Forward collision avoidance, automatic braking, and powertrain issues are among the top complaints reported.
The 2020 Nissan Murano is a popular SUV. The automaker claims it has the “tech that anticipates what’s next.” However, not all owners have been as pleased as they should be, mainly because of malfunctioning forward collision avoidance systems. Complaints also highlight problems with the powertrain and sunroofs that explode.
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The single most common problems highlighted by complaints lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) relate to the forward collision avoidance system. The two issues are the automatic emergency brake (AEB) stopping the vehicle for no reason and, to a lesser extent, the vehicle suddenly accelerating for no reason. There are also a fair number of complaints about the service brakes, but 75% of these are also regarded as forward collision avoidance problems.
Other quite common problems include issues with the powertrain and exploding sunroofs. Other components and systems that owners are finding problematic include the airbags, electrical system, engine, exterior lighting, fuel/propulsion system, steering, structure, suspension, vehicle speed control, and visibility/wiper.
There are also two recalls that affect the 2020 Nissan Murano.
Forward collision avoidance problems range from vehicles suddenly accelerating to vehicles randomly stopping because of malfunctioning emergency brake systems. In many instances, dealers don’t recognize a malfunction. Complaints that describe issues with the braking system commonly report that the problem keeps recurring.
An owner from Nebraska states that the Murana “routinely triggers the automatic emergency braking system when approaching a certain overpass. Speeds are usually around 40 to 50 mph.” Occasionally the system triggers at other locations where no obstacle should be triggering it. The complaint states that a local Nissan dealer inspected the system several times and sent the vehicle to a specialist. But they couldn’t find a defect.
A complaint from an owner in Pennsylvania states the forward collision warning is stuck on “malfunction.” The complaint states: “Sometimes the car brakes without warning, activating the automatic emergency braking and stopping suddenly. This is dangerous.”
Another owner experienced whiplash when the Murano suddenly braked. “I’ve only had the car 3 months and an error code for the forward collision warning light is on. The dealership said it should go off, but it never did. It is malfunctioning and it automatically and without notice applied the emergency brake system when it’s not needed giving me a sort of whiplash. It does this often out of nowhere. This could cause a severe accident.”
An owner from Kentucky says that “the car keeps braking like I’ve been in an accident when I travel under an overpass. It doesn’t do it every time, just sometimes.” But, because it doesn’t show codes, the dealer ”can’t/won’t do anything about it. I don’t feel safe driving this car for fear it will slam on the brakes at any time. It has happened 3 times so far.”
An owner from Ohio crashed when their 2020 Murano suddenly “lurched forward at an incredible speed. We hit and pushed the car parked in front of us, hopped up onto the sidewalk, knocked down a street light, and moved a huge concrete planter.” While the airbags under the dashboard deployed, “The bags under the dash exploded with such force that they injured my husband’s legs, and he has been seeing a wound doctor for the past five weeks.” The response from Nissan is that “no mechanical problems were recorded.” The couple suspect a problem with the continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Another Kentucky owner tells how “while driving with adaptive cruise control mode engaged and set at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently as he was approaching a hill.” The owner notified the local dealer about the failure and the manufacturer was notified. They opened a case, but “no further assistance was provided.”
The same thing happened to another 2020 Nissan Murano while driving at 60 mph with the cruise control activated. The complaint states that “the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration.”
In all these cases, the cause remains a mystery to the owners.
Powertrain complaints are varied but serious. We have already mentioned one complaint in the forward collision avoidance section that blames the CVT for a 2020 Murano crashing.
An owner from New York reports a Murano that intermittently continues to roll forward after being shifted into Park. Like so many other complaints it states that “the mechanic was unable to identify the cause of the failure.”
Another owner describes having to slow down and then accelerate when pulling onto a divided highway. “The transmission hesitates around 2 or 3 seconds then grabs the gear and you take off. This is very worrisome for us, both being retired and it could cause an accident.” This has happened twice in eight months.
There’s nothing quite as frightening as having a sunroof explode while you’re driving your car. But this has been an experience that several owners of the 2020 Nissan Murano have experienced. Filed as “unknown or other” problems, complaints range from, “Sunroof exploded while driving,” to lengthy descriptions of what happened.
A couple from Georgia were driving down a highway at about 60 mph when the sunroof “literally exploded. The roof was fully closed at the time and the sun shade was also closed. It was like a shotgun blast. It was a good thing I was driving. Had my wife been driving I suspect she would have reacted in a manner that would have wrecked us. We were both shaken up. Hearing wind blowing into (the) car, I slightly opened the sun shade and could tell the center portion of the sun roof had blown out and slivers of glass came down onto us. I closed the shade and pulled over at (the) next available opportunity.
They were forced to use duct tape to stop the remaining glass from falling into the car. When they got home, they phoned the dealer who said “they had never heard of that happening.” They were lucky because their extended warranty covered a replacement sunroof.
An owner from Washington tells how the sunroof part of his panoramic roof shattered all over the interior of the Murano while he was traveling at 60 mph on the freeway. He did some research and discovered that it’s a common fault in Nissan vehicles. He discovered that lawsuits claim “Instead of laminating the glass in the sunroofs Nissan used thin pieces of tempered glass instead of thicker pieces.” This was to make the sunroof lighter for better fuel economy.
Not every 2020 Nissan Murano is a lemon, but if you suspect that yours might be, call the Lemberg Law Helpline or fill out a contact form. We will assess your problems free of charge. Since every year auto manufacturers buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements to thousands of lemon owners, it’s worth the time and effort.
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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