NHTSA Complaint #10440624 — 2004 NISSAN MURANO

THE PRESSURE HOSE OF THE POWER STEERING IS LEAKING EXTENSIVELY, TO THE POINT WHERE IT REQUIRED THE RESERVOIR TO BE REFILLED AN ABOUT 10 DAYS. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, THE POWER STEERING FLUID CAN BE SEEN DRIPPING ONTO THE EXHAUST, CREATING SMOKE AND A BURNING SMELL WHEN OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE PROBABLY BEGAN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY LEAKING OIL FROM THE UPPER OIL PAN (THE ALUMINUM SHROUD AROUND THE CRANK). ONCE THE UPPER OIL PAN LEAK WAS FIXED, THE PS PRESSURE HOSE LEAK BECAME MORE EVIDENT. APPARENTLY, THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE JUST RECENTLY, BECAUSE I ADDED SOME FLUID TO THE PS RESERVOIR WHEN I FIXED THE UPPER OIL PAN, AND MUCH OF THIS REPLACED FLUID DRAINED OUT WITHIN THE FOLLOWING 10 DAYS. CERTAINLY NOT WHAT I'D CALL A SAFE SITUATION, AND FROM READING THE ONLINE FORUMS ON NISSAN MURANO'S, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON SITUATION. *TR