2007 Nissan Murano

NISSAN DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSFER CASE SEAL IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE RESEALED. ONLY NISSAN HAS SERVICED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS SEEMS TO BE A NISSAN CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT)-RELATED PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS 66,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE WARRANTY ON THE CVT WAS PREVIOUSLY DOUBLED TO 120,000 MILES. THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY WAS FOR 60,000 MILES. HOWEVER, NISSAN ALLEGES THAT THE TRANSFER CASE IS UNRELATED TO THE CVT AND THEREFORE, NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS SEEMS TO BE DISINGENUOUS, AT BEST. FROM POLLS AND THREADS I'VE SEEN, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM IN MURANOS AND NISSAN IS ATTEMPTING TO PUT UP A WALL INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE MURANO LIFE CYCLE, ACROSS THE YEARS, AND AS IS SOMEWHAT TYPICAL OF POWERTRAIN PROBLEMS, THEY DON'T MANIFEST FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND MILES. THE THREADS INDICATE THAT RESEALING THE TRANSFER CASE (FOR AN EXORBITANT $1250) ONLY STAVES OFF THE FAILURE AND THAT IT OCCURS AGAIN. THIS RECURRING PROBLEM EVENTUALLY MANIFESTS IN FAILURE OF THE CVT ITSELF. IN THAT CASE IT COSTS IN THE RANGE OF $6500 TO REPAIR. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW HERE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. IF THE CVT SEIZES UP ON THE ROAD IT COULD CERTAINLY BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WAS FRACTURED. HE HAD TO PLACE A BRICK UNDER THE SEAT IN ORDER FOR THE SEAT TO REMAIN UPRIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FRAME OF THE SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,229 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,635. UPDATED 08-07-12 *BF

THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT, WHICH DOCUMENTED THE SUDDEN COLLAPSE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT IN MY NISSAN MURANO. IN 2009, NHTSA RULED THAT THIS DEFECT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, BASED ON THE FACT THAT ONLY THREE MINOR INJURIES HAD BEEN REPORTED. HOWEVER, I RECENTLY CAME ACROSS INFORMATION THAT THE BISNAR CHASE LAW FIRM HAS FILED TWO AUTO PRODUCTS LIABILITY LAWSUITS AGAINST NISSAN -- ONE FOR A CATASTROPHIC INJURY AND THE OTHER FOR A FATAL INJURY -- WHICH APPEAR TO BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE NISSAN DRIVER'S SEAT DEFECT. THE INFORMATION APPEARS ON THE LAW FIRM'S WEBSITE, AS WELL AS ON THOSE OF SOME NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. IN LIGHT OF THIS RECENT INFORMATION, I RECOMMEND THAT NHTSA RE-OPEN ITS INVESTIGATION, IN ORDER THAT THIS VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT CAN BE RESOLVED PRIOR TO ANY ADDITIONAL FATALITIES AND/OR CATASTROPHIC INJURIES. *TR

MY WIFE TOOK THE KIDS OUT OF THE CAR TO THE HOUSE AND RETURN TO PUT THE MURANO'07 INTO THE GARAGE. WHEN SHE SAT IN THE SEAT IT WAS LOOSE AND FELT THAT IT HAD BROKEN. SHE SAID IT FELT LOOSE WHEN SHE WENT TO PICK UP THE KIDS. I CHECKED THE SEAT AND IT WAS BROKEN ON THE BOTTOM BEAM THAT SUPPORTS THE CUSHION TO THE SEAT. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED JUST FROM SEATING IN THE SEAT. ALSO, TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SEAT ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WHICH WILL COST ABOUT $1500.00. THIS IS AN OUTRAGEOUS PRICE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE NOT BROKEN FROM NORMAL USE. *JS

THERE WAS A POP AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT DROPPED DOWN SLIGHTLY. WHEN I TRIED TO ADJUST ONLY RIGHT SIDE OF THE SEAT WOULD MOVE UP OR DOWN. LOOKING ON THE INTERNET THIS SEAMS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM FOR NISSAN IN THESE MODEL YEARS. REFERENCE SERVICE BULLETIN BT05-12D NTB085-043D DATED DECEMBER 16, 2009. IF THE SEAT WAS TO FALL BACK IN WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *JS

A LEAK DEVELOPED AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. IT WAS DETERMINED IT WAS POWER STEERING FLUID. I PUT THE CAR ON THE LIFT AND IT LOOKED TO BE COMING FROM ONE OF THE HOSES. AFTER READING THESE PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS, I FIGURED IT PROBABLY WAS THE HIGH PRESSURE HOSE. INDEED IT WAS, THE REPAIR COST BEING $500. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND FILED A COMPLAINT. I DON'T EXPECT ANY COMPENSATION, AS THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE BASED ON HOW MUCH SERVICE I HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY AT THE DEALER. I DO MY OWN MAINTENANCE, OIL CHANGES (I ONLY USE MOBIL1), SO IT WOULD BE BASED ON WHATEVER PREVIOUS PROBLEMS I HAD THAT I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO RESOLVE. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 31400 MILES ON IT, AND JUST WENT OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE LEFT SIDE BRACKET ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT FRACTURED AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, CAUSING THE SEAT TO LEAN FORWARD. THE SEAT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY ROCK BACK AND FOURTH BETWEEN ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD NOT SELL JUST THE BRACKET SEPARATELY AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,800. UPDATED 8/31/12 *CN UPDATED 09/11/2012 *JS

I WAS GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE WHEN I HEARD A LOUD CRACK AND THE DRIVERS SEAT STARTED TO WOBBLE. SURE ENOUGH LIKE DOZENS OF OTHER "VICTIMS" THE FRONT BRACKET CONNECTING THE SEAT TO THE FRAME SNAPPED. THANK GOODNESS I WAS PARKED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. LUCKILY. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP WELD THE SEAT FRAME TOGETHER, BUT THEY ADMIT IT PROBABLY WILL NOT HOLD FOR LONG. NISSAN IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EXCEPT FORCE THEIR CUSTOMERS TO PAY $1000 OR MORE TO HAVE THE SEAT REPLACED. THEY CLAIM IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, SO UNFORTUNATELY I GUESS IT WILL TAKE SOMEONE GETTING KILLED AND THE SUBSEQUENT LAWSUIT TO GET THEIR ATTENTION. POOR DESIGN ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT WEAR OUT OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR AND WORSE YET IS THE MANUFACTURER'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THEIR CUSTOMER BASE FOR A KNOWN AND WELL DOCUMENTED FLAW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF HIS RESIDENTIAL GARAGE AND ENGAGING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WAS ABNORMALLY DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED AGAINST A TREE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO FILED A REPORT ON THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,600...UPDATED 07/13/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED AS HE WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY INTO THE CIRCULAR END OF A CUL-DE-SAC ON LEVEL GROUND. HE APPLIED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES WHILE KEEPING THE STEERING WHEEL HARD TO A HARD RIGHT. WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND, HE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHILE KEEPING HIS FOOT HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE COMPLETED AN ARC OF ABOUT 120 DEGREES BEFORE IT HIT A TREE AT THE END OF HIS NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAY AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND MOVED IT AWAY FROM THE TREE, THE BRAKES WORKED. UPDATED 07/31/12