STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2005 Nissan Murano suspension problems
severe 14 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $900 · see suspension across all vehicles →
Complaints
14
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$900
2crashes
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering suspension on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This SKU is a Suspension Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would prevent the part from being installed, and would therefore have no impact on the end user besides time to complete installation.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗NISSAN; VIBRATION AND/OR NOISE WHEN MAKING LOW SPEED TURNS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗IF YOU CONFIRM There is a vibration or judder feeling from the rear of the vehicle; when making, turns, on dry roads, or at low speeds (under 40 MPH), and the vibration does not occur if the Electric Controlled Coupling is electrically disconnected. ACTION Replace the Electric Controlled Coupling for the rear final drive. See this bulletin for further detail.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report widespread rear subframe failure driven by a design flaw—a hole in the K-subframe allows water to pool inside, causing rust-through from the interior outward. Metal separates at mounting points near the wheels as early as 60,000 miles. One owner's subframe failed catastrophically at 60 mph on the highway, causing severe handling loss; another had complete separation on both sides at 225,000 miles. Symptoms include severe negative camber, vehicle pulling hard left and right, steering wheel misalignment (one owner reported 15 degrees off), and the rear end sliding when hitting highway bumps on snow or ice.
Lower control arms wear or fail prematurely—one dealer flagged both arms as about to fail at 63,500 miles. Service shops confirm they've repaired the same defect on multiple Murano models in the same week.
Sway bar links and bars detach or fail, often accelerated by subframe rust that compromises mounting. One owner reported a sway bar link nearly causing an accident and breaking in half.
Repair costs run $4,000–$5,022 for subframe and control arm replacement; dealers demand full customer pay. Owners note Nissan issued a 13-year unlimited-mileage warranty campaign for the identical subframe on 2002–2005 Altimas and Maximas (Campaign P5216, Service Bulletin NTB05-114B), but refuses to extend the same coverage to Murano owners with the same failure mode.
Same Nissan Murano suspension reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007
Failure modes owners describe
Rear subframe rust-through and structural failure
Rear K-subframe develops rust that eats through the metal from inside-out, often due to water pooling in a design flaw (hole in frame). Metal separates at mounting points near wheels, compromising structural integrity.
When: 63,500 to 225,000+ miles; one complaint at 225k noted failure well before 20-year benchmark life
Symptoms owners cite: Severe negative camber on rear wheels; Vehicle pulls left and right during highway driving; Steering wheel misalignment (one owner reported 15 degrees to right); Rear wheels point toward opposite side of vehicle; Noise when applying front brakes; Rear end goes to right when hitting bump on highway
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer quotes $4,000–$5,022.37 for rear subframe and control arm replacement; all flagged as customer-pay despite design defect
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan issued warranty extension campaign P5216 and service bulletin NTB05-114B for 2002–2005 Altima (same subframe design, 13 years unlimited miles), but refuses to cover 2005 Murano with identical subframe problem
Lower control arm defects
Lower control arms wear prematurely or fail, posing direct suspension integrity and steering control hazards. Multiple service shops report seeing same failure repeatedly in these model years.
When: One report at 63,500 miles; repair shops confirm pattern across multiple vehicles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle becomes unsafe to drive per dealer assessment; Suspension instability
Repairs/costs cited: Included in subframe replacement quotes; one owner reports dealer refused warranty coverage despite safety concern
Sway bar / sway bar link deterioration and detachment
Sway bar links and front/rear sway bars become loose, corroded, or detach from subframe, especially when subframe rust compromises mounting integrity.
When: One complaint mentions detachment nearly causing accident; correlates with subframe rust progression
Symptoms owners cite: Sway bar detaches from subframe; Sway bar link breaks in half; Front sway bar link replacement required
Repairs/costs cited: Sway bar link replacement; full replacement included in subframe work ($4,000–$5,022)
Synthesized from 14 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had suspension trouble with your 2005 Nissan Murano?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the suspension problem on the 2005 Nissan Murano?
It's a meaningful issue. 14 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $900.
At what mileage does the suspension typically fail?
Based on the 14 complaints filed, suspension issues most often appear around 120,171 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $900 for suspension repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to suspension?
No active recalls currently cover suspension issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2005/Nissan/Murano.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.