1st generation (Z50) · Nissan FF-L / Z50 · 4,884 complaints, 4,061 with mileage
Owners filed 4,884 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003–2007 Nissan Murano, and 4,061 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 46,600 and 103,000 miles. The median is 71,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are seats (26.3% of complaints, typically around 69,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (12.0% of complaints, typically around 85,000 miles), the electrical system (10.8% of complaints, typically around 45,000 miles).
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 1,285 | 26.3% | 69,000 | 51,100–94,000 |
| Power Train | 585 | 12.0% | 85,000 | 65,312–110,000 |
| Electrical System | 528 | 10.8% | 45,000 | 19,860–100,000 |
| Visibility | 488 | 10.0% | 55,000 | 41,000–73,000 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 205 | 4.2% | 67,115 | 50,000–80,000 |
| Engine | 203 | 4.2% | 117,000 | 87,000–152,583 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 182 | 3.7% | 65,000 | 39,000–86,000 |
| Structure | 178 | 3.6% | 96,236 | 60,000–138,000 |
| Suspension | 171 | 3.5% | 124,000 | 84,000–152,028 |
| Unknown Or Other | 148 | 3.0% | 105,000 | 52,200–134,876 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1,050 | 892 |
| 2004 | 850 | 705 |
| 2005 | 1,169 | 992 |
| 2006 | 916 | 766 |
| 2007 | 899 | 706 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 71,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Seats account for 26.3% of complaints (1,285 reports, 1,157 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 69,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,100 and 94,000 miles.
A single system taking 26.3% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 12.0% of complaints (585 reports, 519 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 65,312 and 110,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.8% of complaints (528 reports, 429 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 45,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,860 and 100,000 miles.
Visibility equipment accounts for 10.0% of complaints (488 reports, 409 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 55,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 41,000 and 73,000 miles.
Latches and locks account for 4.2% of complaints (205 reports, 162 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 67,115 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 80,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 4.2% of complaints (203 reports, 171 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 117,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 87,000 and 152,583 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2005 model year drew the most — 1,169 complaints — while 2004 drew the fewest at 850. The median year sits at 916.
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Of the 4,884 complaints filed against this generation, 83 reported a crash; 24 reported a fire; 90 reported an injury; 1 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 1.7% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 46,600 and 103,000 miles, with a median of 71,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, seats and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Seats in particular shows a median failure mileage of 69,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Early-generation JATCO CVT failures: judder, delayed or absent engagement, loss of drive. Nissan extended the CVT warranty to 10 years / 120,000 miles on 2003-2010 CVT-equipped vehicles following a class action, which is the clearest public acknowledgment of the defect scope.