[Eric L.]

If you feel the seals are a manufacturers defect, you have to report it to NHTSA in order for enough complaints to be logged for a defect investigation (and subsequently a recall).

 

[newagent]

TC failure/gears broken

2003 Murano SL AWD Sunlit Copper/ loaded/ no nav/ transfer case differential failure/ gears broken/ 42,000 miles--original owner--vehicle well maintained and in great condition--noise began as a low pitched squeal while driving slowly out of a cemetary--noise ceased then returned as a high pitched whine while driving 25-30 mph then sudden grinding, clunking and crunching noises under front to mid section of car--drove to a stop & flat-bedded to dealership--estimate $5800

 

[trevmiesterj]

If you feel the seals are a manufacturers defect, you have to report it to NHTSA in order for enough complaints to be logged for a defect investigation (and subsequently a recall).

Already done.

 

[zachariahd1]

Failed Transfer case

03 murano burgundy, 131000 miles, however we had been having problems with an oil burning smell and the car refusing to accelerate since 90000. took it to the dealer three times , were told they could not recreate the problem, and therefore couldn't fix it. Transfer case started knocking one day split in half the next morning. 5000.00 to fix it!

 

[Flanman]

Mine (2004 SE) blew at around 112,500 mi

No warning, no leaks noticed by servicemen. Sounded like a syncopated drum solo by Ginger Baker when it went, loud thudding beneath my feet (that's where it is.) Estimated $3,500 to replace by Nissan shop. I had just gotten brakes rebuilt, plugs replaced (huge job), so I guess I'll try to get another year or two out of it before I sell it. The car has been great up to this.

 

[nafddur]

No warning, no leaks noticed by servicemen. Sounded like a syncopated drum solo by Ginger Baker when it went, loud thudding beneath my feet (that's where it is.) Estimated $3,500 to replace by Nissan shop. I had just gotten brakes rebuilt, plugs replaced (huge job), so I guess I'll try to get another year or two out of it before I sell it. The car has been great up to this.

Uh oh, I have an 04 SE too, but mine only has 60K miles. Just curious, did you buy yours new?

If you got over 110K on the original brakes, you did fantastic. I replaced my pads at 65K, but they were super easy and only cost $50 to do all 4 wheels. I know plugs are expensive, but they last 100K and even a dealer should only get around $400 to replace them.

 

[scho]

2003 AWD SL Murano; Second owner since Jul 2007.



I was having constant roar/humming noise upon acceleration with sluggish response for over an year now and recently heard some metal clunking noises from under the hood. Local mechanic diagnosed as a broken cat conv. Took it to the dealership today and it is infact diagnosed as a broken transfer case. Car has 67000 miles on it. Dealer told me that the tc damage may have caused damage to the CVT also. Total cost $6800 to replace bot tc and CVT. If CVT is covered under warranty, which is possible in this case, then total cost will be $2000. He was selling $2000 as a great deal. Thank you very much !!!



Overall issues since owning this 03 AWD fully loaded piece of junk:

1. Purchased Jul 07

2. Three fuel injectors replaced Jun 08. Cost : $1300

3. Electrical short Jun09. Cost $400

4. Tensioner/pulley replaced Dec09. Cost $300

5. Dec 09: Complained to Dealership about the sluggish response/ roaring noise problem. He diagnosed it as "a variety of small things" causing it and kinda scared me by saying we can start solving problems one by one. Clearly told me that transmission was OK.

6. Dec09: Called Nissan North America and pursued this matter of "constant issues" with their customer satisfaction team. They were very responsive but did not agree that Nissan will pay for anything. Simple told me that given the age of car, these problems occur. I was persistent and took the matter to regional head of service and still the same response. Eventually gave up.

7. Jun10: Now for the same problem, the dealer says tc is out and probably CVT as well. Best case looking at $2000 from my pocket.



Lessons learnt:



1. Never buy the first model year of any car.

2. Never buy a CVT or other fancy replacement of a critical component until its proven out.

3. Never buy a Nissan.

 

[Phatty McPatty]

I'm sorry for your issues, but the CVT is not to blame. Blame the TC, since it's proven to be the weakest link in the drivetrain. It cracked and in turn damaged the CVT, not the other way around. Hopefully they cover the tranny repair, but knowing Nissan they'll probably claim the non-warrantied TC caused the warrantied CVT to be damaged; thus neither will be covered. Unfortunately, you might have to fight this one.

 

[nafddur]

2003 AWD SL Murano; Second owner since Jul 2007.

As is the case with all used cars, no one truly knows how yours was treated the first 4 years of its life, scho. But, sad to say, we've seen in this forum time and time again how many Mos are erroneously considered to be SUV's or worse yet trucks, and were driven as such by their original owners.

To lose the transfer case at only 67K miles, my (educated) guess is that this is what you are experiencing now with your car. Those of us happily driving our Mos and other nissans year after year with few problems feel for you for sure. But, as with all used cars, it's always buyer beware.

 

[scho]

As is the case with all used cars, no one truly knows how yours was treated the first 4 years of its life, scho. But, sad to say, we've seen in this forum time and time again how many Mos are erroneously considered to be SUV's or worse yet trucks, and were driven as such by their original owners.

To lose the transfer case at only 67K miles, my (educated) guess is that this is what you are experiencing now with your car. Those of us happily driving our Mos and other nissans year after year with few problems feel for you for sure. But, as with all used cars, it's always buyer beware.

I agree with "buyer beware" for preowned cars nafddur. However, my discussions with dealers/mechanics alike tell me that there are very few things one can do to really abuse a transmission and/or transfer case in normal driving. Also, other messages on this post clearly seem to suggest that tc is not one of nissan's best designed/tested components for their AWD's

EricL/njjoe: I'd love to hear your views on this and if your AWD has shown similar problems.

 

[Phatty McPatty]

It's easy to blame the previous owner; dealer's do it all the time because they know as the 2nd+ owner you have no proof otherwise (of course when they sold the used vehicle to you, it was a completely different story; the previous owner was a car collector who took meticulous care of the vehicle! But I'm digressing...). It may even be true that the original owner abused the vehicle when you consider all of the other issues it's had (we'll never know). But you have to admit TC problems are popular topics on this forum. And because the TC is married to the tranny, it can reek havoc on the drivetrain and become very expensive for the owner. Nissan extended the tranny warranty only, and I have a sneaking suspicion that any damage to the CVT deemed by Nissan to be caused by the TC (or any other component for that matter) will NOT be covered under the tranny warranty.

I should also mention that my TC was found to be leaking at 40K miles; who knows how long it had been leaking undetected. My mechanic only looked because of my request (thanks to this forum). Yes, I'm a second owner and when I bring it to Nissan, I'm sure they'll insist the previous owner must have raced it in the Baja1000 to cause the TC to leak! And so the battle begins. But had I not known to look for a leak in the first place, it might have dried up on me too, putting me in the same helpless boat as so many other MO owners. The weak link in the drivetrain is not the CVT, but the TC. Nissan knows it; unfortunately the majority of owners are left in the dark.

Patrick

 

[scho]

Just found out that TC's demise started with a leaking seal. Dealer says once it starts leaking, it can empty out in a week. My car is garage parked and I never saw any leaks on the floor. But then this problem had been there for a while. Who knows when it leaked.
Anyway, as of now there are chunks of metal inside the TC. (there are about 10 pieces and each is worth about $200 ).

Any comments as to what to be aware about and what more to ask during this repair process will be appreciated.

The only silver lining is thanks to this forum and this car, I know a lot more about repairs but the irony is that I will probably never live without an extended warranty anymore.

 

[rysa4]

2003 AWD SL Murano; Second owner since Jul 2007.



I was having constant roar/humming noise upon acceleration with sluggish response for over an year now and recently heard some metal clunking noises from under the hood. Local mechanic diagnosed as a broken cat conv. Took it to the dealership today and it is infact diagnosed as a broken transfer case. Car has 67000 miles on it. Dealer told me that the tc damage may have caused damage to the CVT also. Total cost $6800 to replace bot tc and CVT. If CVT is covered under warranty, which is possible in this case, then total cost will be $2000. He was selling $2000 as a great deal. Thank you very much !!!



Overall issues since owning this 03 AWD fully loaded piece of junk:

1. Purchased Jul 07

2. Three fuel injectors replaced Jun 08. Cost : $1300

3. Electrical short Jun09. Cost $400

4. Tensioner/pulley replaced Dec09. Cost $300

5. Dec 09: Complained to Dealership about the sluggish response/ roaring noise problem. He diagnosed it as "a variety of small things" causing it and kinda scared me by saying we can start solving problems one by one. Clearly told me that transmission was OK.

6. Dec09: Called Nissan North America and pursued this matter of "constant issues" with their customer satisfaction team. They were very responsive but did not agree that Nissan will pay for anything. Simple told me that given the age of car, these problems occur. I was persistent and took the matter to regional head of service and still the same response. Eventually gave up.

7. Jun10: Now for the same problem, the dealer says tc is out and probably CVT as well. Best case looking at $2000 from my pocket.



Lessons learnt:



1. Never buy the first model year of any car.

2. Never buy a CVT or other fancy replacement of a critical component until its proven out.

3. Never buy a Nissan.

I am very sorry to hear about your situation. In addition, I agree with you that the design of the transfer case is not a good thing. Obviously this thread goes a long way in making that clear, but its not the only one out there either.

The answer in my mind is to simply avoid the AWD version of the Murano all together. Which is exactly what I did.

 

[cliffymiracle]

I cringe everytime I see a Murano driving down the street (bad memories)...sorry to see Murano owners still getting screwed by Nissan...glad I got rid of ours.

 

[Zsolt_Zsoldos]

I have a 2003 AWD Murano and I just had my SECOND transfer case failure. The first one happened in 2008 at ~60K, the second now (2010) at 100K. The first was replaced under warranty but this one will not be.

 

[Senz_a_tional]

Chalk me up for a Transfer Case failure, 130k. Dealers estimate is $4,300 with tax on a 2004 SL that blackbooks at 10k. Not impressed, and clearly we have recourse. I did have warranty work done on it around 89k and replaced CVT axle seals, but i'm sure that won't have mattered.

 

[lilazndemon20]

I just noticed the leak on the drivers side axle to the transfer case. Should I buy a seal and reaplce it or be worried about replacing the transfer case?

 

[lacyjazz]

Transfer case cracked in half

Ok, since no one has done it yet, I'm starting a poll to see how widespread this AWD transfer case failure is.

Vote in this thread ONLY if you have an AWD Murano, since FWD does not apply for the transfer case. Also add a text post below telling us how many miles you had at the time of failure and the model year. No need to list mileage if you haven't had this problem.

If you originally voted no, but subsequently had a transfer case leak or failure, PM one of the moderators and they can adjust your vote to the other category.

"My transfer case (2005 Murano SE) went out at just over 66,000 miles. I had it replaced at an independent auto repair shop for about $2500, including a used transfer case for $1400.

Once repaired, I took the transfer case to a local dealership who said it was defective (remember it was cracked in half). However, Nissan will not cover the cost of the repair. In fact, they said that had I taken it into a an authorized dealer, they would have paid for the repair. If I had done the repair at the dealership, they would have given me some relief.

I may have to take this to a lawyer!

 

[grommet]

My transfer case blew yesterday 74,000 km, dealer said it would have cost over $4k but luckily under power-train warranty for 3 more months! I'm unloading this Murano 2006 AWD SL. Was a great vehicle for first 4 years but last month put in $1,500 for throttle body and maintenance so this would have been too much if an additional $4 grand on top. I'll go re-lease a new vehicle before power-train warranty runs out.

 

[maryeconn]

transfer case 2003 AWD

My transfer case failed. I have about 149,000 miles on this 2003 AWD Murano.

2 months ago it was the differential - $3K.
1 month ago catalytic converters failed - $3K

FYI.