2003 Nissan Murano

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN MURANO WITH 70K MILES. DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, I STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR JERKS FORWARD. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST MONTH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHARGED $105 TO DIAGNOSE IT AND SAID I NEED TO REPLACE THE "VALVE BODY" FOR ALMOST $1700. DOING A SEARCH ON INTERNET SHOWS A LOT OF OTHER 2003 MURANO OWNERS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IN FACT, THERE ARE 2 OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON HERE, ONE DATED 2005, BUT CURRENTLY THERE IS NO FORMAL INVESTIGATION. I WOULD LIKE THIS ISSUE TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED, AS THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN FOR ALL 2003 NISSAN MURANO OWNERS AND IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR THE DEALERS TO MAKE HEFTY PROFIT ON THEIR MISTAKE. *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

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

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

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD, THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. ON 3-31-08 IT WAS TOWED TO A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSIS AND SAID THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM) WAS FAULTY AND THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. ON 4-1-08 THE CAR WAS TOWED TO JACK INGRAM NISSAN IN MONTGOMERY, AL. I DESCRIBED ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS TO THE SERVICE REP AND LEFT IT. ON 4-2-08 THEY CALLED AND SAID THE TRANS AND TCM WERE FINE BUT THAT ONE OF THE MOTOR MOUNTS WAS BROKEN. I ASKED THEM IF THIS WOULD CREATE THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING AND I WAS TOLD YES, SO I TOLD THEM TO REPLACE THE MOUNT. A FEW HOURS LATER THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID THE OTHER MOUNT WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO I TOLD THEM TO REPLACE THAT ONE ALSO. THE TOTAL BILL WAS $686 AND WE PICKED THE CAR UP THE NEXT MORNING, 4-3-08, MY DAUGHTER RETURNED TO FL ON 4-7. ON 4-10, WHILE RETURNING TO ALABAMA FROM FLORIDA THE CAR DID THE EXACT SAME THING. MY DAUGHTER TRIED TO MAKE A TURN AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. SHE COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT AND CALLED ME. LUCKILY SHE WAS IN ANDALUSIA, AL SO I CALLED MASSEY AUTOMOTIVE AND THEY TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THEIR SHOP. THE NEXT DAY, 4-11, A REP FROM MASSEY CALLED AND SAID THE TCM AND TRANS WERE BOTH BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THEY MENTIONED WHEN THEY ENTERED THE VIN INTO THE NISSAN DATABASE (?) IT SHOWED WHERE THE TRANS HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED TWICE AT DEALERSHIPS IN GA. THEY ALSO SAID THEY FELT THE FAULTY TCM CAUSED THE PREVIOUS TWO TRANS TO GO BAD. LUCKILY, THE TRANS WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY FROM THE DEALER IN GA SO IT'S BEING REPLACED AT NO COST TO US. HOWEVER, THE TCM MUST BE REPLACED AND THAT'S GOING TO COST ME APPROX. $900. WHY DIDN'T JACK INGRAM TELL US ABOUT THE PREVIOUS TRANS PROBLEMS? I'VE TRIED TO CALL THEM TWICE AND THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS YET TO RETURN MY CALLS. ADDITIONALLY, I'VE HAD TWO INDIVIDUALS LOOK AT THE OLD MOUNTS AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T SEE WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

FOR THE LAST 10,000 MILES, I WOULD STEP ON THE GAS AFTER BEING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN FOR A FEW SECONDS. THEN, IT WOULD SUDDENLY GO. I FOUND OUT THAT IF YOU RESTART THE CAR, YOU HAVE INSTANT POWER AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAPPEN INFREQUENTLY, BUT ALWAYS WHEN I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR A WHILE OR WHILE I WAS IN STOPPED TRAFFIC FOR 10-15 MINUTES. APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE CVT. IT IS A PRESSURE SENSOR LOCATED EITHER ON THE CVT OR INSIDE THE CVT. I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO COMPLAIN, BUT I GOT NOWHERE. MY GUESS IS THAT ANYONE WITH A 2003 MURANO (AND POSSIBLY LATER MODELS) COULD EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

FEB 13 2008 - TOOK MY 2003 NISSAN MURANO IN FOR RECALL. ALSO ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION OIL, SINCE THE CAP SAYS TO BE CHECKED ONLY BY DEALER AND I'VE BEEN HAVING THE PROBLEM OF HESITATION, WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. ALTERNATOR. THE OTHER RECALL ON SOME SORT OF PROTECTOR, WAS RE-SCHEDULED, THEY HAD TO ORDER PARTS. HE ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION OIL WAS OKAY, BUT WILL PROBABLY NEED TO DO AN OIL CHANGE. FEB 27 2008 - PARTS ARRIVED, DROPPED OFF CAR TO DO THE RECALL ON PROTECTOR AND FIX SUN VISOR. LATER IN THE DAY, I WAS ADVISED THAT NOT ALL THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL CAME IN. AND THE PART FOR THE SUN VISOR WAS A DIFFERENT PART. RESCHEDULED FOR MAR 12, 2008. I ALSO ASKED ABOUT CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, HE QUOTED ME APPROX. $150.00. AGREED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT NEXT TIME I WAS IN. MAR 1, 2008 - FIRST TRIP OF THE DAY, FROM A STOP AT INTERSECTION, ACCELERATED TO GET ONTO MAIN HIGHWAY, WE GO APPROX 5 FEET AND THE CAR SLIPS OUT OF GEAR AND UNABLE TO GO ANY FURTHER. PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND NO REV. CALLED FOR A TOW, AND TOOK MY MURANO TO NISSAN SERVICE. I WAS ADVISED THAT NO TECHNICIAN AVAILABLE UNTIL MONDAY. MAR 3, 2008 - MONDAY NOON, CALLED NISSAN TO CHECK ON MY VEHICLE. ADVISED THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH NISSAN ON THE MAINLAND FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO FIX. THE TRANSMISSION MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY WILL LET ME KNOW TOMORROW. MAR 4, 2008 - TUESDAY NOON, CALLED TO CHECK ON MY VEHICLE. THEY HAVE YET TO GET IN TOUCH WITH NISSAN ON THE MAINLAND. THEY WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR ME TOMORROW. MAR 6, 2008 - THE NISSAN SERVICE SUPERVISOR CALLED TO ADVISE THAT MY TRANSAXLE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR APPROX. $4485. 00 TRANSAXLE, $850.00 LABOR. NO EXPLANATION ON WHAT NISSAN ON THE MAINLAND HAD SUGGESTED. HE SAID HE WOULD GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM AND LET ME KNOW TOMORROW. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE STARTED WHEN THE CAR WOULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS IN POWER IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THEN WILL SUDDENLY LUNGE FORWARD. WE LOST THE TRANSMISSION LAST WEEK, THE MURANO COULDN'T EVEN MAKE IT UP TO THE DRIVEWAY. WE NEED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE THEN TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN IN ORDER TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION WORKING. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERS WAITING FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION ESTIMATED AT $4800. ~LB *TR