Okay, that's a lot of territory you've covered, so I'll try and tackle some of it.
I think in your 6th post you meant to say 2nd gen, as the 08's were the very first Rogues. You know, it takes all the fun out of it if they're easy to work on.
Anyway I'm gonna be the bearer of bad news and say that you'll probably need to perform last rites on the compressor. Yeah it sucks that a component that normally lasts longer on other vehicles took a dump sooner than it should have, but that's been par for the course for Nissan for about the past 15 or so years.
When you get a moment read the comments people left here:
POLL: Would You Buy Another Nissan?
Here's another thread worth reading:
I AM DONE WITH THIS BRAND!!!--- Rant!
The CVT's in the 08, 09 and 10's were really problematic, so much so that Nissan had to extend the warranty on them. Nissan recommends that the CVT fluid be checked every 30k miles. The engine is pretty solid, so I can't recall any major issues that need tending to. Otherwise most everything you'll need to know can be found under this heading:
08-13 ROGUE DIY REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE, FAQ & INFO, TIPS, etc