I'm not aware of any changes to the grill that would make my '06 any different to the earlier models, but I won't bet my paycheck on it.

 

Are the grilles all the same on the first generation? I've been looking on ebay and some are listed 03-07, while others are listed 06 and 07. Did Nissan change anything in the last couple years?

06 and 07 grills are different from earlier ones. The front openings are different and the chrome has a hint of black. However, I think they will fit the same.

 

06 and 07 grills are different from earlier ones. The front openings are different and the chrome has a hint of black. However, I think they will fit the same.

Thanks. They look the same on the listings so that's why I was wondering.

 

I'm curious as to whether any of that had the same rippling on their grills got any compensation for sympathy from their local Nissan Dealer? Specifcally the other Chicago area guys!

I still haven't ordered a replacement and the local dealer still hasn't seen the damage....

 

For all of you guys with a 2004 MO in need of a new chrome grill to replace your rippled chrome grill, just found one on ebay that is used and being sold, six hours remaining and going for just $31 as of the current highest bidder. Just figured in case you don't have any luck with the dealerships or Nissan, this would save you some money.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004...-nissan-murano-grill-chrome_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33645QQitemZ230321597032

 

Grill Chrome

I am currently shopping for a Murano in the Mpls, St Paul area. I noticed on all the 2005's on the lot (3)...had the peeling grill symptom starting. All were just starting to show above the Nissan badge. I hope I'll be able to make an agreement with the dealer to install a new grill if I end up buying.
By the way, I'm a die-hard GM fan but my wife fell in love with the 'Mo' and has driven a few. I must admit I'm looking forward to buying one in the next few weeks.

 

Good luck, I would have some sort of agreement with the seller as I would image it will only get worse.

 

UPDATE:

Contributing back to the forum for the users have similar symptoms and haven't had their grills fixed.

I was previously denied by 2 dealers and the 800-Nissan customer service all via phone calls. Decided to drop in to one of my local dealers to see what they would say to the damage first hand.

SM told me they'd write it up and submit it for reimbursement in their system: not sure if that's the same Consumer Service or not.
Anyway, it came back that it was definitely out of warranty (I knew that!) but offered to provide courtesy replacement of the grill at 310.00 (OEM price). Only 1 condition. I had to pay their labor rate to have their tech do the install. I tried to get around by requesting that they provide the part for free and I'd install. Denied.

SOOOO... for about 88.00 labor rate which is cheaper than the OEM replacements on ebay, I agreed. Installed the new OEM grill in about 1 hour and I'm happy. Saved myself some work to boot. Ebay replacements in like new condition were going for around 130-140 and you have to install yourself.

So there you have it. Chicago guys with the same problems as mine. Take it in to your local Nissan Dealer and tell them you want the same. Heck, reference my scenario on my '04.

Good luck and Thanks to everyone that contributed on this thread!

 

venams03;
That sounds like it worked out the way a business should be run. Good going.
Perhaps you can give the name of the dealership you took it to so that perhaps others with similar problems can go there too if not too far out of the way.
:29:

 

venams03 ~

Sounds like an acceptable solution to me! Nice going!

Not ideal, of course, but I actually think that's pretty fair. With the car being out of warranty, and Nissan's typical customer service, I say you have a pretty good dealer that's willing to work with you. Definitely share the name of that dealership. That's better service than I've gotten at any of the three dealerships I've been to in the Seattle area.

 

Sure.

The dealer is Woodfield Nissan:

700 W Higgins Rd
Hoffman Estates, IL 60195


Tell 'em Dave sent you and ask for "PETE" (auto technician)

That guy was one of the nicest and most knowledgable techs I've ever talked to bar none! I think he said he's worked on Nissans for 20+ years. He definitely knows his stuff.

Good Luck!

 

Tell 'em Dave sent you and ask for "PETE" (auto technician)
That guy was one of the nicest and most knowledgable techs I've ever talked to bar none! I think he said he's worked on Nissans for 20+ years. He definitely knows his stuff.
Good Luck!

Did he happen to say what he thought might have caused this problem and if there were any other history of this?

 

Re: Grill Chrome

I am currently shopping for a Murano in the Mpls, St Paul area. I noticed on all the 2005's on the lot (3)...had the peeling grill symptom starting. All were just starting to show above the Nissan badge. I hope I'll be able to make an agreement with the dealer to install a new grill if I end up buying.
By the way, I'm a die-hard GM fan but my wife fell in love with the 'Mo' and has driven a few. I must admit I'm looking forward to buying one in the next few weeks.

Dave -
I highly recommend checking out Poquet Auto, which is where I bought my MO. It was the best car buying experience of my life, and we will be shopping for cars there from now on - period. I've also now had 3 friends buy cars there.

They are not a brand specific dealer, and carry nothing but 1-owner lease returns. I paid less than blue book, and got more than blue book for my trade. They also offered several things the moment I started looking at the car without me ever asking - brand new floor mats, ordered 2nd pair of headphones for DVD system, ordered 2nd intelligent key (they only had one), fixed minor issue with the center console, and had the rear bumper re-painted due to some minor scratches.

They are located at 55 / 100 - not sure if that is technically Minneapolis or Golden Valley.

Feel free to PM me about my experience.

Sorry to hijack the topic.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll check them out Mon.

 

Did he happen to say what he thought might have caused this problem and if there were any other history of this?

He told me that he thought that there was an opening or a chip somewhere on the grill. Moisture entered there with the extreme low temps and exanded thus bubbling the whole are. I don't believe that. I then reiterated that there wasn't one scatch or blister on the grill prior to this happening and it occurred overnight.

He raised his eyebrows and did not have a reply!

 

You're not alone. Left the gym today, walking to my car I saw a lady picking at my grill (she thought it was her Rogue). The front on my grill had a 2"x2" bubble, star shaped. I then noticed a couple of smaller bubbles forming. Unlike you, I don't have a garage so my car sits out at night, parking garage during the day.

The only thing I can think it could be is the weather and the salt mixture they've been putting down on the roads. Maybe they've added something to the mixture to cause a reaction, who knows.

Anyway, good luck with your battle.

2004 Murano SL

 

2005 Murano SL AWD owner in the Chicago burbs here with the same bubbling problem!


I thought I would have been the only one, and I signed on today for the first time in MONTHS to make others aware of my plight. Much to my dismay, I come to find quite the thread from my fellow Chicagoland area Mo men and women.

WTF is the deal with this vehicle?! One day I am confident this is the best 18k I ever spent, and the next I am questioning whether it is worth the plastic and alloy it is built out of........

I'm not wasting my money on another piece of plastic for the grill, I'm going billet this time, and not looking back. :3:

 

It happened to mine too!

I have a 2005 Murano. I had it for about a year when that problem started with the grille. It definitely was not as severe as yours, but I noticed some bubbling on the grille. I thought it was from the car wash. I took it to my dealer Walser Nissan in Burnsville, MN. They said it was an ongoing problem and figured there was a bad batch of grilles made. They replaced it free of charge. But of course it was still under the warranty.

I suggest you try for a goodwill repair. I did it for my seat rocking problem. It took about 6 weeks, but they did cover the cost (which was almost $1000) of all the parts and labor. That was in October 2008 (outside of my warranty).

Hope this helps!

 

I would peal the rest off and paint the grill semi-gloss black. I think it would look neat with the crome Nissan emblem

 

Yeah, mine isn't under warranty any more, so I'm not even going to try it with Gerald Nissan here. They gave me a stink about throwing in the Cargo cover for the rear floor when I first bought it (used), even though the marks on the carpet showed that there was one in there when it was turned in off lease.


I'm considering blacking out/black chroming all the chrome/aluminum on the exterior anyway. Mine is midnite blue with extra tinted windows, and the vehicles I have seen with the blue paint/black trim scheme are pretty sharp looking.


Gotta find a cheap set of gloss black rims that maintain the same tire/wheel size so I can just swap tires.

 

I'm considering blacking out/black chroming all the chrome/aluminum on the exterior anyway. Mine is midnite blue with extra tinted windows, and the vehicles I have seen with the blue paint/black trim scheme are pretty sharp looking.

Getting rid of the exterior chrome definitely gives a dark colored car a much classier look. On lighter colored cars (especially silver ones) the chrome doesn't look nearly as gaudy as it does on black or dark blue cars.

Too bad Nissan felt compelled to put so much chrome on the Mo's - even the SE's.

 

Chrome Plating Issues

-5 degree one morning on way in to work and chrome plate separation on grill that same evening., Guy in Chicago, your not alone.. I personally think that chrome plated plastic sucks period. Its not the first time its failed and won't be the last. But that’s the way they all make them now and days. If your grill is not bubbleling yet. count your lucky stars. MO 2004
p.s. no acetone required.

 

Re: Chrome Plating Issues

-5 degree one morning on way in to work and chrome plate separation on grill that same evening. If your grill is not bubbleling yet. count your lucky stars. MO 2004
p.s. no acetone required.

Of course the weather here in New England is far more mild than what you have in Chicago, but I wonder if this is a problem unique to your part of the country? For example, are extremely cold (like 0 degree or less) temperatures combined with something they put on the roads in the midwest combining to cause the chrome plating to come off?

Again, that seems to be the area where most of these problems are occurring.

 

Again; another '04......
The vast majority of problems occuring seems to affect the '04 models. Could be related to manufacturing issue with a bad batch produced at a certain time-frame.
The cold may provoke the problem; however up here in Canada the weather is colder at times in the(especially in the midwest) and still do not affect models other than '04s.

 

I bought a 2005 Murano back in November of 2008, and my grill did this over the winter also. I've kept my eye on other Muranos around town and saw that the majority of them are having the bubbling issue. I live in Iowa and we've had some cold days, so I blamed it on the winter. I'll be visiting the dealer that I bought the car from soon in order to ask what they can do for me.

It is sad to see this happen on the first car I've purchased myself.