Nissan Murano 2003–2007
1st generation (Z50) · Nissan FF-L / Z50
NHTSA data through 13 August 20264,884 complaints, 4,061 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 4,061
- Median of reported failures
- 71,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Seats (26.3%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 46,600 and 103,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Nissan Murano 2003–2007 · 4,061 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 242 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 49 complaints (1.2%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 23,500
- 25%
- 46,600
- Median
- 71,000
- 75%
- 103,000
- 90%
- 141,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 149 | 3.7% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 73 | 1.8% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 84 | 2.1% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 55 | 1.4% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 62 | 1.5% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 62 | 1.5% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 113 | 2.8% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 146 | 3.6% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 191 | 4.7% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 166 | 4.1% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 219 | 5.4% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 157 | 3.9% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 242 | 6.0% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 219 | 5.4% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 187 | 4.6% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 177 | 4.4% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 205 | 5.0% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 144 | 3.5% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 144 | 3.5% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 125 | 3.1% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 147 | 3.6% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 99 | 2.4% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 102 | 2.5% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 65 | 1.6% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 120 | 3.0% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 41 | 1.0% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 72 | 1.8% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 63 | 1.6% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 54 | 1.3% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 53 | 1.3% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 62 | 1.5% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 33 | 0.8% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 37 | 0.9% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 38 | 0.9% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 28 | 0.7% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 29 | 0.7% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 16 | 0.4% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 11 | 0.3% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 6 | 0.1% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 16 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 49 | 1.2% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 4,884 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003–2007 Nissan Murano, and 4,061 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 46,600 and 103,000 miles. The median is 71,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are seats (26.3% of complaints, typically around 69,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (12.0% of complaints, typically around 85,000 miles), the electrical system (10.8% of complaints, typically around 45,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2003–2007 Nissan Murano last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2003–2007 Nissan Murano were filed by 71,000 miles and 90% by 141,000 miles — figures drawn from 4,061 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
49 reports (1.2%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Murano reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2003–2007 Murano: the 3-minute check
Generated from 4,061 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 documented problem area. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check transmission — xtronic CVT on 2003–2007 cars. Early-generation JATCO CVT failures: judder, delayed or absent engagement, loss of drive. Nissan extended the CVT warranty to 10 years / 120,000 miles on 2003-2010 CVT-equipped vehicles following a class action, which…
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 47,000 and 103,000 miles, with a median of 71,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, seats and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Seats in particular shows a median failure mileage of 69,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Nissan Murano 2003–2007
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Electrical system528 reports45,00020,000–100,000Electrical system: 528 reports, median 45,000 miles, middle half 20,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Visibility equipment488 reports55,00041,000–73,000Visibility equipment: 488 reports, median 55,000 miles, middle half 41,000 to 73,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system182 reports65,00039,000–86,000Engine and its cooling system: 182 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 39,000 to 86,000 miles.
- Latches and locks205 reports67,00050,000–80,000Latches and locks: 205 reports, median 67,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 80,000 miles.
- Seats1,285 reports69,00051,000–94,000Seats: 1,285 reports, median 69,000 miles, middle half 51,000 to 94,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline585 reports85,00065,000–110,000Transmission and driveline: 585 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 65,000 to 110,000 miles.
- Engine203 reports117,00087,000–153,000Engine: 203 reports, median 117,000 miles, middle half 87,000 to 153,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 1,285 | 26.3% | 69,000 | 51,000–94,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 585 | 12.0% | 85,000 | 65,000–110,000 |
| Electrical system | 528 | 10.8% | 45,000 | 20,000–100,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 488 | 10.0% | 55,000 | 41,000–73,000 |
| Latches and locks | 205 | 4.2% | 67,000 | 50,000–80,000 |
| Engine | 203 | 4.2% | 117,000 | 87,000–153,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 182 | 3.7% | 65,000 | 39,000–86,000 |
| Body structure | 178 | 3.6% | 96,000 | 60,000–138,000 |
| Suspension | 171 | 3.5% | 124,000 | 84,000–152,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 148 | 3.0% | 105,000 | 52,000–135,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Nissan Murano 2003–2007 · 4,061 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 36% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 65% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 82% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 1.2% of reports (49) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
36% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Seats — middle half 51,000–94,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 20,000–100,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — middle half 41,000–73,000 mi
- Latches and locks — middle half 50,000–80,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 39,000–86,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 65,000–110,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 87,000–153,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
65% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Visibility equipment — median 55,000 mi
- Latches and locks — median 67,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 65,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Seats — middle half 51,000–94,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 65,000–110,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 20,000–100,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 87,000–153,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
82% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Seats — median 69,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 85,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 45,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — median 55,000 mi
- Latches and locks — median 67,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 65,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine — middle half 87,000–153,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 71,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Seats account for 26.3% of complaints (1,285 reports, 1,157 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 69,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,000 and 94,000 miles.
A single system taking 26.3% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 12.0% of complaints (585 reports, 519 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 65,000 and 110,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.8% of complaints (528 reports, 429 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 45,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 20,000 and 100,000 miles.
Visibility equipment accounts for 10.0% of complaints (488 reports, 409 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 55,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 41,000 and 73,000 miles.
Latches and locks account for 4.2% of complaints (205 reports, 162 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 67,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 80,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 4.2% of complaints (203 reports, 171 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 117,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 87,000 and 153,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2005 model year drew the most — 1,169 complaints — while 2004 drew the fewest at 850. The median year sits at 916.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 4,884 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 83 (1.7%)
- Fires
- 24
- Injury reports
- 77
- Fatality reports
- 1
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Transmission — Xtronic CVT 2003–2007
Early-generation JATCO CVT failures: judder, delayed or absent engagement, loss of drive. Nissan extended the CVT warranty to 10 years / 120,000 miles on 2003-2010 CVT-equipped vehicles following a class action, which is the clearest public acknowledgment of the defect scope.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1,050 | 892 |
| 2004 | 850 | 705 |
| 2005 | 1,169 | 992 |
| 2006 | 916 | 766 |
| 2007 | 899 | 706 |
What owners reported
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 about 5 mins. That problems has been going…
2003 · 3 miles · Engine
Nissan Murano has dangerous design defects compounded by unresolved electronics problems. Design flaws: 1) ineffective defroster system , 2) long-armed wipers clog easily, 3) all doors must be unlocked to get gas (inviting carjackers). The defroster-wiper problem was made worse by electronics. While i was clearing…
2003 · 25 miles · Body structure
Built from 4,061 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page