Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Nissan murano. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated and caused the front passenger seat classification system to fail. When the passenger seat was occupied, the air bag system would deactivate. The dealer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16v244000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not notified.…
2011 Nissan Murano airbags problems
critical 10 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
10
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
3crashes
1injury
1fatality
When does it fail?
Of the 10 airbags complaints filed for the 2011 Nissan Murano, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 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
No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 9 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: 2011 Muranos have a documented pattern of passenger-seat airbag sensor failures that disable the passenger airbag, plus credible reports of complete airbag non-deployment in actual crashes. Repairs cost $2,500–$5,000+ per owner complaints, are typically excluded from extended warranties, and parts can be unavailable.
Owners of 2011 Muranos report a recurring pattern: the passenger airbag warning light comes on, a dealer scan shows the occupant classification sensor in the passenger seat has failed, and the passenger airbag system shuts down entirely when someone sits in that seat. Replacement of the entire seat-bottom assembly (where the sensor is integrated) runs $2,500 to $3,700 in parts alone, plus labor pushing total costs to $5,000 or more. Multiple owners note this issue is widespread among 2011 models yet Nissan excludes them from previous recall campaigns (e.g., 16V244000). Extended warranty plans specifically exclude airbag repairs, leaving owners holding the full bill.
More critically, owners report actual airbag non-deployment in collisions. One owner's vehicle with only 7,000 miles failed to deploy the driver's airbag in a frontal crash, resulting in severe head and brain injury; another reported no airbag deployment at 20 mph impact. A third owner experienced a T-bone collision where the passenger-side door airbag did not inflate. Parts availability is another problem—one dealer reported complete backorder status with no USA stock. Owners express frustration that Nissan has not issued a recall despite similar failures across multiple vehicles.
Same Nissan Murano airbags reports on nearby years: 2009 · 2010 · 2012 · 2014
Failure modes owners describe
Passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) Sensor Failure
The occupant classification system sensor embedded in the passenger seat bottom fails, triggering an airbag warning light on the dashboard. This causes the passenger airbag system to deactivate when the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the airbag in a crash.
When: 68,202 to 109,631 miles; failures reported across various mileages
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light illuminates and remains solid on dashboard; Light indicating passenger airbag inoperative illuminates on center stack; Passenger airbag system deactivates when seat is occupied; Manual reset procedure no longer works after repeated attempts
Codes mentioned: B1018
Repairs/costs cited: Requires replacement of entire passenger seat bottom assembly (part 873A2-3ZG6A for 2011–2014 models); estimated part cost $2,500–$3,700 plus labor totaling $2,000–$5,000 or more. One owner reports parts on backorder with no USA availability. Alternatively, reprogramming of seat/OCS components may be attempted.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: 2011 Murano models excluded from previous Nissan recalls (e.g., 16V244000). Extended/Gold warranty plans specifically exclude airbag system repairs. No recall issued despite multiple owner complaints describing the condition as widespread. Nissan acknowledged case but did not issue recall.
Airbag Non-Deployment in Frontal Collision
In frontal impact crashes, the airbag system fails to deploy when it should. One owner reported catastrophic injury when the driver's airbag did not deploy in a frontal collision at low speed, resulting in skull and brain injury; another owner sustained back injury when airbags did not deploy in a frontal collision at 20 mph.
When: At time of accident; one vehicle had 7,000 miles at failure
Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment during frontal collision despite impact forces; Dashboard airbag warning light may be present before accident
Repairs/costs cited: Post-accident repairs included replacement of curtain/head airbags and seat belt pretensioners; total repair cost reported at over $16,000 in one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan stated that the condition does not warrant replacement under existing recalls. No preventive recall action taken.
Side Airbag Non-Deployment in Side-Impact Collision
During a T-bone/side-swipe collision, the passenger-side door airbag did not deploy. Nissan's response indicated that side-swipe collisions do not require airbag deployment.
When: During collision event on 2/20/2018
Symptoms owners cite: Side door airbag did not inflate during T-bone collision; Door experienced significant structural damage (crease at impact point, bent bottom panel)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan stated that side-swipe collisions do not require airbag deployment and declined to treat this as a defect.
Synthesized from 10 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Update to previous NHTSA complaint #11078866. The cost to repair my car was over$5000 and could not justify the expense. After living with the faulty sensor for almost 2 years, it's time to replace the vehicle. I hoped for a recall to be issued but nothing yet. To trade in or sell this vehicle, it's obvious due to warning light on dash that there is a problem with airbags. I need to discount my…
The passenger airbag warning light illuminated and remains on. A Nissan dealer diagnosed the issue as a failure of the Occupant Classification System sensor in the passenger seat. This causes the airbag system to be disabled and could prevent deployment in a crash. I was informed that my 2011 Murano is not included in Nissan’s previous airbag/OCS recalls (such as 16V244), even thought the…
Had airbags trouble with your 2011 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 airbags problem on the 2011 Nissan Murano?
It's a serious issue. 10 complaints have been filed, including 3 reports involving a crash and 1 fatality(ies). We've classified it as critical based on NHTSA's reported outcomes.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 10 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 88,640 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 $1,100 for airbags 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 airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags 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/2011/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.