2003 Nissan Murano Suspension Problems

REAR SUBFRAME COMPLETELY RUSTED CANT BELIEVE NISSAN USED SUCH CHEAP STEEL

WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF 2003 NISSAN MURANO; IT HAS ONLY 92K MILES, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND WELL MAINTAINED. THE REAR WHEELS JUST STARTED TILTING INWARD AT THE TOP; A MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE REAR SUBFRAME AND SUSPENSION WAS ROTTING, AND ADVISED THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN UNTIL THE BACK END OF THE VEHICLE JUST COLLAPSES. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. NISSAN IS IGNORING IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT (THEY USED CRAPPY STEEL), THAT IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY HAZARD, AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED BY THEM. SEARCHING ONLINE REVEALS MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE, MANY JUST RECENTLY MADE, AND AS A CONSUMER IT IS VERY UNFAIR TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON A NEW VEHICLE AND KEEP IT NICE AND FULLY FUNCTIONAL, EXPECTING IT TO LAST FOR A FEW MORE YEARS TO COME, TO SURPRISINGLY HAVE THE SUBFRAME FAIL ESPECIALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN TWENTY YEARS OLD AND NOT EVEN AT 100,000 MILES.

DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH CHILDREN 65MPH COMING FROM AIRPORT, STARTING LOSING SPEED QUICKLY, BRAKE LIGHT AND CHARGING(BATTERY) LIGHT CAME LUCKILY MADE IT SIDE OF HIGHWAY DESPITE, HONKING HORNS AND SCREAMING KIDS, SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THIS IS ON TOP OF THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU WILL PRESS ON GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR DOESN'T GO AND THEN SUDDENLY LUNGES FORWARD, I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR- ENDED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DUE TO THIS. I HAVE PURCHASED NEW BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, ETC. I HAVE HAD THE THROTTLE SENSOR REPLACED. THIS CAR IS SO UNSAFE AND HAS BEEN A MONEY PIT. MANY MECHANICS INCLUDING NISSAN MECHANICS SAY THEY TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND DON'T SEE THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE SPEED OF 25 MPH THE CAR STARTED LOOSING CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL STARTED SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME. THIS WAS BECAUSE ENGINE CRADLE GOT RUSTED AN CRACKED. THE LOWER ARM SEPARATED. THE DEFECT IS DOCUMENTED BY THE DEALER. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES AS THAT COULD HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEED CHASING SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I AM THE FIST OWNER OF THE CAR. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW AND THE WAS GARAGED. *TR

THE REAR SUSPENSION MEMBER LINK WHICH HOLDS THE SUSPENSION TO THE CAR ROTTED OFF AND CAUSED THE SUSPENSION TO FAIL. THE REMAINING METAL IS SEVERELY ROOTED OR PERFORATED. THERE ARE SEVERAL 2003 MURANOS ON THE ROAD. MINE IS ALWAYS GARAGED AND I HAVE KEPT IT WELL MAINTAINED SINCE NEW. NISSANUSA WAS CALLED AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO FIX OR PAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I SURELY WOULD THINK THIS CAR COULD GO FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS BEFORE ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE ENTIRE CAR HAS NO RUST ANYWHERE ON IT, SO WHY DID THE REAR SUSPENSION FAIL? I AM WONDERING IF IN THE EARLY 2000'S IF THIS METAL THAT WAS USED WAS SOME OF THE BATCH THAT MADE THEM RECALL AND REPLACE A LARGE NUMBER OF PICKUP TRUCKS TOO. I AM WONDERING HOW MANY OTHER MURANO'S HAVE THIS PROBLEM OR WILL. THIS IS SURELY A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ANYONE WHO IS DRIVING A VEHICLE LIKE THIS.. PLEASE HELP. *TR

I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO MY MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND HE TOLD ME THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE REAR SUB FRAME WAS ROTTED OUT ON BOTH SIDES OF MY CAR. I WAS TOLD IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THEREFOR I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHENEVER GOING OVER A BUMP. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THERE WAS AN UNSTABLE VIBRATION WHEN TRAVELING OVER 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BOLT WAS BROKEN ON THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE A-ARM AND WAS FRACTURED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

THIS IS A POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE. THE SWAY BAR ON MY 2003 MURANO WAS REPLACED BECAUSE THE RUBBER BUSHING THAT WERE THERE TO RETAIN AND KEEP IT FROM MOVING LATERALLY BROKE. THE NEW SWAY BAR HAD STEEL BUSHINGS THAT WERE WELDED IN PLACE SO THEY COULD NOT MOVE. THERE ARE MANY REASONS THAT CARS HAVE SWAY BARS, BUT THE MAIN REASON IS THAT WHEN A DRIVER HAS TO MAKE AN EVASIVE TURN THE SWAY BAR PREVENTS THE CAR FROM ROLLING OVER. NOW WHEN THE SWAY BAR CAN MOVE LATERALLY IT IS NON FUNCTIONAL. AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE RUBBER BUSHING MOVED ON THE ORIGINAL SWAY BAR. THEY CHANGED THE DESIGN FOR A REASON AND REPLACED THE RUBBER BUSHINGS WITH STEEL. I FEEL THE ORIGINAL SWAY BAR IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I AM NOT SURE WHEN THEY CHANGED THE DESIGN, BUT THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF CARS OUT THERE WITH THIS FAULTY DESIGN. I THINK THE OLD DESIGN COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER IN AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. *TR

PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT, KEPT WELL MAINTAINED, DROVE 90% HIGHWAY MILES MOSTLY COMMUTING TO CARE FOR ELDERLY PERSON. FRONT STRUTS LEAKED AND FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AT APPROX 60,000 MILES, THEN HAD LOSS OF POWER, TRANSMISSION/DRIVESHAFT BEGAN "HOWLING NOISE" AND WE COULD SMELL FAINT OIL SMELL, TOOK TO DEALER WERE TOLD IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY WHICH THEY FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, THAT THEY COULD DETECT NO OIL SMELL OR SOURCE FOR SAME, AND THAT CVT HOWL WAS JUST THE NORMAL SOUNDS OF THAT TYPE OF TRANSMISSION. WE SPECIFICALLY ASKED WHETHER THERE ARE ANY KNOWN PROBLEMS OR FAILURES WITH DRIVETRAIN ASSEMBLE COMPONENTS, BECAUSE WE HEARD OF MANY OTHER STRUT FAILURES BY MURANO OWNERS AFTER OUR STRUTS FAILED PREMATURELY. WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF ANY TROUBLE, NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THE HOWL NEVER WENT AWAY, AND THE OIL SMELL CAME AND WENT. SEPT. 4, WE PULLED OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY DROVE ABOUT 50 YARDS DOWN THE STREET AND HEAR A HORRIBLE THUMPING NOISE, LIKE A FLAT DRIVE, WE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND CHECKED, NO FLAT TIRE. WE STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND DROVE A FEW FEET, SAME NOISE. WE PARKED THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER. WE ARE TOLD THE TRANSFER CASE "GRENADED" THAT WE MUST HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT HARD (WE WERE GOING ABOUT 10 MPH), THAT IT WOULD BE $4000 TO REPAIR! THE TECH ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN HEARING ANY UNUSUAL NOISES BEFORE THE FAILURE, WE TOLD HIM WE HAD, AND WE HAD REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THEY REFUSED TO HELP WITH THE REPAIR COSTS. I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND SPENT 6 HOURS READING THOUSANDS OF SIMILAR TRANSFER CASE FAILURE STORIES ON MURANOS WITH ALL LEVELS OF MILEAGE ON THEM, MANY HAD BEEN TOLD, LIKE WE WERE, THAT WARNING SIGNS WERE NOTHING WHEN THEIR VEHICLES WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER ALSO TRIED TO CHARGE US $2800.00 FOR THE PART, WHICH WE FOUND FOR $1518.00 FROM ANOTHER NISSAN DEALER. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, HAS CAUSED VEHICLES TO STOP IN TRAFFIC AND SHOULD BE A RECALL DEFECT. THANK YOU *TR

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2007, I TOOK MY CAR TO KERAS NISSAN LOCATED AT 2080 COVINGTON PIKE IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, BECAUSE THE SHOCK ABSORBERS WERE FAILING IN THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK AND AGAIN THE CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. I DECIDED TO TAKE MY TRUCK TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I NO LONGER TRUSTED THE WORKMANSHIP OF DOBBS NISSAN, WHERE I MADE THE INITIAL PURCHASE. I DEALT WITH TRAVIS, A SERVICE ADVISOR THAT ADVISED ME THEY WOULD FIND THE PROBLEMS. AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE MOTOR WAS NON-REPAIRABLE. TRAVIS STATED THAT IT LOOKED AS IF I NEVER SERVICED THE ENGINE WITH OIL. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAVE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT I WOULD NEED TO GATHER ALL OF MY OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS TO PRESENT TO NISSAN WARRANTY TO PROVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAVE BEEN PERFORMED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. OIL CHANGES AND DATES OF RECEIPTS PROVIDED: DOBBS NISSAN: APRIL 29, 2006 SEPTEMBER 26, 2006 JUNE 13, 2007 DANNY?S CAR CARE: MARCH 9, 2007 MARCH 28, 2007 AUGUST 18, 2007 GOODYEAR: JUNE 23, 2006 JANUARY 3, 2007 FIRESTONE: NOVEMBER 02, 2006 RECEIPTS THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2007. HE CONTACTED ME AROUND 11:15 AM TO INFORM ME THAT THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS DENIED, DUE TO, ?LACK OF MAINTENANCE?. I ASKED TRAVIS TO EXPLAIN TO ME IN DETAIL THE REASON FOR THE DENIAL, AND HIS REPLY WAS SIMPLY, "LACK OF MAINTENANCE?. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE ON A WARRANTED ENGINE. *JB

CONSUMER STATED HIS 2003 NISSAN MURANO SHIFTS IN THE REAR END WHILE GOING OVER BUMPS. *NJ UPDATED 02/19/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/26/10.*JB

DT: 2003 NISSAN MURANO. THE CONSUMER WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT MADE A LOT OF NOISE AROUND THE WHEEL ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND RECEIVED CLAIM NUMBER 5077823. THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE CONSUMER. NISSAN HAD NOT RETURNED THE PHONE CALL. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAKING NOISE FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND FELT UNSAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *AK SCREECHING NOISES WERE HEARD WHEN MAKING TURNS. *SC UPDATED 11/2/2005. *NM

THUMPING SOUND FROM REAR SUSPENSION WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN SURFACES SUCH AS RAISED LETTERING/STRIPING IN THE ROAD. NOISE IS LOUD AND UNCOMFORTABLE. DEALERSHIP STATES THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *LA

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE VIBRATES VIOLENTLY AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH. THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN REAR WINDOWS ARE IN THE DOWN POSITION. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES, CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTED THE VIOLENT SHAKING. VIBRATION FELT CAN BE COMPARED TO RUMBLE STRIPS ON INTERSTATE.*AK

CONSISTENT GAS MILEAGE 25% BELOW FUEL ECONOMY NUMBERS ON MANUFACTURERS STICKER; ROCKING FRONT SEAT MOTION THAT CAUSES SEAT BELTS TO TIGHTEN AND FAIL TO PROPERLY RELEASE; THUNKING SOUNDS FROM SHOCK ABSORBER SUB-ASSEMBLY ON UNEVEN OR ROUGH ROAD SURFACES; MULTIPLE SQUEAKS AND RATTLES.

SUSPENSION ON TRUCK IS HORRIBLE. EVERYDAY THE TRUCK GETS WORSE. THE SUSPENSION IS VERY HARD AND STIFF, THE INTERIOR RATTLES AND MAKES NOW TONS OF NOISES,ONCE THE TRUCK HAS PASSENGERS IN IT THE VEHICLE IS ALL OVER THE ROAD VERY VERY BOUNCY. VEHICLE LOOSE CONTROL.*AK