Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue: Reliability Compared

The Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue are effectively tied on reliability. The Rogue draws fewer complaints per sale; the CR-V costs less to fix. Their weak spots differ. The CR-V's top complaint is a steering wheel that sticks near center. The Rogue's is emergency braking that triggers with nothing ahead.

How Do the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue Generations Compare?

The weakest CR-V years, 2018 and 2019, both come from the fifth generation. That generation ran from 2017 through 2022 and got a facelift for 2020, so every 2018 to 2022 model on this page belongs to it. If your budget points to the fifth generation, a 2020 to 2022 facelifted car avoids the two weakest years. The sixth generation arrived for 2023 and is listed through 2025. Those cars have had less time on the road, so their lower complaint counts partly reflect their age.

Verdict

The Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue are evenly matched with a reliability score of 75/100.

Neither SUV clearly wins. The two are effectively tied, and each holds a good reliability standing. The Rogue gets fewer owner complaints for the number sold: 6.2 per 10,000, against 8 for the CR-V. The CR-V costs less to repair each year, and fewer of its repairs turn out to be major. Neither one sends owners to the shop more often than the other. What separates them is the kind of trouble. CR-V complaints center on sticky steering and engine power loss. Rogue complaints lean toward false emergency braking and transmission slipping. Choose the risk you would rather manage, then look closely at the specific model year.

Key Differences

  1. 1Honda CR-V costs $60 less per year to repair
  2. 2Nissan Rogue has 3 fewer total recalls
  3. 3Honda CR-V has 3% lower major repair risk

Category Scoreboard

2Honda CR-V
—
2Nissan Rogue
Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue at-a-glance reliability comparison
MetricHonda CR-VNissan Rogue
Reliability Score75/10075/100
Years Tracked99
Total Recalls4643
Complaints per 10k Sold86.2
Annual Repair Cost$407/yr$467/yr
Repair Frequency0.3/yr0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk9%12%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall
2026 NHTSA
2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Not rated
Rollover
Year Wins3 (1 tied)5 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue?

Steering is the CR-V's biggest weak spot. Owners describe a wheel that sticks near center and then lets go suddenly, often with clicking or popping. Dealers usually diagnose a failing rack and quote $3,500 to $4,478. Some of these complaints are crash-linked, and steering is not one of the Rogue's main problem areas. The Rogue has crash-linked powertrain complaints instead: slipping, hesitation, and one car that rolled away in Park. Phantom emergency braking shows up in both, and dealers often cannot reproduce it. The CR-V also has limp mode on grades and oil rising from fuel dilution. The Rogue also has early engine warnings and a liftgate that lowers on its own.

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue common problem areas comparison
ComponentHonda CR-VNissan Rogue
STEERING1.8Low0.1Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM0.9Very Low0.7Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE1Very Low0.5Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER0.3Very Low1.1Low
ENGINE0.7Very Low0.7Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES0.4Very Low0.8Very Low
POWER TRAIN0.2Very Low0.5Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM0.4Very Low0.2Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM0.6Very Low—None
AIR BAGS0.2Very Low0.2Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER0.2Very Low0.2Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL0.1Very Low0.2Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING—None0.3Very Low
STRUCTURE0.1Very Low0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS—None—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING—None—None
SEATS—None—None
LANE DEPARTURE—None—None
SUSPENSION—None—None
VISIBILITY—None—None
TIRES—None—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION—None—None

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

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda CR-V or Nissan Rogue?

Repair bills favor the CR-V. Independent repair-cost data puts its average at $407 a year, against $467 for the Rogue. That $60 gap comes to about $300 over five years. Shop visits are even: each SUV averages 0.3 unscheduled trips a year. The bigger difference is how serious repairs get. A Rogue repair has a 12% chance of being major, compared with 9% for the CR-V. Still, one CR-V steering rack failure, which owners report being quoted up to $4,478, would wipe out years of those savings.

How Does Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue year-by-year reliability scores
YearHonda CR-VNissan RogueEdge
202683/1000R / 35C83/1001R / 9CTie
202580/1006R / 201C84/1001R / 103CNissan Rogue
202477/1004R / 406C79/1002R / 116CNissan Rogue
202372/1007R / 578C68/1005R / 519CHonda CR-V
202276/1005R / 242C70/1007R / 211CHonda CR-V
202177/1003R / 241C70/10013R / 269CHonda CR-V
202074/10010R / 358C79/1002R / 185CNissan Rogue
201969/1007R / 996C73/1006R / 409CNissan Rogue
201865/1004R / 1960C70/1006R / 718CNissan Rogue

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda CR-V 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 Honda CR-V vs the Nissan Rogue?

Pick the CR-V if long-term repair spending matters most to you. It averages $407 a year against the Rogue's $467, and fewer of its repairs are major. Skip the 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. Before you buy, have a mechanic check for steering that sticks or catches near center, because owners report rack replacement quotes in the thousands. On the test drive, watch for a flashing check engine light on hills. Pick the Rogue if you want a model with fewer owner complaints per car sold. Avoid the 2018 and 2023, its weakest years. On a test drive, feel for transmission slipping or hesitation. Also make sure the power liftgate stops when something blocks it. With either SUV, ask the seller how the automatic emergency braking has behaved, since owners of both report false hard stops. The 2025 and 2026 of each show few complaints so far, but they have had little time on the road to collect them.

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue: Common Questions

Is the Honda CR-V more reliable than the Nissan Rogue?
No, they are effectively tied. Each holds a good reliability standing. The Rogue gets fewer owner complaints for every car sold. The CR-V has cheaper average repairs and a lower share of major ones. Neither edge is large enough to put one model clearly ahead.
Which has more recalls, the CR-V or the Rogue?
The CR-V has slightly more. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across nine CR-V model years and 43 for the Rogue over the same span. The gap is small. Run the VIN of any car you are considering to see whether its recall repairs were completed.
Do the CR-V and Rogue both have phantom braking problems?
Yes. Owners of both report automatic emergency braking slamming on with nothing ahead. CR-V reports mention adaptive cruise control, curves, and cars turning off the road ahead. Rogue reports mention rain, snow, darkness, and reversing. Each model has crash-linked reports, including rear-end collisions with injuries, and dealers often cannot recreate the fault.
What is the Honda CR-V steering problem?
Owners say the steering wheel sticks or catches near center, then releases suddenly, which can make drivers overcorrect. Clicking, creaking, or popping often comes with it. Reports cluster around 47,000 to 53,000 miles. Dealers usually blame the steering rack or gearbox and quote $3,500 to $4,478. This is the CR-V's largest complaint area.
Does the Nissan Rogue have transmission problems?
Some owners report them. Complaints describe slipping, hesitation, and uneven acceleration. In one case the symptoms came back about 25,000 miles after the transmission was replaced. Dealers often decline to act without a warning light. Powertrain is a crash-linked complaint area for the Rogue, and one report describes a car rolling away while in Park.

Decided between Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda CR-V 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.

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