2005 Nissan Murano

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN IN MY 2005 NISSAN MURANO, MY SEAT SUDDENLY "POPPED" AND SHIFTED TO THE LEFT AND DROPPED A FEW INCHES AND LANDED AGAINST THE DOOR. THE FRAME ASSEMBLY HAD BROKEN AND I NEARLY STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN. I DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME ASSEMBLY OF THE SEAT HAD FRACTURED. GOING ONLINE I NOTICED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MURANO AND FROM THE LOOKS OF IT MANY, MANY NISSAN OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HOPE SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED FROM THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT BEFORE THE NHTSA ORDERS A RECALL. *TR

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HERE MY 2005 NISSAN MURANO SUN VISOR DRIVER'S SIDE WON'T STAY UP AND IT FLOPS DOWN. I AGREE THAT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I REFUSE TO PAY $500 TO HAVE A DEFECT ORIGINALLY FROM NISSAN REPAIRED PROPERLY. THE VISOR IS TOTALLY LOOSE AND WON'T STAY UP NOR WILL IT STAY PUT TO BLOCK THE SUN SINCE IT'S SO LOOSE THAT IT SIMPLY FLOPS STRAIGHT DOWN. I HAVE RESORTED TO USING DUCK TAPE TO TAPE IT IN THE UP POSITION SO IT DOESN'T FLOP DOWN WHEN I HIT A BUMP TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AT 70+ MPH. IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND I'M MAD AS *** ABOUT IT. THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM BUT IT'S NOT AS BAD - PROBABLY JUST DUE TO LESS USAGE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WOULD NOT REMAIN IN A SECURE UPWARD POSITION AND WAS OBSTRUCTING THE VISIBILITY OF THE DRIVER. THE SUN VISOR WAS PERMANENTLY REMOVED, THE PART WAS ORDERED AND THE CONTACT PLANNED TO PERFORM A REPAIR WHEN THE PART BECAME AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 62,000. UPDATED 05/05/11*LJ UPDATED 05/11/11

1. HAVING A SECURE ENVIRONMENT IS PARAMOUNT IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS. WHEN LOCKING THE DOORS IT'S IMPERATIVE NOBODY CAN GAIN ACCESS AT WILL BY WALKING UP TO THE CAR. IF ANYONE CAN SIMPLY OPEN THE DOOR TO GAIN ACCESS, CARJACKING, INJURY, OR EVEN MURDER IS EASIER. IF THE DOORS LOCKED PROPERLY THIS PROVIDES A MORE SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR THIS TYPE OF SCENARIO. 2. NISSAN KNOWING THERE IS A SECURITY PROBLEM WITH THEIR LOCKING MECHANISM AND NOT RECALLING THEM FOR SAFETY CONCERN IS NEGLIGENT. IT'S AN OPEN DOOR TO A LAWSUIT IF SOMEONE WERE TO BE MURDERED DUE TO A DOOR THAT DIDN'T LOCK, ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER PUSHED THE LOCK BUTTON AND HEARD THE LOCKING NOISE. REMEMBER, IN THIS CASE THERE'S NO OBVIOUS INDICATION THE DOOR ISN'T LOCKED UNLESS SOMEONE WALKS UP AND OPENS IT FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE DRIVE "THINKS" THE DOOR IS LOCKED, WHEN IN REALITY IT'S AN "OPEN DOOR" FOR CARJACKING OR ROBBERY. THIS FAILURE IS AN INTERMITTENT OF OPERATION. SOMETIMES THE DOORS LOCK OK, OTHER TIMES THEY DON'T. IN ADDITION, SOMETIMES THE DOORS UNLOCK OK, OTHER TIMES THEY DON'T. 3. IN EMERGENCIES IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO UNLOCK DOORS QUICKLY. SINCE 99% OF THE TIME WE ALL USE THE BUTTON TO LOCK AND UNLOCK DOORS, USING THE MANUAL LOCKING LEVER IS UNFAMILIAR. AND THE MURANO'S DESIGN IS SUCH THAT IT'S NOT EASY TO COMPREHEND IF IT'S NOT YOUR CAR, FOR INSTANCE A RENTAL CAR. I CAN EASILY UNDERSTAND HOW SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE CONFUSED HOW UNLOCK A DOOR USING THE MANUAL LEVEL IN AN EMERGENCY WHEN THEY VIRTUALLY HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WITH IT. IN EMERGENCIES EVERY SECOND COUNTS. THE LOCKING/UNLOCKING SOLENOID MALFUNCTIONING IS CLEARLY A HIGH RISK IN EMERGENCY SCENARIOS. SOME PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE $1600 TO HAVE ALL THE SOLENOIDS REPLACED (AS QUOTED BY DEALERS) WILL FORGO GETTING THEM FIXED, PUTTING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AT RISK WITH THE ABOVE MISHAP EXAMPLES. THIS SHOULDN'T BE, NISSAN SHOULD RECALL THEM. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME TILL SOMEONE GETS ROBBED, HURT OR KILLED FROM A MALFUNCTIONING DOOR LOCK. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN A GARAGE AT LOW SPEED, MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT SUDDENLY SNAPPED, AND TILTED DOWN TO LEFT. NOW WHEN I DRIVE, THE SEAT ROCKS BOTH SIDE TO SIDE & FRONT TO BACK, AND IS VERY UNSTABLE. I WORRY THE OTHER SIDE WILL SNAP UNDER THE STRESS OF THE MOTION, AND MY SEAT WILL NO LONGER BE CONNECTED TO THE CAR. ALREADY I CAN FEEL THE MOTION OF THE SEAT FROM MY SEATBELT, AND HONESTLY IT IS A LITTLE HARD TO STEER WHEN MY BODY ISN'T STABLE. I REALIZE AN INVESTIGATION WAS ALREADY DONE INTO THIS MATTER A FEW YEARS AGO WHICH WAS CLOSED BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT EVIDENCE OF HARM DUE TO THE MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. MUST SOMEONE BE INJURED BEFORE NISSAN WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS? THERE ARE ALMOST 300 COMPLAINTS REGISTERED ON THIS SITE ALONE FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THE DEALERS SEEM TO BE MAKING ABOUT $1000 FOR EACH REPAIR SO I DOUBT THEY WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR