Problems with 2003 Nissan Murano ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Nissan murano 2003 (42,000 miles) driving down the highway and car stalling. battery light came on and brake light came on. almost had another car rear end me. after speaking with nissan service center, panama city, fl i found out it was most likely a failed alternator. a check on the world wide web revealed many other owners having the same problem with a defective alternator.

My 2003 had two alternator failures. one in 2004 and one in may of 2005.

1-the car at 4000 miles lost power on the road and completly died, the car was towed to the nissan dealer and the action taken was to replace the alternator 2- driving on the highway the car was failing to accelerate, i turned off the air and made it to the deale, reorted it, the dealer took no action but complied with a bulletin that was out, this was at 18,000 3- at 22500miles the car was expiriencing the same acceleration problem, i agian took the car to the dealer and reported this to them since the check engine light was on, the dealer reported that they could not find the problem 4- at 24800 miles april 22nd the car again lost complete power in the middle of the road as i was changing lanes and it stalled, which almost caused an accident, the car was moved and it was towed to the nissan dealer, were they called me on the 23rd and informed me that it was an alternator problem and that it needed to be replaced, the service manager raul fernandez, finally called me back after a few attemps to reach a manager at bill sidels nissan and informed me that this was a regular problem with the nissan murano that they get 4-5 cars a day with the same problem and also that there was no alternators in stock so it would probably be a few more days, he also informed me that the factory can't seem to fix the problem since the 2005 models are having the same problem . i am very afraid that this can cause an accident and lives could be lost.

At 22,695 miles. loss of power, decreased gas mileage, battery and engine light came on. car was drivable to dealer. nissan replaced with rebuilt alternator.

My alternator has failed twice. the first time was under warranty this time it failed in my driveway. dealer replaced, not under warranty

Alternator failed. the vechicle's battery light went on and within 15 minutes the car would not move. the car was towed to the dealership where the car was purchased.

The alternator on my 2003 nissan murano failed. there were 22,450 miles on the car. it was replaced under the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty

I have a 2003 nissan murano, the alternator failed at 36,000 miles, which will cost about $900 to fix - including the tow and recommended new battery - seems very high to me. according to freshalloy.com, this is a common occurrence with these cars.

At about 36,600 miles, the battery and brake light both came on. after tapping the emergency brake lightly several times, both lights went off. however, 100 miles later, both lights came on again. at 36,835 miles, while driving 55 mph at night to dulles airport, the vehicle became sluggish, the accelerator pedal became unresponsive, dash lights dimmed, and the vehicle coasted and stalled, all within about 700 meters, after which it wouldn't start. we got aaa plus towing the 70 miles back home, and drove our '95 maxima back down! purchased this 2003 sl vehicle in altoona pa, courtesy motors. we are taking it to brenner nissan, located in mechanicsburg, pa. they have a good reputation locally and we'll report on the outcome! -update- 0800: arrived at brenner nissan. jim, ed and troy greet. troy checks something in the back, ed checks parts availability. coffee's good. 0830: enterprise rental vehicle arrives at the dealer! 1548: jim calls, murano's ready -- we'd decided to catch up on the 30,000 mi. major service today, and it turns out nissan goodwill covered the alternator and rental car 100%. service cost $488.60 incl. tax.

Alternator failure nissan murano mine is 2003 sl sunlit copper purchased 1/2003 now has 42000 miles. battery and brake light on. nissan customer service refused to acknowledge that there is a problem with premature failure of the alternator.say i am sol as i have exceeded the warranty mileage even though the vehicle is two years old. i will be posting this problem all over the internet and contacting the local television station as this is a safety issue as the car dies and is not drive able. on the nissanmurano.org forum a poll shows that 93 out of 203 respondents have had alternator failures a 46% failure rate. mine left me dead in an intersection with engine only able to idle while in drive no throttle response while in drive but throttle responded when in park. i feared for my life as i was barely able to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. my car has been parked for over 2 weeks as the only availability for the alternator is from nissan. only other problem with the car has been getting locked out more than once. again nissan will not acknowledge a problem even though i brought this to their attention at about 2000 miles.

Alternator failure @ 16,500 miles with subsequent battery failure due to alternator failure. complete loss of power occurred. very dangerous situation. www.nissanmurano.org shows 25 pages of nissan murano alternator failure scenarios.

On aoril 30, 2005, my vehicle 2003 nissan murano's engine stopped running and stranded my wife in middle of night causing major inconvenience in serving her patients at er. when i took the car to dealer, their initial assessment was to replace battery, which i agreed reluctantly (it is very uncommon for batter to go bad in 2 years). then they advised me that alternator needs to replace which will be covered by warranty. i told them since alternator caused the battery to get discharge, i felt that nissan should pay for that too. the dealer said that they can not. however, about couple of weeks, i recvd a recall notification sating the following: "on some 2003-2005 nissa murano vehicles, there is a possibility that a wire breaking inside alternator could stop the battery from charging. if this happens (which happened in my case), the charge warning lamps will immediately come on and the battery will begin to discharge. after short time, the engine will go into a "fail safe" condition which will limit vehicle speed. very shortly after this, the engine wll stop running. this could result in a crash". this is exactlywhat happened in our case that caused battery to go bad. nissan clearly responsible for battery too.

While driving down one of the busiest 8 lane highways in tampa my car decided that it didn't want to stay cranked and died right smack in the middle of the intersection. luckily, my room mate was behind me and jumped out to help me push it back into the parking lot. we assumed it was out of gas, which it wasn't. afterwards, we realized that we tried to jump the car off because now it wasn't turning over. it cranked , and i made it to the intersection. again, it died on me once more. so we left the car overnight in barnes and noble parking lot. i came back sunday afternoon may 1, 2005 and replaced the battery. it cranked right up. i drove 2 miles home. then 6 miles to north tampa, only to have my car die pulling into the parking lot of a friend's apartment complex. i let it sit for a few hours, cranked it up and it cranked. then managed to make it to the on ramp of i75 south, only to have it die again. it wa s now sitting at a friends house. i managed to drive it 1 mile an hour in idle into someone's apartment complex, where it now sits waiting for someone to tow it to the nissan dealership.*ak

Alernator failure at 28,000 miles, the battery light and brake light came on. no other symptoms. took it to dealer. dealer replaced it under warranty

Battery and brake indicator lights on dashboard came on. next evening (approximately 10 miles later), the lights dimmed and electrical accessories failed while driving down a 4 lane road. moments later the car went into "limp mode" (less than 5 mph). i was able to navigate off the road, but couldn't move very far. the engine would run fine (while the car was in park or neutral), but would immediately go into limp mode when shifted into gear. following a couple of restarts ... the battery finally went completely dead and couldn't restart engine. towed to nissan ... replaced alternator.*ak

On a saturday while driving down the road, the brake and charge lights came on, but the car continued to run fine. we checked the obvious things - brake fluid, alternator belt - all looked fine. i kept the driving to a minimum and planned to head to the dealer first thing monday. on my way there, barely a mile from my house, the car lost power. the engine kept running, but no acceleration. i was able to coat into someone's driveway and out of a two lane back road before i lost momentum. called the dealer and they had a truck come and pick me and the car up. alternator was replaced under warranty. his is a 2003 se awd and had 23500 miles when the alternator failed.*ak

At 27,780 miles on my 2003 nissan murano i turned the car on and the brake and battery lights both stayed on. looked through the book, no indicator as to what it was, called tacoma nissan and they said to bring it in tuesday morning. drove it home from work. it sat in the garage for 5 hours, drove it to school, it sat for 3 hours, drove home then right back to school, car sat for another 3 hours, drove to taco bell <1mile away. as i went to pull out of the taco bell onto the busy street, i pressed the accelerator and there was no response in the car. i hit the brakes and stayed on the side street. i put the car in and out of different gears, thinking the gear box had failed. no responce. pulled the car over and turned it off. started it up again and still no response while in gear. turned it off again and attempted to restart it. clicking. dead alternator. murano was towed to tacoma nissan where it sits now as they replace the alternator.*ak

Brake and battery lights came on simultaneously, indicating incipient alternator failure. nissan murano (2003) taken to dealer for alternator replacement.*ak

Alternator for 2003 nissan murano failed at 12000 miles. there are many more complaints at nissanmurano.org some report alternator failure as early as 3500 miles.*ak

Car had lost power on a few occassions a year ago, which was brought to nissans attention. they performed diagnostics and said there were no codes. shortly there after the vehicles battery went dead. took it to nissan, they replaced it, and charged us for the battery. approximately 6 months later we got loss of power again followed by brake and battery light coming on then car died. after research i see there was a tsb but no one at the dealership told me about it even after i had asked them if there had been any tsbs issued since this was the first year of the vehicles exsistance. my wife was driving the car when the loss of power occurred and thank god she was not hit!!!!! *ak

While driving driver noticed that the vehicle started slowing down. afterwards the dashboard lights flashed on and off. also, driver noticed that the steering and the brakes failed to work properly. the vehicle stalled, and the driver was unable to restart vehicle, and it was towed to the dealer. mechanic determined that the alternator needed to be replaced. driver informed the mechanic that this was the second replacement of the alternator, but problem has not been resolved. *ak

I was driving my car and the battery and brake service lights came on. i drove it to the local nissan dealership and they advised the alternator needed to be replaced. i new part is being ordered and the part will be replaced.*ak

Immediately after battery charging light and brake light came on i went to the dealer because i was aware of this common problem and didn't want to get stranded. they confirmed that the alternator was not putting out any voltage ,and replaced the alternator. they kept the old part.*ak

Repeating alternator failure, first failure around less than one year old (around 18,000 miles) repeated failure around 40,000 miles. car is currently two year old. replaced alternator after first failure, but continued to have repeated failures. old alternator is available. *jb

At 38k my battery light and brake light came on. the next day i was driving it to the dealership when it completely stopped running. took it to the dealership and they said it was the alternator and battery. alternator costing me $580+$115 for the battery+$100 for towing. *jb

In february 2005 the alternator failed to charge the battery and the car slowed to a complete stop and the battery died in the middle of a busy intersection. i had to tow the car to the nearest dealership and the car was repaired 48 hours later. in march 2005 the gas tank lid wouldn't open and the car was running out of gas. i drove the car to the dealership and it took 48 hours to repair. however, the "repair" was done by prying the lid open and i still have not recieved the new part. in may 2005 the transmission failed in the middle of a busy intersection and i had to tow the car to the dealership. they still have the car and expect to have it for two weeks at least. they cannot guarentee that they will pay for the rental car costs which will amount to at least $350 at $25 a day. this car only has 35,000 miles on it.

Premature alternator &/or battery failure. *ak

Driving on a freeway the car's battery lights came up. took it to dealer and was suggested nothing is wrong. dont worry. on the way back the car stalled on freeway. got it towed to the dealership. next day i was told there was an alternator issue. it is a nissan murano 2003. *ak

The brake light and battery light came on my 2003 murano, about 5,000 miles after the warranty expired. i called the dealership the next morning and was told it was likely the alternator and told the vehicle may not make it in to the dealership for repair (it seems they knew of this problem before even examining it). i had another car follow me in but luckily made it in but the problem was the alternator failed and had to be replaced for $560. i have recently gone online and found this is an all to common problem with the alternator in this vehicle and nissan needs to address this, i was lucky not to be stranded.*ak

Alternator failure - 2003 nissan murano @ 27,400 miles. (1) no unisual activity - at highway speed (~60 mph). (2) sudden illumination of "alternator" and "brake" light on dash. immediately drove vehicle to dealer (~ 35 miles) after extinguishing lights (daylight - 8.30am local time) and all unnecessary accessories. (3) vehicle is now in hands of dealer for troubleshooting.*ak

In early january 2005, the charge warning and brake warning lights came on while operating my 2003 nissan murano. as a result, i contacted nissan service dept in my city. i took it in, they replaced the battery and the alternator without charge. however, the service department was not aware of problems with the nissan of this nature. they did indicate that a couple had been in recently for the same problem. because my car was under warranty, it was free repairs, however the repairs were not done in a timely manner since they were not going to be getting any money from me. i'm a single mom with two kids who relies on the safety and accessibility of my vehicle. to be driving a car with these kind of problems could have been tragic. the inconvenience of not having a vehicle is hindering given the need to attend work and school for the kids. i wish someone would have said something more than 8 months ago. *jb

Vehicle stalled at 35 mph. consumer took vehicle to dealer for check up, and results showed that alternator needed to be replaced.*ak

(1) two days of driving on and off road in death valley national park, during which this failure would have been beyond catastrophic.*ak (2) the "charge system failure" idiot light illuminated on the way home, just 20-30 miles out of dv on wednesday morning, and miraculously i was able to drive all the way to the nearest service in mojave ca on the battery alone, the alternator having failed. after verifying the failure with a volt-meter and recharging in mojave, i drove west towards the nearest nissan dealership, and fell short by just 11 miles when i lost all power on west bound highway 58 on the outskirts of bakersfield ca. aaa towed my family and i the rest of the way into the dealership. (3) bakersfield nissan replaced the alternator in about 3 hours and sent us on our way back home to northern california.

Nissan murano, 2003, awd, sl has just had an alternator failure. break and battery lights on (classic symptom) dealer confirms and will replace (after xmas..ugh). seems to be many failed alternators on nissan muranos 2003, 2004, and 2005.*ak

1) alternator went dead on 12/4 (saturday) in sausalito with both "battery" and "brake" lights on. drove for another 20 miles by going through sf downtown and then got strandled on highway 80 bay bridge, right before oakland!! almost got serious car accidents trying to pull over!! 2) spent 4 hours outside in 30f freezing temp to finally reach nissan's road-side assistance and have the toll service to toll the car back to sunnyvale, bay area. nissan's road-side assitance number is invisible from the service manuals! 3) nissan dealer replaced the alternator on 12/6 (monday) right away. don't know if the new alternator will be ok without ever failing again?*ak

2003 nissan murano sl awd. second alternator failure. alternator failed 23 nov 03 during highway driving at night, from washington, d.c. to charlottesville, va. light traffic, no accident/injuries. towing to charlottesville dealership cost $300, not reimbursed. vehicle under warranty, so repair was done at no cost to me; rental vehicle provided. alternator failed again (this was a new, replacement part) 10 nov 2004. vehicle still underwarranty. failure took place during city driving in heidelberg, germany (i am a us army officer). local german dealer told me i had to arrange for new part directly from nissan north america because the vehicle is not supported yet in europe (goes on sale here spring 2005). very poor customer service from nissan north america. it took 5 calls (international, long distance) and 18 days to finally be told my loca, german dealer would have to arrange for parts, i would pay for parts and labor, and nissa na would reimburse me. local dealer was great (nissan mueller; heidelberg, germany) and had repair done in 2 days. however, no rental vehicle provided. invoice was sent via email (pdf file) as instructed by nissan na, but when i called to check status a week later, no action had yet been taken. i intend to follow up again 27 dec 04 and will submit follow-on complaint if reimbursement is not in progress.*ak

Car stalled and failed to accelerate and then gave out. waited three hours to be towed to nearest dealer by 1-800-nissan. alternator and battery were replaced nov 2004at 36000 miles at no cost still under warranty. may 2005 brake light and battery light came on car started to stall on higway. made it of the highway into a parking lot and car gave out. had it towed by dealer. alternator was once again replaced at no charge because i have extended warranty. asked dealer if there was problem and they said no. since then the car shuts of immediately after starting engine. i left it at the dealer again on 5-24-05 to be checked. my warranty will soon run out at 49000 and i have no confidence that this problem will be resolved. i have also reported the problem to consumer affairs at nissan. i have one more year left on my lease. i recently received a promotion from bill seidle nissan in miami where i had my car repaired the first time, that says that they are doing a special test market promotion. they are in desperate need to acquire prew-owned 2003 nissan muranos by may 31st. they claim they will buy back my current vehicle. not a bad offer but i do not want another nissan. please help.

Nissan murano 2003 alternator failuers march 24, 2004 - alternator replaced at 25,537 miles. october 23, 2004 - wife and child stranded on side of road - needs another new alternator 36,800 miles. *ak pe04077_cat

Dt: the consumer states that the 2003 nissan murano experienced a loss of power while driving at 20 mph. the vdc off and the slip where the lights t came on in the dashboard. these lights came on the first time that this happened. the next time that the loss of power was experienced the light did not come on. the car has been at the dealership twice for this issue. the dealer has no idea why the car is doing this, specifically states the consumer. the consumer has contacted nissan directly by mail and received a message from nissan that they wanted to schedule a final repair attempt at the dealership. the muranos shifter was also sticking, and you could not get the car to go into park or reverse. the car would not go any higher than neutral. the car has been in the dealership three times for this problem. the owners of the car have filed for the lemon law. *ak

Alternator failure. *ak

Alternator failed at 32000. seems this is chronic with nissan murano's and i fear that my replacement alternator will be as bad and also fail at 60000 -- falling beyond my warranty and costing much to replace.*ak

Alternator died, new part had to be ordered and replaced. *nm

Alternator failure around 24000.*ak

Alternator failure. driving home brake light and battery light came on together. researched on internet...seemed to indicate alternator faluire. found numerous similar complaints on murano.org and freshalloy.com. dealer closed for long weeked, had to rent car. problem confirmed by dealer, alternator replaced for apx 550.00. car was 1700 miles over warranty, no goodwill coverage. car is 18 months old. 37700 miles. lucky to make it home..according to others car will die as soon as battery looses its charge, causing instant shutdown, very dangerous.*ak

Driving when battery light and brake light came on. this was followed by complete power failure. i was towed to nissan dealer where i described the problem. service rep said "your alternator failed--nissan put in a bad batch of alternators in the muranos." nissan however made me pay the $640 cost of repair because i was 2800 miles ober the 36,000 mile warranty.*ak pe04077_cat

Car quit running while driving; no warning. had to coast across lanes of fast-moving traffic to safe spot off side of road, narrowly avoided being hit by fast-moving cars behind me. car was towed to nissan dealer; alternator was replaced. old part not available. *jb

Vehicle is having a hard time turning on whenever it is being started, as well as the brake lights do not turn on .*ak

I was pulling off the freeway when my car started to hesitate. when i got to the light my car stalled and the panel lights dimmed. after some time i was able to get to a safe place to call aaa and i towed the car to the dealer. i was told it was the alternator and they didn't have the part and i had to wait over a week and 1/2 before i was able to get my car back. *tr

The service engine light came on and the vehicle stalled. the dealer stated the crank shaft senor burned up.. the alternator and the control module has been replaced. *jb the crank shaft sensor has been replaced multiple times by dealer. *tc

Alternator failure - no event led up to the event. i was driving along and the brake and battery lights came on. i drove to the local nissan dealer and the alternator was replaced.*ak