Which Years Of Used Nissan Muranos Are Most Reliable?
Nissan Murano by Dinkun Chen – CC BY-SA 4.0
Nissan is a car brand that’s best described as a “hit or miss” auto manufacturer. While many Nissan models have been a mainstay of the automotive market, some have been forgotten and underdelivered. The two-row Nissan Murano certainly belongs to the former group as it’s one of the company’s most successful models.
If you’re looking to buy a used SUV, the Nissan Murano is an excellent choice for its responsive handling and fun-to-drive personality. However, is it a reliable used SUV?
Not all Nissan Murano are created equal since some models are more reliable than others. So for today’s post, we walk you through the different generations of the Nissan SUV and determine the most reliable Nissan Murano year and which ones are not worth the investment. Let’s dive right in.
2003-2007 Nissan Murano
The first generation Nissan Murano was touted as the budget BMW X5, thanks to its agile handling, distinctive styling, and overall fun-to-drive personality.
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Buy: 2003 Nissan Murano
Unlike many car models, the debut model of the Murano is quite reliable. Many drivers could put 150k-180k miles into their Murano SUV with a properly maintained unit. Over at CarComplaints.com, the 2003 Murano had the fewest complaints in the first-generation lineup. And with an average retail price of $3,325 - $4,050 for a used unit, the 2003 Murano is a great first car for young drivers.
However, it does have its sore spots, including the transmission. Also, if you’re in a northern state, check the cradle for rust before buying.
Avoid: 2004-2007 Nissan Murano
Unfortunately, the next three first-gen Muranos have received too many complaints to be considered reliable. In fact, we listed these models as the worst Murano years to avoid. For instance, the 2004 Nissan Murano received 970+ complaints and four recalls. It was also plagued with transmission issues, no thanks to the weak CVT that’s prone to failure. Another widespread problem for the 2004 Murano is that the door handle tends to break, with 30+ complainants on CarComplaints.com.
The 2005 Nissan Murano is also worth skipping due to thousands of complaints and six recalls, including recalls for the rear outboard seat belt and the wire breaking inside the alternator. Another common issue with this model is that the engine was prone to stalling, with an average repair cost of $3,500. Ouch.
2009-2014 Nissan Murano
The second-generation Murano was better in terms of reliability, but the earlier iterations were rough and problematic.
THE NISSAN MURANO YEARS TO AVOID
Let’s do a deep-dive into which Nissan Murano years to avoid so you can make the best possible car buying decision for your family.
Avoid: 2009-2010 Nissan Murano
The first two models of the second-gen Murano could have been more reliable. The 2009 Nissan Murano had over 800 complaints and four recalls under its belt. Plus, its main issue was with the soft brake pedal, causing the brakes to give out. In addition, the 2009 Murano also struggled with transmission issues. Consumer Reports also rated the 2009 model with a reliability verdict of 1.0 out of 5.0 and a customer satisfaction rating of 2 out of 5.0.
Meanwhile, the 2010 Murano was much better than the 2019 year, but it’s still worth skipping due to its reliability scores. Consumer Reports gave the 2010 model year a reliability verdict and a customer satisfaction rating of 2.0 out of 5.0. To its merit, this model had fewer complaints but still had the dreaded soft brake pedal issue.
Buy: 2012-2013 Nissan Murano
Both 2012 and 2013 Muranos are worthy of being called the most reliable Nissan Murano year models. These models enjoyed positive reviews and high reliability scores from survey reports. Although both SUVs received some reports for transmission issues, they were a lot less affected by the dreaded Nissan CVT curse. Overall, both of these SUVs are safe to buy as used.
Buy: 2014 Nissan Murano
The 2014 Nissan Murano delivers a combination of sleek styling, respectable fuel economy, and good reliability. As per CarComplaints, the last second-gen Murano only had 180+ complaints and one recall. Unfortunately, there were still reports of transmission issues for this model, but they’re less common now.CR also rated the 2014 Murano favorably, with a reliability verdict of 4.0 out of 5.0. According to CR, it had an excellent engine and drive system, but the transmission remained a troublesome issue.
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2015-Present Nissan Murano
If you’re looking for the most reliable Nissan Murano year, we recommend shopping in the SUV’s third generation lineup.
Avoid: 2015 Nissan Murano
The 2015 Nissan Murano is a skip for us, not because it has the most number of complaints, but because its issues were severe. As per CarComplaints, the 2015 Nissan Murano is the worst model for this SUV due to the severity of its problems and potentially high repair costs.
Unfortunately, the 2015 reportedly had the worst transmission woes out of all the Muranos. Its top complaints were about the jerky transmission and the violent vibrations also associated with the CVT transmission. Now, that doesn’t sound too bad until you realize the transmission needs to be rebuilt or replaced to the tune of $5,000 on average. We recommend skipping this one, especially when the rest of the generation was far more reliable and relatively problem-free.
Buy: 2016-2019 Nissan Murano
If you’re looking for the most reliable Nissan Murano year and newer, you should start your search with the 2016-2019 Murano.
For instance, the 2016 model was our top pick as the best Murano year, thanks to its top-notch reliability and safety ratings. In addition, the 2016 Murano is recommended by CR with a reliability verdict of a perfect 5.0 out of 5.0. For a used unit, you can expect to pay around $14,100 - $19,800 – which is excellent value for a relatively new Murano SUV.
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Meanwhile, the 2019 is another solid pick for a reliable SUV with excellent safety ratings and features. It features the Safety Shield 360, a safety suite of features including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, etc. Moreover, the 2019 Nissan Murano is also a “CR Recommended” model with a perfect 5.0 out of 5.0 reliability verdict.
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