2003 Nissan Murano Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 265 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2003 Nissan Murano, 33% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 86,250 miles. The words owners use most often: “stop traffic” (20% of reports).
- 265power train complaints
- 86,250median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $6,600typical repair cost reported by owners
- 26%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Stop traffic: mentioned in 52 of 265 complaints (20%)
- Transfer case: mentioned in 41 of 265 complaints (15%)
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 28 of 265 complaints (11%)
- Few seconds: mentioned in 22 of 265 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2003 Nissan Murano at $6,600, and half of them between $3,350 and $7,750.
Based on 59 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2013), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 240 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 265 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 2 a fire.
Nissan Murano power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Murano | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2025 Murano | 5 | 23% | — |
| 2024 Murano | 1 | 20% | 4,457 |
| 2020 Murano | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2018 Murano | 5 | 4% | 51,812 |
| 2017 Murano | 14 | 13% | 9,400 |
| 2016 Murano | 15 | 14% | 53,500 |
| 2015 Murano | 53 | 26% | 39,100 |
| 2014 Murano | 31 | 21% | 95,500 |
| 2013 Murano | 13 | 18% | 87,861 |
| 2012 Murano | 30 | 22% | 75,000 |
| 2011 Murano | 37 | 25% | 90,000 |
| 2010 Murano | 40 | 21% | 88,000 |
| 2009 Murano | 69 | 11% | 83,500 |
| 2008 Murano | 3 | 60% | 65,000 |
| 2007 Murano | 63 | 9% | 84,493 |
| 2006 Murano | 43 | 5% | 93,000 |
| 2005 Murano | 56 | 6% | 80,000 |
| 2004 Murano | 143 | 21% | 85,795 |
| 2003 Murano | 265 | 33% | 86,250 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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 about 5 mins. That…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Nissan Muranos have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 265 owner complaints about power train for the 2003 Nissan Murano (33% of the 800 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Nissan Murano power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 86,250 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2003 Nissan Murano?
Owners report a typical cost of $6,600 (half paid between $3,350 and $7,750), from 59 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2003 Nissan Murano?
The most frequent phrase is “stop traffic”, in 52 of 265 complaints, followed by “transfer case” (41).
Other 2003 Nissan Murano problems
See all 2003 Nissan Murano problems or power train problems across all Murano years.