A plush three-row that trades on deep discounts and a hushed cabin, but the 2018-2024 generation carries a documented transfer case weakness. Multiple owners report the same failure: the case splits catastrophically at highway speed, dumping fluid and stranding the vehicle, sometimes with only 30k-70k miles on the clock. When it works, you get adult-sized third-row space, a genuinely quiet ride, and dealer incentives that undercut Honda and Toyota by thousands. The catch is you're rolling dice on a known mechanical fault, and mismatched tires accelerate the failure. The all-new 2025 redesign swaps the V6 for a turbo four and starts fresh on a new platform, so the old gremlins shouldn't follow, but there's zero long-term proof yet. Buy used and you're gambling; buy new and you're hoping Buick learned its lesson.
Nissan's plastic oil pan cracks during the first oil change so often that dealers now stock replacements and some independent shops refuse to service new Rogues entirely. The 3-cylinder VC-Turbo engine (2022-2024 models) grenades head gaskets before 50,000 miles, requiring full long-block replacements under warranty. Add a recall that requires pulling the entire dashboard to fix an airbag, and you've got a vehicle that spends more time in service bays than most buyers bargained for. The 2021+ redesign brought genuinely nice interiors and strong fuel economy, and some owners rack up 200k+ miles without drama, but those successes feel like lottery wins when mechanics report near-universal oil pan failures and catastrophic engine problems on low-mileage examples. If you're leasing or buying new with plans to trade before warranty expires, the problems stay Nissan's. If you're buying used or keeping it long-term, you're inheriting known failure points with expensive fixes. The CR-V and RAV4 cost more upfront but don't gamble with your oil pan.