymore. Please make it happen.
Seats, Mar 24, 2026
Driver Seat moves forward when brakes are applied - yes the seat and vehicle can be available anytime for inspection. When ever the brakes are applied the driver seat moves towards the steering wheel and windshield. I am concerned the seat will fail altogether and slam me into the windshield and steering wheel. It is not locked into place or something else is failing. Jeff Wyler Dealership in Fairfield Ohio provide an estimate of $2400 to replace the railings. I see this issue is occurring with other 2020 Rogues according to the internet. There is a recall for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 models for the issue. No lights or warnings on now or prior. We bought the vehcile used from a dealer in Nov 2025 and this occurred shortly thereafter. It is possible the dealer know about this issue and did not to fix or divulge to customer.
Other or unspecified, Mar 20, 2026
Was driving west bound on I565 & heard a loud pop. Panoramic roof BURST spontaneously
Electrical system, Mar 18, 2026
UNKNOWN Driver door will not lock via key fob or button. Actuator appears to be faulty. Car has been left unlocked without me knowing numerous time. I have to manually lock/unlock the door. It does stay locked durning driving but, may be manually locked. The auto lock safety feature no longer works.
Seats, Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver’s side seat failed to remain in a locked position as intended, and the seat moved while the vehicle was in motion. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000
Other or unspecified, Feb 20, 2026
Rear windshield exploded when I closed my driver side door upon entering my car. After I had it replaced my door does not work properly now. It opens all the way then closes part way. Tried to reset but doesn't work.
Steering, Suspension, Feb 15, 2026
My 2020 Nissan Rogue has 28,000 miles. It was purchased new in June 2021. I began hearing a knocking noise that seem to migrate around most areas of the car almost a year ago (early 2025). The Nissan dealership now tells me that all the bushings in the suspension/steering system are failing. When I looked online, and there are apparently thousands of this failure reported for the Nissan Rogue dating back to before 2018 models. This is widely reported a systemic problem with the Nisan Rogue. It involves serious safety issues. How can it not be subject to recall?
Other or unspecified, Dec 29, 2025
Malfunction light appears. Car slows and full pressure on gas pedal causes car to "bulk" (increase then decrease in speed with jerking feeling). Eventually check engine light appears. Have taken to dealership, but because no lights appeared while there they could not find any problem. Told to bring to them when light is on , however this happens most often when they are not open. Now (12/26/25) being told they are booked out for 3 weeks before they can even check it and if no warning lights on, they can not diagnose problems. This problem is intermittent and started more than one year ago with at least 4 trips to dealership.1
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 15, 2025, fire
Started the car and then the engine caught fire. Front of the car is completely charred and fire had to be put out by the fire department. Car is totaled now. This complaint has been raised with Nissan Consumer Affairs.
Engine, Dec 12, 2025, fire
The contact owned a 2020 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH during rush hour traffic, the contact became aware of a chemical odor, and within seconds there was black smoke entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact immediately pulled over and there were flames coming from under the hood. The contact stated that there was a MIL warning light illuminated after the flames started. The contact was locked and trapped inside the burning vehicle. The contact was frantically trying to roll the windows down because the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact was then able to roll the rear driver’s side window down and a bystander was able enter into the rear driver side window, unlock the door, and pull the contact from the vehicle. The Fire Department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was first towed to Redmond Towing in Alexandria VA and was deemed to be a total loss. A Police Department and Fire Department report was taken at the scene. The contact refused treatment at the scene but was later taken to Urgent Care by her husband to be treated for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 27,000.
Electrical system, Oct 25, 2025
Our 2020 Nissan Rouge SV has experienced a failure of the driver door electric door actuator. It will not lock using the electric door lock buttons inside the car, the button on the exterior door handle, or using the FOB. The result is that you think the car is locked, but the driver door is NOT locked and opening the door causes the car alarm to go off (the car thinks it is locked). The lock can be manually locked and unlocked using the manual actuator (inside the car on the handle). This problem is described on the internet and there is at least one class action lawsuit in discussion (https://sauderschelkopf.com/automotive/nissan-altima-and-rogue-door-lock-failure-class-action-investigation/). This failure could result in safety issues (thinking the door is locked when it is not) both while driving at highway speeds or during an emergency exit scenario where you cannot unlock the door. I think it should be a mandatory recall to fix these door locks by Nissan. In the meantime, I will try to "fix" it in our car (but will save the bad parts). I have not contacted my dealer (don't really like them). There were no warnings other than we started setting off the car alarm when we opened the door that should have been locked.
Electrical system, Oct 2, 2025
The car door lock actuator failed prematurely. Part should last 10 to 20 years. It's not locking the door or if it is locked it won't let you in or out. Big issue regarding safety. I know past models had a recall. Unfortunately haven't heard anything on it for my model year. Getting repair done for my own safety out of pocket.
Air bags, Sep 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed that a module located underneath the passenger’s seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2025
THE VEHICLE HAS ACTIVATED A FALSE AEB ON SEVERAL OCASSIONS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT BACK TO NISSAN AND THEY STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE NO ISSUES. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 5 YEARS AND IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR, NEARLY CAUSING A TRAFFIC COLLISION.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 15, 2025
while driving the car, sometimes the collision light will come on and the car will automatically stat braking even through there are no car in-front or around.
Engine, Sep 2, 2025, fire
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked at the residence for approximately two hours when she looked out her window and noticed that the vehicle had caught fire. There were no warning lights prior to the failure. There were no reported injuries. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. There was no reported crash, police report, or air bag deployment. The local dealer was not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the incident. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Electrical system, Aug 27, 2025
The front driver and passenger door lock do not function properly. Both with key locks and in door lock switches. The car has less than 35k miles.