Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Nissan Murano owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driver seat front left side has a rocking motion to it. I've read a lot of others have found this issue was supposed to be fixed from 2003-2004 and the parts have been updated to address the issue. I am worried my seat movement will create an unsafe driving condition.
I was turning on a highway loop and I'm short so I had the seat all the way up to be able to see. When I started turning there was a bunch of cars behind me and the back of the seat made a loud popping noise and I hit my head on the window because the back right of it gave out. I pulled to the side of the road and got my self together. This happened to another coworker with another Nissan Murano but she had less problems since she's a tall woman and when the seat broke it didn't go all the way down. Looking at the seat the back right of it has a big metal bar piece that snapped. It no longer goes all the way up making it a hazard to drive without getting it fixed. * dsy
From normal usage, the front side driver's seat broke (in 2016) from what I believe is a defective seat bracket. Now the seat wobbles and rocks whenever I am driving and when the car moves side to side at all. Seat broke upon exiting vehicle. I weigh 163 pounds and am the primary driver. No sudden movement created the break.
My drivers side seat just broke on the back left side so now you can't sit in it and drive. I now sit crooked in the seat and don't feel safe driving it, what if I was in an accident and my seat now might throw me somewhere because it is now broken. This should be a recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that the front driver side power seat track fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
The driver's seat has become detached from the floor frame on one side. The electric mechanism to move the seat still works, but the whole seat appears loose. At first it felt like only a loose bolt, and we had taken it repeatedly to a dealer. I was recently told the entire seat May have to be replaced, as there was now a 'break' in the welding of the seat to the seat frame on the floor. This was not caused by any action of the owners nor due to prior accident. It appears this has been a recurrent problem for these Murano's, as I have seen consumer web sites reporting this based on other owner's complaints, which is why I decided to report it as well. I was glad to find out about the repetitive nature of this problem with other owners (I conducted my own internet search) or I May never have reported this. I am concerned this is a safety issue if the car is in an accident. …
While driving on road I was waiting at green light waiting to turn left. As I began to make the left hand turn across oncoming traffic my seat lifted several inches off the vehicle floor. My body felt as if I had been forcefully lifted and pushed simultaneously. This required me to pull the steering wheel to the right, the opposite direction I was turning, in order to regain control of my own body. This was hazardous to oncoming traffic and. Myself as I nearly had been t-boned by the oncoming tractor trailer and nearly ran off the road, down, a 5 foot ditch, and through a fence. It was a terrifying experience. I've never experienced or have heard of a seat breaking. I am not overweight nor have been from the time I have owned the vehicle, 6 years. Its baffling as to why a drivers seat would malfunction in such a manner. …
Driver seat has skipped and/or broken off the left track causing the seat to rock dangerously. This is a common problem in this vehicle I've seen and should be a recall item fixed by Nissan for the faulty seat track mechanism. This is clearly an extremely dangerous condition. Fortunately, I have been able to temporarily re-seat onto the track with the following method - by raising the seat to it's highest level and moving it back to it's farthest point then dropping the seat to it's lowest level and slowly moving the seat forward. This seems to regain the track but has only been a temporary solution as it ultimately skips off track repeatedly and fixes the seat to it's lowest position which might not be suitable for many short drivers. <-- I hope this temporary remedy helps others who May be driving dangerously in this vehicle. …
On our 2004 Nissan Murano the power drivers seat will no longer adjust front to back. It will twist with the outside moving but inside not moving. This is a safety problem because the seat is stuck almost all way back and the only way that my wife can drive is to put a large pillow behind her. Checking on line there appears to be design and or manufacturing problems with the Murano drivers seats. I have contacted tony holland, service director at crown Nissan in greensboro, nc and he advised that per the Nissan area rep because of age and mileage Nissan will not make a good will repair. To get the required part you must buy the whole seat track for $796.62 which is crazy. Total cost would be $1,118.67 plus tax. On line there seams to be two issues one the seat frame breaking and the other a plastic part that drives the ball screw breaking. …
Making a turn onto a cross street and heard a loud popping noise, followed by the driver seat becoming unstable. When the turn was completed, it became obvious the driver seat was broken. I did some research and found that this is a known problem with the Murano, and has been reported numerous times across multiple model years. Appears that there was even an attempt to force a recall, but that was never followed through. Filed a complaint with Nissan - required a detailed service report (~$125) before they would do anything. Found that they would not fix for any car outside of warranty (and this apparently usually happens after the warranty period has expired). Typical dealer cost to repair is $800 to $1200. Can also be self-fixed by replacing a bracket ($100) or welding the broken piece (~$80). …
NHTSA investigations
Driver seat anchor failure
This investigation concerns structural failure of the anchor/bracket on the left rear side of the driver's seat.the concern is that such failures May alter the driver's seated position so as to reduce effectiveness of the occupant protection system or potentially compromise vehicle control.failure of the subject anchor bracket results from metal fatigue and causes rearward tilting of the driver's seat.these failures…
Seat complaints in other Murano years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2004 Nissan Murano?
NHTSA has 94 complaints about the seats of the 2004 Nissan Murano, 14% of the model year's 678 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › power adjust (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Nissan Murano seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2004 Nissan Murano, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Nissan Murano seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to seats problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.