Front Differential Transfer Case KAPUT!

I have a 2006 Murano SL AWD, 40,000 miles. I noticed a whining noise as I accellerated. It got louder as I went faster and quieter as I decellerated. It's been getting louder in the last week. I took it in and they told me it was the front differential transfer case. It'll take 7 days. Thankfully, it's under warranty.

They said they were unaware of any problems with this, but your post indicates differently. Thanks for taking this poll.

 

But he bought 03 with 80k miles. I do not think he could have been able to get the extended warranty.....

I thought the dealer offered it to him:

The dealership we purchased it from is willing to "work with us" now because I threw a fit. They are saying they can back date the paper work and offer us an extended warranty.

 

I thought the dealer offered it to him:

The dealership we purchased it from is willing to "work with us" now because I threw a fit. They are saying they can back date the paper work and offer us an extended warranty.

Oops! My bad.....you are right...

 

Sorry my post was a little deceiving. I'm having the dealership send over list of the damage right now and will post it when I get it.
It's far more then the transfer case.


I agree that A) the previous owner or B) the dealership had to of known about this.

The way the car drove and sounded FINE up until the second it blew up really blows my mind. Again though, I was told by the lawyers I talked to, that this would be next to impossible to prove that the dealership deliberately covered something up or had anything to do about it.

We went into the dealership today, called them when we are on the way and they said "come on in and we will get this signed and get you guys the warranty"

We get to the dealership and the guy tells his the owner has decided they no longer want to offer this and it's off the table. We talked to them for about half an hour and they kept coming at us with GREAT offers like -
$5000 for the MO as is (trade in value and damaged) ARE YOU KIDDING

What I asked them to do after they told us the warranty game was off the table is:

Take the Murrano back. They said it would cost them $2,000 (at cost) to replace the transfer case with a used one. They could then put the car in auction or back on the lot like it was and sell it again at the price we paid.
And give us her trade in (still on the lot) for the same value they gave us.
That way we both walk about okay. Of course we would be down a few $1,000 but still with her car back and out of the MO/away from this dealership.
Of course they were not willing to do that!

I think they were just d1ckin us around from day one. Waiting for us to snap and just say we're done with it and walk out / give up. We refused to give up or walk out without an answer.

I attempted to explain that another dealership, a large Nissan dealership here was more willing to work with us then they were (the dealership we bought it from!) and then the person we were speaking with from the dealership ended up losing his temper, throwing his hands in the air, his stuff on the table, and walked out saying "I'm done"
We were nothing but nice, at no point did we threaten them with a lawyer (because we had no legal action)

 

Here is what the dealership just sent over:

Replace rear drive shaft due to non serviceable U-joint. Replace Transfer case due to stripped teeth on gear.

Replace valve body due to code PO868 per technical bulletin.



Parts and Labor $ 6946.06

(plus tax and shop fees)

 

There are several transfer cases on e-bay. Here is one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Tran...2em20Q2el1116QQitemZ250324143222QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Just make sure you call them and find out about their warranty and such before forking over any money.

 

Here is what the dealership just sent over:

Replace rear drive shaft due to non serviceable U-joint. Replace Transfer case due to stripped teeth on gear.

Replace valve body due to code PO868 per technical bulletin.

P0868 is the error code for the CVT's secondary pressure solenoid valve. It is unrelated to the transfer case failure. There may not have been a need to replace the valve body. Was the car running fine prior to the failure?

Unless the drive shaft disconnected from the transfer case when it failed there is no reason (in my opinion) to replace the drive shaft. It is free-wheeling at the rear differential so it could not have locked up. I do not understand how a u-joint failed.

The transfer case has an MSRP of $2,066. The driveshaft has an MSRP of $657. Although still expensive, I would think the repair costs would be less than half of what you were quoted.

Something just does not sound right.

-njjoe

 

An update:
Car is at the dealership since 9:00a.m.
I just received a call, "upper oil pan seal is leaking, gotta drop engine and CVT, seal is coming, will be ready Friday, the latest."
Has anyone ever heard about "upper oil pan seal"?
Or, they simply realized that wiping out transfer case does not solve the problem?!

Final Update:
After a week at the dealer, replaced:
Both(front &rear) upper oil pan gaksets;
Transfer Case seal and right side differential seal
( left diff. seal was replaced two weeks before)
Power steering pressure hose?!

Since MO isn't my primary car, today I took it for a spin:
Steering wheel isn't centered?1 It's 10-15 degrees off
( to drive straight I had to keep it @ 1:00 o'clock) It's not a biggie, but kinda annoying.
And what do you know, notice any fresh oil???

You can see better here: http://www.nissanmurano.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=4433&size=big&papass=&sort=1
I cleaned that mess and will keep an eye on it.
At this point I would really hate to explain my service adviser what has to be done.
BTW, since my second visit was follow up for a lousy job,
I shouldn't have paid any deductible($50).

 

Whew..."jacksheadache"...that really sucks. As you stated, I wish I had done my research before I bought our Murano. The vehicle is great but the CVT and tranfercase have me worried that one or the other will go out before the vehicle is even paid off. "ra3boy" I'd take the vehicle back if you are not satisfied with the work they did, make them straighten the steering wheel. It sure looks like a fresh leak in the picture...

 

Whew..."jacksheadache"...that really sucks. As you stated, I wish I had done my research before I bought our Murano. The vehicle is great but the CVT and tranfercase have me worried that one or the other will go out before the vehicle is even paid off. "ra3boy" I'd take the vehicle back if you are not satisfied with the work they did, make them straighten the steering wheel. It sure looks like a fresh leak in the picture...

This morning, I brought it back. I just want to hear what they come up with this time?! All the seals were replaced, so what's there to replace? a transfer case???

 

I had my transfercase replaced at 80,000 miles and now I've noticed the oil around the seal again :3:. Took it to the dealer and they changed the oil and said the seal is bad. It would be $50 for the gasket and $1600 to install it. I have 166,000 miles on the car. It looks like this is a service item that needs to be replaced every :11: 80,000 miles. I decided to just monitor the oil level for now.

 

Well. We found a very willing sales person and car dealership.. and traded the murano in only losing about $2,000 over what we paid for it.. better then the now $10,000 we had been quoted to replace almost everything but the motor.

It's too bad because we really liked the mo.. but I think that's the last one we will buy. We will be driving our Ford Edge until the wheels fall off and the 75,000 miles extended warranty is a nice option and something we should have did with the mo.

Anyway. I wish everyone on here with transfer case, cvt, and whatever issues come up down the road good luck!


Nicholas

 

Can't blame you and the Ford Edge is a nice ride.
Like the Murano, it has a unique look (Love it or Hate it) and it has been a far better car on intro, than the Murano was.

The Nissan CVT and Transfer case repairs will hurt Nissan deeply as the first Gen come out of warranty.

And it couldn't happen to a more deserving company.
Their head up the rectum service poliicies have hurt too many people and will continue to do so.
These cars will go to an early grave.
It is planned obsolecence personified.
Who is going to spend $7000 to repair a $7000 car?

The thing is, we here at Murano.org, have been predicting this for years.
It does not make me feel good to see it come true.

But as long as they are in warranty.....mine is still a nice ride.......for another 20 months.

BOL with the Edge!


Homer

 

Thanks! It hurts us letting the MO go because my wife REALLY loved that car and I've wanted one from the day they came out.

And I really do wish everyone on here the best of luck. Warrantys are a VERY good thing and I will never buy a car without one again.

 

Transfer Case Replacement

Hello. Thank you for building this forum containing quite a bit of useful information! I only wish I would have found it sooner.

After bringing my 04 Murano SL AWD in because of a service engine soon light, a leaky front left axle, and a ticking sound while coasting, I received the call from my local Nissan dealer yesterday telling me that the transfer case needs replacement. It has 75,165 miles on it- 165 miles past the extended warranty as (un)luck would have it and they will not budge on covering it, of course. $4500 later, I will have a ride barely worth $10K on trade in.

My question is for those who have had this work done or for those who know the results. Will my MO return to being the safe and reliable vehicle that it once was or is this just the start of many things to come? I have owned it since new and its been well cared for. Outside of routine maintenance, I have experienced problems with the drivers seat, an exhaust crack, and issues with the rear hatch handle- none of these things were covered under the extended warranty according to the dealer. But in the end, it hasn't been the worst vehicle I have owned.

So, what do you think- is it time to part ways or will the rest of the MO hold up?

Thank you in advance!

 

I just got back from Japan and realized there are very few MO's over there and wondering if perhaps that is why Nissan is not taking a very active role in trying to fix/improve their transmission issue. Maybe just because it's a low selling vehicle that it's not a big concern to them as it would be if it was happening to a more popular vehicle of theirs.

 

Almost 120,000 miles on my '05 and the dealer just told me today that the transfer case is leaking. I brought it in to have a wheel bearing replaced, so after they are done with that they are going to call me to let me know if the transfer case is making noise and needs to be replaced entirely. It's impossible to tell right now with the noisy wheel bearing.

At 65,000 they replaced the entire CVT (thankfully under extended warranty). I wish they would have replaced it at that point!

I guess I am luckier than some with this issue but I'll see later on today how much this thing is going to cost.

If they want to replace the TC, I'm wondering it is even worth it...

 

Well, they want to replace the seals... since the TC isn't making any noise. Around $950. Ouch!!

 

The AWD is *automatic* - you never need to lock it into AWD with the switch unless you are completely stuck. The owners manual warns against locking the AWD on dry pavement.

Under normal circumstances, the AWD is fully automatic and requires no button pressing, no intervention. All using AWD Lock does is force it to be AWD all the time and this causes additional driveline strain and wear.

You can choose to never buy a Nissan again, or you could read the owners manual.

I live in Manitoba, so of couse, subject to some bad driving conditions. My vehicle is a 2003 Murano with 84,000 kms. I was highway driving one day this winter, slippery sections on the highway so put on the 4 wheel drive. The next day, while backing up, heard a very loud clunk. The vehicle was clunking and vibrating so bad it was shaking the windows. The vehicle had a transfer case failure and had to be replaced at a cost of $3420 - for a used part!

I am told that if you put on the 4 wheel drive and drive it for more than 3 to 5 minutes on dry pavement that it will break - so where is the comfort in driving this 4 wheel drive vehicle when I am now afraid to use this function? I have owned other 4 wheel drives and never any concerns. If this is a Nissan design defect then they should come good for it.

Last Murano I will ever buy!

 

Joyce-

Welcome to the forum.

It is a shame that your first post is about a transfer case failure.

Nissan did a very poor job on the MO's AWD system. The transfer case is the Achilles Heal. It is relatively crude compared to others in it's class.

In the future, to minimize problems, do not engage the AWD LOCK switch. Instead just let the system operate in the automatic mode.

-njjoe

 

Well, here we go again. My 2007 SL AWD has a transfer case seal leak again. It was first discovered about a year ago and a couple of attempts were made to repair the problem. In the end the dealer replaced the original transfer case in May 2008. Long story short, after they swapped out the transfer case, they forgot to tighten the brackets supporting the propeller shaft and it fell off last summer in British Columbia during a 3 week road trip.

Since then, I noticed that the CVT makes a chattering sound at low speeds, usually when accelerating from a complete stop. Took MO in for an oil change a couple of weeks ago where they noticed that the seal between the transfer case and CVT was leaking. Dealer attempted yesterday to replace the transfer case seal but decided that the fluid in the transfer case was contaminated and are now in the process of replacing the entire thing again.

Since the leak occurs in the same seal everytime, doesn't it make sense that perhaps the transfer case isn't sitting snug/properly up against the CVT? Could the CVT side be warped or something? And if so, no matter how many transfer cases they install, the leak will persist.

Has anyone had luck pursuing a lemon law buyback on their AWD MO for the transfer case leaks?

 

Dealer attempted yesterday to replace the transfer case seal but decided that the fluid in the transfer case was contaminated and are now in the process of replacing the entire thing again.

Transfer case oil contaminated?? Contaminated by what?

The transfer case is a sealed unit. There are no other fluids anywhere near it.

Was it contaminated with metal shavings?

-njjoe

 

Make sure to file a complaint with NHTSA. If these transfer cases are ticking time bombs, its nice for them to have a record of it for future action.

 

Sad to see that this issue lingers on without Nissan acknowledging it. Every Murano owner I encounter gets the "have you checked your CVT for leaks" question...9 out of 10 thank me later and tell me that their M is serviced by a dealer...and of course never told about this problem!!!

I'm on the the third set of seals and no leaks after 10k...it's only a matter of time though!!!

 

Got MO back from the Dealer last night with transfer case # 3 in 18 months. According to the technician, the reason that they had to replace the entire thing was because the one they put in last year was missing the vent tube. They concluded that the contamination to the TC oil was from the unprotected hole where the vent tube should have been... They were very nice at the Dealer and did go out of their way with customer service. They stated that my experience with the MO has been "very unfortunate"...

So that raises the question of where did the TC vent go? Did it fall off the car in the last 9 months or was it missing to begin with? Did it fall off when the propeller shaft fell down?

I think I will file a complaint with the NHTSA as well as a written complaint to Nissan NA. According to the California lemon law, I guess I have to file a complaint with the manufacturer first before pursuing any legal action.

I'm due for 30K service in a couple of months so I will sit and wait to see if this new TC starts leaking by then and go from there.

 

hey concluded that the contamination to the TC oil was from the unprotected hole where the vent tube should have

By the way, there is not supposed to be any fluid in th

Got MO back from the Dealer last night with transfer case # 3 in 18 months. According to the technician, the reason that they had to replace the entire thing was because the one they put in last year was missing the vent tube. They concluded that the contamination to the TC oil was from the unprotected hole where the vent tube should have been... They were very nice at the Dealer and did go out of their way with customer service. They stated that my experience with the MO has been "very unfortunate"...

So that raises the question of where did the TC vent go? Did it fall off the car in the last 9 months or was it missing to begin with? Did it fall off when the propeller shaft fell down?

I think I will file a complaint with the NHTSA as well as a written complaint to Nissan NA. According to the California lemon law, I guess I have to file a complaint with the manufacturer first before pursuing any legal action.

I'm due for 30K service in a couple of months so I will sit and wait to see if this new TC starts leaking by then and go from there.

This guy spent an untold quantity of money on not one but THREE transfer case's. And the vent/breather tube on his TC wasn't even in place. THERE'S YOUR SIGN!

I am putting money on the breather tube having issues. I am inspecting my own MO tomorrow when I get a chance, specifically the vent tube. I have a hard time believing the biggest problem is with the seals themselves. Murphy's law. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong and those weak ass rubber hoses will deteriorate faster than anything else.

FYI was looking into how to fix my leaking TC (just found it this evening, explains the burning rubber smell). It was really not easy to find. I've been beneath it before but never saw this particular leak.