2012 Nissan Murano: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
135 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
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. Read the full note on the model page. 2012 specifically: a year the record favours — 135 complaints, score 80/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Nissan Versa and Murano: the years to avoid, including 2012 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 135 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 9.64
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My tire light is on a my 2012 nissian murano. It flashes at startup, with the light on, telling me I have low tire pressure. I put air evenly in all four tires. The light still remains on; how can all four TPMS go bad? I wouldn't know if i have a leak or low pressure due failed TPMS. My check engine light is on due to air/fuel ration on bank 1 sensor 1. This issue is causing poor fuel economy and filing emissions.
While driving, vehicle just quits and all dashboard lights flash quickly and then the car stalls out and won't restart. This has happened 4 times now. Had battery replaced, alternator replaced for a 2nd time, sensor replaced. Now, I had the car towed to dealer who wanted to keep it for over the weekend to see if they could repeat the issue. My local mechanic had the same issue and he had to have it towed back …
When accelerating from a stop vehicle does not move, with gas pedal to the floor will slowly advance or stall. Has a battery drain somewhere also.
Recalls: 1 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 12V068000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 MURANO AND ROGUE VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 23, 2011 THROUGH JANUARY 11, 2012. DURING ASSEMBLY, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) WAS NOT ACTIVATED. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train30 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Air Bags26 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other23 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System13 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes13 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine13 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Nissan Murano years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Nissan Murano?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (30 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Nissan Murano a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 80/100, computed from 135 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Nissan Murano's most common problem?
30 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Nissan Murano sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Nissan Murano cost to run per year?
About $5,702 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,512 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Nissan Murano have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Nissan Murano, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 22/02/2012. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Nissan Murano really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 135 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 135 NHTSA complaints on record (9.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (7.5/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems