2003 Nissan Murano

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A SNAPPING SOUND UNDERNEATH THE SEAT. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN, SHE HEARD ANOTHER SNAPPING SOUND AND NOTICED THAT THE SEAT MOVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

I BOUGHT MY SUV NEW IN JUNE 2003. A MONTH AFTER IT STARTED SHUTTING OFF AS IF IT WAS OUT OF GAS. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. THEY TOOK IT FOR A WEEK AND "FIXED" THE PROBLEM AFTER MY INSISTENCE. A MONTH LATER THE RADIO AND ALL THE POWER SOCKETS IN MY CAR STARTED KICKING OUT AND I WENT THROUGH A BOX OF 300 FUSES. AGAIN, THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THE SCARIEST PROBLEM IS THAT MY CAR WILL JUST STALL OUT IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I TOLD THEM OF THIS PROBLEM 18 MONTHS AFTER I GOT THE CAR. IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THAT I NEEDED THE MILE SERVICE TO BE DONE AS WELL AS A TRANSMISSION FLUSH. THIS WAS DONE FOR $500 AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT IT IS A THROTTLE BODY THAT THE CAR NEEDS. THE PART IS $160. THE SERVICE IS $2000. I HAVE BEEN TELLING THEM THAT I HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR THREE YEARS. IT WAS JUST DIAGNOSED, BY A MECHANIC OTHER THAN NISSAN DUE TO MY FEAR AFTER A NEAR ACCIDENT. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE OR MOVE. I WAS IN THE INTERSECTION AND MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. MY FOOT WAS TO THE FLOOR ON THE PEDAL. I SCREAMED OUT OF THE IMPENDING ACCIDENT. THE ONCOMING CAR UNAWARE OF MY DILEMMA SLOWED DOWN AND DIPPED TO THE OTHER LANE BUT NOT AFTER BLOWING THE HORN AT ME. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED TWICE IN A 2 YEAR PERIOD. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. BY THE WAY THE CAR WAS RECALLED 3 TIMES IN A THREE YEAR PERIOD. I NEED HELP. I HAVE SPENT $7000 IN REPAIRS TO THE CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE ALL THE RECEIPTS FROM NISSAN FOR THE SERVICE. *TR

THIS CAR HAS A SERIOUS SAFETY FLAW IN THAT IT HESITATES FROM AN IDLING STOP. WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE GAS WHILE SITTING WITH THE ENGINE IDLING THE CAR WILL JUST SIT THERE AND THEN LURCH FORWARD SUDDENLY. I FIRST HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE IN 2005 OR THEREABOUTS, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (WILDE NISSAN WAUKESHA WI) WHO CONTENDED THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THIS WAS/IS A VERY INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WHICH COMES AND GOES WITHOUT WARNING, YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. I SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND GOT THE SAME STORY. EVENTUALLY THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED HANDS AND THE NEW OWNER (BOUCHER NISSAN WAUKESHA WI, SAME ADDRESS AND LOCATION AS ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP) WAS DILIGENT ABOUT RESEARCHING AND FINDING THE PROBLEM. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A "VALVE BODY PROBLEM" BY THE BOUCHER FOLKS. NISSAN REFUSED TO HONOR REPAIR CLAIMS AND COSTS WHICH WERE ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND $1500 BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY" AT THE TIME BOUCHER IDENTIFIED THE DEFECTIVE CONDITION. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT NISSAN SHOULD HAVE HONORED REPAIR COSTS AS THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY FLAW IN THIS VEHICLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH OR SERIOUS INJURY IF NOT DEATH OF DRIVER. NISSAN HAS TAKEN A VERY NEGLIGENT AND NON CARING CONSUMER RESPONSE POSITION ON THIS MATTER. THE NHTSA SHOULD TAKE NISSAN TO TASK TO REPAIR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE CONDITION. *TR

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

I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIME WHEN MY READMISSION WOULD SLIP AND NOT ENGAGE ON MY 2003 NISSAN MURANO. NOW WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CARPOOL FROM WORK WITH ME, A SMALL BEEP FROM UNDER THE DASH GOES OFF AND MY TRANSMISSION GOES COMPLETELY OUT. NOW I FIND OUT THAT NISSAN HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECALL OR FIX THIS PROBLEM. I WAS GOING TO BUY ANOTHER MURANO BUT NOW I AM LOOKING AT A $5,000.00 BILL JUST TO GET IT RUNNING. I AM VERY UPSET WITH NISSAN AS THIS CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE LOST A TRANSMISSION SO FAST. *TR

NISSAN MURANO SL. WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AT ABOUT 65MPH THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO A STOP. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR GOING AGAIN. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A 250 MILE DRIVE I COULD NOT USE MY CELL BECAUSE IT HAPPENED IN A DEAD ZONE. I HAD JUST HAD THE CAR SERVICED WITH A OIL CHANGE THE DAY BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. *TR

WE BEGAN EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AGO. THE FIRST INDICATION OF TROUBLE WAS THE INABILITY OF KEEPING A SET SPEED WHILE VEHICLE WAS SET IN CRUISE CONTROL. WE COULD HEAR THE TRANSMISSION STRUGGLING TO GET TO THE SET SPEED AND COULD SEE THE RPM SHOOT UP AT THE SAME TIME. THE OTHER COMMON PROBLEM OCCURS WHILE VEH IS AT A COMPLETE STOP AND THEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED IN ORDER TO PROCEED (I.E. THROUGH AN INTERSECTION), THE VEH WILL NOT MOVE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS WHILE CONTINUING TO PRESS THE ACCEL PEDAL. THEN, VERY ABRUPTLY THE VEH WILL SHOOT INTO THE INTERSECTION AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. *** THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUING BUT INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. IT OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING-SOMETIMES AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A FREEWAY, OFTEN AT LOW SPEEDS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. RECENTLY, WHILE ON A VERY BUSY AND DANGEROUS ROADWAY IN LEXINGTON,KY DURING RUSH HOUR, I EXPERIENCED THE INABILITY TO REACH THE SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MPH. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REACH THE SPEED, THE TACHOMETER (RPM) WOULD INCREASE TO NEAR WARNING (RED ZONE) LEVELS. I FELT AS A DRIVER THAT I WAS COMPLETELY HELPLESS AND IN POSSIBLE DANGER FROM THE HEAVY TRAFFIC AND MY DISTRACTION. THE TOWN WE LIVE IN HAS A HIGH NUMBER OF 4-WAY STOP INTERSECTIONS. WE HAVE 2 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN AND DO A LOT OF IN-TOWN DRIVING. IF THERE IS A HESITATION BY ME AS A DRIVER DUE TO A MECHANICAL PROBLEM, THE OTHER 3 DRIVERS MAY NOT REALIZE THAT I HAVE ESTABLISHED AN INTENT TO MOVE INTO THE 4-WAY INTERSECTION. IN THE PAST, A DRIVER OF ONE OF THE OTHER 3 CARS HAS ENTERED THE INT AND I HAVE HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY TYPE STOP TO AVOID A COLLISION. OUR NISSAN DEALERSHIP (GLENN NISSAN-LEXINGTON,KY) EXAMINED OUR VEHICLE ON 5/6/2008. THEY HAVE ADVISED US THAT OUR CVT TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $5,030.00. THE CODES GIVEN ARE "DTC PO868, P1778. MILEAGE 97148. WE DID PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND ARE PAST THE 72 MONTH POINT (ALTHOUGH STILL UNDER THE 100K MILEAGE POINT). *TR

NISSAN MURANO HAS A DESIGN FLAW WITH ITS TRANSFER CASE. IT CRACKS IN HALF ON CARS WITH LOW MILEAGE. IF IT HAPPENS ON A HIGHWAY, CAR STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH POTENTIAL MASSIVE FATAL ACCIDENTS. MY CAR BROKE AT 44K AND NISSAN REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART AS IT WAS A MONTH AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I FOUND OUT ON WWW.NISSANMURANO.ORG FORUM THAT MANY, MANY CARS HAS THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS EVIDENTLY AN ENGINEERING DESIGN ISSUE, BUT NISSAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. ONE CAR BROKE DOWN IN CANADA IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH A SMALL BABY IN THE CAR IN WINTER TIME. IT A MIRACLE THAT BABY SURVIVED . *TR

AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH 2008 MY SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE SUDDENLY DROPPED DOWN & OBSTRUCTED MY VIEW & STARTLED ME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY MOVE IT TO THE SIDE S I COULDN'T SEE CLEARLY IN FRONT OF ME AS THE VISOR DROPPED DOWN & BLOCKED MOST OF MY VIEW. I RESTOWED THE VISOR & IT WAS OKAY FOR A FEW DAYS BUT THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN WITH THE VISOR DROPPING DOWN . IT APPEARS THE LATCH THAT HOLDS IT IN PLACE IS OK, HOWEVER THE BAR THAT HOLDS THE VISOR& ALLOWS IT TO ROTATE UP & DOWN SEEMS TO BE LOOSE & CANNOT BE ADJUSTED TO BE TIGHTER. I CONTACTED KING WINDWARD NISSAN ON 3/27/08 & SPOKE WITH A CHERYL WHO CHECKED MY WARRANTY & SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT SHE SAID UNFORTUNATELY IT WASN'T COVERED SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT WHICH WAS ABOUT 300.00 FOR JUST THE VISOR. NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THIS AT NO CHARGE SINCE IT IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT & CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE VISOR COMES DOWN SUDDENLY & OBSTRUCTS THE DRIVERS VIEW OF THE ROAD. *TR