I have a 2003 Nissan Murano SE. I was driving out of my house and while still in my neighborhood, the car came to a screeching halt (loud noise). I waited a couple of minutes and tried pressing the accelerator again and the car refused to move but made another very loud sound. I have 2 small children that were fortunately not in the vehicle with me. Also fortunate was that I had not turned into a high speed main road that was just coming up. I called aaa and had the car towed to the Nissan dealer, who diagnosed it as a transfer case problem and quoted $3300 for replacement of the part. Upon researching this issue, my husband and I discovered that this is a standard problem in the earlier Nissan Murano models - hundreds and hundreds of people have complained about this online and it happens at roughly the same mileage in the life of the vehicle. It is clearly a manufacturing defect and should have been a recall on Nissan's part as it is a major safety issue. We contacted Nissan customer service and after waiting 10 days, we were basically told they were not going to do anything about it given how old the vehicle was and that they don't acknowledge that this is a manufacturing defect, even after I explained the results of my research. I told them that even if they choose not to believe that others have had the same problem, a transfer case should not give way between 80-90,000 miles - it is simply not acceptable. I am extremely irritated at how Nissan handled this problem and am concerned about the safety of others who may end up in the same situation but not be fortunate enough to escape bodily harm. This should be a recall.

- Ithaca, NY, USA

My Nissan Murano was a brand new 2003 it is now 8 years old with 46015 miles. The Nissan service department in nh cared for my vehicle regularly; my first problem occurred when the engine started sending out black smoke, I fought for Nissan to take responsibility for what was happening to my vehicle, they did; it took six to eight weeks to get the oil smell flushed out of the air conditioner. I understand wear and tear but, major engine faults happening so soon; Nissan claims being the top vehicle manufactures. One of the many reasons I bought their brand. I did everything they said to keep my vehicle functioning; then it happened again; the rear powertrain reached its end, and oil leaking in the engine, the piston ball bearings is broken; and now the oil is leaking out. The average miles driven per year is 12000; my vehicle average 1500-miles yearly. I cannot nor will I battle over the 60 months/100,000 miles warranty contract; I am appealing to Nissan corporation saying, look and see in my case my vehicles" problems are unique; see the oddness of an engine with only 46015 miles having such major problems. See my maintenance records, it was not due to neglect, look at the first time I had a major problem with this engine very early in the first two years of owning it. The engine and components are faulty; I just got a bad make. A feedback card came in my mail it says, ?as a valued Nissan customer, your satisfaction throughout your ownership experience is our company?S highest priority?? so, then why hide behind the expired warranty? I was told, even if the NHTSA force a recall and Nissan found I am the cause, the Nissan board would willfully recall vehicles from 2004 up, to spite me or, single out the specific problems I now have repair them ignoring the vehicle"S young engine is completely faulty.

- Haverhill, MA, USA

The vehicles drive train failed and was towed to lia Nissan in enfield ct. Was told that the cvt transmission had failed and was covered under the 10 yr /120,000 mile extended warranty. They also said that the transfer case was damaged but is not covered by the warranty. The transfer case is part of the cvt and should be covered. I had to purchase the part for 2,100 to repair the vehicle. They may charge for the part to offset the cost of the cvt which costs around 5,000. Nissan has a major problem with their drive train and should be covered or recalled.

- West Suffield, CT, USA

I have a 2003 Nissan Murano at 65,000 miles the cvt transmission case cracked in half. The car was inoperable and left me stranded. After thousands of dollars in replacing the cvt transmission the transfer case has cracked again at 120,000 miles. I have contacted Nissan usa and they have persuaded me to pay for diagnostic work (although a large visible crack in the transfer case is quite obvious) and then proceeded to deny all reimbursements. This is a serious issue with hundreds on complaints online, an official Nissan tsb, yet no recall from Nissan or NHTSA.

- Woonsocket, RI, USA

Leaking transmission transfer case. This is a serious safety issue as the tc can fail at any time. At highway speeds this is a serious safety issue. Nissan na has given extended warranty on cvt transmission, but the tc is most likely to fail due to leaks and is not covered under the extended cvt warranty Nissan just came out with. Many many posts on internet based on this issue. Nna will not correct this design defect, even though it is part of the transmission. Nna will not honor the transmission extended warranty on the cvt transmission, as they say the tc is not part of the transmission. Replacement cost for tc is $3500-$4000 and if it's leaking it will fail. Serious safety issue if vehicle is moving, causing potentially bodily injury in a crash, or bodily injury while on side of highway. I contacted Nissan North America and they would not address this obvious engineering defect. Nissan should be made to be responsible for this defect. The tc part is not designed to survive the life of the vehicle and thousands of people have had this part fail. Please help.

- Whitehouse Statin, NJ, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Murano. The contact stated the rear differential of the vehicle failed and oil was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was told that the rear differential was worn. The dealer also stated that the oil leak caused the pistons to become dry, which were destroyed. The dealer advised the contact that the pistons and the differential needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 46,015.

- Haverhill, MA, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that the transmission and the alternator became inoperable simultaneously. The dealer repaired the transmission under NHTSA campaign id number: 03V123000 (power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication -prndl) but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle under NHTSA campaign id number: 05V319000 (electrical system: Alternator/generator/regulator). The vehicle was repaired for both failures. The failure mileage was 89,150 and the current mileage was 104,000.

- Brandon, FL, USA

The cvt transmission in my Murano went out. It seems a shame Nissan won't stand by a new technology that obviously doesn't work very well. It is going to cost me over $5,000 to fix.

- Appleoton, WI, USA

My Nissan Murano 2003 has had this problem 3 months after I bought it. I was on a hill in san francisco and came to a stop sign. All of the sudden the car would not move forward when I stepped on the accelerator; instead it started rolling backward. It was very scary. I turned off the car and restarted and the car responded fine. I thought it was just a fluke. Then 5 months later, I was in a stop and of traffic on I80 on my way to lake Tahoe. The car refuse to move when I stepped on the accelerator again. I started pressing harder and it lurched forward. It did that over and over again in the stop and go traffic. I finally pulled over and cut off the engine and started back up; the car responded fine thereafter. However, it kept repeating the same problem; each time I will resolve it by restarting the car. Luckily, it was under warranty so it was replaced at no cost to me. The car performed without further problem until 2006. The problem reared its ugly head. I took it back in and they said it was a bad battery. So we had that changed, but the problem came back. The mechanic reset the car computer and the problem went away. Again, it didn't really cost me much other than the battery. Then in 2009, the car again started doing the lurching thing in stop and go traffic. It's always in the same situation. I knew I was out of warranty by then and it would cost me an arm and a leg so I just dealt with it by restarting the car each time and pray the traffic will move faster soon. It's now 2011 and the problem remains. After reading all the complaints from past Nissan Murano owners, I really think Nissan owes us some money. It should've been a recall since most of us paid $35K+ for this car. My car now has 145K miles. I am in the market for a new car. I like the cvt. Maybe will try a Subaru instead.

- San Jose, CA, USA

In the first quarter of 2010 Nissan extended the warranty to cover the failed cvt transmission. The dealer replaced it at no cost to me (Nissan covered the parts and labor). On Friday December 2, 2011 while the service department in fairfax, Virginia was replacing the lower oil pan gasket, and lower oil cooler housing, they noticed the transfer case was starting to fail/crack. Informed me that within the next 6 to 12 months this would need to be replaced and this is an 18 hour job. Cost estimate is $2,350. They should have informed me of the known transfer case problem last year at a minimum to save the labor cost. At a maximum Nissan should recall this known problem and pay for the parts and labor.

- Herndon, VA, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 50 mph. The vehicle would not restart and was towed to an authorized dealer, where it was repaired under the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 03V455000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure began to recur a few months later. The vehicle was taken back to an authorized dealer and the transmission was repaired. The failure continued. The vehicle was since been back to the dealer on numerous occasions, but they were unable to remedy the failure. The transmission was replaced, but the failure continued. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Cromwell, CT, USA

2003 Murano purchased new and well maintained. We didn't have any problems until one afternoon on our way for vacation the car went from 60 mph to 30 mph the RPM were in the redline. Turned motor off and waited a few minutes then started off again with no problem. Months went by and everything was fine. The next occurrence happened on my way home from a meeting and it was the same thing. I took the vehicle to a nissian dealership and had it looked at, they found nothing. About 6 months later the car did the same thing and I took it back to same dealer. They said they are not sure but thought it was the transmission. I have noticed a trend with 03 Muranos and they have had countless complaints about my same issue. There needs to be a recall before some gets killed.

- Richton , MS, USA

Transmission appears to be slipping. Odbii code is P0840, which states transmission fluid pressure sensor/switch a circuit malfunction. Vehicle sometimes runs at 4-5 rpms at 70 mph. Other times you press on the gas and nothing happen. This especially occurs going up hill, when you are stopped at the bottom. If you have a running start, it is not as noticeable. Unsafe, to be driven in traffic. Taken to dealership prior to warranty running. No problem was noted. Now that I am 5,000 miles over extended warranty -- extended to 120,000 now I'm told I get the code above....estimate to repair is $3400.

- Poca, WV, USA

Second owner, purchased with 63000 miles. First occurrence was driving on the highway a short distance (45min) started to notice the speed pulsing on flat stretches of road with the cruise control being set at 60 mph. I would manually take over the gas pedal just to have to constantly give it more gas then less gas to maintain 60 on flat ground. To the point of nailing it to maintain 60 then out of no where it would start to go accelerate suddenly up and I would let off the gas to stay @ 60mph and hold the pedal there for about 20 secs just to lose power on flat ground again and would just repeat over and over. When I got off the exit ramp it was sputtering really bad and had a hard time just getting it home w/O hurting myself or others. Next day nothing. Then over time (1 month) it happened 4 other times but is seeming to get worse. Then today I stopped in town at a red light. When it came time to go the care jus sat there and the RPM gauge moved up but the car didn't move forward. I immediately put on hazards, put car in park, shut it off, then restarted it to luckily be able to pull off. Went on highway home going 60mph and the surging back and forth with power to weakness to sudden power was the worst its ever been. Car isn't under warranty due to being 2nd owner but come on Nissan really? I'm a student/new father and the $ is crunched like most families now in this economy. I bought a Nissan B/C its reputation of quality and endurance/resilience. I would be sick if this injured my baby B/C this car wasn't in the "original recall range". it is very dangerous and could lead to both my tires locking up on the highway going 60 or even faster leaving not only us in jeopardy but everyone around me on the road also.

- Cleveland, TN, USA

After driving a while in stop & go traffic the vehicle hesitates and doesn't accelerate when you depress the gas pedal. Then after a few seconds the engine revs up and the vehicle lurches forward and sometimes stalls in traffic. Once the vehicle stalls, it takes a long time before you can restart the engine. This situation happens almost every time I'm in heavy traffic, which is especially dangerous on the freeways and when making left turns at intersections. I've worked with my local Nissan dealership but they haven't come up with a solution, and it's becoming very expensive for me to have them research the problem and not find a fix.

- Fullerton, CA, USA

I was driving on the highway at 50mph and all of a sudden Murano lost acceleration, gas pedal wasn't working at all. Some how I pulled over and turn ignition off and back on and it worked fine. Now when is a stop and go situation it does the same thing won't accelerate until like 5 seconds later and in a very dangerous way. I heard lots of people having the same problems and it's life treating situation.

- Bronx, NY, USA

Vehicle had new brakes - disks and pads added in early May 2011. July 29 2011 driving 20 + mph the vehicle started to sound like it had a flat tire. Immediately took vehicle to the shop, glancing at the car, mechanic said may be a tire rod, but wanted to look at it more in depth. He stated that the noise was coming from something loose or cracked in the transfer case. He advised me that at some point transfer case will bust and all 4 wheels will lock up. He quoted me at least $2500 for repair. The location of the transfer case makes it very difficult to repair or service. Why will Nissan not stand behind this product. There is no rust on the vehicle, but with 150,000 miles on it now, is it worth the money to repair" I have already replace the intake manfold which cracked in November. What will be the next part to break - the engine itself" love my Murano, but the company should back their product. My Murano has been driven short distances a few times since because I do not want to be on the highway when my "4 tires lock up".

- Monticlelo, WI, USA

After extended idle, the vehicle becomes unresponsive to fuel feed. When the gas pedal is depressed there is a hesitation (2-5 seconds) and then suddenly the vehicle will lurch forward. The problem temporarily goes away when the car is shut off for a few minutes.

- Hickory Creek, TX, USA

Car made horrible grinding noise; stopped working. Towed to pok Nissan and under extended warranty they replaced transfer case and rear differential. Now here it is barely one year later and just over 12000 miles and the transfer case is leaking again. Was told by an independent mechanic what the problem was and that Nissan should make good. Having reviewed several complaints filed with NHTSA of same problems I found it unbelievable that nissa fails to consider this as a recall or accept responsibility.

- Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

When the car first started acting up I was on the interstate on my way to work. It all of a sudded started stalling. I had to press the driving peddal all the way down and then it would take off with a very hard jolt. This would happen off and on especially if I was in stop and go traffic or came to a stop sign or stop light. The car would stall before taking off. I took it to the delearship and they kept it for three days and said they could find nothing. This is when the transmission was under warranty up to 120,000 miles. They said the car would have to do it while in ther shop or they could do nothing. I just found it so hard to believe that the car showed no signes of doing anything that I described while they had it and drove it for three days. Well of course I got the car back and it was still doing the same thing. I took it back to them and they told me that it was the transmission and the repair on it alone was going to cost me $3600 all by itself. The car was doing the very same thing when I took it in to them the first time but surprisingly after the warranty was off they all of a sudden found the problem. Somebody really needs to look into all of these complaints and get these situations under warranty so that these cars can be fixed properly. Its not fair to take the car to the dealership about a problem that could have been fixed under warranty to take it back to them for the exact same thing and they tell you that the repair is no longer under warranty and you now have to pay for it.

- Pinson, AL, USA