2003 NISSAN MURANO Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2003 Nissan Murano. This model year has 799 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Transmission / Drivetrain.
Before you buy — check the actual VIN
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2003 Nissan Murano Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Transmission / Drivetrain
Electrical Faults
Engine Problems
Considering a 2003 Nissan Murano?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Nissan Murano. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 265 | 6 | 2 | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 187 | — | 1 | — | |
| Engine Problems | 143 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 111 | — | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 58 | 3 | — | — | |
| Visibility | 42 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 37 | — | 1 | — | |
| Gasoline | 30 | — | 1 | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 24 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 21 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment | 20 | — | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 17 | — | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 17 | 1 | — | — | |
| Brake System | 15 | 1 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 13 | 1 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 11 | 1 | — | — | |
| Other | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 5 | — | 1 | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 4 | 3 | — | — | |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Air | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2003 Nissan Murano. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 400 most recent complaints of 799 total. View all on NHTSA ↗
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Murano. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was shifted into PARK and restarted however, after driving for several miles, the failure recurred. The contact pulled over to si…
Rusting excessively
ABS STAYS ON THEN THE (BRAKE WARNING LAMPS WILL IMMEDIATELY COME AFTER A SHORT TIME, THE ENGINE WILL GO INTO A "FALL SAFE" CONDITION WHICH WILL LIMIT VEHICLE SPEED. THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING AND TURN OFF ON ME. ALSO MY SUBFRAME IS ROTTEN AND IS NOW DISCONNECTED THE MECHAN…
REAR SUBFRAME COMPLETELY RUSTED CANT BELIEVE NISSAN USED SUCH CHEAP STEEL
While driving down the highway with my infant child the vehicle lost power I could not accelerate went from 75mph to a struggling 5mph. No matter how far I pressed the gas pedal there was no acceleration no revving of engine just complete nothing just pure panic. I was able to pu…
WHILE DRIVING I LOST ALL POWER FOR THE MOTOR AND HAD TO HAVE TO BATTERY REPLACED CUZ LOST ALL POWER
WHILE DRIVING THE MURANO IT SLOWED DOWN AND WOULDN'T GO ABOVE 20MPH. AFTER ABOUT A MILE IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING & WOULDN'T CRANK BACK UP. ALL THE FLUIDS WERE AT THE RIGHT LEVELS. TOOK IT TO A JOHNNY'S MECHANIC SHOP & THEY SAID IT WAS THE ENGINE.
THE CAR KEEPS ON SHUTTING OFF ON ME THE MOTOR AND WAS CAUSED A BIG ACCIDENT
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 WO…
DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA I'VE EXPERIENCED HESITATION (ESPECIALLY IN TRAFFIC) WHEN EITHER MOVING SLOWLY ALONG OR TRAFFIC PICKS UP OR TURNING AND I HAVE TO MASH HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR, SOMETIMES 2-4 TIMES!!! THIS IS FRIGHTENING !! WHAT IS THE PR…
THE CAR IS STALLING WHEN I STOP WHINING REAL BAD
DRIVER SEAT REAR METAL SUPPORT FRAME BROKEN. I NOTICED WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN THAT THE SEAT WAS SHIFTING. UPON INSPECTION I NOTICE THAT THE DRIVER SEAT LEFT REAR SEAT SUPPORT FRAME BROKEN.
THE CAR SLOWED ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE FREEWAY . ALMOST CAUSING ME TO CRASH . IT DID IT SUDDENLY I WAS UNABLE TO PULL OVER .I WAS GOING ABOUT 65 MPH WHILE THE A/C WAS BLOWING IT COMPLETELY MALFUNCTIONED
DRIVER SIDE SEAT GOES SIDEWAYS/I HAVE I HAVE REPLACED THE OUTPUT SHAFT SEAL 4 TIMES IN 3 MONTHS [KEEPS LEAKING]
MY 2003 MURANO SE/SL AAWHEN I FIRST START THE ENGINE IT MAKES A SOUND LIKE IT HAS NO OIL OR ENGINE IS CHOKING BUT ITS STARTS BUT IF ENGINE IS IDLING FOR 5 MINS OR SO ITS SHUT OFF BUT I CAN START IT AGAIN BUT AFTER WHEN IM DRIVING ENGINE JUST DIES OFF AMD WONT START AGAIN FOR ABOU…
IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING TO WORK, VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. NEW BATTERY AND CAM SENSOR REPLACED VERY RECENTLY. NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON, NOTHING...IT JUST SHUT OFF. AFTER 2 TRIES IT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. VERY SCARY!!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED IN REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO PARK TO AVOID A POTENTIAL CRASH, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE AIR BAGS DID NO…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, IT DID NOT MOVE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT…
WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET CAR LOST CHARGE WOULD DRIVE VERY SLOWLY ABOUT 1 MILE PER HOUR. BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. HAVE ALREADY REPLACED BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR ABOUT A YEAR AGO BUT WHEN SAME THING HAPPENED TODAY. PER THE VIN MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. I'LL HAVE TO…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT 10 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO …
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2003 Nissan Murano.
Recalls for 2003 Nissan Murano
6 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2003 Nissan Murano. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2003 Nissan Murano — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2003 Nissan Murano reliable?▾
Notable Issues. The 2003 Nissan Murano has 799 NHTSA owner complaints, 14 crash-related, and 6 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Transmission / Drivetrain (265 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Nissan Murano?▾
#1: Transmission / Drivetrain (265 complaints). #2: Electrical Faults (187 complaints). #3: Engine Problems (143 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2003 Nissan Murano?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2003 Nissan Murano?▾
The 2003 Nissan Murano has 14 crash-related complaints and 5 fire reports out of 799 total NHTSA complaints. 9 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2003 Nissan Murano have any recalls?▾
Yes — 6 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2003 Nissan Murano. The largest issue: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2003 Nissan Murano?▾
The 2003 Nissan Murano has notable issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Transmission / Drivetrain issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Nissan Murano reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2003 Nissan Murano
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.