Buying Used Murano. Help!?

[cebosound]

Hello.

I am new to the site. I am looking to purchase a used Murano. I am finding some great deals on fully loaded AWD Muranos in the 2003-2006 range. Many of these are around 100K miles. What are some things I need to look for to ensure I have a good vehicle for the next 4 years?

I will be selling (maybe trading in) my chevy tahoe for this vehicle. My wife drives our 2003 Nissan Altima (that has been a great car); so not completely new to Nissan. ... My wife parents recently traded in their Nissan Rogue for a brand new Nissan Murano. I have drove their Rogue and now their Murano for longer drives. I love the Murano. Enough for me to want an older one that I can afford. ..... But I am concerned about reliability in an older one. But its a Nissan, It should run "forever" right? lol.

Thanks

[Pilgrim]

It's important to understand that the Murano is NOT a truck, it's a passenger car chassis with a mid-size SUV body on it. The AWD works well, but you should avoid using the lock function or stressing the transfer case with off-road driving. This is a highway vehicle and is meant to be used as such.

Engine longevity is great in these. The maintenance items reported on this forum include shocks, brakes, control arms, tie rod ends and motor mounts. Most of these are normal wear items on most cars - the motor mounts and control arms being exceptions.

There is a 120K mile transmission warranty which does not cover the transfer case, Have a shop check for leakage out of the transfer case, as the gear oil volume is rather small in that unit and a leak can kill it quickly - and pulling the transfer case to re-seal it is about a $2000 operation. Also check for leaks at the drive axle seals, which are easier to repair but will need attention if leaks are present.

[Melodymurano]

As long as u purchase one still under warranty you should be fine. Test drive it with a mechanic if possible. Welcome in advance.

[Mr3Putt]

Originally Posted by cebosound

Hello.

. ... But I am concerned about reliability in an older one. But its a Nissan, It should run "forever" right? lol.

Thanks

Don't do it!

After 110,000 miles my reliable Murano turned into a pumpkin. Plus, a new transmission will set you back another $5,000.

[Halwg]

So you are saying that they are a 100,000 throw away car?

[Mr3Putt]

Originally Posted by Halwg

So you are saying that they are a 100,000 throw away car?

No. What I'm saying is that I would never buy a 100,000+ mile Murano.

I had one.

The difference between mine, and the one on a dealers' lot, is that I know for a fact mine had been babied since inception. Garage kept, fluids changed religiously, tires rotated, plugs changed, throttle body cleaned, yada, yada, yada...

And she still fell apart.

Near the end she hesitated on starts when hot (stop and go traffic could be downright scary). The exhaust system fell apart (one day after state inspection thank goodness). My CVT had a leak that somehow wasn't eligible for the 120,000 CVT warranty. She drank at least a quart of oil every 3,000 miles (no leaks, no weird smoke, just missing oil).

When I got estimates for repairs that ran into the thousands (rather than the hundreds) I knew the end was near.

Don't get me wrong, when she was paid off at around 38,000 miles she ran like a top. I had pipe dreams of joining the 0 member million mile Murano club. When I started doing the math on all of the nickle and dime repairs she was costing me, I gave her up.

Right now, on a Mazda dealers lot (or more likely at the auto auction) sits a 2003 SE with: New Tires, New Plugs, New Battery. New Brakes, Shines like new Finish. She looks pretty as a picture but she's about 5,000 miles away from blowing up.

Interested?

[Halwg]

Sure doesn't build my confidence. Nissans are known for being dependable cars with an engine that should run 200,000+ miles. Was this just problem with the earliest Muranos, because all the car rating sites say that the reliability is above average!

I guess the other issue is that it's a 9 year old car. Age may have more to do with it than the mileage.

[zebelkhan]

Problem is these kinds of forums are not a place to ask reliability questions. Just about all who post here are experiencing a problem and are asking for help or letting others know about their issues. However, compared to the general population of Murano owners, we are a very small minority. So it is safe to say majority of Muranos on the road are fairing well. These forums are useful because they share owner experiences when problems do come up. Right now the biggest problem on a high mileage Murano seems to be if, and that is a big if, your CVT fails, and you have more than 120k miles on it, or dealer somehow decides CVT failure is due to reasons not covered by warranty, you will have to spend a large chunk of money in order to fix it.
Personally I would stay away from high mileage cars, especially if they are kind of cars that have major parts that cannot be repaired (such as a CVT) and are expensive to replace. Just my two penny's worth.

[Prob8]

I would have to agree with the above posters (and not just because my 2003 MO just received a fatal report from the dealer). My MO was also well maintained but repairs started to get expensive and regular in the last 2 years of ownership. I would stay away from a high mileage MO. Good luck.

[Melodymurano]

What is considered "high mileage" for a Nissan Murano?...cos I have a Mazda over 130k miles and apart from regular maintenance and oil changes it has not given me problems.

[Dunbar]

When people talk about lower than average reliability I think they're referring to stuff like this from Consumer Reports. You may not agree with their methodology but they are one of the few independent sources that track this data.

[woofster]

I'm looking to pick up a used Murano this week or next as well. I did notice many were right around the 120,000 mile or 200,000 km mark. A part of me suspects owners are trying to get rid of the thing before the extended CVT warranty is up. The other part of me understands that, in many cases as with any car, proper maintenance and upkeep has more to do with the reliability of the car than mileage or model year.

[milehimo]

I'm bucking the trend. My '04 is about to hit 150,000mi in a couple weeks. I did have to drop $3K to replace the transfer case, and flushed the CVT at the same time. But other than that it's all been regular maintenance and dealer serviced. It's never left me stranded or self destructed, this even with towing a motorcycle trailer a few times (once to CA and back) in the last couple of years.

[woofster]

Originally Posted by cebosound

Hello.

I am new to the site. I am looking to purchase a used Murano. I am finding some great deals on fully loaded AWD Muranos in the 2003-2006 range. Many of these are around 100K miles. What are some things I need to look for to ensure I have a good vehicle for the next 4 years?

I will be selling (maybe trading in) my chevy tahoe for this vehicle. My wife drives our 2003 Nissan Altima (that has been a great car); so not completely new to Nissan. ... My wife parents recently traded in their Nissan Rogue for a brand new Nissan Murano. I have drove their Rogue and now their Murano for longer drives. I love the Murano. Enough for me to want an older one that I can afford. ..... But I am concerned about reliability in an older one. But its a Nissan, It should run "forever" right? lol.

Thanks

Just curious if you picked up a Murano yet?

I've still been looking and cross-shopping. There's a enormous amount of owners posting online about transmission and transfer case issues that it's kind of putting me off a little. Problem is, there's not much else out there that I really like.

[Halwg]

When you get on forums like this, you are going to get all the bad reviews. But I would have to agree, that a lot of owners may be getting rid of their cars before the CVT warranty runs out.

Personally, I would never buy any used car with over 75,000 miles on the clock, but that's just me. Once you hit 100K problems are going to become more plentiful.