2003 Nissan Murano Body & structure Problems

Rusting excessively

NHTSA ID

11424032

Incident

Jun 21, 2021

REAR SUBFRAME COMPLETELY RUSTED CANT BELIEVE NISSAN USED SUCH CHEAP STEEL

NHTSA ID

11423987

Incident

Jun 20, 2021

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE BECAME SHAKY AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL NEARLY CAUSING THE DRIVER TO GO OFF THE ROAD. DRIVER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME HAD NEARLY RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH. THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 WITH AROUND 130,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE IS USED PRIMARILY TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK ON PAVED HIGHWAYS. WHEN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE FURTHER, I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE OTHER OWNERS OF FIRST GENERATION NISSAN MURANOS WHO EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES, INCLUDING ONE WHOSE FRAME ACTUALLY BROKE IN HALF WHILE DRIVING (THANKFULLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN OUR CASE). THE ISSUE APPEARS TO RELATE TO THE FRAME AND/OR SEALANT ON THE FRAME CORRODING DUE TO THE SALT USED ON THE ROADS DURING THE WINTER TIME IN THE NORTHERN US. OUR VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN MICHIGAN. NISSAN CONDUCTED RECALLS FOR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH OTHER MODELS (ALTIMA, PATHFINDER AND INFINITY QX4) WHICH SHOWS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT. AS SUCH, I FEEL THIS ISSUE IS PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS AND OTHER MOTORISTS. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT RECALL AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPAIR AND THEN SUBMIT A COMPLAINT WHICH WOULD BE ESCALATED TO THE REGIONAL TEAM BUT, THAT THEY WERE UNLIKELY TO PROVIDE ANY SUPPORT. HOWEVER, AS THE CAR IS CURRENTLY INOPERABLE, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE SO THE REPAIR WILL NEED TO BE DONE BY THE LOCAL, CERTIFIED MECHANIC. IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I CAN BE REACHED AT [XXX] OR BY PHONE AT [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11055322

Incident

Dec 13, 2017

Mileage

130,000 mi

HATCH WILL NOT OPEN HAD PARTS CHANGED AN IT WORKED FOR A WHILE NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN WAS STATIONARY.

NHTSA ID

10795209

Incident

Nov 20, 2015

Mileage

93,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE SPEED OF 25 MPH THE CAR STARTED LOOSING CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL STARTED SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME. THIS WAS BECAUSE ENGINE CRADLE GOT RUSTED AN CRACKED. THE LOWER ARM SEPARATED. THE DEFECT IS DOCUMENTED BY THE DEALER. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES AS THAT COULD HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEED CHASING SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I AM THE FIST OWNER OF THE CAR. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW AND THE WAS GARAGED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10706199

Incident

Apr 6, 2015

Mileage

77,260 mi

SEVERE RUST ON ROOF, NO OTHER PART OF CAR ONLY THE ROOF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10694397

Incident

Sep 1, 2014

Mileage

138,000 mi

THE LOCK HANDLE ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR CAME OUT OF THE DOOR. NO PRIOR WARNING, ETC. COMPLETE FAILURE & DOES NO OPEN CAR ANYMORE. EXCESSIVE & COUNTLESS SIMILAR INCIDENTS ON MURANO OWNER SITES & NISSAN SITES. DEALER SAYS $800 TO REPAIR! SAFETY ISSUE AS TO KEEPING CAR LOCKED, ETC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10617664

Incident

Jul 29, 2014

Mileage

84,000 mi

THE DOOR ACTUATOR, FOR THE RIGHT REAR DOOR, DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. WHEN I PUSH THE ELECTRIC "DOORS UNLOCK- LOCK BUTTON" ON THE DRIVER DOOR PANEL, THE DOOR DOES NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK, AS IT SHOULD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10515054

Incident

Jun 6, 2008

Mileage

25,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A LOUD BANGING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND AN INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. THE FRONT SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 116,000.

NHTSA ID

10451662

Incident

Mar 13, 2012

Mileage

116,000 mi

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE COMPLETELY OFF WITH NORMAL USE. *KB

NHTSA ID

10441801

Incident

Dec 29, 2011

Mileage

99,000 mi

DOOR HANDLE PROBLEM. KEY LOCK COVER FELL OFF AND KEY LOCK IS LOOSE. LOCKS STOPPED WORKING OR WORKED SOMETIME AFTER A WHILE OF BUYING THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10373176

Incident

Jul 10, 2010

Mileage

101,589 mi

SUN VISOR ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FALL DOWN AT WILL. VISORS STAY IN ROOF CLIP BUT SIMPLY ROTATE AND FLOP DOWN. SAFETY HAZARD AS DRIVER'S VISION MAY BE OBSTRUCTED. COSTLY REPLACEMENT ONLY GOOD FIX. *TR

NHTSA ID

10360776

Incident

Oct 16, 2010

Mileage

81,000 mi

DURING A ROUTINE SERVICE OF MY 2003 NISSAN MURANO, WHICH HAS 33,293 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN NOTICED RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING FROM A HOSE THAT IS LOCATED BEHIND A FAN-BELT TENSION PULLEY. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BRACKET ON WHICH THE PULLEY IS MOUNTED HAD FAILED CAUSING THE PULLEY TO BE PUSHED OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY DAMAGING THE HOSE AND BELT, RESULTING IN A REPAIR COST OF $450.27. THE REPAIR CONSISTED OF REPLACING ALL THE EFFECTED COMPONENTS AT MY EXPENSE. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE "DEFECTIVE BRACKET" WAS REPLACED WITH AN IDENTICAL ITEM SHARING THE SAME DEFECTIVE QUALITIES. NISSAN WILL NOT DIVULGE THE REASON FOR THE BRACKETS FAILURE. MY CONCERN IS: IF THIS "PULLEY DEVISE" HAD BROKEN OFF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE BRACKET WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT SPEED, IT WOULD HAVE DONE INCALCULABLE DAMAGE ,POSSIBLY CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, PROBABLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER WHAT CAUSED THE BRACKET TO FAIL, HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW, BUT THAT I SHOULD CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT HE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WHEN HE DID. APPARENTLY, OTHER OWNERS WERE NOT SO FORTUNATE, THEIR CARS HAD TO BE TOWED AND THE DAMAGE WAS MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED I ASKED TO BE GIVEN THE DEFECTIVE AND DAMAGED PARTS AND NOW HAVE THEM IN MY POSSESSION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10285848

Incident

Sep 25, 2009

Mileage

33,293 mi

NO ONE PARTICULAR EVENT LED TO FAILURE. THE SPECIFIC FAILURE IS THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FREQUENTLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY PIVOTS DOWN INTO LINE OF SIGHT OF DRIVER WHILE DRIVING. THIS HINDERS IMMEDIATE LINE OF SIGHT. VISOR HAS NO VISIBLE DEFAULT BUT FEELS "SPONGY" WHEN TRYING TO SECURE IT BACK UP. NUMEROUS FORUMS ONLINE INDICATE THE VISOR PIVOT POINT IS OF FLIMSY MANUFACTURE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS ONLINE FORUMS REFERRING TO THIS PROBLEM. MY VISOR FALLS INTO MY LINE OF SIGHT FREQUENTLY AND DOES BLOCK MY VIEW FOR A MOMENT UNTIL I PUSH IT BACK UP. I SEE THIS AS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. I ATTEMPTED TO ORDER A NEW PART ON MY OWN AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS OVER $300.00 FOR A NEW VISOR. THIS SEEMS OUTRAGEOUS SINCE IT OBVIOUSLY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN "BROKEN" DUE TO MOVING IT UP AND DOWN LIKE ANY OTHER VISOR WOULD BE MOVED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10229157

Incident

Dec 2, 2007

Mileage

65,000 mi

TO DATE, WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH OUR 2003 MURANO. WE HAVE REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY, MOTOR MOUNT, BATTERY, TCM AND TRANSMISSION. ON JULY 21, 2006 OUR MURANO MADE A LOUD NOISE THEN QUIT MOVING. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY STATED IT NEEDED A NEW TCM. THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM SO THEY SAID WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. WE HAD 64,000 MILES. SINCE THEN WE HAD THE CAR FOR ONE DAY AND TOOK IT BACK FOR YET A NEW PROBLEM WITH THE REAR AXLE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10164820

Incident

Jul 21, 2006

Mileage

64,000 mi

RECALL 2003 MURANO, REPAIRS WERE MADE, TWO MONTHS LATER REPAIRS HAD TO BE DONE AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *KB THE FUEL TANK PROTECTOR WAS REPLACED ON 3/22/06, PER RECALL 06V003000. IT WAS REPLACED AGAIN ON 5/22/06 AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN WATER UP TO THE WHEELS. THE TECH DETERMINED THAT WATER GOT IN THE FLOOR BOARD AREA AND CAUSED CORROSION OF IN THE AIR BAG HARNESS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10160517

Incident

May 22, 2006

Mileage

49,918 mi

I HAVE A NISSAN MURANO 2003 & HAVE HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS WITH IT. I WAS ON AN ONLINE FORUM & THERE WAS A LINK TO THIS SITE TO LIST THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE. MY CAR WAS PURCHASED IN JAN. 2003. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR DEFECTIVE BOSE CD PLAYER DEFECTIVE BATTERY DEFECTIVE CUPHOLDER ALL THE ITEMS WERE FIXED OR REPLACED BY NISSAN UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER I HAVE READ THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ALTERNATORS BUT HAVE NOT REPORTED TO A GOVERNENT AGENCY.*AK

NHTSA ID

10093005

Incident

Jan 20, 2004

Mileage

10,000 mi

THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF CD-CHANGER/PLAYER FAILURE, EACH TIME UNIT WAS REPLACED WITH A "NEW" ONE. TWO FAILURES OF REAR CUP HOLDER. ONE FAILURE OF VEHICLE ALTERNATOR AT APPROXIMATELY 19,000 MILES. MOST RECENT FAILURE WAS THE IPDM CONTROL MODULE AT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES. MYSTERIOUS ONGOING TRANSMISSION HESITATION, CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10088190

Incident

Jul 23, 2004

NISSAN MURANO HAS DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECTS COMPOUNDED BY UNRESOLVED ELECTRONICS PROBLEMS. DESIGN FLAWS: 1) INEFFECTIVE DEFROSTER SYSTEM , 2) LONG-ARMED WIPERS CLOG EASILY, 3) ALL DOORS MUST BE UNLOCKED TO GET GAS (INVITING CARJACKERS). THE DEFROSTER-WIPER PROBLEM WAS MADE WORSE BY ELECTRONICS. WHILE I WAS CLEARING WINDOWS THE CAR LOCKED IN 13 DEGREE WEATHER. *AK THE CAR: 1) LOCKS DOORS AT RANDOM INTERVALS , 2) PUTS THE WINDOWS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING (THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS, "DON'T NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN THIS CAR!"), 3) THE REMOTE ENTRY SYSTEM OFTEN DOES NOT BEEP REQUIRING THAT I CHECK ALL DOORS (ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH LOCKS), 4) NOW THE CAR SOMETIMES TELLS ME THAT THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPEN (WHEN IT IS NOT). THE CAR IS VIRTUALLY NEW (LESS THAN 6,000 MILES). NISSAN KNOWS THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS AN INTERNAL SERVICE MEMO IT. BUT WHEN CONSUMERS COMPLAIN THEY ARE "STONE-WALLED" WITH, "WE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM." LAST FRIDAY MY CARACTED UP AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE MANAGER ACKNOWLEDGED IN WRITING ON NISSAN LETTERHEAD. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS AND IT IS IN A NUMBER OF MODELS -- MAXIMA, ALTIMA, TITAN TRUCKS, AND MURANOS. NISSAN SHOULDRECALL ALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, PROVIDE RENTAL CARS WHILE REPAIRS ARE MADE, AND TO ISSUE CREDIT VOUCHERS FOR ALL OF THE PAST AGGRAVATION THEY CAUSED BY THEIR FAILING TO PROVIDE GOOD-FAITH SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THEY KNOW EXIST.

NHTSA ID

10064102

Incident

Nov 29, 2003

Mileage

25 mi

OVER 20 DIFFERENT RATTLE, SQUEAK, TAP, CREAK NOISES COMING FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. NOISES COMING FROM WINDOW AREAS, DOOR PANELS, B-PILLAR (REAR SEAT AREA), CEILING, FLOORBOARDS, CARGO AREA, DASH BOARD, UNDERNEAT THE FRONT END OF THE CAR (FRONT WHEELS), TAILGATE AREA, FRONT SEATS, REAR SEAT BELT AREA, AND MORE EVERY DAY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE THAN THREE TIMES (TOTAL OF 21 DAYS IN THE SERVICE BAY) TO ATTEMPT REPAIR, BUT NO RESULTS....THE NOISES KEEP COMING. NOISES OCCUR WHEN HITTING BUMPS OR ANY SLIGHT IMPERFECTION IN THE ROAD, ALSO OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS FLEXING OR WHN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 40 DEGREES.....IT GETS EVEN WORSE! DEALER CAN'T FIX IT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10048809

Incident

Nov 20, 2003

Mileage

1,000 mi

WHEN EITHER OF THE BACK OR FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW IS DOWN, THE THE WINDOWS WILL VIBRATE LOUD AND SHAKE. THE VIBRATION IS DEAFENING.*AK

NHTSA ID

10043813

Incident

Apr 1, 2003