Nissan Murano Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 1,892 NHTSA complaints, the Nissan Murano years to avoid are 2009, 2010 and 2015 — the worst logged up to 6.1× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by transmission failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5 | 3 | 1 | N/A |
| 2009 | 635 | 415 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2010 | 189 | 109 | 0 | AVOID |
| 2011 | 148 | 91 | 0 | CAUTION |
| 2012 | 134 | 59 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2013 | 72 | 31 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2014 | 143 | 69 | 1 | CAUTION |
| 2015 | 201 | 104 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2016 | 107 | 47 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2017 | 107 | 42 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2018 | 15 | 5 | 2 | BEST |
| 2019 | 41 | 8 | 1 | BEST |
| 2020 | 44 | 13 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2021 | 16 | 1 | 0 | BEST |
| 2022 | 5 | 2 | 0 | N/A |
| 2023 | 6 | 3 | 0 | N/A |
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 1 | N/A |
| 2025 | 20 | 10 | 2 | SOLID |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Nissan Murano. Full methodology.
Common Nissan Murano problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Nissan Murano are transmission, electrical, brakes. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Loss of motive power / stalling on acceleration
· Nissan Murano 2012–2017Corroborated by 14 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 155 transmission complaints across 2012–2017, typically 64,000–116,000 miles.
Airbag light blinking / occupant sensor malfunction
· Nissan Murano 2012–2025Corroborated by 13 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 38 electrical complaints across 2012–2025, typically 90,000–179,613 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $149–$4,000.
Brake and steering system failure
· Nissan Murano 2015–2018Corroborated by 5 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 44 brakes complaints across 2015–2018.
Why these years stand out
2009 Nissan Murano: 635 owner complaints on federal record, 415 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Murano.
2010 Nissan Murano: 189 owner complaints on federal record, 109 of them severe — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Murano.
2015 Nissan Murano: 201 owner complaints on federal record, 104 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Murano.
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FAQ
What years of the Nissan Murano should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Nissan Murano years to avoid are 2009, 2010 and 2015 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by transmission issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Nissan Murano?
The 2018, 2019 and 2021 Nissan Murano show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Nissan Murano verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Nissan Murano's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Nissan Murano before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Nissan Murano reliable?
The Nissan Murano's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 1,892 NHTSA owner complaints, 2009, 2010 and 2015 rate "avoid", while 2018, 2019 and 2021 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Nissan Murano?
The most-reported problem area for the Nissan Murano is transmission, followed by electrical and brakes. Confirmed failures include loss of motive power / stalling on acceleration, airbag light blinking / occupant sensor malfunction, brake and steering system failure. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Nissan Murano across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Nissan Murano, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.