2005 Nissan Murano Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 28, 2026 · 987 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Murano years
Far more complaints than other years 1st of 24 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 987 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Nissan Murano. That is the most of any Murano model year in the database (24 years). The most reported problem area is seats (456 complaints, 46%), typically at around 66,500 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 1 fire, 17 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.

Nissan Murano
2025 Nissan Murano (Front) NYC Auto Show. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Raszbeary, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2005 Nissan Murano problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Seats456 · ~66,500 mi
Visibility124 · ~59,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages118 · ~69,000 mi
Electrical System102 · ~78,000 mi
Power Train56 · ~80,000 mi
Air Bags52 · ~72,000 mi
Structure35 · ~69,000 mi
Unknown or Other30 · ~65,400 mi
Engine27 · ~133,000 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling24 · ~38,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Seats problems45646%66,500“driver seat” (45%)$1,500
Visibility problems12413%59,000“sun visor” (67%)$590
Latches/locks/linkages problems11812%69,000“door lock” (42%)$2,350
Electrical System problems10210%78,000“lock unlock” (17%)—
Power Train problems566%80,000“transfer case” (23%)$6,500
Air Bags problems525%72,000“air bag” (52%)—
Structure354%69,000——
Unknown or Other303%65,400——
Engine273%133,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling242%38,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline222%31,000——
Visibility/wiper192%87,000——
Suspension162%121,718——
Steering141%66,000——
Vehicle Speed Control121%118,500——
Fuel/propulsion System101%97,500——
Equipment81%45,000——
Service Brakes81%92,000——
Exterior Lighting51%65,000——
Seat Belts51%110,500——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic51%21,500——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)40%200,000——
Wheels40%150,000——
Tires30%77,425——
Child Seat20%45,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%10——
Fuel System, Other10%20,000——
Service Brakes, Air10%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2010, with 228 complaints
2005: 1420052006: 212007: 2320072008: 882009: 17520092010: 2282282011: 11520112012: 782013: 6020132014: 472015: 2720152016: 232017: 1820172018: 212019: 2220192020: 122021: 620212022: 42023: 320232025: 12026: 12026

n = 987 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2005 Nissan Murano recalls (6)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Engine and engine coolingMay 19, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V169000 · 362,891 vehicles

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.

Steering:column locking:anti-theft deviceOct 20, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V401000 · 67,014 vehicles

Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, "theft protection." during an inspection of some vehicles at the assembly plant, it was found that the steering wheel was locked with the ignition knob in the "off" position but the vehicle transmission not being in the "park" position.

Risk: If the key is turned to the "off" position without the transmission being in the "park" position, it is possible that the steering wheel can lock when turned to the right.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering wheel lock assembly free of charge. The recall began on december 18, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assemblyFeb 21, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V054000 · 14,268 vehicles

Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, a fitting for vapor recirculation, which is welded on the fuel tank, may come off the fuel tank because incorrect material was used.

Risk: This could result in the malfunction indicator light in the instrument panel coming on and may result in some fuel leakage. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank with a new one free of charge. The recall began on march 20, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Seat belts:rear/otherFeb 13, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V048000 · 203,000 vehicles

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 assemblyJan 10, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V003000 · 205,000 vehicles

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/regulatorJul 14, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V319000 · 125,466 vehicles

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.

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.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

No electrical works in this car. He may be driving and it just stalls. He pulls over for a couple of minutes and tries to go and it just keeps dying.

Electrical System · received Sep 28, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11767436

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that while closing the rear liftgate door, the front driver’s and passenger’s side air bags inadvertently deployed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it remained pending a…

Air Bags · received Mar 17, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11648657

Not sure when it started bc I just purchased this vehicle a month ago. While driving one evening the head lights went off and I had to turn them off and back on. Now a few weeks later and after I've changed the bulbs and made sure the fuse wasn't blown it is doing it ALOT. I'm not sure if it is a…

Exterior Lighting · received Dec 14, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11560205

Noticed severe negative camber on the rear wheels at ~225k miles. Marks Auto Svc, Rockford, IL confirmed the rear k-subframe had rusted all the way through from the inside-out. The frame had completely separated at two places on each side near the wheels - SEVERE SAFETEY HAZARD!!!!! 1. Website…

Suspension · received Oct 20, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11551112

Sub frame rusted so bad the sway bar detached from the sub frame nearly causing an accident and breaking the sway bar link in half.

Suspension · received May 26, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11523942

Other Nissan Murano years

← 2004 Murano · 2006 Murano →

See all Nissan Murano problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.

Similar Nissan models

Embed this 2005 Nissan Murano badge on your site

Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Nissan Murano?

Owners most often report seats, visibility, latches/locks/linkages problems. The top one, seats, accounts for 456 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2005 Nissan Murano?

Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2005 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 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.