My college age daughter was driving home from college and heard a noise under the car. It is a miracle she made the 4 hour drive without a serious accident. We immediately had the car inspected by a local garage with an excellent reputation. They called me back to the repair bay and told me the main rear subframe or 'rear cradle' had rusted completely in half. The car has 111,000 miles in it and…
2009 Nissan Murano body problems
moderate 23 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
23
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 23 body complaints filed for the 2009 Nissan Murano, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Among the 11 model years of Nissan Murano in our records for body problems, this one ranks #2 by owner-complaint volume.
No new NHTSA body complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 7 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: Door handles and lock actuators can trap you inside or outside the vehicle without warning, and the rear subframe corrodes and can separate from the chassis—creating both emergency egress and structural safety hazards. These are design and materials issues Nissan has not recalled.
The 2009 Murano body failures cluster around three major problems. Exterior door handles on the driver's side, rear doors, and front passenger door fail by becoming loose and inoperable while still physically attached—the internal release mechanism breaks, trapping occupants inside or preventing entry in emergencies. Interior handles remain functional. Door lock actuators fail across multiple doors (rear driver, rear passenger, front passenger), also trapping occupants. Both issues occur between 67,000 and 91,000 miles; dealers quote $600 per door handle plus diagnostic fees, and warranty coverage is denied.
Rear subframe rust and structural failure dominates complaints. Owners report the rear subframe corroding severely—sometimes cracking, separating, or detaching entirely—starting around 102,000 miles but occurring at mileages as low as 111,000–190,000. Nissan technicians acknowledge small drainage holes in the design trap salt and water in northern climates, accelerating corrosion. Failures produce clunking noises and handling loss; one owner lost rear-end control on a highway. Suspension components detach, and repair shops refuse work due to bolt-breakage risk during extraction. Repair estimates reach $4,000. Nissan declines assistance despite multiple contacts.
Additional body defects include power liftgate latch failure requiring battery disconnect cycles to reset, excessive blind spots from body design creating visibility hazards, dashboard material degradation (stickiness, glare, bubbling), sunroof jamming (no parts availability), and a front bumper design flaw allowing debris to damage the AC condenser.
Same Nissan Murano body reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2010
Failure modes owners describe
Exterior door handle failure
Exterior door handles become loose and inoperable while remaining physically attached; internal release mechanism breaks. Interior handles remain functional. Traps occupants inside or prevents entry in emergencies.
When: 67,000–91,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Handle flaps loosely and does not engage door opening mechanism; Handle remains attached but non-functional; Interior handle still works
Repairs/costs cited: $600 per door handle; dealers charge $130–260 for diagnostic estimate
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Warranty denied despite extended coverage; Nissan USA declined coverage
Door lock actuator failure
Door lock actuators fail, preventing doors from opening from outside or inside. Multiple doors affected simultaneously (rear driver, rear passenger, front passenger). Occupants trapped inside vehicle.
When: 67,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Doors locked closed and cannot open from outside; Doors cannot open from inside; Failure recurs continuously; Front driver side can still open
Repairs/costs cited: Lock actuators require replacement
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer notified but no response documented
Rear subframe corrosion and structural failure
Rear subframe corrodes severely due to design flaw (small drainage holes allow salt and water ingress in northern climates). Subframe cracks, separates, or detaches entirely. Suspension components separate from chassis, creating unsafe driving conditions. Loss of vehicle control reported.
When: 102,000–190,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Loud rattling or clunking noise from underneath, especially over bumps; Loss of control/rear-end sliding sideways on highway; Vehicle leaning to one side; rear tire bowing outward; Suspension disconnected from chassis
Repairs/costs cited: Entire rear subframe or rear cradle requires replacement; estimates $4,000. Repair shops refuse work due to bolt-breakage risk during extraction.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan acknowledged design issue (small holes trap salt/water); declined assistance despite multiple owner and independent mechanic contacts
Power liftgate latch failure
Power liftgate latch mechanism fails to fully latch after a few uses. Liftgate becomes unable to secure, creating safety hazard for cargo and passengers.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Liftgate does not latch completely after 3–4 uses; Requires negative battery terminal disconnect/reconnect to reset; Issue recurs after a few uses
Repairs/costs cited: Latch mechanism identified as faulty and requiring replacement
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership confirmed safety issue; repair status not documented
Excessive body blind spots
Vehicle design creates large blind spots due to bulky side mirrors, high rear window positioning, and upward-slanted body line. Rear quarter-panel area completely obscured. Safety hazard during lane changes and parking.
When: Inherent design
Symptoms owners cite: Cannot see vehicles at rear quarter panel when looking over shoulder; Near-misses with pedestrians, cyclists, and parked vehicles; Collision backing out of parking space
Dashboard material degradation
Dashboard material deteriorates, becoming sticky and warped. Material bubbles and develops glare that impedes forward visibility.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Dashboard stickiness; Material bubbling; Surface glare impairing visibility
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership will replace dashboard if owner insists; not proactively offered
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall issued; Nissan handles on case-by-case basis
Power sunroof jamming
Power sunroof stops working shortly after delivery. Replacement part on extended backorder with no availability date.
When: 3 weeks after delivery
Symptoms owners cite: Sunroof will not open; Sunroof stuck in closed position
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement part required; backorder status unchanged for 2.5+ weeks
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan customer care unable to provide replacement date
Front bumper debris ingestion defect
Front bumper has three small holes that allow road debris to enter engine bay and damage AC condenser.
When: 34,600 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Air conditioner failure; Debris in engine bay
Repairs/costs cited: AC condenser damaged and requires replacement
Synthesized from 23 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Had body trouble with your 2009 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 body problem on the 2009 Nissan Murano?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 23 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $1,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Across the 20 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 76,000 and 128,000 miles, with the median around 102,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 76,000; a quarter make it past 128,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body 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 body?
No active recalls currently cover body 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/2009/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.