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Nissan Murano CVT Transmission

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Comments

  • moromoro Member Posts: 5
    Hi: It took almost 10 months for me to get a refund on the work done by Vero US 1 NISSAN in Vero Beach Fl. They have to be the poorest excuse for a dealership that I ever had the misfortune of dealing with. What can you expect If they represent Nissan ? Although my dealer Trans canada nissan in Canada was excellent. They were very helpful. I was slowly riembused the $10,825.93 Canadian from Nissan North America ( USA) and Nissan Canada thru checks sent to my dealer there. Nobody ever admited there was a mechanical problem . The vero Beach dealer replaced the gear and linkage for the front end .I think they disconnected once to often and created a problem. Anyway ..I still own the Murano and so far so good. It only took 2 replacement transmissions to get it right. I wonder If the CVT transmission will eventually bankrupt them long before a class action law suit does? I cannot seem to get past the blonde on the phone at Nissan Canada to express my feelings about the warranty and how they handled it.

    I would gladly support anyone or a group who have problems. We do not have a strong consumer protection advocate in Canada. i think the US does a better job in protecting consumers. Good luck
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    Thanks for the reply. I just notified the NTSB on this problem and I am awaiting a response from them. I would be willing to share any and all information that I get from them. This is a serious SAFETY issue that must be addressed immediately before someone is hurt or killed. If Nissan does not want to acknowledge they have a problem with this vehicle, than it is up to all of us consumers to make sure they do. I am going to notify the local TV station next to see if I can drum up some support. We need the exposure to embarass the Nissan company into doing what is right for the loyal customers they have now. :mad:
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    I just heard from the Nissan dealer in Enfield, Ct. The Service Manager told me what all of you have been telling over the past couple days, it is the pressure sensor and the transmission is shot. New One? Around $5000.00. Yipee! I'm going to buy another one of these pieces of crap! The worst part of it, is that I really enjoyed driving this car before the problems with the tranny. I'm in any class action against these rat Bast----!!! :mad:
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    I will gladly join you in any law suit against Nissan Motors regarding the defective transmissions. The dealer told me today that he was not aware of any problems with the Murano transmissions. Lia Nissan in Enfield, CT. should change the name to "Liar" Nissan.
    John :mad:
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    Anyone have a Transmission failure due to faulty design and pressure sensor please post your complaint to this website: www.nhtsa.dot.gov. This is the national highway transportation safety administration and deals with these kinds of safety issues and manufacturers that do not want to acknowledge defects in their products. Please fill out the complaint form, the more of us that do will make a bigger difference in the response. thanks! :mad:
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    Yes, I'm having AAMCO transmissions in Springfield, MA doing the work to replace the defective transmission. AAMCO told me that the cost to replace with a rebuilt is about $4200.00. They also will warranty the work for 12 months or 12K miles. AAMCO are located thruout the country and I would take it there before I had the Nissan dealer who screwed me work on it. Nissan gives the same warranty on a rebuilt as AAMCO. :mad:
  • browntownbrowntown Member Posts: 2
    I am devistated! I am 1000 miles out of warrenty and I am having the accelleration problem. It doesn't happen all the time and I noticed it for the first time last month. It started small and is progressivly getting worse. I am going to try to trade this car in while I might be able to slip it by them. Can they detect it in the early stages (before the light comes on)?

    Does anyone know if all the CVT Nissans from 05 experiencing this issue?

    Do you think Car Max will be able to detect it if I try to trade in with them?

    I want to throw up and cry I am sooooo mad.

    I have a friend who is a lawyer and I will definatly be passing this by him.

    Has anyone else spoken with a lawyer about a class action suit?
    Kristie
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    kRISTIE,
    I just spent $4300.00 to replace my CVT transmission on my 03 Murano. The dealers know of this problem and will offer you a trade minus a $5000.00 transmission replacement. That was my plan to try to trade while it was still running and the dealer, LIA NISSAN, totally disabled my car so I couldn't take it anywhere. I had my vehicle towed from the Nissan dealer to AAMCO transmission. I wouldn't let Nissan touch it unless it was under warranty. You may still be able to purchase an extended warranty if the car is still functioning. I tried to do this with mine but it was too late. The extended warranty was about $2000. for 4 years, I think. Check it out! As far as I'm concerned Nissan Motors should take responsibility for this defect, but till now, they are totally ignoring all of this.
    John :sick:
  • mgiontacamgiontaca Member Posts: 3
    I'm the latest casualty in this CVT debacle. I have a 2005 Murano with 90,000 miles and it has started to hesitate during acceleration. I brought it in to Bakersfield (CA) Nissan and they quickly detected the problem just as several of you have described - valve body inside CVT is "clogged". The only known fix is a new transmission for $6400. I bought a Nissan for its reliability and replacing a transmission every 90,000 miles is NOT good reliability!

    Count me in for the class action lawsuit too.

    With this exception we love the car. What a shame Nissan won't take responsibility for this design failure!

    Matthew
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    Matt,
    Before you give Nissan an extra $2400.00, look for an AAMCO transmission dealer in your area. They both get the rebuilt transmission from the same place with the same warranty just thousands of dollars less. I just spent $4300.00 replacing mine and Nissan told me the same...Good Luck. I really liked my Murano before all of this too, it is too bad they won't fess up to this.... :(
  • sadsack862sadsack862 Member Posts: 20
    To jphog. I had a 2003-4 Murano with the CVT Trans also. Not a single problem. Traded on a 2006 and had to have the trans replaced. Same problem as you guys. Small hesitation at first then a longer lag and finally got dangerous. I also dealt with Nissan US # 1 and was treated wonderfully. I amd ordering a 2009 Murano next week. Don't know how you can really blame Nissan # 1 for the delay in getting your re-imbursment. You did state that the checks came from Nissa of North America. I would be pleased that Nissan in Vero did the work and filed the paper work instead of sending you back to Canada.
  • balanceokbalanceok Member Posts: 11
    Most of us are complaining about Nissan for the simple reason that they fail to acknowledge this as a design defect and they do not stand-up for replacement of the transmission if you're out of warranty.

    When you call customer service, they act as though they've never heard of this problem before and offer no help in getting it resolved.

    This is clearly a safety issue and Nissan is a "no-show" on accepting responsibility. The fact that the problem appears to continue on later models speaks volumes on Nissan's commitment to safety.
  • moromoro Member Posts: 5
    There are many reasons for the " Blame" and it is NOT for the delay in the re-imbursement but for reasons too numerous to mention here. I am sure you would not be as pleased as you are If you knew the circumstanes that led up to the charges I incurred to get my Murano running like it should run .Would you really be pleased if you had a problem like I had and had to pay over ten thousand dollars for a repair that runs about five thousand dollars? Are you aware that dealers have the option of accepting warranty work from vehicles purchased in canada and that the dealer makes more profit If he does not put the repair through a warranty claim? If you say yes to this you would be a very pleasing customer. There are lots of dealers in Florida that would have done the repair under warranty . Vero Nissan # 1 is not Numero UNO on my dance card . I can go north or south about 20 miles and both the dealers accept warranty work. Enjoy your new Murano....its a nice vehicle...not like some dealers....
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    ....its a nice vehicle...not like some dealers....

    Please visit Dealer Ratings and Reviews and fill out a review (or three) there. Thanks!
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    Sadsack,
    Why don't you READ what I said and don't assume things you shouldn't. My car was out of warranty. I would think that Nissan would stand behind the product they build and not act like nothing is happening out there. If you spent 10K on your Murano then maybe YOU :confuse: should get checked out.....Buy another one?? I don't think so, not after the way this company has treated it's customers on this problem. :lemon:
  • dep441dep441 Member Posts: 1
    my moron-o went yesterday,still owe 4000, meineke said it would cost 8000.00 to replace, nissan fredericksburg said to much..they would do it for 7...gee thanks for the big savings....waiting for nissan reigonal person to call back with "options" :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • balanceokbalanceok Member Posts: 11
    They'll act like they're trying to do something, but will call back later and say there's nothing they can do.

    I love the fact that they still act surprised when they hear of this problem; as though, you're the first person to call on it.
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    Hello.

    I came into this forum because I am interested in the CVT in the Murano. Seeing the problems you folks are having with this transmission bothers me. Clearly not as much as it does you folks, as I don't own one.

    I have a suggestion that could possibly correct this. I know how this is going to sound but hear me out and give it some thought. I get no compensation for posting this information. I am doing it because I think it has a possibility of helping with the problems you have reported. And do so at a very small price.

    This obviously will not fix something that is physically broken, so if that is the case in these transmission problems this will not help. Having said all that, let me pass on this information.

    Take a look at this web site..
    http://www.auto-rx.com/

    This one is the same stuff for transmissions..
    http://www.auto-rx.com/auto-rxnet/index.html

    If this problem is caused by dirt and contamination interfering with operation, this stuff may help. I posed the question to the guy that makes this stuff before coming back here with this post. This is what he has to say...

    "Hello Jim the links would seem to indicate dirt,contaminants interfering with sensors. Since Auto-Rx can,t hurt anything i would scroll down www.auto-rx.com (index) to transmissions. Follow application. Think this will solve problem. Go to an Oil Quick Change (Jiffy Lube-Shell ) and have them T-Tech the transmission (this will clean & remove all the contaminants from the torque converter also (garbage can of the transmission) and at the same time refill with clean fluid. don't let anyone use additional additives.Frank"

    The "links" he refers to are urls to the posts on this forum talking about the transmission problem you have described. #1, #5, and #64.

    Take a look and see if you think it might be worth a try. If it were me, I would give it a try. Anything before shelling out $5K to repair a 90K mi old transmission. But as I said I only offer this information in the spirit of helpfulness. I would hope that if you do try it that you would post your experience.

    Jim
  • usedmuranousedmurano Member Posts: 7
    Jim,

    I can sort of corroborate your posting, that is... sort of.

    I bought a used '03 Murano in March of '07 and begin having the same type of hesitation in the tranny but it'd go away after the engine was shut down and restarted. (Please see my earlier post on this thread for a full description of the problem.) The tranny issue always showed up when I was in stop-n-go traffic (>1 hr at a time) and i was never really able to recreate it for the dealer.

    Anyways, I took the Murano in for service in October where they changed the transmission fluid. Since then, I haven't had the problem, and I live around LA, so I'm stuck in traffic a lot. The dealer did note that my transmission fluid level was low and that could've been why I had those instances of hesitation.

    It sounds too simple of a cure for the problems that people are having with their transmissions, but so far, it's worked for me. That's why I've been hesitant to post about my finding because I'm not sure if the fluid flush was a real solution or not. But since you threw out your suggestion to all the posters here, I figured I'd put in my two cents as well.
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    Thanks, used... I'm sure your experience will be useful information to anyone with this problem. At least I would think it would be worth it to try a $70 flush procedure on the off chance it could help. If an important sensor is clogged it could very well be the cause of this problem.

    I would be interested to hear from any other folks that have this problem and give the flush treatment a try. Whether it is simply a fluid change, the "T-Tech" flush, or the Auto-RX treatment. I would like to hear about it as a bystander and potential Murano owner, so I would think current owners with potentially problematic transmissions would as well.

    Jim
    :shades:
  • jess5138jess5138 Member Posts: 7
    Wow after reading all these complaints about the transmission I feel right at home. I had an accident in my 2003 Murano and at the accident scene they told me I could drive it but it wouldn't reverse. Well no way was I driving that car so it was towed and to make a long story short two months later I am still waiting for my car. Last call they said it needed new transmission but can't say whether accident caused. They said it's still under warranty so not to worry. Now a week later I get a call and they got rebuilt transmission in and seems to be running fine but because when they pulled out old tranny it had two different fluids in it and warranty doesn't apply now. It apparently had a green fluid and a red one. Does this make sense to anyone? Waiting to hear back from Geico now but it's looking like it's coming down on me. Never had problems before accident and I think company that Geico paid to get it fixed may have added fluid but no one will admit to this. Would putting a different transmission fluid in the car cause the transmission to fail?
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    Jess,
    The CVT transmission does have a special fluid and a very expensive fluid that is used. I was told when I purchased my Murano to be very careful not to put the wrong type of transmission fluid in it. Sounds to me like they are looking for any excuse not to cover it. typical with these people...... :mad:
    john
  • amatistaamatista Member Posts: 15
    My month old 07 Murano, with 1400 miles on it, stalled and sputtered off the freeway today on my way to work. I would turn it off and on, and it would go for 2 or 3 seconds, then lose all power and stall again. Had to leave it at the local Burger King and get picked up to get to work! I had it towed to a dealership, where they diagnosed it with "crank sensor failure" and replaced it. I got home just fine, and I hope to never have this problem again...
    :sick:
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    My '01 Passat stalled by the side of the road three times. It behaved as if I just shut it off. After some extensive discussions with the VW tech we decided the crank position sensor was the problem. I had the sensor replaced and have not had another problem since. I bet your Murano will be fine too.

    Jim
    :shades:
  • rjohn1981rjohn1981 Member Posts: 1
    I was ready to go to battle with Nissan after my 2004 started having the same problem with the hesitation. To make a long story short the air hose was not secure and I was not getting the right mix of fuel and air. The second time I called the Nissan dealership the first thing they asked was had I checked my air hose and sure enough that was the problem. Maybe it is a common problem with Muranos. It is worth a try.
  • lmsmanplmsmanp Member Posts: 3
    I own a 2004 Nissan Murano. The CVT failed at 125,000 miles, NO HELP FROM NISSAN! At 205,000 miles its failing again. I' m not going to dump another $5,000 int6o this car. Is Nissan doing anything to make good on this problem.
  • wominerawominera Member Posts: 1
    God, this problem has got me so MAD I bought a 2003 murano 6 months ago with only 65,000 miles, we need it a good reliable vehicle, couple of months after this CVT problem has started at 71,000 miles, I'm so angry at Nissan for not recognizing that they own this transmission problem.

    HAS ANYBODY STARTED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT? if somebody has count me in. if not feel free to e-mail at southmiami57@hotmail.com so we can start this. :mad:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think class actions are better suited (ha!) for small amounts. I'm not sure what amount is too small, but most bar associations will hook you up with a cheap or free initial consultation and you can talk to a local lawyer and see if it's worth the time and effort to chase your local dealer and/or Nissan. Or your local Consumer Protection Agency may have an auto division that could give you some advice.

    You might get some satisfactory resolution faster that way, instead of waiting a few years and winding up with a $500 coupon off your next purchase of a Nissan. (link and link)
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    Have any of you had your transmission flushed or seen my earlier post..
    majicman, "2003 Nissan Murano CVT (Transmission)" #73, 9 Feb 2008 5:53 pm
    I dont' know if the Auto-Rx stuff will help but if I was looking at a $5k bill for fixing my car I would certainly consider trying it.
  • allykatallykat Member Posts: 3
    I purchased a 2003 Nissan Murano last summer. What a mistake I thought I was getting a a highly rated safe car. My 17 year old daughter was almost killed last week due to a stall in an intersection. Same problem after coming to a stop the car didnt want to go. This car only has 62,000 miles on it. Nissan customer service acted like they had never heard of this problem. I am so glad I found this web sight I will tell everyone I know about this problem and report it. I have an extended warranty through an outside company they are coming to dealership to decide if they are going to cover it. If they wont I will trade it in and never buy Nissan again. They do recalls on seat belts, but not on this a life or death problem with the transmission. This is so frustrating they know of the problem but wont face up to it.
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    Allycat,
    Nissan will NEVER own up to this problem because it would cost them millions of dollars to settle this. I will never buy another Nissan product and everyone I talk to about this vehicle I explain the "We didn't know that" attitude of the dealers. This car company is a bunch of rip off artists in disquise. Who can afford the extremely high replacement cost of a transmission in these economic times. Enough of my ranting.....Can you imagine what would have happened if your daughter was injured because of this defect? I've reported this to the NTSB and nothing has happened yet. Are they waiting for someone to die??? Good luck with your problem, I guess I am bitter to these crooks!! :mad:
  • balanceokbalanceok Member Posts: 11
    On the recommendation of our local dealer, we tried another option to replacing the transmission. We replaced the seals and serviced the transmission with a synthetic transmission fluid. He said they had seen good results with this, so I gave it a try. The cost was about $1200.

    So far so good. We've not had the hesitation in the transmission since this was done. Here's hopinjg it holds.

    On the bad side, they also replaced the air filter and failed to properly attach the housing for the filter. As a result, the engine was getting too much air and my car died on the way to getting onto a ship for a 7-day cruise. Fortunately, the CA dealer knew what the problem was and fixed it for us so we made our ship. Apparently, this is a common mistake made when servicing Muranos.
  • marcogallo1986marcogallo1986 Member Posts: 1,164
    Thankyou so mutch for Posting a posabal sulotian. I think your car will be fine now. I think that peapol are not getting there trans flushed. I bet it tells you that in the owners Manuall to haha lol. It is like if you dont change your oial your engian will go early rite guys Lets all all flush the trans I think Nissan put out a bulitan out on this. and For the guy WHo's daughter ws almost Kiled. cause his car hesatated and would not go. Nissan has a recall or a bulitan out on the tmc sumthing to do with the trans a mojjawalle controler that controles the trans. Look at Nissan Help.com should have your answers guys. I am glad his daughter is ok and was not Killed. and In responce to the other guy saying Nissan is not good. They are good there is good and bad dealers. You just have a bad dealer. There is menny Peaple who love thease cars grate cars when probbly Mantaned. and the air filter thing is the dealers rushing and not taking a few mor minits to put it back on no big deal Make shore they put it on good before you leave. and get all servases done on your marano. And one mor thing you never bye the first year of a new cars run no matter new or used sum advice And also Only bye Nissan sirtafied cars just off leese they come with a 7 year or 100000 Mile worantee what ever comes first the 7 years or the 100000 MIles so I think that is a grate deal. And the 2004 Marano to the New one now are grate. Thankyou for reading my posting Hope I was able to help everyone out. And sorry about my spelling. Have a verry good day guys Marco.
  • marcogallo1986marcogallo1986 Member Posts: 1,164
    Hey Guys it is Not the cvt it might be a Preeshore Sencore or the tmc trans controle mogawalle. Hope I was able to Help you guys out it manally only has to do with the 2003 marano sorry about the spelling have a real grate day guys marco.
  • nkranznkranz Member Posts: 1
    I just found this site and have had the same issues. I paid the Nissan Dealership in Burnsville MN $6,000 to fix the transmission after the all wheel drive warning light failed to appear and I was driving over the suggested 50 mph. Now I am detecting this odor like hot metal burning and they are suggesting that the transmission needs to be examined again. Nissan appears to take no responsibility for considering these issues part of faulty design.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I just had my Nissan (Quest) transmission fluid "changed" and I specifically told the garage owner not to flush the fluid, neither power flushing nor flushing with the car idling. I have so many miles on my tranny (124k), I didn't want to get anything stirred up at all. Maybe the CVT is different but I'm leery unless someone can point to it in the owner's manual.

    Oh yeah, my engine seems to be purring along nicely on my 7,500 (or longer) oil change intervals.

    (btw, have you ever tried Dragon or one of the other speech to text dictation programs?).
  • oompah1003oompah1003 Member Posts: 6
    Has anyone had an update on this recently? I am having the same problems with my 2003 Murano SL. I am getting no power when stuck in traffic and then it kicks in. It started at around 85000 miles. Has there been a determination on the problem? Also anything on nissan making good on it? Has anyone brought this issue up with their states consumer affairs? Seems like it should be a recall with a safety issue like this.
  • mlibovemlibove Member Posts: 1
    I was told today that the problem with my 2003 Murano CVT was electronic and specifically related to the valve body. Not being a mechanic I do not understand much of what they are talking about. What I do know is that five weeks ago the dealer replaced two seals on the trans for about $1,700. Now the exact same symptoms are back, i.e.; hesitation when moving from a dead stop or accelerating at slow speeds. It does not seem to happen once the car is at highway speeds.

    Now they are suggesting that the entire transmission be replaced with a rebuilt for about $3,500 (for parts only). They have not quoted a labor charge yet. The dealer claims that they replaced the seals a few weeks ago because the trans was leaking oil. That made sense to me. However, now the service advisor is saying that the seals are the easiest thing for them to get to, which is also why they changed them. Then he said that if the replacement of the seals did not do the job they would look deeper for something else.....at my expense of course.

    I have not told them to go ahead with the repair yet. The car has about 136,000 miles on it and until now has not given me any trouble. But, I think that Nissan must take some responsibility for this problem as having read the string of emails on the subject it is obvious that I am not the only one. Any lawyers out there who own one of these cars?
  • jbhog330jbhog330 Member Posts: 14
    It sounds to me like Nissan is really raking you over the coals... Nissan is aware of the problem with the transmission failures and to charge you $1700.00 to replace seals that they know are NOT going to fix the problem, I would have a BIG problem with that!! If I were you, I would not let the Nissan dealer touch your car any further. They obviously want to rip you off big time!! Nissan does not rebuild the transmissions at the dealers, they buy rebuilt ones. AAMCO had informed me of this. The Nissan dealer will GAFF you on the labor so I would suggest taking it to a local AAMCO dealer to repair. They have the same warranty as the dealer. Nissan will NOT take any responsibility for this failure, that is why I would NEVER in a million years buy another one. Nissan Motors are thieves!! :mad:
  • marcogallo1986marcogallo1986 Member Posts: 1,164
    Hey guys first off your cars have high miles you guys are nuts. and change flewid with santhitic flewid told in a pryer posting lets stop going on and on read the postings pleas. and also look at Nissan help.com under Maranno go to 2003 pritty shore there is a fix have not time to look now will look next week for you guys. thankyou Marco.
  • allykatallykat Member Posts: 3
    First of all my car has only 60,000 miles on it. Second of all, if you work for Nissan your sure not a good spokesperson for them. Thirdly, Nissan diagnosed that I needed a new transmission. Don't comment about things you don't know. Nissan didn't pay, but my warranty company did. Thank goodness since it was $9,100 for the work. I reported it with Nissan complaints maybe down the road they will do a recall before someone is killed.
  • marcogallo1986marcogallo1986 Member Posts: 1,164
    first off I dont work for Nissan. and there is no nead to be nasty and be a wise guy if you no what I mean. just trying to Help you guys out. I am not a spokes person for nissan. I am Just telling it like it is I have sum inside information I have done sum digging you no guys resirtch. pleas look at Nissan help.com Under Maranno 2003 the 2004 and up marannos are fine. and they charged you $9000 to put in a new trans they ripped you off big time. it is good you had the worintee. Not every nissan dealer is like this coman I no the cvt is a bit mor Money then your convinshinal 5 speed trans but every Nissan dealer is indapendantally owned so they have no controle over what they do. That is the way it is with most auto manufactors. Put in sintitick trans flewid. best to do this your selfe if you no about cars flush and refill the trans with sintatick flewid. amko will ripe you off also. Pritty shore they are changing the trans for no reason. They just have to replace the tcm trans controle Mojuwall Thankyou for reading Hope I am able to help sum of you guys out Thanks for reading my posting Marco.
  • shdelashdela Member Posts: 1
    On May 29,2008, I went to the dealership to address one problem (with my car). Before I left, the mechanic found a new problem with my transmission. Keep in mind that none of my sensor light ever came on to indicate that there was a problem with my SUV. The mechanic told me that there was leaking fluid from my transmission case. I was in total disbelief about this situation. The next day I drove it to a Auto Zone. He plug a device to check the Sensor(CK ENG LITE), a code for the "Cam Shaft Sensor", which is affilate with the Timing System. He told me not to drive the car, because I could blow the engine. Now my car is just sitting in the driveway. I can't drive it because the (VDC,SLIP, & CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON).
  • vanessaesqvanessaesq Member Posts: 10
    Hello Everyone:

    Someone asked whether there was an attorney out there who owns a 2003 Murano with this problem? Well, I am it! I have the same problem everyone else has. In October of 2007, when the car had about 75,000 miles on it, I was waiting in bumper to bumper traffic when I tried to accelerate and the car did not respond then about five seconds later, it lurched forward. It did this until I got to my destination. After turning the car off and then restarting, I drove home with no problem. I took it to my mechanic and he thought it was the fuel injector. He cleaned it, and it seemed fine, until about five weeks ago it did it again. I made an appointment to take it back to get looked at, then for whatever reason at work, I googled "2003 Murano, failure to accelerate in traffic" and up popped numerous websites, including this one, that gave me the first indication that it was a defect in the transmission. I filed a claim with Nissan North America, then took it to a dealer to be diagnosed, and it is the valve body in the transmission. It is a defective part that Nissan has known about since at least November of 2004 (and I suspect well before that). I obtained a copy of the repair bulletin that was sent by Nissan to its dealers in early 2005 and it describes the problem exactly and indicates that the valve body needs to be replaced. I was quoted an estimate of $1700 to do this. I have had various discussions with Nissan regarding the fact that I am a litigation attorney and that I fully intend to sue them here in NJ if they do not pay to fix my car. In spite of the fact that they do not consider it a "safety problem" worthy of recall (it's more like they don't want to pay the $ to recall all those cars), I think it is most definitely a safety problem. I have spoken with a transmission mechanic who states that that part should not fail at that mileage and that it is an early failure.

    I am going to file a lawsuit against Nissan North America here in NJ for breach of the implied warranty. I am including a count for Consumer Fraud. My theory is that they knew about this problem in as early as 2004, but never notified the consumers of the problem or the potential for it, so as to permit them to avail themselves of the remedy of possibly taking out an extended warranty, or having their cars evaluated to see if the problem could be detected while the car was still in warranty. That to me is fraud. In NJ, a complaint that includes a count for Consumer Fraud must be forwarded to the Attorney General's office. I intend to do that, along with copies of all your internet postings attesting to the widespread nature of this problem. Under NJ law, if I am successful in prosecuting the Consumer Fraud complaint, I will get treble (triple) my damages, plus I will also ask for my attorney's fees (to get paid for my time).

    If anyone is at all interested in e-mailing me your detailed story re: your 2003 Murano with your name and address, I will include it as an Exhibit in my complaint (my e-mail is vanessaesq@aol.com). I fully intend to litigate this with Nissan until such time as a jury tells me that I have no case. At some point, these corporations have to take responsibility for the products they put on the market, and in particular, products such as a car, which can cause catastrophic injury when they contain a defect such as this. Thanks and good luck to everyone with this same problem. This is my third new Nissan, and my last.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    That to me is fraud.

    To prove that it was fraud you would have to show that they knew about the problem when they sold you the vehicle. Your conjecture implies they didn't know about it until more than a year later.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • vanessaesqvanessaesq Member Posts: 10
    Tidester: I disagree with the statement that to prove fraud I have to show they knew about the problem when they sold me the car. The NJ Consumer Fraud Statute provides the following constitutes fraud:

    "The act, use or employment by any person of any unconscionable commercial practice, deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, or the knowing, concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact with intent that others rely upon such concealment, suppression or omission, in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise or real estate, or with the subsequent performance of such person as aforesaid, whether or not any person has in fact been misled, deceived or damaged thereby, is declared to be an unlawful practice; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall apply to the owner or publisher of newspapers, magazines, publications or printed matter wherein such advertisement appears, or to the owner or operator of a radio or television station which disseminates such advertisement when the owner, publisher, or operator has no knowledge of the intent, design or purpose of the advertiser"

    The statute states that the fraud can attach to Nissan's subsequent performance associated with the sale of my car. My argument is that Nissan's obligation to me does not end with the express warranty. There is an implied warranty that attaches to that sale as well, which means that Nissan warrants that they are selling me a car whose systems are fit for the purpose for which they are intended. If they receive subsequent knowledge after selling me the car that the transmission in that car contains a defective or misdesigned part, and especially when that knowledge comes to their attention during a time when the vehicle was in warranty, then they commit fraud when they fail to advise me of this fact. It is a purposeful concealment of a material fact concerning not only the performance of the car, but the safety as well. That is my theory of liability.

    Secondly, in the fifteen years that I have practiced law, I have yet to be involved in litigation with a corporation whose "knowledge" of a particular fact comports with the date on an "issued memorandum." In other words, once I get involved in litigating this case with Nissan and I do a document demand requesting each and every document generated by Nissan that in any way pertains to this particular problem, you can bet that there will be ample evidence to demonstrate Nissan's knowledge of the problem WELL BEFORE November of 2004.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I think we can agree that it is an "unlawful practice" and may be "concealment" after the fact. My understanding is that fraud or intent to defraud occur before the fact. In any case, good luck with your case!

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • vanessaesqvanessaesq Member Posts: 10
    Thanks, Tidester.
  • krpaplhamkrpaplham Member Posts: 2
    Apparently they did not fix the issue with the transmission in 2004 as my 2004 Murano with 80,000 miles was diagnosed with the same problem this AM. Pretty much the same estimated costs "if" the whole transmission does not need to be replaced. I barely avoided a bad accident when the engine failed to rev when starting to merge into traffic, then suddenly did rev a second or two later. Between the delay and the surprise of no forward movement it was a close call with on coming traffic.
    Having read through the many complaints posted here and having experienced the very real danger from this equipment failure, I would certainly be interested in a legal means of compensation since Nissan is adamant that this is not a manufacturer issue. Assuming what is posted on this site is just a small percentage of actual occurences there should be a large group out there to support litigation.
  • swagner2swagner2 Member Posts: 1
    I'm so glad I found this website. I too purchased a 2003 Nissan Murano and have been advised that I have a "seal leak" that will involve removal of the entire transmission which will cost close to $4000. I'm just sick. In addition, at the same time I purchased my '03 Murano, a girl I worked with also purchased an '03 Murano. And, low and behold her transmission simply dropped out on her while she was driving. Her estimate was around $5000. I now will not own another Nissan and will soon be trading off the one I have. I too believe that Nissan knows full well of the defective vehicles but will take absolutely no responsibility for them. I will certainly share my experiences with everyone I know.
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