Nissan Murano Maintenance and Repair

rjardine

At 2k miles you still have a very 'green' engine. The MPG should improve progessively until the engine is fully broken at about 5-6k miles. On mixed driving with 6k miles on the clock I get just over 20 mpg.

texian

They kept telling me I would get better MPG. I just had the rear end replaced and they told me I would get better MPG. I went from 13 to 12. Nissan won't help. The dealership won't help. Love the car but I'm going to have to try to get recourse under the lemon law. I also traded with a friend and got 19 -20 in town so it isn't my driving.

dmmakoski

How do you know you are getting 12 - 13 MPG? Perhaps the mileage computer is bad. Unless your computing with pen and paper.

roobster

I'm getting 20 to 21 with my MO and I have 1500 miles on it. I also have a neighbor who gets the same as I am but when his wife drives it she gets 13 mpg. Sometimes driving habits are major cause. If you do highway traveling a lot try using the cruise control as much as possible and see if the mpg goes up. Some people have tried different air filters which have helped such as K & N. Good Luck

homeouner

Consumers Report about the 04 Murano would have rated the MO 1st. rate if it were not for a steering defect. Does anyone know what the defect was?

gerapau

I don't want to give you more to worry about with your Murano but the steering defect probably has to do with the fact that some people notice a reduction in steering boost when they move the steering quickly from one side to the other at low speeds (like when in a parking lot). It doesn't happen at higher speeds and the steering doesn't lock up. It just becomes slightly harder to turn. I notice it quite a bit but it really doesn't bother me. I am not sure if Nissan has a fix for it.

ccermak

I also heard it has to do with the power steering. It's like the pump can't keep up with the demand. I've heard they do a slalom test thru cones and when steering really fast back and forth it can lock up and function like there's no power steering at all. Really hard to turn wheel. This can cause an issue because in panic mode if the wheel got really hard to turn you'd most likely be unable to steer out of an accident situation. This is only hearsay mind you, but I've heard that not only the Murano will do this, but many vehicles. Once again, this is hearsay from a Nissan sales guy who may have been BSing.

homeouner

Many thanks for the reply about a steering defect. Of all the power steering autos I have had starting W/ a '62 Olds the MO has the stiffist steering. The wheel dia. is small and the most difficult to steer quickly of any car I have ever had. Most car when moving slow 5 to 10 MPH in parking lots can be steered with the palm of one hand, slow only!! As a result I am very careful W/ any maneuvering. CU in there latest review said the problem had been addressed, or fixed.

dklanecky

"The wheel dia. is small and the most difficult to steer quickly of any car I have ever had. CU in there latest review said the problem had been addressed, or fixed."

I suspect what your referring to is the steering wheel diameter, correct?

I've personally never driven a vehicle with a larger diameter wheel and tire (30" high"), which I believe contributes significantly to the alleged "defect".

It will be interesting to see how Nissan addresses this issue for the 2005's (if it's truly been corrected) since to my knowledge, they've never even accepted that it's actually a problem, in their corporate minds, officially.

dadoftay

The MOs axle are upper and lower, where as the Mercs, Taurus, some Kias have the axles in a line but these cars axles may possibly be of unequal length. This uneaqual length causes "torque-steer" or pulling the car to the shorter shaft under acceleration. The shafts on the MO are equal length just upper and lower due to the CVT. If the Murano were rear wheel drive you would see the axles in a line. As far as the steering situation, my Wife and I purchased our SL 2WD about 3 months ago and I haven't had any problems out of the steering. Both my wife and myself drive rather agressively and it hasn't slowed us down....yet

dodoc2003

I've had mine since 4/03 and have accumulated 22K miles. Can't say I know what you guys are referring to in terms of steering. It can be a little difficult to turn the wheel when the vehicle isn't moving at all but once there's some movement, it's OK. Still heavier than our Camry but by no means does it feel like there's no power steering. As for sudden movements at low speeds, that did not turn out to be a problem 2 days ago. Was in a park parking lot going somehwere between 10-20 mph (who knows exactly at that range). Car decided to pull out and I had to swerve. No problems, and I did it one handed (had a drink in my right).

homeouner

You are right about service writers or service managers admitting a problem. I have asked them to look at the posts from Edmunds,its like they never heard of Edmunds- no problems W/ our sold cars.Consumers Report never gave details. Apparently The MO is safe to drive? The steering effort seems to be too much, like the pump pressure is too low.

tidester

its like they never heard of Edmunds

Yeah, right! :-)

tidester, host

dadoftay

I took complete printed copies from edmunds.com into the Nissan dealer I bought my MO, and the salesman had the same copies. Yeah, they know Edmunds (and the other guys) all too well. We started at the $TMV and then started dealing. Post from "Town Hall" are in my service writers computer.

dklanecky

I have yet to find a Murano that couldn't be made to exhibit the steering issue.

Very simply, the power steering pump doesn't seem to be powerful enough to maintain full boost at low (<10mph) speeds when made to go from one extreme to the other (left to right).

They all do it, but only under extreme circumstances and to my knowledge, forced situations, not normal driving!

No whether or not it's an issue is another discussion because while I can always make mine do it (temporarily lose boost) it has never done it in a normal driving situation nor can I imagine one in which it would.

stever

We started at the $TMV and then started dealing

Next time start at invoice and work up towards TMV :-)

"Posts at Town Hall" is in the service computer? That's great!

Steve, Host

dadoftay

I tried what dklanecky is talking about with the steering and indeed, the wheel stuttered a little. However, I tried the same thing in my GMC Safari just for comparo and let me warn you guys, the GMC doesn't like it at all. The steering wheel seemed as though it "skipped" some teeth on the pinion gears. I stand corrected on the Murano issue, but I liked the stutter better than the loss of steering. Thanks for posting how to "test" the problem, by the way!!

dadoftay

I didn't mention one thing about having edmunds info with me. My dealership tried to say you guys don't include destination, prep or doc fees in your prices. I showed him destination fees and reminded him the other fees were additional costs added by the dealer. He "somehow" found a way to get me out the door without paying them.

tidester

He "somehow" found a way to get me out the door without paying them.

Way to go!

tidester, host

shop4

Has anyone else noticed the deep scratches on the vertical post where the seatbelt lies when not fastened? I have owned my Murano for 13 months and have never seen damage such as this.

homeouner

My MO, now 6mo.s old had no marks on the inside of the door post. When I release the belt it slams against the pillar and is marking it up. I now hold it W/ my left hand and place it at its rest spot. The material on these post is fairly hard and shows cut marks when hit by the seat belt buckle.The factory should have had fore site to use a softer non-marking cover. Also to those MO owners- 2003 with 10k to 15K miles, have you had any problems W/ the exhaust system, the center muffler pipes fore and aft developing cracks in the system due to a 9'-0" span btw n. system hangers. Hitting it W/ the flat of your hand really causes it to flex: its got to really bounce around when at road speeds.

homeouner

My MO, now 6mo.s old had no marks on the inside of the door post. When I release the belt it slams against the pillar and is marking it up. I now hold it W/ my left hand and place it at its rest spot. The material on these post is fairly hard and shows cut marks when hit by the seat belt buckle.The factory should have had fore site to use a softer non-marking cover. Also to those MO owners- 2003 with 10k to 15K miles, have you had any problems W/ the exhaust system, the center muffler pipes fore and aft developing cracks in the system due to a 9'-0" span btw n. system hangers. Hitting it W/ the flat of your hand really causes it to flex: its got to really bounce around when at road speeds.

gerapau

You should spend more time enjoying your Murano and less time worrying about what might go wrong in the future. Most of your posts tend to be about "possible" design issues which you feel "may" cause problems in the future. I have a hard time believing that someone who worries so much about possible future issues would ever buy a car that has only been around a year or two. You would have been better off (a lot less worrying) buying something with a well established track record. Maybe you should have spent more time looking at the exhaust, drive axle, etc... before buying the Murano.

If it puts your mind at ease though, I have a 2003 with > 30,000 miles on it and have had no problems with the exhaust.

shop4

You are obviously a purchaser of your Murano, and not a customer who leased this product from Nissan. The poor quality of the door pilars surface will attract the attention of the inspector at the dealer when we all go to hand back our cars after the term of the lease is up. If the door pilars are already scratched after 13 months, what will it look like after 39 months? Without a doubt Nissan will charge us for damage to the Murano.

homeouner

Took too much for granted, who would in this day and age have to worry about reinventing the wheel. Nissan has a well established track record!!

vthok

I am looking to buy a new car and the '04 Murano is on my list. However, I am a little scared about the CVT and long term reliability of it. I was curious if others have had problems with the tranny or anything else or if the car as been a dream since purchase. Please let me know.

dodoc2003

Have ~22K miles on mine. No transmission problems. Only things I've had repaired/replaced are the visor clip on the driver's side which didn't stay on very well and front driver's seat. The leather was wearing somewhat prematurely. Otherwise, no scratches on the pillars.

dklanecky

I'm up to 27k and no issues with mine. I don't understand why all transmissions aren't made like this and I'm betting that as time marches on, they will be due to the fuel and performance efficency of the design.

Here's a couple of links with more information regarding the CVT.

Manufacturer:http://www.jatco.co.jp/E_JATCO/SHOHIN/LIN_E.HTM

Article from a Canadian publication:http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/030402.htm

dadoftay

I was like you vthok, the CVT scared me. My only experience was with ATVs and they were always slipping when wet, or stretching on hill climbs. Our MO has never given us any trouble. My wife and I drive like NASCAR drivers and it does fine. I saw a web page that I can't recall now (sorry)that had some of the more popular cars Nissan makes and sells in Japan all using this CVT. Now, it won't smoke the tires leaving a light and it surely will never bark second gear, but hey, it saves you on tires and oh yeah GAS. Good luck, we love ours.

gerapau

Don't jump to conclusions shop4. I did lease my Murano and have no worries about the door pillars when I return my Murano. When you return your Murano they cannot charge you for normal wear and tear. Since most Muranos will be returned with scratches in the door pillars it should be pretty easy to show that the scratches are normal wear and tear (and I agree that they are due to a design problem). If they do charge you for it refuse to pay (or as a last resort take them to small claims court) And yes, I also have some scratches on the door pillars of my Murano. I also had even more scratches on the door pillars of my 2000 Maxima and when I returned it from my lease they never even mentioned them.

Anyway, my post was not intended to criticize you or anyone else who is having legitimate problems with their Murano (and having the seatbelts scratch the door pillar is a legitimate problem). It was pointed more towards homeouner who has, on quite a few occasions, made posts stating how the way Nissan has designed the Murano will lead to problems down the road. Since he, nor anyone else in here as far as I know, has had any of the problems that he has brought up, maybe he should stop worrying about what might happen and enjoy his Murano (it is a hoot to drive compared to most of it's competition).

homeouner

Murphy,s law has not been repealed yet! What can go wrong will go wrong.

thenning

I had an aftermarket hitch installed on my '04 by the selling dealer. The name on the hitch is "CURT" It looks good and fits neatly between the tail pipes. It was much less expensive than the factory installed hitch and has a two inch receiver.

thenning

I just leased an '04 Murano and noticed on the Edmunds site that the Murano comes with 3yrs/36000 mile "Roadside Assistance" I find no mention of this in the warranty info received with the car nor does the dealer have any idea.

Anyone know anything about this?

shop4

The door pilar is made out of a plastic that is obviously too soft for its position in the vehicle. It is incorrect to say that this is the normal wear and tear and therefore will not be charged for. (This must be your first lease with Nissan). When Nissan holds your security deposit, they have control over what is "normal" and what is not. This comes down to one thing--the first year Murano has some problems, some mechanical, some electrical, some in the materials. Hopefully they will correct it in the next generation vehicle.

gerapau

Shop4, I wish you would read my posts before commenting. And stop making assumptions about me (which have both been wrong so far). In my last post I stated that my last car was a leased Maxima and the Maxima had the exact same problem. In fact, I had many more scratches on the door pillar with the Max then with my Murano and when I returned the Max the scratches were never mentioned. And while it may not be normal for a car to have so many scratches caused by the seatbelt, it would in fact be considered normal wear and tear for the Murano (since most Muranos being returned from lease will have the same scratches). Of coarse, as you stated, when you return the car the dealer may try and get you to pay for the scratches claiming that they are not normal. If they do do this (which any honest dealer would not) then I would take them to small claims court and try and get your deposit back. I bet you will win easilly.

Once again shop4, I agree that the Murano has some problems (as all cars do). My previous posts were made in an attempt to get homeouner to stop worrying about what might go wrong. If you are having problems then by all means let us know about it. But continuously comming in here and stating that the flibergaster will probably fail at some time in the future because you feel that the gambelpister is poorly designed doesn't help anyone (unless you are some sort of automotive engineer and really know what you are talking about).

homeouner

Amen.

danvidarstle

I damaged the left side of my murano while trying to park it in the garage. Im really pissed and want to know how much this is gonna cost me. The headlights aren't damaged. Its basically from the driver side door, till a little past the second. Should i go to the dealer to get it repaired? Or should I go someplace else??Cost??

homeouner

Thanks for the report on the flexible exhaust system. Keep the rest of your comments to your self. This forum is for views on the product not personalities.

dadoftay

Double check with your dealer thenning. Our Murano came with a 5yr/75K warranty. Roadside was good for those 5 years. My dealer offered a 100K warranty and if I never used it, they would refund the puchase price. Neat deal, but I didn't take it for fear that those people wouldn't be in the dealership for 5 months much less 5 years.

easym1

I got a 2004 Murano SL AWD. It's now 6,000 clicks and so far the fuel consumption is still unacceptable. The posted mileage was around 10 km/liter CITY and 12 km/liter higway. I can't even get 8km/liter on a highway no matter how easy I drive the car. I tried all windows close, no A/C but fan only, drove front wheel at a 100km/hr speed. The Nissan dealer has checked all of my cars settings and see no problem. They advised me to use the highest octane but not much gain in mileage. Nissan people also advised me to wait untill I get to 18,000 km before I get the postage mileage. Is this true? I'm very concerned bacause my experience on my previous cars gave me a loss mileage of around 5% untill 3 to 5 ,000 km. My Murano is loosing at least 30% to say the least. Isn't it too high for a quality car like Nissan? Does anyone have any solution?

easym1

I believe that this is something that needs to be addressed by Nissan. I posted the same problem at #505. Although the majority seemed to be getting good mileage, we are the unlucky ones or we are probably measuring it accurately. The best way to measure the mileage is to re-set your ODO to zero everytime you fill-up. Divide the mileage ran to the amount of gas you put in. The difference will be your miles/gal or in Canada, km/liter.I do it all the time every fill-up and the result is at least a 30% loss. I tested my car several times in one of our less busy highway on a week-end at 100km/hr. I did not achieve even the posted rate for the CITY. By the way,I got a 2004 SL AWD.

rjardine

You may be reading the display incorrectly for fuel consumption. Vehicles sold in Canada display either miles/gallon (and that is, believe it or not, the US gallon!) or litres/100km - not km/ltr. To convert litres/100 km to miles / imperial gallon, divide the L/100km figure into 282.48 - this formula I got from the Resources Canada Fuel Consumption guide.
I have a 2003 SL with 16000km on the clock. The other day I drove a 200km round trip. The first 100km was straight down the Hwy at 110kph, the return trip was via the scenic, slower route. I reset the mpg calculator at the start of the trip and at the end it measured 9.4L/100km = 30mpg!!

easym1

Thank you for your response. My calculation was based on my paper records. I used the same measurements on all my previous cars and no problem. This is more accurate than relying solely on the computer. At least this way, I know exactly how much gas went in and how far I get.

Regarding the reading on my display, it shows around 14.5 to 16.5 the most average per gallon. This is way below the posted rate in U.S.

I recommend that we all try the paper way. It's the best way of measuring mileage long before the computers and it's still the most reliable method.

I would like to congratulate you my friend if you are getting 30 MPG. I can honestly say that you are fortunate. By the way, I took the time today reading previous mileage problems from the others. There's a good number of people that shared similar problem. I do appreciate your response and hopefully hear from others.

easym1

By the way my friend, I can't help it but check your 30MPG claim. The EPA report on 2004 SL AWD is 20/24MPG city/highway and on 2004 SL FWD is 20/26MPG city/highway. I can guarantee you that it's impossible to exceed those numbers. The test was taken in a perfect world. Please try the paper version of calculating your mileage and I would appreciate if you can update me on the result.

rjardine

Agreed those are the EPA figures for the US gallon.
But for the Canadian (Imperial) gallon the figures are (city/hwy) 24/33 for the FWD & 23/32 for the AWD.

easym1

Thanks for the clarification. You mentioned that you previously got 100km/9.4L= 10.63km/L...That's excellent! I will be happy to get that mileage..My best was around 7.8km/L at HY 407 with a speed of only 100km/hr..no traffic, windows close, a/c off, no passenger, and on FWD.. Nowhere close to the posted 10km/L CITY and we are talking about highway driving.. Are you using regular gas 87AKI or higher? I've been using 91AKI from shell for the last 3 fill-ups and unfortunately, no noticeable increase in mileage. Recently, my ave was around 6.9km/L both city and higway.

gerapau

Last Christmas I drove from Ottawa to the Gaspe to visit family. On the way there the roads were in very good shape and I averaged about 120 kph. My gas milage was about 11.5l/100km (or about 24.5 mpg (imperial gallon)). On the trip back the roads were very slippery and I averaged about 80kph. With the slower speed my gas milage improved alot to just below 8.3l/100km (or about 34 mpg). So it is possible to get better than what the epa got. All figures here were calculated manually. I actually drove the whole return trip (a bit less than 1000km) on one tank and did not have to refill until I got back to Ottawa.

easym1

Thanks for the info. You basically did 8.68 and 12.03L/km..That's excellent! What was your mileage when you did that? Are you over 18,000 clicks already? The reason I asked is because the Nissan dealership advised me to break-in the car for 18,000 km and I should use the highest octane to be able to achieve the posted rate. By the way, what type of MO do you have and what gas AKI do you use? Where you at FWD or AWD at that time?

gerapau

I would have had roughly 20,000 to 25,000 kms on the Murano at that time. Also, I probably used premium gas at that time but can't be sure (my wife fills up more often then I do so I can't be sure what she used). It has only been the last few months were I have been alternating between premium and regular gas. I did travel back to the same place this summer and believe that I got about 10l/100km (about 28mpg) going and comming while averaging about 120kph. I didn't actually calculate it by hand though and relied on the onboard computer. I'm not too sure how accurate it is but it sounds just about right.

As far as FWD or AWD is concerned, I have an AWD Murano (as all Canadian Muranos are AWD). That said, you do realize that you will be in FWD all the time while driving at highway speeds with the Murano? AWD will only kick in if your wheels start to slip (and at highway speeds this is a very bad thing!) I realize that you can use the AWD switch to lock in the AWD but that only works up to a certain speed (I believe that it is about 30kph) and I have heard that you should never leave that switch on for extended periods of time while driving at high speeds (not sure if this is true or not).

easym1

Thanks Gerapau. Can you verify if our Canadian onboard computer shows Imperial or U.S. Gal.?..By the way..The SL is available on FWD and AWD...AWD is cheaper by around $2,000 Canadian...I got a 2004 SL AWD..i've seen quite a good number of FWD though..I have not used the AWD yet because I got my car late April and have not seen the snow yet..I would assume that the posted EPA mileage was based on the test when the AWD was on..and if I so, I hope that to get better mileage using FWD.