Key facts
- Engine scope: The US Rogue's 1.5L VC-Turbo (KR15DDT, 3-cylinder, 201 hp / 225 lb-ft) began in model year 2022. The 2021 Rogue uses the 2.5L PR25DD naturally aspirated four and is not a VC-Turbo car.
- Most-complained year: 2023 Rogue, 665 total complaints (retrieved 2026-07-30); 437 engine/propulsion-tagged; 102 narratives cite stalling, power loss, or seizure.
- Recall 25V437000 (filed 2025-06-27): 2021-2024 Rogue plus 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 QX50, 2022 QX55; 443,899 units; engine-bearing manufacturing defect risking failure and fire; remedy is an ECM software reprogram; owner letters mailed 2026-04-08.
- Recall 26V080000 (filed 2026-02-12): 2023-2025 Rogue; 323,917 units; high oil temperatures degrade oil, bearings seize; remedy adds oil-pan inspection and engine replacement if needed.
- Recall 26V081000 (filed 2026-02-12): 2024-2025 Rogue; 318,781 units; electronic throttle-body gears break, causing loss of drive power; remedy inspects/replaces the throttle body.
- Warranty: Nissan extended VC-Turbo powertrain coverage to 10 years / 120,000 miles; it transfers by VIN.
- Verification limit: Recall data shows presence, not remedy status. Confirm each recall is closed with a Nissan dealer and NHTSA.gov (Rogue VINs live from 2026-02-27).
Which used Rogue years have the 1.5L VC-Turbo, and which is riskiest?
The 1.5L VC-Turbo appears in model-year 2022 and later Rogues; the 2021 Rogue is a different, naturally aspirated 2.5L car. Among the turbo years, 2023 carries by far the most engine-related NHTSA complaints. That makes a used 2023 VC-Turbo Rogue the model year that warrants the closest pre-purchase scrutiny.
The engine change is documented: Nissan's newsroom (Nov 17, 2021) confirmed the all-new 1.5L VC-Turbo arrived for the 2022 Rogue, replacing the 2021 model's 2.5L PR25DD. The assignment premise of a "VC-Turbo Rogue (2021+)" is inaccurate — the turbo cars are 2022+. (Note: recall 25V437 lists a "2021-2024 Rogue" population; the 2.0L VC-Turbo in that same recall belongs to the Altima and Infiniti QX50/QX55, not the Rogue's 1.5L.)
Why does the 2023 Rogue draw so many more engine complaints?
The 2023 Rogue is an outlier on both raw volume and engine share. Of its 665 total complaints, 437 are engine/propulsion-tagged (66%), and its top component category is ENGINE (258), followed by ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING (113) and FUEL/PROPULSION (95). By comparison, 2022 shows the highest engine share at 79% (195 of 246), but far lower raw volume.
NHTSA complaints by Rogue model year
| Model year | Engine | Total complaints | Engine/propulsion-tagged | Stall/power-loss mentions | Top component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2.5L NA (non-VC-Turbo) | 271 | 84 | 24 | Electrical/Engine |
| 2022 | 1.5L VC-Turbo | 246 | 195 | 51 | Engine |
| 2023 | 1.5L VC-Turbo | 665 (peak) | 437 | 102 | Engine |
| 2024 | 1.5L VC-Turbo | 176 | 72 | 18 | Engine |
| 2025 | 1.5L VC-Turbo | 170 | 11 | 5 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 2026 | 1.5L VC-Turbo | 29 (early) | -- | -- | -- |
One honest caveat: the 2023 total is partly inflated by recency and recall awareness — several 2023 narratives explicitly reference recall 26V080, meaning some volume reflects post-recall reporting rather than purely field failures. Even so, 2023 remains the clear outlier on both raw count and engine-share.
What actually goes wrong — stalling, oil breakdown, bearings, or throttle body?
Owner narratives and the recalls describe distinct but related failure modes: engine-bearing failure, oil breakdown leading to bearing seizure, and a separate electronic throttle-body defect. The first two threaten catastrophic engine failure and fire; the third causes loss of drive power. Reported symptoms include a sudden "Engine Malfunction - Power Reduced" warning, stalling, engine knock, and metal shavings in the oil pan, with engine-replacement quotes near $9,000.
The three recalls map to these mechanisms:
The three VC-Turbo recalls to check before buying
| Campaign | Filed | Rogue MYs affected | Units | Defect | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25V437000 | 2025-06-27 | 2021-2024 (also 2019-20 Altima, 2019-22 QX50, 2022 QX55) | 443,899 (all models) | Engine-bearing manufacturing defect → failure/fire | ECM reprogram |
| 26V080000 | 2026-02-12 | 2023-2025 | 323,917 | Oil breakdown at high temp → bearing seizure → failure/fire | ECM reprogram + oil-pan inspection + engine replacement if needed |
| 26V081000 | 2026-02-12 | 2024-2025 | 318,781 | Electronic throttle-body gears break → loss of power | ECM reprogram + throttle-body inspect/replace |
Overlap matters: a 2023 VC-Turbo Rogue can fall under both 25V437 and 26V080; a 2024 can fall under all three. Nissan reported 690 engine-failure warranty claims (26V080) and 3,111 throttle-body claims (26V081), with no crashes or injuries reported for the February 2026 campaigns — figures Nissan self-reported via trade coverage, not independently audited. The 25V437 remedy language has evolved across sources; treat 26V080 as the fuller remedy since it explicitly adds inspection and engine replacement.
By the numbers
- 665 — total NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Rogue, the peak year.
- 437 — engine/propulsion-tagged complaints for MY2023 (66% of its total).
- 102 — MY2023 narratives explicitly mentioning stall, loss of power, or seizure.
- 21 / 3 / 11 — MY2023 complaints tagged crash / fire / with injuries above zero.
- 443,899 + 323,917 + 318,781 — units in recalls 25V437, 26V080, and 26V081 (the two February 2026 campaigns total roughly 642,698 Rogues).
- 10 years / 120,000 miles — extended VC-Turbo powertrain warranty, transferable by VIN.
Based on NHTSA complaint records for the Nissan Rogue (MY2021-2026) and NHTSA recall data, retrieved 2026-07-30.
Can a VIN check tell me if the recall was fixed?
No. A VIN check — whether NHTSA's free tool or Zilocar's — surfaces whether a Rogue is subject to a recall campaign; it does not confirm the remedy was performed. To know that the ECM reprogram, oil-pan inspection, or engine replacement was actually completed, you must run the VIN on NHTSA.gov (Rogue VINs searchable from 2026-02-27) and have a Nissan dealer confirm each open recall is closed. Do not treat recall presence, or its absence from a third-party report, as proof of repair.
How do I check accident, salvage, and listing history before buying?
Start with the free authoritative tools, then layer history data. NHTSA.gov gives recall status by VIN and a Nissan dealer confirms remedy and extended-warranty eligibility. Because a stalled or failed-engine Rogue may have been towed, crashed, totaled, or quickly flipped, a vehicle-history report adds the accident, salvage-auction, odometer, ownership, and sales-listing signals those official tools do not carry. A Zilocar VIN check is one option here alongside NHTSA's free lookup: it screens for recall presence across the three VC-Turbo campaigns and surfaces the history red flags that matter most for an engine-failure-prone model.
What a VIN check can and can't confirm here
| A Zilocar VIN check CAN | A VIN check CANNOT |
|---|---|
| Flag recall presence/count across 25V437, 26V080, 26V081 (same signal as NHTSA) | Confirm the ECM reprogram or engine replacement was performed (remedy status) |
| Show accident & damage records (location, type, severity, airbag deployment) | Flag the underlying NHTSA investigation (PE/EA) that preceded the recalls |
| Odometer/rollback check; theft (NICB) | Verify per-unit dealer firmware or throttle-body work |
| Junk & salvage auction records (relevant for totaled engine-failure cars) | Classify the legal title brand (shows auction records, not the brand) |
| Ownership history and sales-listing history (past/current prices, mileage, days-on-market) | — |
| NHTSA + IIHS safety ratings, specs/options, market valuation | — |
The strongest differentiator for this story is listing history: a 2023 turbo Rogue that was flipped fast, relisted repeatedly, or dumped at a dealer after an engine event often shows up as a pattern in past listings.
Before you buy a used VC-Turbo Rogue, run the VIN on NHTSA.gov and confirm each recall is closed with a Nissan dealer. Zilocar can complement that with recall screening plus accident, airbag-deployment, salvage-auction, odometer, theft, ownership, and sales-listing history, IIHS/NHTSA ratings, and valuation — the history context those free recall tools do not provide. It does not confirm a recall was remedied, track NHTSA investigations, show firmware status, or show the legal title brand; leave those to NHTSA and the dealer.
