2003 Nissan Murano

THIS IS A COPY OF THE TEXT I SENT NISSAN. TO: INTERESTED PARTIES NISSAN USA REFERENCE # 5652837. I NOW OWN A 2003 MURANO VIN 3 J. I HAVE A PROBLEM THAT I AM NOT RESOLVED ON AND DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS: I AM A RESERVE NAVY OFFICER NOW DEPLOYED TO IRAQ, WHICH MAKES THIS ENTIRE EVOLUTION A BIT DIFFICULT. MY SON CHRIS WILSON AGE 22 WAS DRIVING THE MURANO ON MARCH 14, 2007 NEAR HIS COLLEGE IN CULLOWHEE, NORTH CAROLINA WHEN WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THEN EXPERIENCED AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND ENGINE SHUTDOWN. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF ACTIVE TRAFFIC SAFELY WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKE ASSIST. WITNESSES TO THE EVENT CLAIMED HE WAS LUCKY AND SKILLED TO MANEUVER OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT ENDANGERING HIMSELF AND OTHERS IN TRAFFIC. WE THEN SEARCHED FOR LOCAL DEALERSHIPS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO CONTACTED THEM AND ARRANGED FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED THERE. AFTER AN ANALYSIS AND THE PART NUMBER OF A TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE TCM. I WENT TO THE NISSAN USA WEB SITE AND RESEARCHED RECALLS THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR 2003 MURANOS. I WAS VERY INTERESTED TO FIND ONE FOR VIN NUMBERSJN8AZ08T*3W 100007-100032,JN8AZ08W* 200005-200071. I REALIZE THAT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT ONE OF THESE AND THE NICE FOLKS AT THE CALL CENTER AND THE SERVICE FOLKS AT THE DEALERSHIPS ARE POWERLESS TO DO ANYTHING UNLESS THERE IS A VIN MATCH. THE RECALL QUOTES: ''ON SOME 2003 MURANOS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT STOP RUNNING WHILE BEING DRIVEN IF THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR FAILS. THIS MAY ALSO RESULT IN THE ''SERVICE ENGINE SOON'' LIGHT COMING ON OR REDUCED ENGINE POWER. IT IS THE SAME RESULT AS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. I AM A PROFESSIONAL MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND I FEEL ETHICALLY SOUND IN MAKING THE REQUEST AND MAINTAINING AN UNRESOLVED POSITION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

MY VEHICLE IS ALL WHEEL DRIVE. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR NORMAL MAINTENANCE I WAS ADVISED THE TRANSFER CASE WAS LOCKED IN ALL WHEEL DRIVE. THERE IS NO WARNING LIGHT TO ADVISE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MILES THE CAR WAS DRIVEN IN THIS CONDITION. IT SO HAPPENS THAT I HAD RECENTLY PASSED MY WARRANTY PERIOD AND HAD TO PAY A VERY LARGE AMOUNT TO REPAIR IT. IF A WARNING LIGHT HAD GONE ON I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR THIS SOONER UNDER WARRANTY. PLUS, I HAD RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A LONG TWO WEEK DRIVE IN HOT DESERT COUNTRY. I WOULD IMAGINE IT WAS NOT WISE OR SAFE TO BE IN ALL WHEEL DRIVE UNDER HOT ROAD DRIVING CONDITIONS. I ASKED THE MANUFACTURER TO INFORM ME HOW OFTEN THEIR VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT I HAD NO RESPONSE FROM THEM. I DID ASK MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME AT LEAST ONE OTHER VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM LOCALLY. *JB

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN MURANO, THAT IS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. ON THE 26TH OF NOVEMBER 2006, THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED AND STOPPED OPERATING, AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. NOW I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD, $35,000 DOLLAR VEHICLE, WHICH MAY AS WELL BE A PAPERWEIGHT. THE VEHICLE IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY, AWAITING REPAIRS. I TAKE CARE OF THIS VEHICLE AS IF IT WERE MY OWN CHILD. I ENSURE THAT THE OIL IS REPLACED EVERY 3,000 MILES RELIGIOUSLY,AND I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR ROUTINE SCHEDULED SERVICES. TO SUSTAIN A NISSAN MURANO IS NOT A CHEAP TASK. THE LAST SCHEDULED SERVICE WAS A 60,000 MILE MAINTENANCE AND IT COST ME WELL OVER $500 DOLLARS. I ENSURE THAT THE MAINTENANCE IS BEING COMPLETED, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINE SERVICES. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS NISSAN MURANO, I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD GIVE ME SO MANY HEADACHES. I HAVE BEEN TO THE NISSAN DEALERS FOR UNSCHEDULED WARRANTY REPAIR AT LEAST 5 TIMES A YEAR, SINCE I PURCHASED IT. SOME OF THE ISSUES I HAVE HAD WITH THE SUV ARE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNING ON, UNEXPLAINED VEHICLE VIBRATIONS WHEN DRIVING, CAR SEIZING IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD, BAD BRAKES, ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE EXCHANGED, BATTERY WENT BAD, AND MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT FALL INTO GEAR. I CALLED THE NISSAN CONSUMER TOLL FREE NUMBER AND THE NISSAN CORPORATION IS ASKING ME TO CONSOLIDATE THE RECORDS OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN REPAIRED ON THE CAR, AND FAX IT TO THEM. IT SEEMS THAT CONVENIENTLY ENOUGH, NISSAN DOES NOT HAVE RECORDS OF ANY MAINTENANCE THAT WAS PERFORMED AT AUTHORIZED NISSAN DEALERS. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS INFORMATION HAD TO BE FAXED FIRST, BEFORE A DECISION CAN BE MADE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS HAD PREVIOUS DIFFICULTIES COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND HAD CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION WHEN THE CURRENT INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE ONLY DECISION I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IS, IF THE NISSAN CORPORATION IS GOING TO GRANT MY REQUEST TO FIX MY TRANSMISSION AT NO COST. *JB

EXPERIENCED CLICKING SOUND AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA. 2003 MURANO WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED WITH WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE COMPLETE FAILURE OF CVT TRANSMISSION IN NISSAN DEALER MAINTAINED VEHICLE WITH 77,000 MILES ON ODOMETER. AT THIS POINT, NISSAN HAS OFFERED NO GOODWILL HELP IN REPLACING $5000 CVT TRANSMISSION,CITING OUTSIDE OF 60,000 MILE DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY. RELIABILITY OF CVT TECHNOLOGY IN 2003 MODEL IS QUESTIONABLE , IF COMPLETE FAILURE ON CVT IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AT 77,000 MILES. WITH EXCEPTION OF REPLACING TWO RADIATORS AND THIS CVT FAILURE, I HAVE HAD BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH VEHICLE. *NM

ON MONDAY, 11/13/06 I TOOK MY 2003 NISSAN MURANO IN FOR WINTERIZING & TO HAVE THEM CHECK OUT A HUMMING NOISE TO THE NISSAN DEALER. LATER THAT DAY I WAS CALLED AND TOLD THE NOISE WAS RELATED TO THE TRANSFER CASE WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT MY COST, OVER $4000 TO REPAIR. THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY 89,000 MILES. DECIDED TO GET A SECOND OPINION AND HAD THE VEHICLE MOVED TO ANOTHER NISSAN DEALER. THIS NISSAN DEALER HAS REPAIRED ANOTHER MURANO WITH THE SAME SITUATION AND SO WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THAT IT IS NOT THE TRANSFER CASE, BUT IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. UNFORTUNATELY THE COST IS EVEN MORE - OVER $6000. BEING I DID NOT PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS. WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THE "WHY" FOR THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT EITHER THE TRANSFER CASE OR TRANSMISSION WERE FAILING WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. I CALLED MY SALESPERSON ABOUT THE SITUATION AND HE INFORMED ME HE HAD A FRIEND THAT HAD HIS TRANSFER CASE FAIL AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILES. IN MY OPINION, MAJOR COMPONENTS - TRANSMISSIONS OR TRANSFER CASES SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AT THIS MILEAGE AND WOULD LIKE FOR SOMEONE TO PURSUE TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A RECALL SITUATION.*JB

AFTER DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 55+MPH, FOR MORE THAN A HALF HOUR, IF YOU THEN GET INTO STOP AND GO OR CITY TRAFFIC, AND YOU ARE STOPPED, IF YOU PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND FOR 5-10 SECONDS, THEN WILL LUNGE FORWARD. THIS IS NOT ONLY ANNOYING, IT IS SO DANGEROUS. NOW THAT I AM AWARE OF IT, I TRY TO LEAVE LOTS OF SPACE BETWEEN ME AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME (NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE IN THE CITY). IT ONLY SEEMS TO HAPPEN UNDER THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE. I NOTICED THIS HAPPENING A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING MY MURANO. *NM

2003 NISSAN MURANO, AT 2500 MILES TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SKIP OR DISENGAGE FOR A SECOND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE PROBLEM. AT 12000 MILES VEHICLE STARTED TO ACT UP AND SAME THING HAPPEN, THIS TIME VEHICLE SEEMED LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL GEAR. VEHICLE RECALLED FOR ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT, SAME WEEK AND I INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE ISSUE, THEY SEEMED NOT TOO CONCERNED. AT 35000 MILES WHEN DRIVING IN REVERSE, TRANSMISSION CLINK NOISE. AT 58000 TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WITH A COMPLAINT THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP. DEALER INSTALLED A GAS TANK SHIED, AND DID NOT CARE TO INVESTIGATE THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND SAID ALL ARE OK. 64000 MILES, AFTER STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD, ACCELERATION PEDAL PUSHED ALL THE WAY. VEHICLE WILL THEN SUDDENLY PICKUP SPEED AND LUNG FORWARD. VEHICLE RPM WILL KICK UP AND DOWN WHILE DRIVING AT STEADY AND CRUISING SPEEDS GIVING THE VEHICLE A FEELING OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE AND NO HELP FROM DEALER SINCE HE RECENTLY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. *NM

03 NISSAN MURANO---TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND CAR ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES. IT IS IN THE SHOP BEING REPAIRED BUT IT WILL TAKE UP 2 TWO WEEKS SINCE TRANSMISSION IS COMING FROM CALIFORNIA. THIS IS AN ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS HAPPENING TO TOO MANY MURANO'S AT LOW MILEAGE. NISSAN MUST LOOK INTO THIS AND DO SOMETHING SOON. I DID NOT GET HURT SINCE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER WITH THE HELP OF A TRACTOR TRAILER STOPPING TRAFFIC. SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY. PLEASE DO SOMETHING NOW!!!! *JB