2003 NISSAN MURANO Complaints

2003 NISSAN MURANO; DRIVER'S SEAT IS LOOSE & ROCKS WHILE TURNING VEHICLE. PROBLEM AROSE A FEW MONTHS AGO. ? HAZARD IF IN ACCIDENT WILL INTEGRITY OF SEAT & AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT BE PROPER? PER NHTSB THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED. REPAIR QUOTES @ DEALER EXCEEDS $1,500. NISSAN DOES NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, ONLY MADE A SERVICE ADVISORY. NISSAN WILL NOT DO, NOR PROVIDE ANY REPAIR ABSENT PAYMENT. MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET & OWNER SITES OF THIS EXACT FAILURE/PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE BECAME HESITANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE THEN RAPIDLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

WE WERE DRIVING HOME (MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING) ABOUT 45MPH, AND THE CAR MADE A WHINNING NOISE THEN THE RPMS WERE GOING UP AND DOWN, THEN WHEN SHE PUSHED ON THE GAS THE CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE. GOT THE CAR HOME AND MY HUSBAND SAID HE WOULD LOOK AT IT. EVERY TIME WE START THE VEHICLE MAKES A HORRIBLE WHINNING NOISE. WE WERE GOING TO HAVE IT TOWED TO GET IT CHECKED OUT AND IN THE MATTER OF A FEW DAYS A SQUIRREL HAD GOTTEN UNDER THE HOOD AND ATE THE MAIN WIRE CASING. SO WE HAD IT TOWED TO WOODMEN NISSAN IN COLORADO SPRINGS SINCE WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THAT WAS FIXED BECAUSE THE CAR HAD NO WIRING. THAT WAS 9-21-2013. WE GOT A CALL FROM WOODMEN NISS THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER AND WOULD BE AWHILE, WELL 12-21-2013 WE FINALLY GET A CALL THAT THE CAR IS DONE AND WE COULD COME GET IT. WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR A CAR, I GOOGLED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH 2003 NISS MURANOS AND FOUND THE EXT THE WARRANTY TO 10YRS OR 120K, WELL WE ARE UNDER THE MILEAGE BUT 1 1/2 MONTHS OVER TIME. WE PURCHASED FROM OUR BROTHER IN LAW WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HE AND WELL AS US, TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS WELL MAINTAINED. NISS SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO SINCE IT IS OVER THE 10 YRS. I LOOKED BACK AT THE RECORDS AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FOR LEAKING TRANSMISSION... I TOO BELIEVE NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION AS IT WAS A BAD TRANSMISSION AND THEY KNEW IT WAS BAD. THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *TR

MY DRIVERS SEAT FRAME BROKE LOOSE AND IS LIKE RIDING IN A ROCKING CHAIR. THE DEALER STATES THE REPAIR IS APPROXIMATELY $1,000. I STARTED SEARCHING ON LINE AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF NISSAN MURANOS (MOST APPEAR TO BE 2003 TO 2005) WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. CLEARLY THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY UP TO AND INCLUDING DEATH IF THIS SEAT FRAME BROKE DURING AN ACCIDENT. NISSAN HAS REDESIGNED THE PART TO BE MORE ROBUST FOR MODELS AFTER 2005, SO THEY APPARENTLY KNOW THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE A NATIONWIDE MANDATED RECALL AT NISSAN'S EXPENSE, FORCED BY THE NHTSA BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING 55 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING IN OUR 2003 NISSAN MURANO, JERKING THE CAR (AND US), AND LEAVING THE VEHICLE PARALYZED IN NIGHT TRAFFIC IN THE FAST LANE. SEVERAL CARS NEARLY HIT US UNTIL WE COULD SAFELY STEER THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY SCARED TO DEATH AND HURT FROM THE ABRUPT STOP. THE VEHICLE WOULD THEN ONLY CARRY US ABOUT 1 MILE AN HOUR ALONG THE SHOULDER UNTIL WE COULD GET TO SAFETY. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 80,100 MILES ON THE ODOMETER (OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD.) IT IS VERY WELL CARED FOR AND MAINTAINED. WE TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALER (WOODMEN NISSAN OF COLORADO SPRINGS) FOR REPAIR, AND ARE NOW TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY WILL CHARGE US $3,600 PLUS TAX FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. NISSAN MOTOR COMPANY, LTD IS AWARE THAT IT PUT DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS IN THIS MODEL YEAR, BECAUSE IT LATER EXTENDED ITS POWER TRAIN WARRANTY (AFTER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS) FOR THIS MODEL TO 120,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS, WHICHEVER CAME FIRST. AGAIN, MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 80,000 AND JUST WENT OVER THE 10 YEAR MARK. THIS PRODUCT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND NEARLY COST ME AND MY WIFE OUR LIVES. NISSAN'S MISTAKE IS ALSO NOW POTENTIALLY COSTING US THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX. I WANT NISSAN TO TAKE CARE OF THIS DEFECT BY REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN OUR CAR. I HAVE CONTACTED IT'S CUSTOMER CARE CENTER AND AM NOW WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. IT IS SOLELY NISSAN'S FAULT., AND IT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR. I HAVE INFORMED MILLIONS AS A NEWS ANCHOR ACROSS THE COUNTRY OVER THE PAST 18 YEARS ,AND I NOW WORK AS A FREE-LANCE JOURNALIST WITH TWO NATIONAL NEWS NETWORKS, I WILL SHARE NISSAN'S RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST WITH EVERY LIVING PERSON IN MY SPHERE OF INFLUENCE THROUGH EVERY AVENUE OF BROADCAST AND SOCIAL MEDIA I POSSIBLY CAN. WE WILL SEE IF A COMPANY THAT PUT IT'S CUSTOMERS IN DEFECTIVE, DANGEROUS VEHICLES WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. *TR

I WAS IN STOP/GO TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR. WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, NOTHING HAPPENED. I PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR 3 OR 4 TIMES AND SUDDENLY THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND THEN STARTED MOVING. THE NEXT TIME I CAME TO A STOP, I HAD TO REPEAT THE PUMPING OF THE GAS PEDAL TO MOVE AGAIN. I DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD. WHEN I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED A COUPLE OF MINUTES. WHEN I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I CAN GO SEVERAL MONTHS WITH EVERYTHING BEING FINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVEN'T TAKEN IT TO A DEALER BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING TO INDICATE WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AND SINCE EVERYTHING IS FINE AFTER THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF AND THEN STARTED AGAIN, HOW DO I RECREATE THE ISSUE FOR A MECHANIC? THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND THE LURCHING FORWARD HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON VARIOUS BLOGS AND ON THIS WEBSITE. IN THE QUALIFIER ABOVE IT ASKS IF THERE HAS BEEN A CRASH, FIRE OR FATALITY. PLEASE TELL ME WHY ONE OF THESE HORRIFIC THINGS HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL ON A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH A VEHICLE? A CAR NOT ACCELERATING IN TRAFFIC AND THEN SUDDENLY LURCHING FORWARD SHOULD NOT BE THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY OR COST TO REPAIR. IT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COST OF THE MANUFACTURER TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SELLING A SAFE VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR FREEWAY I BEGAN TO HEAR MY CVT TRANSMISSION MAKING A LOUD WINDING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A TURBINE ENGINE REVVING UP AND THEN MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER I NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG, THE VEHICLE WENT FROM 65MPH TO 15MPH DURING EXTREMELY HEAVY HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC AND THEN I WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE WHICH BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE FREEWAY. THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY DOES A BUNNY HOP IN HEAVY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHICH ALMOST CAUSED ME TO REAR END ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN SURGE OF ACCELERATION. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND IS NOW BECOMING A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN OUR ROAD WHEN THE TRANSFER CASE ON HER 2003 NISSAN MURANO LOCKED UP AND LOCKED THE BACK WHEELS SPINNING HER INTO THE DITCH AND SIGN POST. SHE WASN'T HURT. I DID ALOT OF RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT NISSAN KNOWS THERE WAS DEFECTIVE TRANNY AND TRANSFER CASES ON THE 03, AND 04 MURANOS. THEY EVEN ISSUED T.S.B.S TO THE DEALERS ABOUT THE DEFECT. MY QUESTION IS, WHY THEY AREN'T BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM? WHY NO RECALL? ISN'T YOUR JOB TO MAKE THE AUTO MAKERS MAKE A SAFE PRODUCT AND WHEN THEY DON'T, CALL THEM ON THEIR FAULTS. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALOT OF NISSAN OWNERS LIKE MYSELF THAT ARE GETTING NOWHERE WITH NISSAN. OUR DOMESTIC AUTO MAKERS HAVE TO LIVE WITH RECALLS, WHY NOT NISSAN? *TR

PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR DESTROYED BY OTHER MOTORIST, WHEN BRINGING IT TO THE DEALER IN LONG BEACH THEY WANTED TO GIVE ME THE CAR BACK WITH ALL THE DOORS NOT WORKING. AFTER HE ALREADY CHARGED OVER $400 FOR THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WE WERE UNABLE TO LOCK THE CAR, OPEN THE DOOR EXCEPT MANUALLY, AFTER A 3 DAYS WITH A RENTAL CAR THE NISSAN DEALER CHARGED ANOTHER $550 FOR A BROKEN ACTUATOR THAT WAS NOT BROKEN BEFORE WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. COINCIDENCE, I THINK NOT, THE WEB IS FULL OF FOLKS THAT HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT. IT'S A RIP-OFF AND THEY NEED TO BE STOPPED. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 10/23/13*LJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.