Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Nissan Murano owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission seal. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who confirmed the diagnosis and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the axel seals, rear differential axle seal, and left TPMS sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Murano. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission started slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 216,000.
When starting my vehicle, it would shake and hesitate to turn on. While driving, It would hesitate when accelerating. When driving at 70 miles, the vehicle would hesitate then drop 3 to 4 miles below speed on its own. The dashboard would indicate drive mode then change to reverse mode then back to drive mode, then reverse mode continuously while driving. The car was also making a loud clanking noise. When I was at a standstill at a red light with foot on the brake, the car was jerking forward on its own. I was driving the car with my 2 year old when this happened and decided to take it to a mechanic who confirmed that it is a transmission problem as well as a broken axle on the left. I left the car at his shop and started shopping around for a transmission replacement which is very costly. …
This has happened on two different occasions. While driving the vehicle the alternator has gone out and there is no warning that there is any problem but you lose your throttle control and the car loses power and is unable to accelerate. The 1st time this happened I was in the middle of an intersection trying to make a left turn and lost all power to be able to move the car. Luckly no one was coming in the other direction, or I could have been involved in a serious accident!!! I had the alternator check and it was bad, so we replaced it. The second time this happened was two days ago I was doing 65 MPH on a four-lane highway and without any warning I lost power and could not accelerate I was able to pull to the side of the road, but m emergency flashers were of no use due to the battery was low because the entire car was using it for power. …
When stopped at stop lights or even a stop sign & it's my time to go my vehicle will "creep" at a snail's pace regardless of my position on the gas petal, then all of a sudden jerk & take off fast. On 2 occasions my vehicle would not even go when the turn light went to green & I quickly shifted to "L" where it did take off & the rooms jumped to 5000 & after getting out of heavy traffic I put it back in Drive. This issue occurs randomly & I've had a verbal conversation with a mechanic in my family that says, my 2009 Murano has a CVT transmission, they are very costly to replace. I only have 159,000 miles on my Murano & I drive my Autistic grandson to school & home only. I'm only bringing this to your attention to fund out if I'm the only person that has had issues with the CVT transmission bc a $4-$5000 new transmission is impossible for us. …
While trying to make a turn in a busy intersection, the car stall and loses power it goes into a limp mode. The car slowly limps out of traffic to the side. Note VDC off and 2 red - neg sign brake light is on. Turn the ignition off for a few minutes. Turn ignition back on and no problem. The car starts up no problem. I had the brakes check out and no issues. I took to Nissan dealership . They said it is the alternator. I had new alternator put in 6 months ago. Took back to the company who put the alternator on He said it is working. They said this car notorious for the CVT transmission issues. This problem has happen twice in traffic. This is not safe.... I am afraid to drive this car.
As with the current Nissan recall the car just shutoff. On two separate occasions, one at highway speed on a high speed heavy traffic road and once of a neighborhood road. Both times spontaneously and without any warning or trouble lights or indications of a problem. Vehicles was towed and serviced at a Nissan dealership.. Both incidents were extremely dangerous one to get to shoulder in high speed traffic and to exit vehicle next to traffic and the other at night in a dark neighborhood. Dealer was without explanation on cause so we dont know if the problem is fixed or not. Prior request #602941
My 2009 Nissan Murano had a bad battery and starter, after replaced them the ABS/VDC/Slip control light were illuminated and ABS function lost. I searched online and found a lot of the Murano owners had the same issue by just replacing a battery then got these DTCs. At the end we found Nissan know this issue and issue a TSB for repair with customer's expense. They know this is factory issue but not recall it or even not notify their customer, it's safety issue and still need the customer to search it and repair with the customer's money (to pay their faults). TSB: NTB10-113a
My vehicle was exhibiting a burnt rubber smell from the engine compartment. I opened the hood and saw like smoke coming from the rear passenger side of the engine compartment. I took my vehicle to the dealer for service and noted this incident on the work order. The service technician later informed me that the transfer case was leaking fluid and was blowing onto the exhaust pipe and under carriage. They said that is what caused the burnt rubber smell, not a drive belt. The warranty for this component expired at 60,000 miles. I was charged approx. $1700 for this repair before discounts. I asked the service technician if this is a common repair, he said, "yes, we do a lot of these." I told him that I was not satisfied with this repair to the point that it appears to be a reliability issue. …
I have owned two Nissan vehicles. The first Nissan I owned was an 08 altima that had a transmission issue at 25,000 miles. My current Nissan is an 09 Murano. This vehicles transmission started to make noise at 116,000 miles. At the time I brought it into a shop and was told that Nissan has a lot of transmission issues. Because I was told that my warranty was 60,000 miles, I did not bring my vehicle to Nissan. After a few months we decided to look up if there were any recalls. My husband found on the Nissan site that due to issues they had with the CVT transmission they extended their warranty from 60,000 miles to 120,000 miles. We were never notified of this. I immediately brought my car into Nissan and had them look at it. They said my transmission was bad and never mentioned the warranty. I called Nissan of north America's customer service and had my case reviewed. …
Transmission complaints in other Murano years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2009 Nissan Murano?
NHTSA has 69 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2009 Nissan Murano, 11% of the model year's 635 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Nissan Murano transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2009 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 2009 Nissan Murano transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
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.