Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Nissan Murano, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train265
- Electrical system187
- Seats111
- Engine and engine cooling98
- Vehicle speed control58
- Engine45
- Visibility42
- Fuel system, gasoline30
- Latches/locks/linkages24
- Structure21
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 9 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 14 2003 Murano vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 12 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2003 Nissan Murano failed the safety check 2.91% of the time — 38% more often than the average 2003 passenger car (2.11%). Median odometer at inspection: 133,236 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 12.1 L/100 km (about 19 mpg US), CO₂ 278 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murano AWD · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 13.4 | 10.5 | 12.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
7 Transport Canada recalls for the 2003 Nissan Murano.
| 2009153 28 May 2009 | Engine On certain vehicles, the intake air ducts, which are connected to the intermediate resonator in the air intake system of the engine, may separate from the reson… |
| 2006279 30 Oct 2006 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles may have received an incorrect replacement Body Control Module (BCM). Specifically, if, during service, the BCM was replaced with P/N 284B1-CA… |
| 2006039 13 Feb 2006 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the webbing of a rear outboard seat belt may contact the rear seat back hinge where it can be cut by the sharp edge of the metal portion of… |
| 2006004 6 Jan 2006 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the fuel tank may be punctured by road debris that has been picked up and thrown by the front tires. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ig… |
| 2005208 13 Jul 2005 | Electrical On certain vehicles equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), an open circuit in the alternator can occur due to wire fatigue caused by movement… |
| 2003267 5 Nov 2003 | Engine On certain vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor may have an improper solder joint. This could cause the Service Engine Soon warning light … |
| 2003080 25 Mar 2003 | Powertrain On certain vehicles, the nut that attaches the transmission gear selector shaft to the control valve lever in the transmission may not have been adequately tigh… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
NISSAN IS RECALLING 362,891 MY 2003-2007 MURANO VEHICLES. THE INTAKE AIR DUCTS, WHICH ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERMEDIATE RESONATOR IN THE AIR INTAKE SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE, MAY SEPARATE FROM THE RESONATOR WITH ENGINE MOVEMENT. THIS SEPARATION OCCURS DUE TO THE PREMATURE AGING OF THE MATERIAL USED IN THE INTAKE AIR DUCTS WHICH CAUSES EXCESSIVE SHRINKING.
ON SOME SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IN CERTAIN HIGH SPEED FRONTAL CRASHES, THE WEBBING OF A REAR OUTBOARD SEAT BELT MAY CONTACT THE REAR SEAT BACK HINGE WHERE IT CAN BE CUT BY THE SHARP EDGE OF THE METAL PORTION OF THE HINGE.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE FUEL TANK, IN THE EVENT THAT A VEHICLE FRONT TIRE RUNS OVER A SMALL, SHARP OBJECT IN THE ROAD, CATCHES IT AND PROPELS IT TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, IT MAY STRIKE AND PUNCTURE THE FUEL TANK.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A WIRE BREAKING INSIDE THE ALTERNATOR COULD STOP THE BATTERY FROM CHARGING.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR OR CAM POSITION SENSOR MAY HAVE AN IMPROPER SOLDER JOINT DUE TO SOLDER DEFORMATION CAUSED BY HEAT STRESS ACCELERATED BY THE EXISTENCE OF FLUX RESIDUE DURING THE SOLDERING PROCESS.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE NUT THAT ATTACHES THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SELECTOR SHAFT TO THE CONTROL VALVE LEVER IN THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE TRANSMISSION NOT ACTUALLY BEING IN THE GEAR INDICATED BY THE GEAR SELECTOR LEVER. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION POSITION DISPLAY IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MAY NOT BE ON OR MAY BE INCORRECT.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Nissan told its dealers about the 2003 Nissan Murano: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11004962 | VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001201 | WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001194 | REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001191 | WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10243708 | DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10239062 | SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or severe personal injury, do not directly spray Silicone-based lubricant or grease, or inadvertently overspray Silicone-based lubricant or grease onto any interior electrical components. These types of lubricants can be detrimental to the proper operation of electrical components. |
| 10239060 | 12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V battery testing. These recommendations are expected to promote uniformity during the connection process, therefore reducing the number of incorrect Test with DCA and Replace results. HINT: If 12 volt batteries are allowed to discharge for a prolonged period of time, battery life may be drastically reduced. This condition may lead to premature battery replacement and customer dissatisfaction. |
| 10235710 | INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10235707 | VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232658 | REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232657 | WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232656 | WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232652 | DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10227254 | ABNORMAL NOISE, VIBRATION AND/OR BINDING FEELING FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10218741 | NISSAN AWD MODELS; ABNORMAL NOISE, VIBRATION AND/OR JUDDER FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10211988 | NISSAN AWD MODELS; ABNORMAL NOISE, VIBRATION AND/OR JUDDER FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10206391 | STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10192801 | SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement "Certification Label" or "VIN Plate / Label" may be needed. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192678 | IF YOU CONFIRM There is a vibration or judder feeling from the rear of the vehicle; when making, turns, on dry roads, or at low speeds (under 40 MPH), and the vibration does not occur if the Electric Controlled Coupling is electrically disconnected. ACTION Replace the Electric Controlled Coupling for the rear final drive. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192677 | SERVICE INFORMATION Windshield "foreign material" that is on the surface of the glass in some cases can be cleaned off with a very particular type and grade of steel wool. * Most any foreign material on the surface of the Windshield can be cleaned off by using #0000 super fine steel wool. >The #0000 grade super fine steel wool can be found in most hardware stores. Please see this bulletin for further details. |
| 10192570 | SERVICE INFORMATION The Body Control Module (BCM) for the Applied Vehicles in this bulletin is now shipped as a blank unit. As with previous BCM replacements, when a blank unit is installed, the configuration process must be performed. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192513 | SERVICE INFORMATION Changes or modifications to the front seat assembly trim materials may affect the proper operation of the Front Seat-Mounted Side-Impact Supplemental Air Bags and Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor and could result in serious personal injury or death. Nissan STRONGLY RECOMMENDS AGAINST making any change to seat trim materials from the factory equipped condition. This specifically applies to replacing the seat trim with non-factory materials; adding leather/cloth seat covers, seat pads, or seat storage pouches, etc. around or over the seat back and the passenger se |
| 10192305 | SERVICE INFORMATION Information necessary to service the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) safely is included in the "RESTRAINTS" section of the Electronic Service Manual (ESM) for each vehicle. IMPORTANT: Turn the ignition switch OFF, disconnect both battery terminals, and wait at least 3 minutes before performing any service on the SRS. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192234 | Two methods are used to update/upgrade Navigation Map Data: 1. The customer goes to www.nissannavigation.com and is mailed update disc(s) or SD Card and installs data, OR 2. The dealership is mailed update disc(s) and the customer must visit the dealership to have data installed. Use the matrix in this bulletin to determine which method is utilized for each Applied Vehicle. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192233 | Nissan Original Equipment or Genuine Accessory Alloy wheels, along with their finish coating (clear, chrome, titanium, etc.), are specifically developed to achieve Nissan design and performance standards. These Original Equipment or Genuine Accessory wheels are subjected to testing to ensure they meet Nissan's standards. Nissan Original Equipment Alloy or Genuine Accessory wheels subjected to aftermarket chroming may no longer continue to meet these standards and may be seriously damaged. Therefore, Nissan most strongly discourages, and recommends that these wheels NEVER be subjected to, |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
DRIVER SEAT ANCHOR FAILURE
FUEL TANK PUNCTURES FROM ROAD DEBRIS
ALTERNATOR FAILURE / ENGINE STALLING
ALTERNATOR FAILURE/ ENGINE STALLING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation