2005 NISSAN MURANO Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND ON HWY 95 NEEDLES CALIFORNIA IN A 35 MPH ZONE APIECE OF DEBRIS (POSSIBLY VEHICLE FENDER MOLDING STRIP) STRUCK THE GAS TANK OF OUR 2005 NISSAN MURANO CAUSING THE TANK TO RUPTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO COPPER CANYON NISSAN (LAKE HAVASUE AZ) WHERE THE TANK WILL BE REPLACED. THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT WILL EXCEED $750.00, NOT INCLUDING LOSS OF FUEL. MY WIFE WHO WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME IS NINE MONTHS PREGNANT AND UPON PARKING THE VEHICLE AT HER WORK LOCATION WAS INFORMED OF THE LEAK. THE POSSIBLE HAZARDS WITH THIS ARE TREMENDOUS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED SO THEY COULD PLACE QUICK SPILL CLEAN UP DUE TO THE FUEL LEAKING ON, AND RUNNING DOWN THE STREET. THE TANKS RUPTURE WAS CATASTROPHIC CAUSING THE FUEL LEAK TO BE EXCESSIVE AND FROM MULTIPLE HOLES. THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR INCREASED THE HOLE TO RELEASE THE REST OF THE FUEL FOR TRANSPORTATION. HE (TOW DRIVER) STATED THAT THE RUPTURE WAS SIGNIFICANT AND DANGEROUS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE NHTSA FINDING AND STATEMENT ON 9-21-05 (RE: OPENING INVESTIGATION INTO MURANO TANK LEAKS FROM ROAD DEBRIS) AT WHICH TIME THEY STATED THEY WERE UNAWARE OF SUCH A PROBLEM BUT WOULD CONTACT NISSAN. I WILL ALSO BE FOLLOWING UP A COMPLAINT TO NISSAN ABOUT THIS POSSIBLE HAZARD. *JB

REGARDING THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL TANK OF THE NISSAN MURANO WHERE THE FUEL TANK IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO PUNCTURES FROM ROAD DEBRIS DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. ON AUG 27TH, 2005 WHILE DRIVING FROM FLORIDA TO TORONTO ON HIGHWAY I-95 A PIECE OF DEBRIS ON THE ROAD HIT A LOWER CORNER OF THE GAS TANK OF MY 2005 NISSAN MURANO, MAKING A CRACK IN THAT SPOT. I NOTICED THE GAS LEVEL DROPPING FAST AND PULLED OVER 2 TO 3 MILES AHEAD AT EXIT 53, WALTERBORO, SC AND VERIFIED THE GAS TANK WAS PUNCTURED. I CALLED THE NISSAN ROADSIDE SERVICE, THEY ADVISED TO CALL THE LOCAL POLICE TO GET A REPORT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THE CAR WAS SAFE FOR TOWING. NOBODY WAS INJURED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP IN ORANGEBURG, SC THE NEXT MONDAY WHERE THEY ORDERED A TANK. I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS, EXPLAINED EVERYTHING, THEY OPENED A CASE TO HELP SPEED UP THE SHIPMENT OF THE TANK. THEY HAVE A RECORD OF THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS READY ON AUG 31ST, 2005. I HAVE A CLAIM NUMBER FROM NISSAN ROADSIDE SERVICE. ANOTHER INTERESTING THING IS THAT WHEN I GOT THE CAR BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP, A MONTH BEFORE THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT, ON JULY 23RD, 2005, IT HAD A LEAK IN THE GAS TANK. IT STARTED WITH A SMELL OF GAS AND THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" INDICATOR LIT AT ALL THE TIMES. THAT HAPPENED WITHIN A DAY OF GETTING THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TANK, THE SMELL WAS GONE, BUT NOT THE PROBLEM WITH THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" INDICATOR. AFTER A NUMBER OF EMISSION TESTS THEY ALSO REPLACED A VALVE IN THE EXHAUST CONDUCT THAT RUNS FROM THE GAS TANK TO THE CAR EXHAUST. AFTER THAT THE INDICATOR CAME BACK ON, SO THEY REPLACED THE CAR COMPUTER. THIS TIME THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED, OR AT LEAST IT HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN. IT'S FAIR TO SAY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE PEOPLE WERE VERY HELPFUL AND NOTIFIED NISSAN RIGHT AWAY TO GET THEM INVOLVE SINCE THE START. *NM

DT: THE WINDSHIELD IS DISTORTED. THE GLASS IS WAVY, AND IT IS HARD TO SEE OUT OF. THE WINDSHIELD THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE OUTER SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE PROBLEM ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING IT. THIS OCCURRED ON APRIL 5, 2005. WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, HE WAS ADVISED THAT EVERY VEHICLE OF THAT YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE MADE THAT WAY. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A 4-WHEEL DRIVE, BUT IT IS ONLY AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE WHEN THE ROAD IS WET. *AK *NM

GASOLINE TANK PUNCTURED WHILE DRIVING NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS - BY DEBRIS IN THE ROAD. BOTH GASOLINE AND RADIATOR FLUID SPILLED FROM MY CAR. *NM

DT: THE CALLER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE HEADLIGHTS CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CALLER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ALTERNATOR, AND THE DEALER REPLACED IT. 10 DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE CALLER HAD A CLOSE CALL. DEALER SAID HE WAS TOO BUSY TO LOOK AT VEHICLE . DEALER HAD VEHICLE SINCE SATURDAY AND HE HAS NOT LOOKED AT IT YET. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WILL GET BACK TO THE CALLER IN A FEW DAYS. *AK

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN MURANO WHICH IS TWO WHEEL DRIVE WITH THE CTV TRANSMISSION. WE WERE COMING BACK FROM VACATION FROM COLORADO WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED. SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE TRIP WHEN WE WERE COMING DOWN A HILL WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR WOULD TRY TO MAINTAIN THE SELECTED SPEED HOWEVER IF THE HILL WAS A LITTLE TO BIG IT WOULD TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL IT SELF. WE WERE JUST SOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO THE LAST TIME THAT IT HAD TURNED OFF THE THE CRUISE. THE PROBLEM WAS WHEN IT TURNED OFF THE CRUISE IT ALSO DISABLED THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS RATHER SCARY AS WE WERE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN IT DID IT. WE WERE COMING DOWN A HILL WHEN THE CRUISE TURNED IT SELF OFF AND IN THE PROCESS THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE LANE. ALL WE COULD DO WAS TURN ON THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL AND HOPE NO ONE WOULD HIT US. ONCE WE HAD GOTTEN TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED I HAD REALIZED THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T RESPOND. I HAD PUT IT IN PARK AND BACK INTO DRIVE BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T RESPOND. I FIGURED IF I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED IT THAT MAYBE IT WOULD RESET WHATEVER WAS WRONG. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THE WHOLE DASH LIT UP. ONE BY ONE THE LIGHTS HAD GONE OUT EXCEPT THE "SERVICE THE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT. HOWEVER THE TRANSMISSION WORKED AND HAS WORKED SINCE. BY THE TIME WE HAD GOTTEN HOME AND GOTTEN AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT IN TO A NISSAN DEALER THE LIGHT HAD GONE OUT. WE HAD TAKEN IT TO THE CHARLIE CLARK NISSAN IN HARLINGEN TEXAS AND THEY HAD IT FOR TWO DAYS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. THE REASON THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE NO HILLS AS WE LIVE IN THE VALLEY AND THERE ARE NO HILLS HERE. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD CHECKED EVERYTHING THAT COULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM AND EVERYTHING WAS TO SPECIFICATION. SO NOTHING WAS ADJUSTED , OR REPLACED SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE AND THE NEXT TIME WE GET INTO THE HILL COUNTRY IT WILL PROBABLY ACT UP AGAIN.

MY 6-MONTH PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR NEW MURANO WHEN ALL THE SUDDEN THE CAR'S SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND THE CAR WOULDN'T GO BEYOND A FEW MILES AN HOUR ON THE INTERSTATE. ALTHOUGH SHE MADE IT HOME SAFE, WHEN WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. SINCE THEIR COMPUTER DIDNT RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM, THE TECHNICIAN WOULDNT LOOK AT IT. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN TO US AND WHEN WE TOOK IT IN AGAIN THE DEALER SEEMED IGNORANT OF THE RECALL. WE RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE IN BETWEEN INCIDENTS AND COULDNT GET AN APPT RIGHT AWAY. WHEN I SHOWED HIM THE FORM, HE SAID THAT THE ALTERNATOR PROBABLY DIDNT NEED TO BE REPLACED BUT THAT THEY'D LOOK AT IT. IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT WE HAVE TO FIGHT SO MUCH TO GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED.

INCIDENT: 2005 NISSAN MURANO PURCHASED ON JULY 5, 2005 FROM COLLINS NISSAN IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. VEHICLE ID # [XXX] I WAS DRIVING WEST ON INTERSTATE 86 THROUGH NY STATE ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 1, 2005 . A FEW MILES WEST OF CORNING, NY I NOTICED THE SMELL OF GAS. STOPPED AT A REST AREA AND NOTICED GAS LEAKING ON THE PARKING LOT. I PROCEEDED TO JAMESTOWN, NY (50 MILES) TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE CLOSEST NISSAN DEALER.. SIGNATURE NISSAN 716 664 0175 DISCOVERED THAT SOMETHING HAD GONE THROUGH THE GAS TANK AND I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE IT. HE SHOWED ME HOW THE GAS TANK DROPS DOWN AND HAS A SMOOTH UNPROTECTED SURFACE FACING FORWARD WHERE (WHAT EVER IT WAS THAT HIT THE TANK) WENT THROUGH THE PLASTIC SURFACE. I DELIVERED THE DAMAGED GAS TANK TO COLLINS NISSAN AND IT IS BEING HELD AT THERE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION... FOR OVER 50 YEARS OF DRIVING , I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO ME WHILE DRIVING MANY MAKES OF CARS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY THE TANK HANGS DOWN, HAS A VULNERABLE SURFACE, AND IS NOT PROTECTED FROM ROAD HAZARDS....THE LEAKING GAS COULD HAVE CAUSED MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN WITH MUCH WORSE RESULTS. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ON VACATION, SOME DEBRIS FROM A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF OUR CAR FELL OFF AND WE DROVE OVER IT. WHEN WE STOPPED A FEW MILES DOWN THE RODE WE SMELLED GASOLINE AS SOON AS WE OPENED THE CAR DOOR. WHEN MY HUSBAND LOOKED UNDER THE CAR, HE SAW THE THERE WERE SEVERAL PUNCTURES IN THE GAS TANK. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO CONTAIN THE GASOLINE, AND THEN THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE CAR IS STILL AT A DEALERSHIP WAITING ON A NEW GAS TANK TO BE SHIPPED (EXPECTED DELIVERY DATE IS 1 MONTH FROM THE ORDER DATE). I'VE KNOWN OTHER CARS TO RUN OVER DEBRIS AND NOT HAVE THE GAS TANK PUNCTURED. IT SEEMS THAT THE GAS TANK IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS SORT OF PROBLEM. I'VE READ OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AS WELL.

THE NISSAN MURANO HAS A DEFECT THAT MAKES INSTALLING CHILD SEATS DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, IN THE REAR CENTER POSITION. SPECIFICALLY, THE ANCHOR POINT FOR TETHER STRAPS OF FORWARD FACING CHILD SEATS IS LOCATED SO FAR FROM THE VEHICLE'S CENTER SEAT THAT YOU CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY ANCHOR THE TETHER STRAP, THUS PREVENTING A TRUE INSTALLATION IN THE CENTER POSITION. I AM A NATIONALLY CERTIFIED CHILD SEAT TECHNICIAN.