2003 Nissan Murano Fuel System Problems

DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA I'VE EXPERIENCED HESITATION (ESPECIALLY IN TRAFFIC) WHEN EITHER MOVING SLOWLY ALONG OR TRAFFIC PICKS UP OR TURNING AND I HAVE TO MASH HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR, SOMETIMES 2-4 TIMES!!! THIS IS FRIGHTENING !! WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AS I'VE CHECKED FILTERS, GAS, INTAKE? AND ASKED MECHANIC ???

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION COMPLETELY. . IT HAD TO BE RE-STARTED IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING. ONCE IN ,OPTION AGAIN, THE ENGINE WAS IDLING EXTREMELY HIGH AND CONTINUED THAT WAY UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND SAT FOR OVER AN HOUR. STARTED. *TR

I WAS IN STOP/GO TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR. WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, NOTHING HAPPENED. I PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR 3 OR 4 TIMES AND SUDDENLY THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND THEN STARTED MOVING. THE NEXT TIME I CAME TO A STOP, I HAD TO REPEAT THE PUMPING OF THE GAS PEDAL TO MOVE AGAIN. I DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD. WHEN I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED A COUPLE OF MINUTES. WHEN I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I CAN GO SEVERAL MONTHS WITH EVERYTHING BEING FINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVEN'T TAKEN IT TO A DEALER BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING TO INDICATE WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AND SINCE EVERYTHING IS FINE AFTER THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF AND THEN STARTED AGAIN, HOW DO I RECREATE THE ISSUE FOR A MECHANIC? THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND THE LURCHING FORWARD HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON VARIOUS BLOGS AND ON THIS WEBSITE. IN THE QUALIFIER ABOVE IT ASKS IF THERE HAS BEEN A CRASH, FIRE OR FATALITY. PLEASE TELL ME WHY ONE OF THESE HORRIFIC THINGS HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL ON A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH A VEHICLE? A CAR NOT ACCELERATING IN TRAFFIC AND THEN SUDDENLY LURCHING FORWARD SHOULD NOT BE THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY OR COST TO REPAIR. IT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COST OF THE MANUFACTURER TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SELLING A SAFE VEHICLE. *TR

VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE FIRST TIME, I DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT. TWO DAYS LAYER THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING 50+ MILES AN HOUR. WOULD NOT CRANK BACK UP UNTIL I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL REALLY HARD AS I CRANKED IT. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS CAR YEARS 3 YEARS AGO IN MIAMI AND IN THE BEGINNING I NOTICED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A MINOR PROBLEM THAT I COULD FIX WHIT THE TIME BUT I WAS WRONG. IF I'M SENDING THIS COMPLAINT NOW, IS BECAUSE ON MY EFFORT TO FIX THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM I FIND THIS INFORMATION ON THE WEB WHERE IT LOOKS THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. THE WORST PART OF THIS BEGAN A COUPLE MOUTHS AGO WHEN I WAS GETTING BACK FROM PENNSYLVANIA WITH MY FAMILY ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVEN AROUND 65 MILES AND UNEXPECTEDLY THIS HORRIBLE PROBLEM CAME "THE DECELERATION"FROM 65 IT WAS GETTING TO 30 MILES, IT SCARED ME A LOT BUT I CONSIDERED MYSELF THAT I'M A GOOD DRIVER AND MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO LET THE MOTOR WORK BY ITSELF I DIDN'T TOUCH THE SPEED AND THE BRAKE AND I PULL OVER THE CAR WITH THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS I TURN IT OFF AND I WAITED 20 MINUTES AND THEN I TURN IT ON THE CAR AGAIN, FORTUNATELY IT WORKED AFTER THIS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM I THOUGHT. I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY AND HONESTLY I DON'T NEED THE CAR IF I BOUGHT IS JUST FOR PLEASURE TO GO OUT THE CITY TO VACATION AND HERE I FIND OTHER PROBLEM; WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING SHORT DISTANCES LIKE HERE IN THE CITY YOU DIDN'T NOTICE ABOUT THIS BUT THE PROBLEM IT COMES WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING LONG DISTANCES OVER 50 MILES AND THEN THE MOTOR LOOSE POWER. THIS PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE EVERY TIME WHEN I DO THE IGNITION THEN 5 MINUTES LATTER THE MOTOR LOOSE POWER. I CHANGE SEVERAL AUTO PARTS ON THE ENGINE SYSTEM AND THE ELECTRICAL TOO, I THOUGHT THAT MAY BE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COULD BE THE PROBLEM A SENSOR A FUSIBLE OR SOMETHING BUT HOWEVER I STILL WITHOUT FIX THIS PROBLEM I DON'T WANT DRIVE ANY MORE THIS CAR BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW COULD BE THE REACTION OF THE CAR AGAIN ON A HIGHWAY, EVEN I DON'T WANT EVEN TRY TO SELL IT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WILL BE BADNESS TO SELL AT SOMEBODY ON THAT CONDITION. THANK YOU *TR

A ROAD OBJECT WHICH WENT UNDER THE CAR NOT OVER ANY TIRE STRUCK THE GAS TANK AND PUNCTURED. THE INSTALLED RECALLED ADDED TANK PROTECTOR DID NOT KEEP THE TANK FROM BEING STRUCK AND CAUSING A LEAK. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AT THE MAKERS DEALERSHIP WITHOUT ANY RECOURSE FROM THE PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE RECALL ADDED DEVICE DID NOT PERFORM AS DESCRIBED IN RECALL ?NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V003000 *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 NISSAN MURANO AWD SL I SUDDENLY LOOSE ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE WILL NOT REV AND THE RPM INDICATOR IS 0, THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING, THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHT INDICATORS. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE ACCELERATOR WILL RE-ENGAGE AND THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS, TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, NO CODES ISSUED. I HAVE REPLACED IN THE PAST 3 YEARS THE TRANSMISSION IN THE LAST 7 MONTHS THE FUEL PUMP, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THE O2 SENSORS HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS NOT A PROBLEM THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT COULD BE...SOUND LIKE THEY ARE NOT BEING EXACTLY FORTHCOMING ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

TOTAL AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE AT 65-70 MPH ON A CROWDED FREEWAY. THANKS TO A TRUCKER IN A LANE TO MY RIGHT RUNNING INTERFERENCE, I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER, WHERE WE SAT IN 102 DEGREE HEAT UNTIL WE COULD GET HELP. *TR

CAR: 2003 NISSAN MURANO SL AWD SUMMARY: CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF POWER / STALLING DURING DRIVING DETAILS: THERE ARE MULTIPLE ISSUES - ALL REPORTED TO NISSAN - WHICH PROMPTLY DECLINED TO DO ANYTHING TO ADDRESS THEM SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. HOWEVER IT'S CLEAR THAT SEVERAL OTHER 2003 NISSAN MURANO OWNERS ARE REPORTING THE "CATASTROPHIC" STALL PROBLEM - A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH BEARS THIS OUT. TO ME IT SEEMS THAT NISSAN IS WASHING ITS HANDS OFF THE PROBLEM. HERE ARE SOME SYMPTOMS: 1) WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THE CAR CATASTROPHICALLY LOST POWER FOR SEVERAL SECONDS - ONLY TO SOMEWHAT RECOVER THEREAFTER. AT THE TIME OF RECOVERY MANYLIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP INCLUDING "CHECK ENGINE" "AWD LOCK / SLIP" ETC. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN A ROW - AND I CALLED NISSAN FOR HELP. 2) I LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO. WHEN WAITING AT A STOP SIGN TO CROSS UPHILL, THE CAR SIMPLY DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN I PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL AND STARTS ROLLING DOWNHILL INSTEAD. 3) SIMILARLY IN STOP AND GO SITUATIONS - THE CAR SIMPLY DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL - AND THEN WHEN IT FINALLY DOES LURCHES FORWARD IN A DANGEROUS, OUT-OF-CONTROL FASHION INCREASING THE CHANCES OF REAR-ENDING THE CAR AHEAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD THUMPING NOISE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL SPILLING FROM THE GAS TANK. THE GAS TANK SHIELD WAS INSTALLED TO PREVENT FUEL FROM LEAKING OUT; HOWEVER, THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN LOOSE AND CAUSED THE FUEL TO LEAK OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V003000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY). THE MANUFACTURER IS STILL ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE IF THE RECALL APPLIES TO HER VEHICLE. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE REPAIR SHOP AND HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 116,000.

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN MURANO SL AWD. THE FUEL TANK SHROUD WAS INSTALLED IN COMPLIANCE WITH RECALL CAMPAIGN 06V003000. THE SHROUD IS OF SUCH A BAD DESIGN THAT IT HAS BROKEN IN NORMAL WINTER DRIVING. THE MATERIALS USED ARE TOO WEAK AND THE DESIGN DOES NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT PROTECTION FOR THE TANK. OVERALL, THIS DESIGN IS TERRIBLE, AND DOES NOT SOLVE THE REQUIREMENT OF PROTECTING THE FUEL TANK. NISSAN NEED TO COME UP WITH A BETTER DESIGN THAT BETTER CONFORMS TO THE PROFILE OF THE FUEL TANK--THE CURRENT DESIGN PROTRUDES DOWN TOO FAR AND IS TOO EASILY DAMAGED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A VAPOR LEAK AND A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 54,000.

FAILURE INVOLVES LOSS OF POWER WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AFTER CAR IS WARMED UP AND THEN PUT IN A STOP AND GO DRIVING ENVIRONMENT (HEAVY CITY TRAFFIC). CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD, BUT ONLY AFTER PEDAL IS DEPRESSED CLOSE TO THE HALF WAY POINT. THIS OBVIOUSLY IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I HAVE SO FAR AVOIDED ACCIDENT BY ALLOWING DISTANCE BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE CAR IN FRONT. PROBLEM OCCURS 70-80% OF TIME AFOREMENTIONED CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PRESENT. NISSAN DEALER SAYS PROBLEM WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE BECAUSE NO WARNING LIGHT APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. *TR

FUEL TANK FILLER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. DEALER REPLACED RELAY FOR $209.46 ON 7/8/2008. FUEL TANK FILLER DOOR BECAME STUCK CLOSED AGAIN ON 9/23/2008. DEALER RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL PARTS/LABOR (OPENER MECHANISM) FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE DOLLARS. I HAD THE MECHANIC ADJUST THE LATCH. AS OF 2/14/2009 THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECURRENCE. *TR

WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS AND WENT TO A GAS STATION. HOWEVER, GAS TANK DOOR WON'T OPEN. CALLED DEALERSHIP BUT SAID CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. HAD TO BREAK THE LOCK TO PUT IN GAS. HEARD A LOT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I RAN OVER AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD. THE OBJET HIT MY FRONT TIRE THEN THE NISSAN MURANO UNDER CARRIAGE. I DROVE ABOUT 3 MILES, SMELLING GAS, TO A FILLING STATION. I PUMPED GAS BEFORE NOTICING GAS WAS GUSHING OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR (REAR ON DRIVER SIDE). FIVE GALLONS OF GAS SPILLED, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED, CLEANED UP THE HAZMAT & PUSHED MY CAR ASIDE. NISSAN WALDORF MD DEAL IS REPLACING THE GAS TANK (3 INCH SLIT IN GAS TANK) & THE BRACKET THAT CRACKED. THE BRACKET WAS INSTALLED IAW RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V003000 *TR

THE RELAY THAT UNLOCKS THE GAS DOOR FAILS AND YOU CAN NOT OPEN THE GAS DOOR TO REFILL THE CAR WITH GAS. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT FOR '03 AND '04 AND STILL NISSAN WILL NOT COVER THE COST FOR REPAIR. *JB

2003 NISSAN MURANO. DAMAGE TO GAS TANK SHIELD INSTALLED BY MFG RECALL. RAN OVER SMALL PIECE OF RUBBER ON THE HIGHWAY & IT TORN THE SHIELD LOOSE FROM THE FRAME OF THE CAR. NEW CARS COME WITH METAL MOLDED SHIELDS MOUNTED TO THE GAS TANK. THE PLASTIC SHIELDS WHICH NISSAN IS INSTALLING ARE NOT STURDY ENOUGH TO PROVIDE THE PROPER PROTECTION TO THE GAS TANK. CARS WHICH HAVE HAD THESE PLASTIC SHIELDS INSTALLED SHOULD BE RECALLED TO HAVE THE MOLDED METAL SHIELDS INSTALLED

FUEL DOOR WILL NOT RELEASE. *JB

MY NISSAN MURANO 2003 HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM 3 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. I WAS ON A HILL IN SAN FRANCISCO AND CAME TO A STOP SIGN. ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WHEN I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR; INSTEAD IT STARTED ROLLING BACKWARD. IT WAS VERY SCARY. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED AND THE CAR RESPONDED FINE. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. THEN 5 MONTHS LATER, I WAS IN A STOP AND OF TRAFFIC ON I80 ON MY WAY TO LAKE TAHOE. THE CAR REFUSE TO MOVE WHEN I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. I STARTED PRESSING HARDER AND IT LURCHED FORWARD. IT DID THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I FINALLY PULLED OVER AND CUT OFF THE ENGINE AND STARTED BACK UP; THE CAR RESPONDED FINE THEREAFTER. HOWEVER, IT KEPT REPEATING THE SAME PROBLEM; EACH TIME I WILL RESOLVE IT BY RESTARTING THE CAR. LUCKILY, IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY SO IT WAS REPLACED AT NO COST TO ME. THE CAR PERFORMED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEM UNTIL 2006. THE PROBLEM REARED ITS UGLY HEAD. I TOOK IT BACK IN AND THEY SAID IT WAS A BAD BATTERY. SO WE HAD THAT CHANGED, BUT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK. THE MECHANIC RESET THE CAR COMPUTER AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. AGAIN, IT DIDN'T REALLY COST ME MUCH OTHER THAN THE BATTERY. THEN IN 2009, THE CAR AGAIN STARTED DOING THE LURCHING THING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. IT'S ALWAYS IN THE SAME SITUATION. I KNEW I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY THEN AND IT WOULD COST ME AN ARM AND A LEG SO I JUST DEALT WITH IT BY RESTARTING THE CAR EACH TIME AND PRAY THE TRAFFIC WILL MOVE FASTER SOON. IT'S NOW 2011 AND THE PROBLEM REMAINS. AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM PAST NISSAN MURANO OWNERS, I REALLY THINK NISSAN OWES US SOME MONEY. IT SHOULD'VE BEEN A RECALL SINCE MOST OF US PAID $35K+ FOR THIS CAR. MY CAR NOW HAS 145K MILES. I AM IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW CAR. I LIKE THE CVT. MAYBE WILL TRY A SUBARU INSTEAD. *TR