Structure, visibility and vehicle speed control issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
There is no shortage of crossovers on the road, but the 2019 Nissan Murano is hailed as different. In fact, the automaker claims that the newest model is “tech advanced, for the modern boss.” However, it seems to be the technology causing most of the problems. Customers are complaining about the visibility, structure, air bags and vehicle speed control on this Nissan.
Starting off with the visibility, it appears that the design itself is causing massive issues for drivers.
Here is just one of the complaints from a customer that wrote to Edmunds. “The design of the Murano’s hood in the way that it has like 3 inch incline right by the windshield is a definitely a miss. Whenever there is sun above you, it reflects the sun right on your eyes/face. Also visibility of the car isn’t too great due to the slimmed down design. Now the most annoying thing for my Murano is that the frontal impact avoidance warning system. This thing keeps beeping saying that it is unavailable, then after few minutes it becomes available. Then wait 10 minutes or so it beeps and become unavailable. I am hearing this thing beep constantly every 5 to 10 minutes. The dealer couldn’t fix the problem either. ”
With these issues, one would assume that Nissan would want to respond in some fashion, but there are no communications with the company about these concerns. Instead, the automaker has taken the silent route, hoping that no one cares about being able to see what’s coming down the road.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Air Bags | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Back Over Prevention | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine |
As the structure is evaluated, it becomes evident that the automaker took just about as much time with this part of the design as the visibility.
Here’s yet another Edmunds complaint. “I have never in my life had a car that leaked around doors so badly. Every time we go down a dirt road we have to open the doors and lift gate and wipe the dust off that leaks in. I could go on but frankly I may have purchased my last Murano.”
It seems that the structure issues go even deeper. Service Bulletin #NTB19-047 states that customers are having trouble opening the back door with the request switch. Maybe Nissan planned it that way so that no one would see how much dirt is stuck in the cracks.
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Air bags are a standard safety feature in all vehicles on the road over the past couple of decades. However, some automakers are getting creative with where to put air bags. Take for example, the concerns brought forth from the Nissan design.
One NHTSA complaint states, “Deployed under dash airbag broke right knee tibia bone. Vehicle was stationary preparing to turn left on the intersection when the vehicle going in opposite direction collided with stationary Murano. No damages due to the accident but improper design of the under dash airbag with projection for up to a six month recovery. In US vehicles, legs are positioned differently since pedals on the different levels and right leg is almost stretched hence airbag should accommodate for it.”
This person is claiming that the air bag is improperly positioned for US vehicles, which led to an extensive injury. Yet, this isn’t the only trouble plaguing Nissan air bags. In fact, Service Bulletin #NTB19-071 talks about trouble with the occupant detection sensor unit and addresses ways for technicians to repair the malfunction. From an improper design to poorly working electronics, it would appear that Nissan should cease claiming to be “tech advanced.” Instead, this company should go back to operating in the flip-cover cell phone days of technology.
One of the more sophisticated systems on any modern vehicle is the speed control. When this system works right, it makes driving a breeze. But, watch out for malfunctions that can make any journey unbearable.
That’s what’s illustrated in this NHTSA comment. “We purchased our 2019 Nissan Murano on September 12, 2019 and soon noticed that when driving down even a gentle down-slope with no vehicle in front of it, the cruise control gains 10-15+ mph. Nissan Engineering says that this is ‘normal” and not to use the cruise control on hills. We have owned many cars with cruise control, and none has ever gained more than 4-5 mph on similar down-slopes. We feel that this is a safety issue. For example, apparently Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Subaru all have cruise control systems that limit speed increase downgrade to about 2 mph. It seems that an almost $50,000 car from Nissan should be safe.”
The way this car was engineered is just a disaster. Even the back-up camera systems aren’t working right. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V65400 states that more than one million vehicles might have a system that doesn’t display an image. Whether it is barreling down the hills, failing to illustrate what’s located behind the vehicle or deploying dangerous air bags into people’s legs, this crossover is sure to not only disappoint, but possibly cause injuries. It is surely not designed for today’s “modern boss,” and wouldn’t even be acceptable to give to an enemy.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Nissan pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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