How did you drive the thing? What kind of tires and how much were they worn differently?

 

Sure makes me wonder as well. Especially considering how many (hundreds of) thousands of these cars have been sold since 2003, and that a few people have even managed to go through more than one TC. Amazing!

 

I personally don't believer the transfer case is that fragile. For a car introduced in 2003, that doesn't even make sense.

 

Are you serious..., or just trolling? 29 pages of people that don't know each other but are complaining on the same topic??? Hope you have good luck with your's, as when the TC does fail and a $5K bill is presented to you, you'll just open up your wallet and pay up! Lots of these people are long time Nissan owners...seeing many state that this will be their last Nissan certainly would 'disturb' a business owner. I've already emptied my wallet on a TC, and very nearly did a 2nd time. I was under the Murano doing a routine oil change when I noticed the TC seal leaking on the 'new' TC (8K kms((still under parts warranty)). Off to the dealer once again.... this time on Nissan's bill! Between the TC, 4hr $800. alternator changeout, driver's seat chassis breakage, frt wheel bearings, other minor incidentals.... I've had it! Before you think that maybe I've 'beaten' on this car.... I`ll state I`m Retired... and have slowed down considerably in the last 10 yrs! We`ve had a stable of Nissans over the years... but this will be the LAST!

 

Sitting at the dealership right now, in for a routine oil change. Just got the bad news that my TC is leaking, estimate to remove, redo seals, and reinstall is $2500. Ugh. 72,250 miles on a 2004 SL AWD.

Power steering hose also leaking.

FML.

 

My 04 murano transfer case went bad at 16,000 miles. It was replaced under warranty. Just found out this week by the dealer it is bad again at 76,000 they quoted me a price of $3,000 to fix. I called Nissan's customer affairs to see if they would fix it and am currently waiting for an answer. I feel the TC has a design flaw and Nissan should take responsibility for it as they finally did for the CVT. My TC never leaked any oil and I also changed the gear oil in it just as a preventive measure and it still failed. Has anyone had any luck getting their TC replaced out of warranty?

 

What do they mean bad again? Did you get stranded or are you hearing grinding sound or its just leaking?

 

my murano is making a grinding noise that gets worse with speed. The dealer put it up on a rack with a technician inside the car. They spun the wheels up to forty miles per hour then a tech on the ground took a stethoscope and listened to each wheel hub bearing. When he listened to the TC he said it was screaming. The TC was not leaking and prior to taking it in, I changed the fluid which was full and not burnt. The tech said the only way to check the hub bearings on an AWD car is to get all the wheels off the ground at the same time.He also said if I keep driving it the car will eventually just stop and won't move.So now I am fighting with Nissan customer affairs to replace it free of charge.This will be the second time mt TC failed.I have 76k on the car.

 

Does anyone have any tips on getting Nissan to pay for a second transfer case when the car is out of warranty?I feel a transfer case should last as long as the car. I also feel its a lousy design and Nissan should stand by it.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by mymurano1
I have an 04 murano and have pulled a 6x10 enclosed trailer with quads inside. I do not think the murano is heavy duty enough to trailer with. The CVT is crap and I am in the middle of replacing my second Transfer Case. Only 76,000 miles. Lots of luck........

AND, you wonder why your transfer case crapped out. Want to tow as you are doing, get yourself a vehicle that is set-up for towing a loaded trailer such as yours. Ever heard of the idiom, " You reap what you sow"....... You are having to replace that transfer case a second time for good reason! You state " I do not think the murano is heavy duty enough to trailer with" and then you wonder why you killed the transfer case.. daaaah.............

 

I can't encourage you on that question. Transfer cases and differentials can break any time on any car. The dealer isn't responsible for how the vehicle has been driven.

 

Transfer cases and differentials can break any time on any car. The dealer isn't responsible for how the vehicle has been driven.

I'd say the `how' in `how the vehicle is driven' is the key - considering that the vast majority of Murano owners have nary a problem with their transfer cases and/or CVT's, while a few owners keep breaking them one after another.

 

Reality is something has to give when you tow as mentioned. I guess I did zero in on the transfer case specifically, but... If not the transfer case ... well, could be many things to include the transfer case. I myself tow a 4'x8' light weight, open aluminum trailer with a FatBoy on it. I would never consider towing an enclosed 6'x10' "loaded with just my Harley, let alone " loaded with Quads". My little 4'x8' open trailer with Harley Fat Boy on it is a fair / safe match up for the Murano but ........... Fact is, towing in general can be the precursor for mechanical issues with a vehicle, especially if you are towing close to or above limitations set by the vehicle manufacturer. Just because you can pull something doesn't make everything lets say peachy.. In closing, this fellow went through two transfer cases and now needing a third.... could it possibly be due to his towing / the way he drives while towing.. I think so.

In closing, this does not mean that the Murano is not a very capable tow vehicle if you tow properly and within the manufacturer guidelines. Again, I guess I did zero in on the transfer case specifically, but... If not the transfer case ... well, could be many things to include the transfer case. It's a Murano, not a properly set up pick-up truck that has terrific towing/load capability and is being driven properly in a towing situation.

 

Any idea how the failure rate breaks down (no pun intended) by 1st and 2nd gen MOs?

 

If you had read my original post it says I HAVE pulled a 6x10 enclosed trailer with quads. I only did this one time. The Murano is capable of towing 3500lb. The trailer I towed was less than 2000lbs with the load, well under the Murano's capabilities. So before you Einsteins make your stupid comments know the facts. I should be able to pull a trailer everyday with no problems and if something were to fail it most likely would be the transmission not the transfer case. As stated earlier the TC in the Murano is crap and the CVT is not much better. First TC at 16k the second at 76k. This people is not acceptable no matter how you cut it. The TC has a design flaw and Nissan is not standing by it.

 

Transfer case

Mine went out at 84k miles in my 2007 Murano.

 

Mine went out at 84k miles in my 2007 Murano.

Another used mo that only-god-knows-how-it-was-driven the first couple years (& 40K miles) of its life. We've learned years ago how important it is to vet vehicles like Muranos that look like SUV's but are really just cars underneath.

 

The tranny on my 2003 Honda Accord went out at 75k miles. Had to get a rebuilt. I guess that means all Honda Accord transmissions are garbage.

 

This thread has proven very entertaining. Especially some of the anger issues expressed! I'll continue reading it as people keep posting.

 

Yes, indeed entertaining.

 

2006 Murano SL (purchased May 2009) Transfer case was leaking and "replaced" in Oct 2011 @ 85K miles. Luckily I bought an extended warranty.

 

'03 sl awd

My transfer case just failed, my wife was complaining her car was making a "funny" noise. I took it for a spin and about s*!t myself... needless to say I took it to the dealer this morning, it's gonna cost $3061 to replace it. Oh by the way I have 134,000 mi. This is only the second problem I've had, the first was a seized up alternator at about 65,000 mi.

 

Interesting....My Mo is just starting to making a funny drone noise on the highway and has 130K. You can hear it go up and down with the car speed and not the engine speed. I am suspecting the transfer case as well. I plan to check/change fluid this weekend in hopes to save it.

 

FYI - Ended up being frozen rear right brake caliper.

 

Transfer case improvements?

I won't repeat the story, as there is already 31 pages of the same story, except to say that after 120, 000kms (2005 model) we have had a total failure of the transfer case. 9 teeth missing off the corwn wheel and 4 of the pinion and a cracked housing.
Only owned the vehicle for 6 months (yes thrilled), had noticed the AWD lock light come on the dash for no particular reason, have also noticed that the front and rear tyres are minutely different in size (different brands).
Ok, so it seems to be a design issue, propably not helped by the tyres.
My questions are:
- Is it a common issue for the AWD lock to engage while on perfect road conditions? (while not always engaging on wet or loose surfaces).
-Could the above be occuring due to the unequal tyre size?
- Most importantly, have any improvements been made to the transfer case design, either by Nissan or others.

I am in Australia and will not be replacing my TC with a new item, and have found a 2nd hand item. I like alot of others enjoy the vehicle but consider keeping it as a case of russian roulette.

 

AWD Lock should NEVER come on unless you press the switch on the console. Was the switch pressed?

Unequal tire size will not cause AWD Lock to engage, although it can cause the AWD Auto to engage if you are on a slippery surface. Two different modes - AWD Auto is always on, it switches from FWD to AWD automatically. AWD Lock is a manual mode engaged when you press the button, and locks the system into 50/50 front/rear AWD.

AWD Lock is a temporary mode and should never be used unless you are stuck on a slippery surface.

There are some 2nd gen Muranos with failed transfer cases as well, mostly due to using AWD Lock inappropriately or having a transfer case leak bleed the case dry without attention.

I won't repeat the story, as there is already 31 pages of the same story, except to say that after 120, 000kms (2005 model) we have had a total failure of the transfer case. 9 teeth missing off the corwn wheel and 4 of the pinion and a cracked housing.
Only owned the vehicle for 6 months (yes thrilled), had noticed the AWD lock light come on the dash for no particular reason, have also noticed that the front and rear tyres are minutely different in size (different brands).
Ok, so it seems to be a design issue, propably not helped by the tyres.
My questions are:
- Is it a common issue for the AWD lock to engage while on perfect road conditions? (while not always engaging on wet or loose surfaces).
-Could the above be occuring due to the unequal tyre size?
- Most importantly, have any improvements been made to the transfer case design, either by Nissan or others.

I am in Australia and will not be replacing my TC with a new item, and have found a 2nd hand item. I like alot of others enjoy the vehicle but consider keeping it as a case of russian roulette.

 

Different size tires on an AWD vehicle will mess up your transfer case and or rear differential. It will cause the AWD to engage on dry roads--which is a NO--NO specified on the owners manual--will then cause binding on the gears and eventual failure. Read all the tire sizes on your MO and let us know if any is different. Do you ever press on your AWD lock button by will or accident on dry roads? That will do it too.

 

Todd-

Welcome to the forum.

Are you sure it was the AWD LOCK light? The reason I ask is because the AWD light (different from the AWD LOCK light) will come on when the AWD system has a problem. The owners manual make reference to the light coming on if the diameters of the front and rear wheels is different.

I would bet it was the AWD warning light that you saw.

-njjoe

-njjoe

 

2007 Murano transfer case leak @ 128,000 miles

Owned an 07 SL w/touring package, 1st real luxury car purchase, loved this car from the minute I drove it. Purchased new in January 07 when working only 6 miles from home, two months later got new job 40 miles away, so in 5 years put 128,000 miles on vehicle. Two people I know who had 03 & 07 Mo's both had transfer case leaks/cracks, so I decided to check mine after I spoke to the person who had the 07. I didn't think the transfer case problem affected the 07's so I didn't have mine checked when hearing about the 03 a few months before. Just put new tires and brakes on the car when I had Firestone check the case. Tech said it was leaking. Brought it to Nissan, confirmed leak, quoted $2600 to fix. Told service manager about the problem with the transfer case with the muranos, all years, stated he never heard of this problem (yeah, right.). Did not want to throw more $$ into it after spending $1400 for the new tires & brakes, then have the tc leak again or crack as others have stated has happened to them, so I traded car in for 2013 Sonata. It's no Murano, for sure, but it's fun to drive and very quick for a 4 cyl. Just don't know how it will handle if we get any snow in NJ this winter. Murano had no problem in snow storms last few years. Anyway, very disappointed with Nissan for not stepping up and taking care of this tc problem. I would have liked to have kept mo for another 4-5 yrs. as I just paid it off 7 mos. ago and was looking forward to not having a car payment. But I guess the repairs costs would have been like a car payment anyway.

 

Owned an 07 SL w/touring package, 1st real luxury car purchase, loved this car from the minute I drove it. Purchased new in January 07 when working only 6 miles from home, two months later got new job 40 miles away, so in 5 years put 128,000 miles on vehicle. Two people I know who had 03 & 07 Mo's both had transfer case leaks/cracks, so I decided to check mine after I spoke to the person who had the 07. I didn't think the transfer case problem affected the 07's so I didn't have mine checked when hearing about the 03 a few months before. Just put new tires and brakes on the car when I had Firestone check the case. Tech said it was leaking. Brought it to Nissan, confirmed leak, quoted $2600 to fix. Told service manager about the problem with the transfer case with the muranos, all years, stated he never heard of this problem (yeah, right.). Did not want to throw more $$ into it after spending $1400 for the new tires & brakes, then have the tc leak again or crack as others have stated has happened to them, so I traded car in for 2013 Sonata. It's no Murano, for sure, but it's fun to drive and very quick for a 4 cyl. Just don't know how it will handle if we get any snow in NJ this winter. Murano had no problem in snow storms last few years. Anyway, very disappointed with Nissan for not stepping up and taking care of this tc problem. I would have liked to have kept mo for another 4-5 yrs. as I just paid it off 7 mos. ago and was looking forward to not having a car payment. But I guess the repairs costs would have been like a car payment anyway.

Wait a second, $1400 for tires and brakes? Could that be right? Granted I did the brakes on my 04 SE myself (both the tires and brakes were done at a little over 65K, 3 years ago), but at that time combined they were just under $650. Now at 102K, I'm nowhere near needing either of those done again. Who knows by 130K.

Maybe you had both your tires and brakes done at a dealer and were talked into rotors and/or calipers? Just wondering.

And, please don't be offended but, Muranos are rarely referred to as `luxury cars.' They are fine cars and my wife and I certainly love ours (in fact, to date it is the best car I've ever owned in 43 years of car ownership!), but especially for what Mos cost, they are hardly luxury cars. I'll admit, however, that that is a relative term. For one used to the proverbial beaters or hand me downs, a new Murano would certainly seem like a luxury car. I think to officially be classified as such, the Nissan nameplate would need to be replaced by an Infiniti one. Again, please don't be offended - it's merely an observation.

 

Hi nafddur, Yes, $1400 for tires and brakes and not from dealer, from tire wholesaler and Firestone for brakes, which included new front rotors and a new rear caliper b/c original one was shot (another Nissan part that didn't last past 5 years) and were original rotors, which needed replacing (steering wheel shimmy upon braking for last two years). I bought tires for $750, the Bridgestone ecopia's (not sure if I spelled that right) from wholesaler, and that was $270 less than Firestone quoted me. The last time I got tires they were $600 from dealer, which was the best price at that time, for cheapo noisy Hankook's. You do realize the Murano's take 18" tires? They are more expensive than 16 or 17". Sorry to have offended you by calling the Murano a "luxury car", it was a luxury car to me, leather, loaded with everything except nav. It was the most I ever spent on vehicle, $32K discounted from $38K sticker, I guess that's pocket change to the 1%, which I'm not, even though b/t me & husband we gross almost $200K a year. I take offense that you even had to respond to my post and explain why you don't think it's a "luxury car". It was just a manner of speech, not a true classification.

 

Yay! I get to add to the 31 pages of misery.

Just found out my MO's transfer case is leaking. Not as catastrophic as some of the other failures I've read in this thread, but most definitely leaking badly. My MO currently has 125K on it and the CVT was replaced at 108K under warranty. Transfer case wasn't leaking then, must have been something recent.

I was told by the service writer that there's a TSB out for resealing the transfer case. Total labor to get to the transfer case, reseal it per the TSB, and put everything back together is $748.82 including taxes/fees.

Subject: SB 2003-2007 Murano; Oil Leak From Transfer Assembly
Summary of NTB10123:
IF YOU CONFIRM: Fluid is leaking from the transfer assembly. ACTION: Re-seal the transfer assembly. - Refer to the SERVICE PROCEDURE starting on Page 5. - Use Essential Tool Set J-42738 and J-50367 when installing the left and right side transfer oil seals. CAUTION: This bulletin will aid in the successful repair of resealing the transfer assembly. Failure to follow the SERVICE PROCEDURE (including all cautions) may cause transfer assembly oil leakage after repairs. See this bulletin for further detail.

I wonder where I can find a copy of this TSB for free?

And just when I thought my MO was going to make it to 200K without any issues with the drivetrain! I wish I could revert my vote on the poll. At the time I voted, I had less than 100K miles and no transfer case issues.

 

Another two time failed transfer case

Long story short, 2009 Murano SE AWD, transfer case leading at 40K miles, dealer replaced under warranty. Dealer checked vehicle during service last week at 55K miles, found TC leaking again, going to replace under warranty again, no charge. Had to order parts.

I have NNA extended warranty to 6 years and 100K miles. My concern is that the warranty for the TC will expire before I am through with the vehicle.

Taking Murano in for the TC fix tomorrow, will have to speak with the dealer and get some type of written assurances over this issue, 2 failures within 20K miles is giving me a lemony smell in my nostrils.

 

I got my MO back yesterday from having the transfer case resealed for my 04 MO. Wasn't cracked or anything, from what I understand, the technician had to get the transfer case out and reseal it.

I'll scan in the receipt and post it here for people to see. It was quite interesting what he did to get to the transfer case. He had to remove the exhaust, remove the front cross member, and I forget what else, then he was able to get to the TC. I heard he had the entire TC apart and replaced some interior seals. After that he bolted things back together and gave it back.

Only problem now is an exhaust leak at the flange. Getting a repetitive hissing noise when I ask the motor for power. They also broke one o the wheel speed sensors which is causing many lights on my gauge cluster. They're going to fix all for free tomorrow so we'll see how it goes.

Will be pressure spraying everything underneath sometime soon to get all the gunk off from the TC leak. Want it nice and clean!