The 2016 Murano with the VQ35DE V6 is generally reliable, but the CVT transmission is the Achilles' heel. Beyond that, watch for premature catalytic converter failure and the occasional oil consumption issue that can escalate to catastrophic engine damage if ignored.
CVT Transmission Failure / Juddering
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Shuddering or hesitation during acceleration, especially from a stop, Whining or grinding noise from transmission, Sudden loss of power or failure to engage gears, CVT fluid overheating warnings, Judder when cruising at steady highway speeds
Fix: Nissan's Jatco CVT (RE0F10A/JF011E) is notorious for premature wear. Early intervention with fluid changes every 30k can help, but most end up needing CVT replacement or rebuild. Replacement involves dropping the transmission, which is 8-12 labor hours depending on AWD configuration. Remanufactured units are common; some shops offer valve body replacement as a Band-Aid for judder, but it rarely lasts.
Estimated cost: $3,500-6,500
Excessive Oil Consumption / Piston Ring Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Burning through 1+ quart of oil between changes, Blue smoke from exhaust on startup or acceleration, Fouled spark plugs (oil-covered electrodes), Check engine light with misfire codes (P0300-P0306), Low oil pressure warning if neglected long enough
Fix: The VQ35DE can develop piston ring issues, especially if oil changes were stretched. Some engines consume oil without obvious external leaks. If caught early, top-ups and monitoring suffice, but once misfires start, you're looking at piston ring replacement (requires full teardown, 18-24 hours) or short block swap (14-18 hours). Many owners run these low on oil and grenade the bearings, necessitating full engine rebuild or replacement.
Estimated cost: $4,000-7,500
Catalytic Converter Failure (Bank 1 or Bank 2)
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-110,000 mi
Symptoms: Check engine light with P0420 or P0430 (catalyst efficiency below threshold), Sulfur/rotten egg smell from exhaust, Reduced fuel economy and sluggish acceleration, Rattling noise from underneath during startup or acceleration
Fix: The VQ35DE's cats tend to fail prematurely, often from oil consumption issues or running rich. Nissan OEM cats are expensive; aftermarket options exist but quality varies and some won't pass emissions in strict states. Replacement involves cutting out the old cats and welding in new ones, roughly 2-3 hours per bank. If you go with bolt-on aftermarket units, it's faster (1.5-2 hours per side).
Symptoms: Milky or pink-tinged CVT fluid (coolant mixing with trans fluid), Milky appearance in coolant reservoir (trans fluid mixing with coolant), Transmission overheating or erratic shifting after coolant system work, Sudden CVT failure after radiator/cooler develops internal leak
Fix: The internal transmission cooler inside the radiator can fail, allowing coolant and CVT fluid to mix — this kills the CVT fast. If caught immediately, flush both systems and replace radiator (3-4 hours). If driven with contaminated fluid, the CVT is toast and needs replacement. Always inspect CVT fluid color during any cooling system service.
Symptoms: Clunking noise over bumps from front suspension, Steering feels vague or wandering, especially on highway, Uneven or accelerated front tire wear (inner or outer edge), Vehicle pulls to one side after hitting bumps
Fix: The front lower control arm bushings wear out and crack, especially in rust-belt states. Alignment shops will flag this. Most replace the entire control arm assemblies rather than pressing in new bushings — it's faster and ensures proper fitment. Each side is about 1.5 hours; alignment required after. Not a breakdown risk, but worsens handling and tire wear.
Estimated cost: $600-900
ABS Actuator / Hydraulic Control Unit Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: ABS, VDC, and brake warning lights all illuminated on dash, Loss of ABS function (brakes work, but no anti-lock), Brake pedal feels spongy or has unusual travel, Codes for ABS actuator communication errors
Fix: The ABS hydraulic control unit (HCU) can fail internally, often due to corrosion or solenoid issues. This is related to the NHTSA recalls on ABS/traction systems for earlier Muranos, though 2016 models still see issues. Nissan dealer-only part in many cases; requires bleeding entire brake system after replacement. 2-3 hours labor plus expensive part (around $1,200-1,800 for OEM unit).
Estimated cost: $1,800-2,800
Owner tips
Change CVT fluid every 30,000 miles with Nissan NS-2 or NS-3 spec fluid — it's not lifetime despite what the manual says.
Check oil level every fuel fill-up; the VQ35DE can burn oil quietly until it's too late.
Inspect CVT fluid color at every service; any pink or milky tint means radiator replacement NOW before the CVT dies.
Budget for a CVT replacement if buying over 80k miles — it's when, not if, on these.
Buy it cheap with low miles and a bulletproof service history, or walk away — the CVT is a ticking time bomb that makes this a risky used purchase over 80k miles.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP · 19V807000
2019-11-08
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Consequence: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP · 18V601000
2018-09-07
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Consequence: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP · 16V636000
2016-09-02
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, 2015-2017 Murano vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, and 2015-2016 Murano Hybrid vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to July 19, 2016. The affected vehicles have Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps that may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal electrical circuit board.
Consequence: A brake fluid leak onto the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS Actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION · 16V244000
2016-04-26 · EA15004
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP · 16V193000
2016-04-07
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Murano vehicles manufactured December 17, 2015, to February 11, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to February 12, 2016 and equipped with an antilock braking system (ABS) and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). The ABS actuator may have a damaged O-ring that may result in a lack of brake fluid pressure.
Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ABS actuator, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 16, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
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