2003 Nissan Murano Problems and Recalls (790 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2003 Nissan Murano is Transmission / driveline (29% of 790 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 790 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2003 Nissan Murano?
228 of 790 filings named Transmission / driveline (29% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (154 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Electrical, Fuel system, and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Transmission / driveline 228 complaints · 28.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 14
- Fires 5
- Injuries 9
- Deaths 1
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 228 | 28.9% | 3 crashes · 2 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 154 | 19.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 91 | 11.5% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 43 | 5.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 39 | 4.9% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 28 | 3.5% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 15 | 1.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 13 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 13 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 377 | 47.7% | 8 crashes · 2 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 05V319000 was reported 806 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 06V003000 was reported 110 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 06V048000 was reported 1,056 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 03V123000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 03V455000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V319000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V003000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V048000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V169000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE04077 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA05006 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE05050 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE08065 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Electrical, Fuel system, and Seat belts.
-
Recall campaign 03V123000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- IF THE GEAR DISPLAYED IS DIFFERENT FROM THE GEAR ENGAGED, THIS COULD RESULT IN UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL CHECK THE AFFECTED NUT IN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER LINKAGE, AND TIGHTEN IT IF NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 15, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
-
Recall campaign 03V455000
Safety recall 03V455000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THIS COULD CAUSE THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON, CREATE A NO START CONDITION, CAUSE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANK POSITION SENSORS. CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR(S), AND IN SOME CASES, THE VARIABLE TIMING CONTROL SENSOR(S). VEHICLES INVOLVED IN A PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN, 01V357, ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS NEW CAMPAIGN. THE REPLACEMENT SENSORS USED IN THAT CAMPAIGN ARE ALSO AFFECTED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 22, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
-
Recall campaign 05V319000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS HAPPENS, THE CHARGER WARNING AND BRAKE WARNING LAMPS WILL IMMEDIATELY COME ON AND THE BATTERY WILL BEGIN TO DISCHARGE. AFTER A SHORT TIME, THE ENGINE WILL GO INTO A "FALL SAFE" CONDITION WHICH WILL LIMIT VEHICLE SPEED. THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR WITH A NEW VERSION WHICH HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE COIL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
-
Recall campaign 06V003000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A PUNCTURED TANK COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A FIRE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTORS IN FRONT OF THE TANK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
-
Recall campaign 06V048000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- IF THE WEBBING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATED, IT CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO AN OCCUPANT IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTORS OVER THE WEBBING OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
-
Recall campaign 09V169000
Safety recall 09V169000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- ENGINE MAY STALL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE/REPAIR THE APPROPRIATE COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 10 of 790 complaints · page 1 of 32
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Murano. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was shifted into PARK and restarted however, after driving for several miles, the failure recurred. The contact pulled over to side of the roadway and waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle and slowly drove to the residence. The contact stated that the ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 162,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Rusting excessively
CrashFireInjuryDeath
REAR SUBFRAME COMPLETELY RUSTED CANT BELIEVE NISSAN USED SUCH CHEAP STEEL
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ABS STAYS ON THEN THE (BRAKE WARNING LAMPS WILL IMMEDIATELY COME AFTER A SHORT TIME, THE ENGINE WILL GO INTO A "FALL SAFE" CONDITION WHICH WILL LIMIT VEHICLE SPEED. THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING AND TURN OFF ON ME. ALSO MY SUBFRAME IS ROTTEN AND IS NOW DISCONNECTED THE MECHANIC QUOTED ME $2,600 TO REPAIR JUS THE SUBFREAME.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving down the highway with my infant child the vehicle lost power I could not accelerate went from 75mph to a struggling 5mph. No matter how far I pressed the gas pedal there was no acceleration no revving of engine just complete nothing just pure panic. I was able to pull off to the side of the freeway in a not so safe place however I had no choice. I out hazard lights on and turned off the car. After waiting approx 5 min. I attempted to start car to no avail. The battery light as well as abs light stayed on. I again waited for another 5 -10 min and tried again nothing but same warning lights. I eventually had to wait for approx 45-_60 min when it finally started however I was only allowed to go no fastethan 5 mph. I was able to exit freeway where I parked car for several hours and walked home. Upon retrieving vehicle it still had same results. I drove home @ 5mph. I took car in for repairs and was told I needed a new battery wiring harness. I had that ordered a d repaired. Car drove home just fine however the following day the same incident occurred. Took car back in and was told I needed a new alternator which I replaced. However the following day the same thing occurred. Upon driving car back to a major dealership to notify them of the same problem, however once in their parking lot the mechanic attempted to drive car into the service bay and car wouldn't start. Immediately the mechanic said " oh you hear that clicking sound?" " That's the starter you need a new one". I once again had them service my car and put in a new starter.Yet once again the following day the same problem. In all these occurrences the car had just out of no where with no warning lost power leaving my children and I in a potentially dangerous situation multiple times. The vehicle has been parked in my garage. I can't afford replacing parts just to have the same incident. As far as dates go there were multiple dates that the vehicle stalled on me and had no acceleration.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING I LOST ALL POWER FOR THE MOTOR AND HAD TO HAVE TO BATTERY REPLACED CUZ LOST ALL POWER
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING THE MURANO IT SLOWED DOWN AND WOULDN'T GO ABOVE 20MPH. AFTER ABOUT A MILE IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING & WOULDN'T CRANK BACK UP. ALL THE FLUIDS WERE AT THE RIGHT LEVELS. TOOK IT TO A JOHNNY'S MECHANIC SHOP & THEY SAID IT WAS THE ENGINE.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE CAR KEEPS ON SHUTTING OFF ON ME THE MOTOR AND WAS CAUSED A BIG ACCIDENT
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF 2003 NISSAN MURANO; IT HAS ONLY 92K MILES, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND WELL MAINTAINED. THE REAR WHEELS JUST STARTED TILTING INWARD AT THE TOP; A MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE REAR SUBFRAME AND SUSPENSION WAS ROTTING, AND ADVISED THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN UNTIL THE BACK END OF THE VEHICLE JUST COLLAPSES. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. NISSAN IS IGNORING IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT (THEY USED CRAPPY STEEL), THAT IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY HAZARD, AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED BY THEM. SEARCHING ONLINE REVEALS MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE, MANY JUST RECENTLY MADE, AND AS A CONSUMER IT IS VERY UNFAIR TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON A NEW VEHICLE AND KEEP IT NICE AND FULLY FUNCTIONAL, EXPECTING IT TO LAST FOR A FEW MORE YEARS TO COME, TO SURPRISINGLY HAVE THE SUBFRAME FAIL ESPECIALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN TWENTY YEARS OLD AND NOT EVEN AT 100,000 MILES.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA I'VE EXPERIENCED HESITATION (ESPECIALLY IN TRAFFIC) WHEN EITHER MOVING SLOWLY ALONG OR TRAFFIC PICKS UP OR TURNING AND I HAVE TO MASH HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR, SOMETIMES 2-4 TIMES!!! THIS IS FRIGHTENING !! WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AS I'VE CHECKED FILTERS, GAS, INTAKE? AND ASKED MECHANIC ???
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2003 Nissan Murano?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 228 of 790 reports (29%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2003 Nissan Murano?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Electrical, Fuel system, and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2003 Nissan Murano?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.