NHTSA Complaint #10258052 — 2005 NISSAN MURANO

WE WENT OUT AND STARTED THE CAR ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT OF LAST WEEK AND A VERY LOUD VIBRATING SOUND COULD BE HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DUE TO THE TIGHT QUARTERS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, I WAS NOT ABLE TO INVESTIGATE VERY MUCH. IT WAS OBVIOUS THE NOISE OCCURRED ONLY UNDER LOADS. NISSAN INVESTIGATED THE FOLLOWING DAY AND INFORMED US THE IDLER PULLEY BRACKET HAD A CRACK AND AS A RESULT IT TORE INTO THE BELTS. NISSAN STATED IT NEEDED TO BE FIXED BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH THE BRACKET BEING CRACKED. BOTH THE BRACKET AND BELTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT ASAP ($400). THE CAR HAS AN EXISTING POWERTRAIN AND BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, NEITHER OF WHICH COVERED THIS. IN ADDITION, NISSAN SAID THIS HAPPENS ONCE AND AWHILE SO I LOOKED THE ISSUE UP ONLINE AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS. IN ADDITION, IT APPEARS THIS FAIL RESULTS MORE OFTEN IN CARS THAT HAD THE ALTERNATOR RECALL REPAIRED AND IN DOING THAT REPAIR, THIS BRACKET IS EITHER DAMAGED OR TORQUED TOO TIGHTLY BACK IN PLACE. HAD THIS PIECE COMPLETELY BROKEN WHILE DRIVING, WE COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THESE BRACKETS CONSIDERING THEY CLAIM IT "DOES OCCUR", IT "CAN'T BE DRIVEN SAFELY" WITH IT BEING CRACKED. THERE IS NO REASON A BRACKET LIKE THIS SHOULD FAIL, ESPECIALLY AFTER ONLY 4 YEARS AND 36,000 MILES. *TR