Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Nissan Murano submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
WHETHER I'M DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE OR 20 DOWN THE STREET THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY SHUT OFF AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND MAKE WHINING NOISE UNTIL IT COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE TO SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON
I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH ON A CITY STREET AND ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON INCLUDING THE BRAKE LIGHT, CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED LIKE IT HAD NO POWER STEERING. PULLED OVER, PARKED, TURNED OFF CAR, WAITED A MINUTE. TURNED CAR BACK ON AND ALL DASH LIGHTS WERE OFF AGAIN. DROVE FOR A MILE TO SEE IF IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT DID NOT. WHAT THE HELL, @NISSAN? I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THAT'S NOT SAFE FOR A CAR TO JUST TURN OFF LIKE THAT.
COIL SPRING ON RIGHT FRONT STRUT SPLIT AND DUG INTO TIRE CAUSING THE TIRE TO BLOW-OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT DID NOT RESPOND. THE STEERING ABILITY BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS POWERED OFF AND RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED TO NORMAL. IN ADDITION, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURERS RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE IN 2005. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED EIGHTEEN TIMES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME LOOSE AND AN ABNORMAL NOISE COULD BE HEARD FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 174,000.
THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY HARD ALL OF A SUDDEN DURING DRIVING. AND EVER SINCE THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT (ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE) TO MAKE A BIG TURN, ON EITHER SIDE. THIS HAPPENED DURING PARKING, WHEN THE CAR WAS SPEEDING UP OR SLOWING DOWN (10 TO 30 MPH) AND ALSO ON HIGHWAY (UP TO 65 MPH). FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED BUT IT IS BELIEVED THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE UNDER SUCH CONDITION.
THE REAR SUB FRAME BROKE IN TWO PIECES, WHILE MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
I PURCHASED VEHICLE 2/9/2015 SINCE THAN I HAVE TAKEN TO GET 2 TOTAL VEHICLE INSPECTIONS. BOTH INSPECTIONS I HAVE BEEN GIVEN TWO DIFFERENT ESTIMATED PROBLEMS. WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP AND TRYING TO TAKE OFF VEHICLE WILL NOT GO, AFTER ABOUT 15 TO 20 SECONDS IT WILL TAKE OFF AT A RAPID SPEED WHICH SCARES ME TO THE POINT WHERE I AM GLAD IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON EXPRESSWAY I KNOW ME AND MY 8 YR OLD WOULD BE INJURED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT COULD BE THE TRANSMISSION AND/OR THE TRANS CASE BOTH I HAVE LOOKED UP AND OMG MORE COMPLAINTS THAN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. SECOND ISSUE IS, WHEN TURNING A CORNER LEFT OR RIGHT IT HESITATES LIKE IT DOESN'T WANT TO GO, I HAVE BEEN TOLD ITS THE TRANS CASE. IF NISSAN KNOWS THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE CVT WHY HAVEN'T THEY DONE A RECALL, ESPECIALLY BEFORE SOMEONE DIES WITH THE DELAYED HESITATION. I JUST SPENT $6,000 ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE I WAS TOLD GO FOREIGN YOU WON'T BE UNHAPPY, AND HERE I AM BEING TOLD I NEED TO SPENT ANOTHER $6,000 TO REPAIR AN ISSUE THAT'S HAS SO MANY COMPLAINTS. *TR
THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS ISSUE HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING DOWN A MOUNTAIN WITH LOTS OF CURVES WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER. I WOULD PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND AS I STARTED TO HEAD INTO A CURVE ALL THE LIGHTS IN MY CENTER CONSOLE CAME ON AND THE CAR SHUT ITSELF OFF. I QUICKLY PROCEEDED TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WITH ONE HAND AND WITH THE OTHER ON THE STEERING WHEEL DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS I WAS GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE. I WAS ABLE TO START IT UP AGAIN BUT THIS WAS IN MY OPINION VERY DANGEROUS. I TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ISSUE. SOME MONTHS LATER I WAS DRIVING AROUND TOWN AND MY MURANO WOULD NOT MOVE EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR I PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TO SEE IF I COULD FINED THE PROBLEM. FINALLY AFTER ABOUT 45 MIN. IT REGAINED THE ABILITY TO MOVE AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A CODE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND ALL I KEEP HEARING FROM THEM IS TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT GETS WORSE. AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE I FIND THIS ISSUE TO BE VERY DANGEROUS AND THAT IS WHY I SEND NISSAN AN EMAIL TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT MY DISSATISFACTION WITH THEIR PRODUCT AND TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER AGAIN PURCHASE ANOTHER NISSAN PRODUCT. *TR
INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. MANY COMPLAINTS FILED ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
THE DIFFERENTIAL/CVT TRANSFER CASE IS DEFECTIVE. WHICH REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE AWD SYSTEM AT A COST OF $4-6000. IT ALSO CAUSE THE CAR TO HAVE STEERING PROBLEMS AS WELL. THIS ISSUE ALSO CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BURN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL WHICH REQUIRE PREMIUM GAS.I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEMS OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING. THIS CAUSES UNNECESSARY FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AS MOST PEOPLE ARE STILL PAYING A CAR LOAN ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR
THE PRESSURE HOSE OF THE POWER STEERING IS LEAKING EXTENSIVELY, TO THE POINT WHERE IT REQUIRED THE RESERVOIR TO BE REFILLED AN ABOUT 10 DAYS. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, THE POWER STEERING FLUID CAN BE SEEN DRIPPING ONTO THE EXHAUST, CREATING SMOKE AND A BURNING SMELL WHEN OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE PROBABLY BEGAN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY LEAKING OIL FROM THE UPPER OIL PAN (THE ALUMINUM SHROUD AROUND THE CRANK). ONCE THE UPPER OIL PAN LEAK WAS FIXED, THE PS PRESSURE HOSE LEAK BECAME MORE EVIDENT. APPARENTLY, THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE JUST RECENTLY, BECAUSE I ADDED SOME FLUID TO THE PS RESERVOIR WHEN I FIXED THE UPPER OIL PAN, AND MUCH OF THIS REPLACED FLUID DRAINED OUT WITHIN THE FOLLOWING 10 DAYS. CERTAINLY NOT WHAT I'D CALL A SAFE SITUATION, AND FROM READING THE ONLINE FORUMS ON NISSAN MURANO'S, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON SITUATION. *TR
I OWN A 2004 NISSAN MURANO. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN A YEAR (9MONTHS) AND IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS I HAVE NOTICED MULTIPLE ISSUES...BOTH MY FRONT WINDOWS ROLL DOWN AUTOMATICALLY AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF, THE TEMP GAUGE ON THE MIRROR FLASHES 100 DEGREES, LASTLY-THE MOST CONCERNING IS MY STEERING! I HEARD POPPING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS, BUT MOST RECENTLY I COULD FEEL THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT. I THOUGHT AT FIRST IT WAS BECAUSE OF ALL THE RAIN WE HAD SOME HIGH WATER OVER OUR ROAD, BUT IT CONTINUED. MY BROTHER IS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HE ADDED FLUID TO IT WHICH HELPED FOR A DAY OR TWO THEN IT WENT RIGHT BACK TO BEING HARD TO STEER, MOSTLY TURNING LEFT SOME RIGHT.WE WERE DRIVING OVER A BRIDGE WHEN WE CROSSED THE BRIDGE JOINT PASSING ONCOMING TRAFFIC THE WHEEL NEARLY JERKED LEFT OUT OF MY GRIP BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. WE NEARLY HIT ANOTHER CAR AND COULD HAVE WENT THROUGH THE BRIDGE TO THE RIVER BELOW. SCARED US TO DEATH!! WHEN WE LOOKED IT UP IN THE SYSTEM IT SAYS IT MAY BE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM. I'VE LOOKED ONLINE AND HAVE READ MULTIPLE UPON MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS OF THE SAME THING FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL BUT NO RECALL OR HELP FOR THIS ISSUE BY NISSAN, NOT THE 2004 ANYWAY. MY BROTHER PLANS TO GET UNDER THE CAR AND CHECK IT OUT IN MORE DETAIL BUT IS PRETTY CERTAIN RACK AND PINION MALFUNCTION IS THE PROBLEM. IT'S GONNA BE A SMALL FORTUNE TO PAY FOR! BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I HAVE TWO CHILDREN UNDER AGE 4 THAT ARE TRANSPORTED DAILY IN THIS VEHICLE AND IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND FOR NISSAN. THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *TR
2004 NISSAN MURANO SUFFERED COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD TURN FREELY BUT DOES NOT CONTROL THE CAR. THE RESULT WAS A CRASH. THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN SIGHT ON A STRAIGHT ROAD TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. THE SUV WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE TOTALING THE VEHICLE AND INJURING DRIVER. AIRBAG INJURIES WERE NOT TOO BAD BUT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE IF TRAVELING AT A HIGHER SPEED. *TR
MY 2004 NISSAN MURANO AWD SE FRONT DRIVER SEAT BROKE . I TOOK IT OUT AND PAID TO HAVE A GUY WELD IT . OTHERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT IS A COMMON MURANO PROBLEM . SOME SUGGESTED THAT IT IS ALREADY A NISSAN RECALL ISSUE BUT I CAN'T GET ANY INFO TO PROVE IT . IT STILL FLOPS AROUND . ALSO THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING WENT AT 75K MILES BUT THAT'S ANOTHER PROBLEM . THE DOORS LOCK AUTOMATICALLY IF YOU SLAM THE DOOR SOMETIMES . IMAGINE JUMPING OUT OF THE CAR TO PUT MAIL IN THE BOX AND WHEN YOU COME BACK IT'S LOCKED ? DEALER SAID HE FIXED IT ... HE DIDN'T . THE TAIL GATE BACK DOOR LATCH STICKS . ALSO THE METAL RIM OF THE GASOLINE FILLER NECK GOT RUSTY AND PITTED . CONSEQUENTLY THE GAS CAP DIDN'T SEAL PROPERLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON . THE DEALER WANTED 800 DOLLARS TO CHANGE THE FILLER NECK . I SANDED IT AND FIXED IT FOR NOTHING . *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 TO 45 MPH AND PROCEEDING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL SOUND AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO UTILIZE EXTREME FORCE IN ORDER FOR THE STEERING WHEEL TO MOVE. WHEN SHE MOVED THE VEHICLE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, SHE NOTICED POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO ADD POWER STEERING FLUID; HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT STAY IN THE VEHICLE. SHE HAD TO FILL THE RESERVOIR EVERY TWO TO THREE DAYS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVELS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A DEFECT IN THE POWER STEERING HOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 05/19/10. *LJ
I WAS LEAVING PARKING LOT WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL. I PARKED AND EXITED TO INSPECT. I FOUND THE TIE ROD TO MY WHEELS DISCONNECTED. I HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE TIE ROD DISCONNECTED. PARTS WERE REPLACED AND KEPT. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY AND/OR DEATH. *TR
POWER STEERING IS VERY HEAVY WHEN ATTEMPTING QUICK MANEUVERS, E.G. PARKING, LANE CHANGE, ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE. *NM
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH STEERING FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WENT ACROSS THE MEDIAN AND COLLIDED HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. DRIVER SUSTAINED A BROKEN FOOT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
COLD STARTS CANNOT TURN STEERING WHEEL BACKING OR REVERSING ,INFANT IN CAR,AND POWER STEERING BINDING.NISSAN SAYS NORMAL,2005 MURANOS CORRECTED WITH NEW POWER STEERING PUMP.WHEN COULD NOT TURN STEERING OR BINDING STEERING WHEEL ALMOST HITTING VEHICLES. *AK
CONSUMER REPORTS STATES THERE IS A STEERING DEFECT. THEY CONFIRM THIS TO ME IN AN EMAIL THAT THE STEERING CANNOT COPE WITH "FAST STEERING INPUTS" ETC. NISSAN DENIES THIS. CONSUMER REPORTS DOES NOT RECOMMEND BUYING THE CAR FOR THIS REASON. I WOULD LIKE AN HONEST ANSWER AS WE BOUGHT A NEW ONE IN 8/04."MURANO" IS THE MODEL TYPE.*AK
I PURCHASED A NISSAN MURANO 2004 SUV. WHEN STEERING, MOSTLY AT LOW SPEEDS MY CAR LOOSES ITS POWER STEERING. ON AND OFF THE STEERING WHEEL GETS HEAVIER. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THAT FACT MOST OF ALL THAT MY WIFE DRIVES THE CAR WITH OUT TWO LITTLE CHILDREN. I BELIEVE NISSAN SHOULD BE FORCED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE SINCE THEY DID IT WITH THE UPCOMING NEW 2005 MURANO. DON'T YOU THINK THAT THE SAFETY OF THE 2004 MODEL OWNERS SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THAT OF THE 2005 MODEL OWNERS? I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND I BELIEVE THAT MY COMPLAINT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MATTER. THANK YOU. NIKOLA GORANOV. *AK
SINCE TAKING DELIVERY OF OUR 2004 NISSAN MURANO SL AWD ON DECEMBER 5TH 2004, THE POWER STEERING HAS BECOME LOUDER. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING IS SURGING WHILE CORNERNING. AFTER TAKING THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE POWER STEERING LINE FROM THE PUMP TO THE RACK AND PINION WAS LOOSE, AND LEAKING.
COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 16, 2004 I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 OR 40 MPH ON HIGHWAY 680 SOUTH AT HIGHWAY 101 INTERCHANGE NEAR SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA WHEN I HAD TO RAPIDLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO MY LEFT TO AVOID REAR ENDING A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. DURING THE RETURN MOTION OF THE WHEELS I UNEXPECTEDLY LOST POWER STEERING BOOST. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO ACT VERY QUICKLY, AND FORCED THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO WHERE IT BELONGED. IN DOING SO I AVOIDED A CERTAIN COLLISION WITH THE CAR ON MY LEFT LANE. AS THE RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, I HURT MY LEFT WRIST. LATER, AT A PARKING LOT, I TRIED TO RECREATE THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING I HAD ENCOUNTERED BY RAPIDLY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL HALF A TURN TO THE LEFT AND THEN TO THE RIGHT AND EVERY TIME THE POWER STEERING BOOST FAILED. THE SYSTEM APPEARED TO BE NORMAL UNTIL THE DRIVER HAD TO EXECUTE A MANEUVER TO AVOID A ROAD HAZARD. THAT WAS WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILED, AND BY THEN IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. FROM INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM VARIOUS FORUMS ON THE INTERNET (E.G. NISSAN MURANO AND CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE, THIS PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE VERY REAL AND VERY COMMON WITH ALL 2003 AND 2004 NISSAN MURANO VEHICLES, AND THEREFORE IT REPRESENTED A CLEAR SAFETY HAZARD THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED BEFORE ANY LIVES WERE LOST. *AK
THE STEERING ON THE 2004 MURANO IS HEAVY BUT THE REALL PROBLEM OCCURRED THE OTHER DAY WHEN ANOTHER CAR WAS NOT LOOKING WHERE THEY WERE GOING AND I TRIED TO SWING OUT OF THE WAY AND THE POWER ASSIST WAS JUST NOT THERE, I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL HARD ENOUGH FORTUNATE THE OTHER CAR HEAR MY HORN AND JUST MISSED ME. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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