CVT transmission would struggle at low speeds, it would feel like it was jumping or getting caught on something. No check engine light or other error codes would display. Dealership insisted nothing was wrong. After 3rd check in 6 years, they finally got an error code and determined we needed a replacement.
2015 Nissan Murano powertrain problems
moderate 51 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
51
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
What stands out
Owners have filed 51 powertrain complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Among the 14 model years of Nissan Murano in our records for powertrain problems, this one ranks #3 by owner-complaint volume.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: 2015 Murano CVT transmissions are prone to complete failure, juddering at low speeds, and loss of acceleration response starting at 20,000 miles and beyond—sometimes without warning lights—leaving drivers stranded or in unsafe traffic situations. Many owners face $4,000–$7,000+ replacement costs out-of-pocket after warranty expires, and the transmission can fail a second time even after repair.
Owners describe a pattern of CVT transmission failures across the 2015 Murano, with the most critical issue being abrupt, complete loss of drive without warning. Multiple owners report the transmission refusing to engage or respond to throttle input while driving at highway speeds or during traffic merges, forcing roadside recovery and towing. One driver nearly stranded her wheelchair-dependent mother on a highway when the vehicle lost all forward power at 131,000 miles.
Low-speed jerking and shuddering—typically between 15 and 40 mph—is widespread and begins as early as 10,000–20,000 miles. Owners describe violent vibration during acceleration from stops or on inclines, often accompanied by audible grinding or clunking. Transmission hesitation and slipping are reported frequently; drivers report RPMs rising without corresponding speed increases, creating dangerous merging situations. Several owners note these symptoms develop before any check engine light appears, leaving them unaware the transmission is failing.
Fluid contamination has been documented: one owner found burnt-smelling transmission fluid with visible metal shavings at 69,000 miles. Axle and transfer case seal leaks are a recurring complaint, with one owner charged $712.59 for a repair Nissan's own Service Bulletin (NTB17-003) acknowledges as a known issue.
Critical: at least two owners report transmission failure occurring a second time after the initial dealer repair or replacement, sometimes within just 10,000 miles. No diagnostic trouble codes appear in many cases despite unmistakable symptoms, complicating dealer diagnosis and leaving owners paying out-of-pocket. One owner notes transmission replacement cost 65% of what she paid for the used vehicle.
Same Nissan Murano powertrain reports on nearby years: 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2016 · 2017
Failure modes owners describe
CVT transmission complete failure / no drive
Transmission abruptly stops responding to throttle input or shift commands, leaving vehicle unable to move forward. Some instances involved complete loss of drive at highway speeds or during critical traffic merges.
When: Reported from 20,000 to 204,000 miles; some early failures at 20K-46K miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle will not accelerate or move forward despite throttle input; Unable to shift into Drive or Reverse; Sudden loss of motive power mid-drive; Vehicle stalls and stops in middle of road or traffic lane
Codes mentioned: P17F1, P17F0
Repairs/costs cited: Full CVT transmission replacement required; owner reports cite costs of $4,000–$7,157 and replacement of entire transaxle assembly. Some covered under warranty; many out-of-pocket or partial warranty denials.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan dealer diagnostics often find no codes or fluid issues initially; some owners mention TSB/warranty coverage ended before failure occurred. One owner received recall letter late; another VIN not covered under recall despite P17F1 code.
CVT transmission jerking, shuddering, juddering at low speed
Rhythmic jerking, shuddering, or violent juddering when accelerating from stops or at low revs (typically 15–40 mph), often accompanied by vehicle lugging or vibration. Symptoms can be intermittent and worsen over time.
When: Reported from 10,000 to 93,000 miles; many cases start 20K–40K miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle jerks, shudders, or judders at low speeds (10–40 mph); Violent vibration or lunge when accelerating from stop; Car shakes violently on acceleration or inclines; Transmission feels like it cannot select proper gear; Abnormal noise or grinding sensation
Codes mentioned: P17F1, P17F0, P0300, P0302
Repairs/costs cited: Repairs include valve body replacement (covered under early warranty), CVT subassembly replacement, transmission fluid flush (temporary fix, problem recurs), full transmission rebuild or replacement ($1,600–$6,000+). Multiple owners report dealer unable to duplicate or find issue despite clear symptoms.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan issued Service Bulletin for CVT judder; valve body replacement performed under warranty in early service visits. Reprogramming of transmission control module and steering angle sensor adjustment attempted with limited or temporary success. Extended CVT warranty offered for some models (Pathfinder, others) but Murano excluded; one class-action settlement noted.
CVT hesitation or loss of acceleration response
Engine revs without proportional acceleration or throttle response is severely delayed, especially during highway merges or traffic acceleration. Described as transmission slipping or becoming unresponsive to pedal input.
When: Reported from 2,200 to 75,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: No acceleration despite increased RPM or throttle input; RPM increases but vehicle speed does not follow; Transmission appears to slip or lose engagement; Hesitation when accelerating from low to higher speeds; Problem recurs after temporary fix (release gas, re-apply)
Codes mentioned: P17F1
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report transmission replacement required after diagnosis by dealership. Diagnostic test (paid by owner in one case) confirmed immediate replacement needed. Cost cited as 65% of used-car purchase price in one instance.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner's transmission diagnostics performed at certified Nissan service; transmission replacement confirmed necessary. Used-car dealer (non-Nissan) inspection missed the issue despite NADA scoring. No formal recall or extended service program identified in narratives for this symptom in Murano.
Transmission fluid contamination and internal wear
Transmission fluid becomes burnt, foul-smelling, or contaminated with metal shavings, indicating internal bearing or gear wear and imminent failure.
When: Reported at 69,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Burnt smell or foul odor from transmission fluid; Metal shavings found in transmission fluid pan; Vehicle shudders at low speeds; Check engine light illuminates
Codes mentioned: P17F1
Repairs/costs cited: No repair attempted; vehicle remained parked at residence. Fluid contamination indicates advanced internal degradation.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer not notified by owner.
CVT transmission fails after previous repair/replacement
Transmission fails again shortly after dealer repair, flush, or replacement, suggesting root cause not addressed or chronic defect in the CVT design.
When: One case: initial replacement at 52K miles (June 2019), second failure at 62K miles (Nov 2021); another case: transmission failed after flush in May 2022, diagnosed failing by Jan 2023
Symptoms owners cite: Jerking, stalling, shuddering, hesitating after previous repair; Complete transmission failure requiring second replacement; Transmission fluid cooling assembly failure causing fluid mix
Codes mentioned: P17F1
Repairs/costs cited: Second replacement cost $6,600 (transmission, radiator, cooler assembly); first replacement covered under warranty. Fluid-cooler-radiator assembly failure identified as cause in one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Initial replacement covered under warranty; second failure denied or out-of-pocket. No extended protection or root-cause investigation mentioned.
Transmission shift difficulty from Park
Gear shift resists movement or is difficult to move out of Park, occurring consistently at cold and warm engine temperatures. Associated with a low clunking sound when shift finally engages.
When: Complaint within months of new vehicle purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Gear shift difficult or resistant to move from Park; Occurs 70% of the time (7 out of 10 driving events); Happens with both cold and warm engine; Low-sounding clunk after shift finally moves into gear
Repairs/costs cited: No repair documented in narrative; no fluid leakage observed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer response documented.
Transmission slips into Neutral unexpectedly
Transmission disengages or slips into neutral without driver input, causing loss of motive power and requiring vehicle to coast to shoulder or safe area. Occurs intermittently without warning.
When: Occurred after transmission replacement in 2017; recurrence in 2021; another case at undisclosed mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission goes into neutral by itself; Vehicle stops responding to throttle; Loss of motive power while driving; Vehicle jerks and hesitates before disengaging
Repairs/costs cited: One case: transmission already replaced in 2017, failed again; dealer recommended repair at owner's cost of $4,000. Another case: CVT fluid flush performed by dealer; problem recurred.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner received dealer recommendation to repair at own cost, no warranty coverage on second failure.
Transfer case and axle seal leaks
Transfer case and front/rear axle seals leak CVT fluid, requiring multiple dealer visits for diagnosis and repair. Known issue referenced in Service Bulletin NTB17-003.
When: Reported at 27,091 miles; another at 62,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: CVT fluid leaking from LH axle seal; Transfer case seal leakage; Fluid leak source difficult to locate initially
Repairs/costs cited: One owner charged $712.59 for LH axle seal repair; vehicle required three separate dealer visits within 1.5 months. Another case required replacement of front and rear transfer case seals during transmission work.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Service Bulletin NTB17-003 exists for this known issue; one owner requested free repair due to manufacturing defect, but dealership charged customer. No recall noted.
Synthesized from 51 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 5 most recent
The transfer case and axle seals on my 2015 Nissan murano have been leaking and the dealer has had the vehicle three different times, within the last month and a half, for numerous days. There was 27,091 miles on it when I took it in on 11-08-17. The dealer has provided a rental each time. The three dates the vehicle went into the dealer are: 11-08-17, 12-02-17 and 12-19-17. I filed a case with…
The transfer case need to be replaced. I took my vehicle to the dealer a few months ago and they told me I had a leak but didn't know where it was coming from. I took it back to the dealer yesterday 12/16/22 and they told me where the leak is coming from. The cvt fluid is leaking from the lh axle seal. Murano owners have been complaining about this same issue. The dealership is charging me…
Here is my experience: I purchased a 2015 Nissan Murano new in July 2015. My CVT transmission failed and was replaced under warranty by Nissan in June 2019 at 52,000 miles. Today 11-29-21, at 62,100 miles, my transmission failed again due to the transmission oil/cooler/radiator assembly failing to cause the cooling fluid and the transmission fluid to mix, resulting in having to replace the…
When trying to merge onto the interstate, the car didn't accelerate, causing other vehicles on the road to swerve around me. Afterwards, I noticed that the car was shaking or juddering at low revs (about 1,000 RPM). I internet searched for possible causes and found that this shaking was caused by a known problem with the CVT on my car (Nissan Murano). I bought the car (a 2015 Nissan Murano AWD…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2015 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 powertrain problem on the 2015 Nissan Murano?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 51 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 24 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 20,000 and 63,500 miles, with the median around 39,200. A quarter of owners report trouble before 20,000; a quarter make it past 63,500. 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 $2,500 for powertrain 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 powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain 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/2015/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.