Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Nissan Murano owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Rear subframe rusted to failure. Vehicle has 143,000 miles. Dealer service manager says the vehicle is unsafe to drive due to the posibility of the rear wheels detaching from the vehicle. This is the third vehicle with the same condition the service department has seen in the last two weeks
While driving my car the rear passenger subframe busted, caused my car to pull left and right until I could get off to the side of the road safely. I was on a highway traveling about 60mph when this happened. I have contacted Nissan about the subframe problem and they had me take it to a local dealer to be evaluated. Upon evaluation the total cost of having my rear subframe repaired is $5,022.37 invoice number on this quote is q7812. Nissan has a warranty extension on the 2002-2005 altima subframe, for 13 years and unlimited miles. Campaign p5216 and service bulletin ntb05-114b. Where my concern is, that my Murano has the same subframe as the altima but Nissan refuses to repair my vehicle. My vehicle had the exact same issue as the altima and could have killed or severely injured me while I was on that highway.
Hi just discovered my 2005 Murano has total rust on subframe to the point car unsafe to drive. Are there any recalls for repairs or this occurring frequently. This is a serious safety hazard. If it wasn't for my mechanic friend something bad could have happened or I could have caused an accident. I was driving on the highway on dry pavement and when going over bumps notice car shifting quite a bit to the point of almost losing control. When I parked my car noticed one of my rear tires was slanted inward. My mechanic saw it and said not to drive it.
Subframe broke between the rear wheels while driving on city street. Mechanic inspected it and subframe is rusted from inside out. Mileage on the car is 150,000 miles and I am the first owner that took very good care of the car, from keeping it in my garage, to regular maintenance and car washing to prevent rust. Car is inoperable waiting for the part to come in for replacement for 6 days. Nissan had a recall on this model for 2003-2007 year of manufacturing, however I had not received any notice.
My driver side rear door began malfunctioning when using the remote and button door lock controls. All doors would lock but the driver side rear door would remain unlocked. The same was true when unlocking all doors with remote or buttons. All doors would unlock accept the driver side rear door. The issue has now progressed to other doors in the car with increasing frequency including the rear hatch not opening at all and I have not manual button to flip to allow the hatch to open.
The problem with my car was the involuntary locking of all doors without my involvement whenever I parked the car somewhere. This proved very inconvenient at times when I didn't have my car keys with me. The dealer kept the car for a few days only to tell me they could not solve the problem. They didn't even offer to contact Nissan with the problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that the rear passenger side door would not unlock from the inside or outside with a key. The failure recurred continuously. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
Vehicle shutdown while driving in the middle of the road while using a new battery. Fuel pump not reading fuel tank. Vehicle stalls specially whenever acceleration starts after stopping.
My vehicle driver side seat frame broke on 11/9/2010 approximately around 6:00 pm. As I was driving my Murano Nissan on the expressway to go home after work, I heard a hard snap and felt a little jerk towards my left side. Unsure of what it was, I continued to drive my vehicle down the road. As I was driving my vehicle, I felt a rough thumping underneath my seat. I thought for a minute that my front driver side tire was going flat or had some kind of problem. As I drove further, I felt my front seat sway back and forth, as I accelerated and as I was braking. I accelerated again to make sure that the swaying motion was actually happening. Again, the swaying motion (back and forth) of the front seat occurred. When I got home, I checked the seat to see what had happened. The left side of the seat is broken completely loose from the track and moves freely. …
I (female) loaded my trunk to empty my classroom for the summer. I filled my trunk with heavy boxes that needed to be moved. Once I got to where I was going my trunk would not open. I had to lay the seats down and pull everything out that way. Then it happened again when I had small children at the grocery and they had to stand beside the car b/c the trunk would not open for me to load it. Also my driver door will only lock or unlock with a key not the remote. I go to the places alone or with only small children quite a bit and do not feel this is safe. There have been people all over the us with problems on their muranos and other Nissan vehicles dealing with the locks. Some even are unable to get their gas door to open!! Nissan refuses to admit this is a problem. For the safety of everyone driving a Nissan, this needs to be looked at. …
Body complaints in other Murano years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Nissan Murano?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Nissan Murano, 4% of the model year's 987 complaints. The component named most often is body (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Murano body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Nissan Murano, though it has 6 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 2005 Nissan Murano body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure 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.