Nissan maintenance: cost, plans and service schedule

Simply put, it costs money to keep a car on the road, and knowing how much you should expect to spend on upkeep can be critical if you’re looking to buy a car or deciding whether you should keep one after its warranty runs out.

So, let’s take a look at what it might cost you to keep a Nissan on the road. We’ll cover what kind of maintenance Nissan recommends, how much you can expect to spend on maintenance and repairs, and how you can potentially avoid some of those costs.

Key insights

• Nissan recommends a different maintenance schedule for each of its models.
• Nissan vehicles are generally reliable and have below-average maintenance and repair costs.
• Nissan offers extended warranties and prepaid maintenance plans that can help you afford the upkeep on your vehicle, but it’s also worth checking out third-party options.

Nissan maintenance schedule

Nissan’s maintenance schedules vary from model to model, so we can’t list the maintenance requirements for all of its vehicles here. However, Nissan’s website has a helpful tool that lets you plug in your specific model to get a personalized maintenance schedule. That page also makes it easy to know what should be done next, so you don’t miss any vital appointments.

We’ve included the maintenance schedule for a 2023 Nissan Rogue in the table below, but remember that your Nissan might not need the same services at the same frequency. (For example, your Nissan Altima might only need a tire rotation every six months or 5,000 miles.)

Nissan Rogue maintenance schedule

During these visits, your technician may also choose to inspect other parts of the car. For example, your key fob battery should be checked or changed every 15,000 miles, and the pressure in your tires should be checked every visit.

Scheduled maintenance for severe driving conditions

Nissan doesn’t specify a different maintenance schedule for driving in extreme conditions. However, your vehicle will need more regular care to keep it in good running order if you put it to harder use. Nissan defines severe driving as:

• Repeated drives of five or fewer miles
• Repeated drives under 10 miles during freezing temperatures
• Driving in stop-and-go traffic during hot temperatures
• Extensive idling or low-speed driving
• Driving on dusty, muddy, rough or de-iced roads
• Driving with cargo on your vehicle’s roof
• Towing a trailer

Vehicles driven in severe conditions will likely require more frequent maintenance, and they may also need upgraded parts or additives. For example, the Nissan technician may recommend synthetic oil over conventional oil or heavy-duty brakes over standard brakes.

Are Nissans expensive to maintain?

The vehicles in Nissan’s automotive lineup average $500 per year in maintenance and repair costs, according to RepairPal. This is well below the industry average of $652 per year, and that savings is likely due to Nissan vehicles’ reliability.

Nissan has a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5 on RepairPal, which puts it in ninth place among 32 car brands. RepairPal’s data also shows that Nissan vehicles tend to visit the shop slightly less than average. However, the severity of their repairs tends to be slightly higher than average, so your bill may be higher when you do go to the mechanic.

If you need additional context, take a look at the annual costs of maintaining a Nissan compared with some other major brands.

However, it’s worth pointing out that RepairPal’s $500-per-year figure combines statistics for every Nissan model across multiple years and covers both scheduled maintenance visits and unexpected breakdowns. That means you can expect your experience to vary. Some years you may pay far less, while other years could be more expensive than you planned for. Your choice of vehicle also makes a difference.

You can see how the estimated costs from RepairPal change based on what model you choose below. Estimates for the Nissan models we looked at were all relatively close to each other and the overall average for the brand, though. So, Nissan may not have as much variation on this front as other automakers.

Nissan maintenance costs

We’ve included costs for common maintenance services in the table below so you can see how much it may cost you to keep up with your maintenance schedule. Just be aware that these estimates are based on a Nissan Rogue in Austin, Texas, so your costs may differ if you live somewhere else or have another vehicle.

Typical maintenance costs for a 2019 Nissan Rogue

Nissan doesn’t offer free maintenance plans for new vehicles. However, some dealerships offer their own complimentary maintenance programs, so it’s worth asking your Nissan dealer if they have anything like that.

Nissan does sell prepaid maintenance plans as part of its Security+Plus program, though. By paying for maintenance services ahead of time, you may be able to save money in the long run.

Nissan repair costs

In contrast to maintenance, which is needed on a regular schedule, repairs are only needed when something fails or malfunctions. Some repairs are simple, such as replacing an idler pulley ($200), while others can be much more intensive and expensive, such as rebuilding a transmission ($2,000 or more).

Check out the table below to see a few common repairs for Nissan vehicles and what they may cost you to fix.

Nissan’s factory warranty provides bumper-to-bumper coverage for three years or 36,000 miles and powertrain coverage for five years, with no mileage cap. However, any repairs outside of this period that aren’t covered by your auto insurance will be your responsibility to pay for.

Author’s note: When it comes to the Nissan warranty, many owners will tell you it’s not enough. As a mechanic, there’s nothing worse than seeing owners come in for repairs right after a short warranty period ends. These owners barely get through breaking in the vehicle before they have to start worrying about repairs, which can be frustrating

JJ, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Minnesota, needed a transmission replacement (which can cost upward of $4,000) right around the time their factory warranty was running out.

“Transmission on Rogue went out at just over 100k miles in less than 6 years of owning it new. Highway miles, driven easy. A vehicle bought in the last 5 years new the transmissions should last at least 190,000 miles. Mine is shot. Be very careful in purchasing a new or used Nissan especially with a continuously variable transmission,” they wrote.

With any luck, you’ll never have to pay for a major repair on your vehicle, but it’s worth making sure that you’re financially able to handle a large repair bill, just in case. Otherwise, you could be without reliable transportation until you figure out what to do.

» MORE: Car warranty vs. car insurance

How can an extended warranty or maintenance plan help?

Extended auto warranties, also known as vehicle service contracts, can protect you from unexpected auto repair costs by providing protection that is similar to, if not better than, your factory warranty.

Nissan offers extended warranties through the same Security+Plus program it uses to sell prepaid maintenance plans, and you can find additional warranty options from dedicated extended warranty companies. That means you should have enough options to choose a coverage level and warranty term to match your risk tolerance and budget.

An extended warranty isn’t right for everyone, but if you don’t have enough savings to pay for a large repair bill out of pocket, it’s worth doing a little research to see if buying one might benefit you long-term.

» LEARN: Pros and cons of extended auto warranties