Nissan Murano: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Nissan Murano: 15 model years scored from 1,074 NHTSA owner complaints and 24 recall campaigns. Worst year 2015, best year 2013.
Nissan Murano: which years to avoid
Across 15 scored model years the Nissan Murano ranges from 37/100 in 2015 to 94/100 in 2021 — a 57-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Murano at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Power Train (52 of them).
Avoid: 2015 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2015 Nissan Murano, which has 202 complaints, five safety-critical recall campaigns and a score of 37, and treat the 2016 and 2017 cars, at 107 complaints each and scores of 63 and 65, as CAUTION unless every brake campaign is documented. Buy a 2011 to 2013 car, which score 80, 80 and 89, or a 2018 or later car, where the 2018 has 15 complaints and scores 92 and the 2021 to 2024 cars score 91 to 93. The 2015 redesign's problem is the anti-lock braking system: four of its five campaigns cover the ABS actuator, 15V364000 for contamination in the solenoid valve, 16V636000 for cars with Intelligent Cruise Control, 18V601000 for pumps that leak brake fluid onto a circuit board, and 19V807000, which re-covers 2015 to 2018 cars left unrepaired. Power Train leads the 2015 complaints at 52 and Air Bags is second at 36. The 2020 car carries two chassis campaigns, 21V170000 and 21V402000, and the 2025 redesign opens at CAUTION with 21 complaints.
Read the guide
Used Nissan Versa and Murano: the years to avoid — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
How the Murano changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2017
Mean score 69/100, about 11 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Power Train more than anything else (192 complaints). 15 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2018–2024
Mean score 91/100, about 4 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Unknown Or Other more than anything else (36 complaints). The record improves by 22 points against the years before it. 2 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2013 (score 89). Worst: 2015 (score 37, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64 | CAUTION | $3,579 | 21 | 2 |
| 2024 | 91 | BUY | $3,508 | 4 | 1 |
| 2023 | 92 | BUY | $3,660 | 8 | 0 |
| 2022 | 93 | BUY | $3,778 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 | 94 | BUY | $3,950 | 16 | 0 |
| 2020 | 83 | BUY | $4,022 | 45 | 2 |
| 2019 | 89 | BUY | $4,136 | 43 | 1 |
| 2018 | 92 | BUY | $4,095 | 15 | 2 |
| 2017 | 65 | CAUTION | $4,426 | 107 | 3 |
| 2016 | 63 | CAUTION | $4,543 | 107 | 5 |
| 2015 | 37 | AVOID | $4,828 | 202 | 5 |
| 2014 | 70 | BUY | $5,400 | 145 | 1 |
| 2013 | 89 | BUY | $5,415 | 72 | 1 |
| 2012 | 80 | BUY | $5,632 | 135 | 1 |
| 2011 | 80 | BUY | $5,777 | 148 | 0 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Murano, through the years →
Murano sub-models & family
What goes wrong on the Nissan Murano
Across every Murano model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Unknown Or Other214 complaints across all Murano years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Power Train201 complaints across all Murano years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes124 complaints across all Murano years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Air Bags102 complaints across all Murano years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Electrical System99 complaints across all Murano years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control43 complaints across all Murano years · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement$520–$1,150
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Nissan Murano years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2015 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2015 is the weakest at 37/100, with its complaints concentrated in Power Train.
What are the best Nissan Murano years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021… all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2021 at 94/100, on 16 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Nissan Murano problem?
214 of the complaints filed against the Murano across all its model years sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04