Nissan has produced the Nissan Murano every year since 2002, with only one exception (2008). The little crossover has quickly found its way into Nissan’s all-star lineup. Despite a lack of fanfare, the Murano has not only satisfied customers but managed to win some industry-wide awards (2007 Motorist Choice best premium midsize SUV, 2015 Ward’s 10 Best Interiors Winner). But there are plenty of ways the Murano doesn’t stack up to its competition, and some of them can get pretty pricey.

The Murano’s cost and safety

One big reason the Nissan Murano can’t compete with the other vehicles in its class is the price. The Nissan Murano starts around $31,000 – and so does the Nissan Pathfinder, a car that seats three more passengers. It simply doesn’t make sense to purchase one Nissan vehicle over the other if a potential buyer’s concern is fitting more passengers in the car.

On the subject of passengers, the current Nissan Murano carries better safety ratings than some previous years. Additionally, driver-assist features like a rearview camera, lane departure warnings, and even driver drowsiness warning can be found in the recent versions of the Murano. But if you’re looking to purchase a pre-owned version of the vehicle, it might be time to set some money aside for repairs. The common issues with the Murano can be expensive.

The Nissan Murano’s most common issues

The model year with the most issues by far is the 2009 Nissan Murano. With nearly 800 complaints on the 2009 Murano’s Car Complaints page, it’s no surprise that consumers are displeased with the vehicle’s performance over the years. And the kicker? Some of the most common problems are the most expensive to fix. Three of the worst (and most common) problems on the 2009 Nissan Murano are a soft brake pedal ($2,400 to fix), the ABS controller malfunctioning ($1,600), and a full transmission failure (at least $5,000).

Additionally, both the 2003 and 2011 Nissan Murano models deal with expensive transmission repairs at $4,100 and $4,000, respectively.

The 2009 Murano’s flaws are no secret. But with many used cars, older model years come with fixable, affordable repairs. The 2009 Murano is not among them. In fact, along with the standard repairs, the 2009 model year also boasts four separate recalls, affecting hundreds of thousands of vehicles.

The Nissan Murano in 2020 and beyond

It’s important not to forget how expensive the 2009 Nissan Murano is to repair and maintain. But 2009 and also 2011 were a long time ago, and Nissan is dedicated to improving their craft. The 2020 model year is not only an improvement over the 2009 model, but sales data indicates that it may be Nissan’s flagship vehicle before too many years pass. And with good reason too.

Nissan has learned from their expensive, flaw-ridden versions of the Murano. The Car Complaints page with hundreds of complaints on the 2009 model year? Absolutely zero complaints for 2020 or 2019 listed on the main page. While drilling down into the details of 2020 and 2019 does return some minor NHTSA complaints, it’s clear that things have dramatically improved over the last decade.

2009 was the first model year for the second-generation Nissan Murano. After closing the production of the first generation in 2007, Nissan gave the Murano a year off as they reworked the Nissan D platform for the new version of the Murano. The vehicle came with some common (and expensive) growing pains, but things have certainly settled down for Nissan in the interim. Whether they push the Murano as the star of the company going forward or not, it’s a relief to know that the expensive issues of the 2009 model year are unlikely to repeat.