I have 500km on my new Rogue and I guess the honeymoon is over...

1. I am really annoyed wit the knob for the car computer. While driving on the highway, I have to pass my right hand through steering wheel and push the knob to see how far I can go with the current amount of gas. That is ridiculous. On my old car there was a small button at the end of the wiper control arm and with my index finger I could check the car computer easily. I am pretty sure Nissan wanted tho decrease the cost of running wires to the wiper arm and leave it on the instrument panel, but it is not safe to access the car computer on highway .

2. There should be an indicator for the fog lights. I want to know if my fog lights are on or off.

3. The front center speaker is very powerful and when I wanted to move the level of sound to the rear speakers, I realized they are as weak as the earphones of my ipod. How much Watts do they have?

4. The 2011 models are not equipped with the Glove Box Divider and the Center Console Tray...Nissan decided to stop installing those accessories, but they kept their grooves and slots. So if I pay something like $100, I could purchase those plastic pieces from the dealer. At one point I need to, both the center console and glove box are huge, so somehow I need to articulate to organize. Talking about "storage", once I was planning to buy Dodge Journey. It has storage spaces even under the floormats of the rear seats...

5. In the US models, there is a plastic piece next to the brake pedal, on the carpet (I saw it on the catalogue). It is a useful piece, since I sometimes rest my foot on that carpet while driving. The day I bought the car I discovered that there was no protective plastic over the carpet. It was all covered with salty slushy snow (Ottawa + Winter + Snow Storm + my size 13 winter boots ). I went to my workshop and cut a steel plate (2"x7.5"), rounded and filed the edges, went to a Dollar store, bought self adhesive velcro and install it on the carpet (if you are interested I can attach a picture as well)...so, you are exporting a car to Canada, you are installing block heater to every car, but you are not putting a $5 plastic on the carpet ?

6. The potential problem with the scratches of the lover sill (weather stripping - rocker piece) will start today or tomorrow. I can't apply a 3M Paint Protective Film now, because according to the installation guide, the ambient temperature should be between 13C'-23C'. So I have to wait for the Spring. As one Forum member suggested; should I use a transparent Duck Tape??? Hey wait a minute..I paid $37.000 for this car, why should I have concerns about that stupid design fault and duck tape my brand new car???? (I know, I read everything about this problem at the Forum... I have to sent complaint letters to Nissan Canada and they will simply say/do nothing)

7. The gas cap..it has no lock. I need to install an after market gas cap with a key. I found the Stant part, I found the store, I can go and buy...but engine light may turn on and I need to cut the original gas cap holder strap (if I need to return back to the original cap, it won't have a strap to hold it)...Why do I have to add security to my car? Or why do I have to have engine light on at 500 kms on it?

8. I can't raise the rear wiper of the car. I protected the windshield wipers by raising them at night, but I cant for the rear wiper.

9. The roof rails came with 4 holes on each interior side. I learned that they are for the cross bars. I am planning to buy crossbars, but is it difficult to put plastic caps until the owner removes them to install the crossbars? (on the OEM installation guide, there are plastic caps) or if the owner decides not to install the crossbars, then he/she has to live with 8 holes, look like a piece is missing or stolen? (BTW, another potential problem will be the rust issues of the screws that hold the crossbars ...)

10. Now the car is at the break-in period, so I am driving carefully. JUST FOR THE BREAK-IN PERIOD: I am using block heater for two hours for better viscosity of the engine oil, with the remote starter I am idling the car for 2 minutes. I know this "idling behavior" badly effects the fuel efficiency (with 1 tank = 300kms/186miles), and it is winter; the car normally consumes more gas for rear defroster etc... But I am hoping to have better fuel efficiency. (Frankly speaking even currently it is consuming less than my old car )

11. The seatbelt latch and center console are too close together. I can't imagine an overweight driver/passenger using this seatbelt.

To be honest, I love my car. I think I made a good decision with buying this car. However, I discovered those 10-11 annoying things in two weeks/500kms. I am little concerned about what will I discover after 6 months??? For the same price, I could have purchase a Mitsubishi Outlander (with seven seats, more towing capacity, etc). I wish I will never feel sorry about my decision every time I saw an Outlander in front of me at the red light.

I wanna say something only 2 things:
#9 my friend recently bought '09 Rogue SL used and the holes are covered with plastic plugs. Sounds like originally you did have the crossbars but dealer removed them and forgot to cover the holes. That's 1 thing to complain about.
#11 I never had a problem to buckle up but my windows are tinted so it is hard to say if I have my seat belt on or not but usually I don't use the seat belt. BTW I'm 5'6" and 250lbs so yes...I'm overweight and at the same time believe it or not but I don't have that problem to buckle up
Other than that I ended up buying a cheaper edition of the Rogue and modifying the way I want and not the way manufacture offer it so can't really say much about computer knob or middle speaker since it is not in my car.

#9. I don't think dealer removed the crossbars, because 2011 models are not coming with OEM crossbars. Actually Nissan Canada doesn't offer OEM crossbars, instead they sell ugly (but robust) Thule crossbars. I guess, like the glove box divider and center console tray, Nissan decided to save some plastics...I will install the OEM style crossbars, so I don't care to much about the holes. I need to find rust-proof screws though.
#11. Please buckle up. You car has airbags to protect you, without the seat belts they are useless.

Regarding your efficiency, you are right to be concerned about that, but my advice is to give it a few thousand km's break-in and the transition to "warm weather" gasoline should help a lot, then you should never get less than 500 km per tank, in summer on the highway I get at least 650 km per tank, and around town I'll get close to 600.

Just give it some time and it will improve, and focus on driving with a very light foot on the accelerator, the CVT will really respond with increased efficiency tuning if you drive conservatively.

#1 I also agree with you about that little knob.

#4 I am also missing the divider and storage box. For awhile I thought the dealership forgot to give them to me. Like you said, the grooves are still there, but thanks to this Forum, I realized I’m not crazy, they were discontinued options. I won’t buy them, but they would be nice.

#5 You mean the Rogue in Canada doesn’t have the plastic piece next to the brake on the floor? What is there instead? Maybe it’s not a safe place for Canadians to rest their left foot.

#7 Agreed with the gas cap. I bought an aftermarket locking cap that works okay. I stopped using it because it was difficult to get the key in and out of the cap. A locking little door would be better, like the other Nissan’s.

#10 My seatbelt fits fine, but you’re right, it could be a tight squeeze for some.

It still upsets me that automatic temp control and headlights were not even an option for my 2010 and I paid the same price that a 2011 costs. Oh well. Maybe next time.

#5. I'm in the US and didn't notice until a week after purchase, my 2011 didn't have anything on the carpeted foot rest either. I was going to try to have something installed when I go back for service.

My number 1 most annoying "problem" is how loud this car sounds in the rain. I actually stopped to make sure someone hadn't broken out a back window or something, because it was so loud. I've had a nissan hatch back in the past and it was never this noisy in the rain. It sounds like I'm riding around in a tin can.

I'd have to agree with on 4, 6 and 9.

I had an '08 that had the divider, it works well to keep the manuals in place, with this '11 they just slide all over, I guess I'll have to buy some velcro and stick them to the side of the glove box.

My '08 had scratching problems on the door sills, the dealer put stone guard over the area to protect it. I'll probably do the same with this one, but this time come up over the edge as well to protect it from my feet.

The roof rails, I was surprised when the holes where left empty as they are, that's just cheap/lazy.

The biggest annoyance I have currently with my '11 is the defroster whistles when the air speed is turned up, the auto setting makes it whistle until it shifts away from defrost.

12. My base model '09 did not come with a light for the hatch. I understand it's a base model, and with some effort I can add one, but come on Nissan.
I do really like the vehicle though. Just check my mileage again after some around town and interstate travel and was getting around 28mpg. Pretty good for an awd vehicle.

PlatinumGraphite wrote:My number 1 most annoying "problem" is how loud this car sounds in the rain. I actually stopped to make sure someone hadn't broken out a back window or something, because it was so loud. I've had a nissan hatch back in the past and it was never this noisy in the rain. It sounds like I'm riding around in a tin can.

The stock Continental tires are partly to blame here. The Yok Avid TRZ's I replaced them with are much quieter on wet roads.

Good to know, Philipa. Thanks.

Mainiac wrote: The roof rails, I was surprised when the holes where left empty as they are, that's just cheap/lazy.

anyone have a mm size/threading on the crossbar holes?

linux_author wrote:anyone have a mm size/threading on the crossbar holes?

Nissan doesn't publish the specs for many of the fasteners they use. But considering it has a T-30 TORX head (I have a copy of the installation instructions) AND Nissan uses metric fasteners exclusively, there is a very good chance they are M6 x 1.0mm.

The problem comes in finding metric fasteners. If your local hardware or building supply store does not carry them, then the Nissan dealer or online might be the only sources. Hint: try places that specialize in industrial fasteners.

Good luck!

12. I can't see the AC light (and the circulation light) during daytime. While climbing a hill or passing a truck on a hill, I usually turn the AC off. But although the orange light has little prismatic surface, it is impossible to see the light!

13. When accelerating after a red light, all the other cars are passing me! I am serious, when I press the accelerator pedal little more, the engine roars like I forgot to change the shift at a manual transmission. If I continue to press the pedal, then it accelerates. I read this issue at this forum, and I know it is something special for a CVT, but it is annoying. When I press the pedal, it should go. I usually drive as if I am at the driving exam (to save fuel accelerate gradually) and when I drive like this no problem...

14. The clear plastic of the speed and rpm gauges are easily scratch-able. It has scratches already.They should use the plastic that the used for the radio. I clean both of them with the same microfibre cloth (this cloth is JUST for cleaning these two) and radio's screen is scratch free...but the gauges look terrible.

15. The black plastic pieces that they used inside is so sensitive to scratches. When you hit your shoes it is scratched! The console box for example. I put a pen on the lid (when I purchase gas I log the mpg and total kms on to the receipt). The pen's groove is scratched as if the car is 10 years old.