The 2003 Nissan Murano is a SUV that came with a 3.5L 6-cyl engine. At 23 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
|---|---|
| Engines | 3.5L 6-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic (variable gear ratios) |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 18 city / 23 highway / 20 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $3,350 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 444 grams per mile |
| Versions tested by EPA | 2 configurations: Murano 2WD, Murano AWD |
| Age | 23 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls covering the 2003 Nissan Murano. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Nissan is recalling 362,891 my 2003-2007 Murano vehicles. The intake air ducts, which are connected to the intermediate resonator in the air intake system of the engine, may separate from the resonator with engine movement. This separation occurs due to the premature aging of the material used in the intake air ducts which causes…
Risk: Engine may stall increasing the risk of a crash.
On some sport utility vehicles, in certain high speed frontal crashes, the webbing of a rear outboard seat belt may contact the rear seat back hinge where it can be cut by the sharp edge of the metal portion of the hinge.
Risk: If the webbing is completely separated, it can increase the risk of injury to an occupant in a crash.
On certain sport utility vehicles, due to the location of the forward edge of the fuel tank, in the event that a vehicle front tire runs over a small, sharp object in the road, catches it and propels it towards the rear of the vehicle, it may strike and puncture the fuel tank.
Risk: A punctured tank could increase the risk of a fire.
On certain sport utility vehicles, there is a possibility that a wire breaking inside the alternator could stop the battery from charging.
Risk: If this happens, the charger warning and brake warning lamps will immediately come on and the battery will begin to discharge. After a short time, the engine will go into a "fall safe" condition which will limit vehicle speed. The engine wi
On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
Risk: This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
On certain sport utility vehicles, the nut that attaches the transmission gear selector shaft to the control valve lever in the transmission may not be adequately tightened. This could result in the transmission not actually being in the gear indicated by the gear selector lever. In addition, the transmission position display in the…
Risk: If the gear displayed is different from the gear engaged, this could result in unexpected vehicle movement and a crash.
Owners have filed 800 complaints about the 2003 Nissan Murano with NHTSA. 14 reports involved a crash and 5 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 9 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2003 Nissan Murano.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Dr | Not rated | — | — | ★★★★☆ | — |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 109 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2003 Nissan Murano. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement "Certification Label" or "VIN Plate/L
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement "Certification Label" or "VIN Plate/L
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions o
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 4 defect investigations covering the 2003 Nissan Murano.
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
Fuel tank punctures from road debris
Odi opened a preliminary evaluation based on four vehicle owner questionnaires (voq's) indicating that the fuel tanks werepunctured by road debris under normal, non off-road driving conditions.as of november 30, 2005, the complaint total increased to 12.Nissan supplied odi with 31 complaints of fuel tank punctures, inc
Alternator failure / engine stalling
Odi received 14 reports of alleged engine stalling due to alternator failure on my 2003-2004 Murano (subject) vehicles.all of the complaints reported that the vehicle could not be restarted after the stall occurred.based on these complaints, odi opened pe04-077 and later upgraded to ea05-006 for the subject vehicles.du
Alternator failure/ engine stalling
Odi opened pe04-077 based on 14 reports of alleged engine stalling due to alternator failure.all of the complaints reported that the vehicle could not be restarted after the stall occurred.during pe04-077, additional failure data was identified as noted in the failure report summary above . During the investigation, ni
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. As a heavier vehicle, its scrap weight adds to the offer. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2003 Muranos that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2003 Nissan Murano; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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