Nissan Murano problems: recalls, complaints and what they cost
Pick a model year below for the Nissan Murano's open safety recalls and the components owners complain about most — then, for each of those, whether it is safe to keep driving and what the repair should cost.
Choose a year to load recalls and complaints.
What goes wrong with the Nissan Murano?
Across 2 model years sampled between 2018 and 2020, NHTSA records 4 recall entries — one campaign counts once for each model year it covers, so the number of distinct campaigns is lower — and 62 owner complaints for the Nissan Murano. Counts track how many were sold as much as how good the vehicle is, so the useful signal is which components the complaints cluster on and which years stand out against the rest of the run.
Where complaints concentrate
| Component | Owner complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 23% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 10 | 16% |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 8% |
| Power Train | 5 | 8% |
| Steering | 5 | 8% |
Unknown or Other draws the most reports on this nameplate. That is a starting point rather than a verdict — a component can dominate because it genuinely fails or simply because it is the part owners notice. Match it against what your own vehicle is doing before spending anything.
By model year
| Year | Recall entries | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | 47 |
| 2018 | 2 | 15 |
Model year 2019 is not in this retrieval, which means no records were returned for it — not that there were none. Use the year selector above to query that year live.
Older years accumulate more complaints simply by being on the road longer, so compare a year against its neighbours rather than against the newest one.
Recent safety recalls
Back Over Prevention
Free remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair.
Free remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020.
Suspension
The front steering knuckle or rear axle housing may have insufficient strength due to improper heat-treatment.
Free remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front steering knuckle and rear axle housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2021.
Steering
The left and/or right-hand transverse link may not have been manufactured correctly, which could result in it separating from the ball joint.
Free remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transverse link's lot codes, and if necessary, replace them and perform a vehicle alignment, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 6, 2021.
Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit. Take the campaign number to any franchised dealer. How recalls work.
Recall text above is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice, affected VIN ranges and dealer instructions.
Source: NHTSA (US Department of Transportation), public domain, retrieved 2026-10-08. Use the year selector above for the current live figures.
How does a SUV or crossover typically fail?
Most modern crossovers are unibody cars underneath, so they inherit car failure patterns rather than truck ones — with two differences. The extra weight over the same platform works the suspension and brakes harder, and all-wheel-drive systems add transfer cases, couplings and driveshafts that a front-wheel-drive car simply does not have. Those extra driveline parts are where the segment-specific complaints concentrate.
What should I check first?
For a SUV or crossover, the systems worth ruling out before anything else are all-wheel-drive driveline noise and uneven tyre wear. Match what the vehicle is actually doing to the guide below — each one opens with a safety verdict, not a parts list.
- Clunk over bumps
- Humming rises with speed
- Grinding when braking
- Transmission slipping
- Shaking at highway speed
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a defect the manufacturer must fix free of charge, forever, with no mileage limit and regardless of how many owners the car has had. A complaint is one owner’s report filed with NHTSA. One complaint is an anecdote; two hundred naming the same component is a pattern, and patterns are what you want before you buy or before you authorise a large repair. Read the complaint list by concentration, never by total — a model that sold three times as many units collects roughly three times as many complaints while being no worse.
What should I check before buying one?
On any all-wheel-drive example, check that all four tyres match in brand, model and tread depth. Mismatched rolling diameters quietly destroy couplings and differentials, and it is the single most common expensive mistake previous owners make on this segment.
Beyond that, the checks that find expensive problems are the same on any vehicle: see it started from stone cold, look under the oil cap, smell the transmission fluid, and scan it for stored and recently-cleared codes. Our used car inspection checklist walks through each one, and why cars fail explains how systemic defects emerge in the first place.
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Does the Nissan Murano have any open recalls?
Open safety recalls for the Nissan Murano are listed on this page, pulled live from NHTSA's public database. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, so an open campaign is money the manufacturer owes you rather than a repair you pay for. Check by VIN for certainty on one specific vehicle.
What are the most common Nissan Murano problems?
The complaint list on this page groups owner reports by component, which is the useful view: one component dominating the list is a pattern, while complaints spread evenly across many systems usually just means the model sold in volume. For this class of vehicle, all-wheel-drive driveline noise and uneven tyre wear are the areas worth checking first.
Is the Nissan Murano expensive to repair?
Cost depends far more on which system fails than on the badge. Each symptom guide linked from this page carries a parts-and-labour range for US independent shops, so you can price the specific fault rather than the car in general.