2003 Nissan Murano Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Murano years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 800 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Nissan Murano. That ranks 3rd out of 24 Murano model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (265 complaints, 33%), typically at around 86,250 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 5 fires, 9 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.

- 800owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Nissan Murano problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 265 | 33% | 86,250 | “stop traffic” (20%) | $6,600 |
| Electrical System problems | 187 | 23% | 34,565 | “alternator failed” (14%) | — |
| Seats problems | 111 | 14% | 70,678 | “driver seat” (41%) | $1,550 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 98 | 12% | 71,011 | “position sensor” (17%) | $1,500 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 58 | 7% | 98,000 | “stop traffic” (17%) | — |
| Engine | 45 | 6% | 107,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 42 | 5% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 30 | 4% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 24 | 3% | 75,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 3% | 77,260 | — | — |
| Steering | 17 | 2% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 16 | 2% | 37,061 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 2% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 1% | 24,100 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 7 | 1% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 1% | 2,375 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 1% | 12,525 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 1% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 1% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 1% | 89,437 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 0% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 0% | 10 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 7,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Nissan Murano recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: 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.
Risk: Engine may stall increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace/repair the appropriate components free of charge. The recall began on september 24, 2009. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the webbing is completely separated, it can increase the risk of injury to an occupant in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install protectors over the webbing of the rear seat belts. The recall began on march 20, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: 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.
Risk: A punctured tank could increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install protectors in front of the tank free of charge. The recall began on march 20, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, there is a possibility that a wire breaking inside the alternator could stop the battery from charging.
Risk: If this happens, the charger warning and brake warning lamps will immediately come on and the battery will begin to discharge. After a short time, the engine will go into a "fall safe" condition which will limit vehicle speed. The engine will stop running which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the alternator with a new version which has been modified to prevent movement of the coil. The recall began on august 1, 2005. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: 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.
Risk: This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the gear displayed is different from the gear engaged, this could result in unexpected vehicle movement and a crash.
Fix: Dealers will check the affected nut in the transmission shift lever linkage, and tighten it if necessary. Owner notification began april 15, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Driver seat anchor failure (PE08065) — opened Nov 18, 2008, closed Jul 2, 2009.
- Fuel tank punctures from road debris (PE05050) — opened Sep 13, 2005, closed Jan 31, 2006, led to recall 06V003000.
- Alternator failure / engine stalling (EA05006) — opened Mar 25, 2005, closed Aug 17, 2005, led to recall 05V319000.
- Alternator failure/ engine stalling (PE04077) — opened Nov 19, 2004, closed Mar 25, 2005.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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 side of the roadway…
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 mechanic quoted me $2,600 to…
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 pull off to the side…
Other Nissan Murano years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Murano | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 Murano | 22 | 2 |
| 2024 Murano | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 Murano | 8 | 0 |
| 2022 Murano | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 Murano | 17 | 0 |
| 2020 Murano | 44 | 2 |
| 2019 Murano | 43 | 1 |
| 2018 Murano | 113 | 2 |
| 2017 Murano | 107 | 3 |
| 2016 Murano | 107 | 5 |
| 2015 Murano | 204 | 5 |
| 2014 Murano | 145 | 1 |
| 2013 Murano | 74 | 1 |
| 2012 Murano | 135 | 1 |
| 2011 Murano | 148 | 0 |
| 2010 Murano | 193 | 0 |
| 2009 Murano | 635 | 4 |
| 2008 Murano | 5 | 1 |
| 2007 Murano | 676 | 2 |
| 2006 Murano | 803 | 4 |
| 2005 Murano | 987 | 6 |
| 2004 Murano | 678 | 4 |
| 2003 | 800 | 6 |
See all Nissan Murano problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Nissan Murano?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, seats problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 265 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Nissan Murano?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Nissan Murano a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Murano model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.