Is the Nissan Rogue more reliable than the GMC Terrain?

Slightly, yes. Both have a good reliability standing and the same 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The Rogue has the cheaper annual repair estimate and a lower chance that a repair is major. The Terrain draws fewer recalls and complaints, which keeps the gap narrow.

Which has more recalls, the Rogue or the Terrain?

The Rogue. Federal recall records show 43 recalls across nine model years for the Rogue, against 19 for the Terrain. Owners also filed far more complaints on the Rogue. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Which costs less to repair?

The Rogue. Independent repair-cost data estimates $467 a year for the Rogue and $558 for the Terrain, about $455 less over five years. Major repairs are also less likely on the Rogue, at 12% compared with 17%.

What is the main brake problem on the Terrain?

Brake assist can vanish with no warning, leaving a hard pedal that takes real force to stop the car. Dealers most often blame the brake vacuum pump. Failures cluster between about 37,000 and 71,000 miles, and in some cases the pump failure ruins the engine.

Does the Rogue have a braking problem too?

Yes, but it is a different kind. Owners report automatic emergency braking applying itself with nothing ahead, at speeds from walking pace to highway. Brake complaints include 13 crash-linked filings. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, and one owner was told to switch the system off.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

GMC Terrain vs Nissan Rogue: Reliability Compared

GMC Terrain

Good

More Reliable

Nissan Rogue

Good

On reliability, the Nissan Rogue edges out the GMC Terrain, mainly on lower repair costs and fewer major repairs. The Terrain has far fewer recalls and complaints, though, and its worst failures can destroy an engine, so the lead is slight.

How Do the GMC Terrain and Nissan Rogue Generations Compare?

Second-generation cars, sold as 2018 through 2024 models, are the Terrains most used-car shoppers will find. That generation was refreshed for 2022, and its weakest years, 2018 and 2019, sit at the start. The third generation began with the 2025 model year. The 2025 and 2026 cars rank well, but they are new and have had little time to collect complaints, so that standing is not yet proven. A 2022 to 2024 car gets the refresh and has more years of owner feedback behind it.

Verdict

The Nissan Rogue is more reliable than the GMC Terrain, scoring 75/100 vs 73/100.

Lower repair costs give the Rogue a slight edge, and that is the whole story. Each model holds a good reliability standing and averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year, so you will be in the shop equally often. The difference is the bill: a Rogue repair is less likely to be major, 12% against 17% for the Terrain. Working against the Rogue, it has far more recalls and owner complaints. The lead is narrow and rests on cost, not on how often something breaks.

Key Differences

1Nissan Rogue costs $91 less per year to repair
2GMC Terrain has 24 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Rogue has 5% lower major repair risk

Category Scoreboard

2GMC Terrain

—

3Nissan Rogue

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair Risk

GMC Terrain vs Nissan Rogue: Which Is More Reliable?

GMC Terrain vs Nissan Rogue at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	GMC Terrain	Nissan Rogue
Reliability Score	73/100	75/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	19	43
Complaints per 10k Sold	4.8	6.2
Annual Repair Cost	$558/yr	$467/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	17%	12%
Year Wins	3	6

What Are the Common Problems With the GMC Terrain and Nissan Rogue?

False alarms and glitches dominate the Rogue's complaints. Automatic emergency braking stops the car hard with nothing ahead, and dealers often cannot reproduce it. Other reports include a power liftgate that lowers on its own and an engine compartment fire near the battery. The Terrain's complaints point to hard mechanical failure. The brake vacuum pump can fail without warning, leaving a rock-hard pedal, and sometimes it breaks the engine. Fuel pump module failures stall the car. Every Rogue problem area has crash-linked complaints. On the Terrain, engine and fuel complaints have none.

GMC Terrain vs Nissan Rogue common problem areas comparison
Component	GMC Terrain	Nissan Rogue
SERVICE BRAKES	1Very Low	0.8Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.5Very Low	1.1Low
POWER TRAIN	1Very Low	0.5Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	0.7Very Low
ENGINE	0.4Very Low	0.7Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.5Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	0.3Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.2Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: GMC Terrain or Nissan Rogue?

Lower repair bills favor the Rogue. Independent repair-cost data puts its annual estimate at $467, against $558 for the Terrain. That gap is $91 a year, or about $455 over five years. Each model averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year, so visit frequency does not separate them. The difference is severity: 12% of Rogue repairs are major, compared with 17% for the Terrain.

How Does GMC Terrain vs Nissan Rogue Reliability Compare by Year?

GMC Terrain vs Nissan Rogue year-by-year reliability scores
Year	GMC Terrain	Nissan Rogue	Edge
2026	82/1000R / 0C	83/1001R / 9C	Nissan Rogue
2025	78/1000R / 8C	84/1001R / 103C	Nissan Rogue
2024	77/1001R / 29C	79/1002R / 116C	Nissan Rogue
2023	75/1002R / 21C	68/1005R / 519C	GMC Terrain
2022	72/1004R / 65C	70/1007R / 211C	GMC Terrain
2021	74/1002R / 28C	70/10013R / 269C	GMC Terrain
2020	68/1002R / 160C	79/1002R / 185C	Nissan Rogue
2019	68/1003R / 163C	73/1006R / 409C	Nissan Rogue
2018	66/1005R / 201C	70/1006R / 718C	Nissan Rogue

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 GMC Terrain scored 77/100 and the 2024 Nissan Rogue scored 79/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the GMC Terrain vs the Nissan Rogue?

Pick the Rogue if you want lower running costs and fewer big bills. Its yearly repair estimate is lower and fewer repairs turn major. Test the emergency braking on a long drive, and ask whether the false-stop service bulletin work was done. Avoid 2018 and 2023, the weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 cars rank best, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat that as proof. Pick the Terrain if you care more about fewer recalls and fewer complaints per car sold, and you can live with a higher repair bill. Ask for proof the brake vacuum pump has been checked, especially on a car between 37,000 and 71,000 miles, where failures cluster. Skip 2018 and 2019, the weakest years. Check the VIN for open recalls yourself, since some owners say theirs was left out of GM notices. Set aside extra money for repairs.

GMC Terrain vs Nissan Rogue: Common Questions

Is the Nissan Rogue more reliable than the GMC Terrain?: Slightly, yes. Both have a good reliability standing and the same 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The Rogue has the cheaper annual repair estimate and a lower chance that a repair is major. The Terrain draws fewer recalls and complaints, which keeps the gap narrow.
Which has more recalls, the Rogue or the Terrain?: The Rogue. Federal recall records show 43 recalls across nine model years for the Rogue, against 19 for the Terrain. Owners also filed far more complaints on the Rogue. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Which costs less to repair?: The Rogue. Independent repair-cost data estimates $467 a year for the Rogue and $558 for the Terrain, about $455 less over five years. Major repairs are also less likely on the Rogue, at 12% compared with 17%.
What is the main brake problem on the Terrain?: Brake assist can vanish with no warning, leaving a hard pedal that takes real force to stop the car. Dealers most often blame the brake vacuum pump. Failures cluster between about 37,000 and 71,000 miles, and in some cases the pump failure ruins the engine.
Does the Rogue have a braking problem too?: Yes, but it is a different kind. Owners report automatic emergency braking applying itself with nothing ahead, at speeds from walking pace to highway. Brake complaints include 13 crash-linked filings. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, and one owner was told to switch the system off.

More GMC Terrain comparisons

GMC Terrain vs Chevrolet Equinox reliability GMC Terrain vs Honda CR-V reliability GMC Terrain vs Toyota RAV4 reliability GMC Terrain vs Hyundai Tucson reliability GMC Terrain reliability by year GMC Terrain years to avoid

More Nissan Rogue comparisons

Nissan Rogue vs Hyundai Tucson reliability Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester reliability Nissan Rogue vs Ford Escape reliability Nissan Rogue vs Honda CR-V reliability Nissan Rogue reliability by year Nissan Rogue years to avoid

Decided between GMC Terrain and Nissan Rogue? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the GMC Terrain and Nissan Rogue

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

See incorrect data? Report an issue