$3596 to replace 03 murano transfer case.

[gatubel]

So I took my murano to nissan regarding a clickin/tapping noise it was making while driving it (in gear).
after inspecting it they told me the transfer case needed to be replaced
and that they dont rebuild those, theyre new.

autozone sells them for $2800, while nissan charges me $2066 plus labor $1339.

Ive read of others paying way more for a transfer case replacement.
am I getting a good deal or should I look for used one and have someone change it for me?

I dont know what to do, I had no idea what a transfer case was and when they told me the total to have it fixed I freaked out, I told them I didnt have the money and ended up driving back home.

help me out, I dont know what to do, currently my Mo has been sitting in the driveway, I dont wanna drive it like that but I need some advice from you guys.

Thank you.

[njjoe]

g-

This is why I will not be buying another Murano. I just can not understand Nissan's reluctance to repair what they sell. Why can't they open and repair the CVT? Why can't they open and repair the transfer case?

It is plausible your transfer case could be repaired for a lot less than the $2,088 you are forced to pay for a new one.

What bugs me even more is Nissan's reluctance to allow third-party outfits to repair the CVT and transfer case. If they offered to sell the parts and released documentation then the repair costs would drop. It is lousy customer support.

Okay, rant over.

WorldPartsExpress.com sells the transfer case for $1,488. It's not cheap but it is better than what your dealer quoted.

-njjoe

[gatubel]

yup, makes me not very happy either. hey njjoe. they also told me the front lower control arms are worn out. Now these I can change they dont seem very hard to change, they want 228 a piece, and I found some on ebay 160 for the pair right and left.
03 murano arm control | eBay


should I go OEM or can I pull it off and get the cheap ones they sell on ebay?

[Eric L.]

The bean counters probably did the math, figuring out that training the techs to repair CVTs would cost more than replacing them and the associated loss of customer loyalty from higher replacement costs. In the end, its about profits, not customer convenience. Same for every other car company.

[gatubel]

I guess I have no choice but to have them fix my MO. Auto parts sell the transfer case it self for 2600, ridiculous.

at least I will have parts and labor warranty for a year, and about another year on CVT.
after that I will probably trade it in for a newer one or another vehicle.

[anw7405]

Well said. I will never buy another nissan again. They are so unaffordable to work on. My transfer case and transmission went out at the same time and it was an $11,000 dollar job! Luckily it was just under 100,000 miles and most was under warranty. I still had to pay for the labor on the transfer case which totaled over $2,000. Still dont understand that one. I have all kinds of things wrong with it but I cant afford to take it in, I think Ill have a heat attack.

[hokey777]

Maybe see if you can make a deal with the dealer. Everything is negotiable.

[turbizzy]

Originally Posted by anw7405

Well said. I will never buy another nissan again. They are so unaffordable to work on. My transfer case and transmission went out at the same time and it was an $11,000 dollar job! Luckily it was just under 100,000 miles and most was under warranty. I still had to pay for the labor on the transfer case which totaled over $2,000. Still dont understand that one. I have all kinds of things wrong with it but I cant afford to take it in, I think Ill have a heat attack.

Wow. I wonder why they made you pay labor to replace a transfercase when they have to remove it anyway to replace the CVT? There shouldn't have been any labor charge there, complete overlap. I'd fight that one...

[JayS]

There is no doubt in my mind that before I hit the 10 year mark on my 07 (I'll never hit 100k at the rate we put miles on) that the Mo will be traded for something else.

[Pilgrim]

It's interesting that Consumer Reports has a really strong positive report on the 2007 Murano...and I mean every single category is better or much better than normal. My 07 drives great and has no problems at 69K miles...but I admit that the common problems listed here have me thinking about the fact that the trade-in market for used cars is excellent and there is a lot of 0% or 1.9% financing for new cars out there.

I'm a dedicated used-car buyer, but I have no real objection to buying new and driving it for 10+ years to get the value out of a car. I'm seriously considering a VW Tiguan or Jeep Grand Cherokee at the moment.

If I felt that I could get 150K miles out of the Murano without having to replace control arms and tie rod ends, as well as the issues noted around the transfer case, I'd keep it. But I have reservations about the costs involved in getting it to 150K miles. The transfer case is the thing that's most on my mind - I can do all the other stuff myself, IF I have time.

I do most of my own work and control arms wouldn't be too big a deal, but at age 61 and with a demanding job I'm finding that my time and ambition to crawl under cars are both waning.

My 280ZX Turbo has been down for 2 months just to find an electrical problem with the fan and replace all vacuum lines. I'm just not as motivated to wrench on things as I used to be.

[rwinslowlive]

I must be really lucky.. I just had my tc replaced and it was under warrente.. Its a 2007 with 48,000.. But they made me buy 3 tires or they would not replace the tc... Whats up with that.. Its like being held hostage.. Owell all in all it was free.. i made them trow in some extras..

[nafddur]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

It's interesting that Consumer Reports has a really strong positive report on the 2007 Murano...and I mean every single category is better or much better than normal. My 07 drives great and has no problems at 69K miles...but I admit that the common problems listed here have me thinking about the fact that the trade-in market for used cars is excellent and there is a lot of 0% or 1.9% financing for new cars out there.

I'm a dedicated used-car buyer, but I have no real objection to buying new and driving it for 10+ years to get the value out of a car. I'm seriously considering a VW Tiguan or Jeep Grand Cherokee at the moment.

If I felt that I could get 150K miles out of the Murano without having to replace control arms and tie rod ends, as well as the issues noted around the transfer case, I'd keep it. But I have reservations about the costs involved in getting it to 150K miles. The transfer case is the thing that's most on my mind - I can do all the other stuff myself, IF I have time.

I do most of my own work and control arms wouldn't be too big a deal, but at age 61 and with a demanding job I'm finding that my time and ambition to crawl under cars are both waning.

My 280ZX Turbo has been down for 2 months just to find an electrical problem with the fan and replace all vacuum lines. I'm just not as motivated to wrench on things as I used to be.

This post really hit home with me, Pilgrim. I too am 61, and just don't have the same desire I did as when I was young to crawl around under my cars and wrench on them. I actually enjoyed it back in my 20's and 30's but now, not so much. Being long retired I certainly have the time but, like you, just not the ambition.

Last week my 04 SE (94K miles) failed inspection here in MA for a worn, driver's side outer tie rod. I bought an after market replacement for $45, saving me $20 over OEM. I was having so much trouble freeing up the jam nut and nut holding the joint to the steering knuckle, however, that I decided (against my better judgement, considering what a relatively easy job it should have been) to just go to a local shop to get the tie rod changed. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I picked the car up and was charged only $40 for the 1/2 hour it took them.

Granted it wasn't a control arm or transfer case, but it was still nice to be able to get something fixed for a reasonable price. My Mo still remains for me the lowest maintenance car I've ever had.

[DavidHart]

I have a 2003 and my transfer case went at about 119,000 and my driver's side seat bracket just broke. I'm now at 120,000 and the extended CVT warranty is up. I'm hoping to get another 2 to 3 years out of it without any other major maintenace, but we will see. Up until now, the most expensive work that has been done is the replacement of the exhaust. Why Nissan integrates the catalytic converter in the exhaust pipe is beyond me.

[gatubel]

after reading all this horror stories, I am thinking of doing the same thing,
dont get me wrong, I love my Murano but seems like all the common problems
on MO are so expensive to repair. Luckily I had my CVT replaced under warranty,
is covered until sep 2013, which I think it will come before the 120,000 miles.
after the warranty is over I will definitely trade it in for another vehicle.

[njjoe]

Yeah, the transfer case scares me too.

When you look at the parts diagram in the service manual and see just two gears and a handful of bearings and seals it is hard to believe the transfer case can be so damn expensive.

Nissan needs to be more customer-friendly and release the parts to third-party vendors so the transfer case can be repaired and not simply treated as a disposable component.

-njjoe