NHTSA Complaint #10605567 — 2004 NISSAN MURANO

I WAS DRIVING ON MY WAY TO A NEAR HIGHWAY WITH MY TWO CHILDREN, AND I HEARD A SMALL KNOCKING NOISE. I SLOWED DOWN TO A NEAR PARKING LOT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ENGINE COVER THAT WAS LOOSE, BUT THE VEHICLE CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. WHEN I HAD IT TOWED, AFTER MOTHERS DAY WEEKEND, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSFER CASE. NISSAN OFFERS A WARRANTY FOR THE CVT TRANSMISSION (DUE TO KNOWN FAILURES WITH IT) THAT COVERS 10 YEARS 120,000 MILES, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TRANSFER CASE (WHICH IS ANOTHER KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 03 04 MURANO MODELS). IT COST $3,178 TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP (WHICH I HAD DONE). WHEN LOOKING FOR THIS PART THERE IS A VAST INCREASE IN PRICE BETWEEN THE 03 04 MODEL IN COMPARISON TO ANY OTHER MODEL, BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A HIGHER DEMAND FOR THIS PARTICULAR PART (WHICH INDICATES THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THESE MODELS). I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE SEALS FROM THE TRANSMISSION WERE LEAKING, HENCE WHY IT BROKE. THE PROBLEM IS, THAT I WAS AT THAT SAME DEALERSHIP NOT TOO LONG BEFORE DUE TO AN ALTERNATOR PROBLEM, AND THEY GAVE ME A LIST OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE WHICH INCLUDED: THE BELT, THE BELT TENSIONER, ALTERNATOR, WHEEL BEARING, AND REAR BRAKES, BUT NEVER MENTIONED LEAKING SEALS ON THE TRANSFER CASE. THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY FACTORS INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING/ENGINEERING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSFER CASE ON THESE TWO MODELS THAT WAS FIXED ON LATER MODELS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING VEHICLE. I ASKED NISSAN TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE OR GIVE ME SOME SORT OF SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM, BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT AFTER THE LAST EXPERIENCE WITH IT, AND THEY DECLINED. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. ON TOP OF THAT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP RETURNED MY VEHICLE, AFTER A $3,178 FIX, WITH A CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND WILL NOT RESPOND FOR IT. UNBELIEVABLE. *TR