Used Car Checklists

2021 Nissan Murano: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the automatic emergency braking. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

Nissan Murano2021
Owner complaints
14
Recalls
0
Crashes reported
1
Reliability
Excellent
82/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Run the VIN before you go

A history report shows accidents, title brands, odometer readings, and open recalls for this 2021 Nissan Murano. Ask the seller for the VIN; it is also on the dash at the base of the windshield.

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/8 checked

1

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1

2

Walk-around and cabin

Engine off, key in hand0/1

3

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1

4

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5

These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.

Reported on other Murano years with the same design

These years share the 2021's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.

2022 Murano

5 owner complaints

Worth adding to your 2021 checks

  • Press the SOS button during the test drive and confirm it connects to a live response.
  • Ask the seller for any dealer records of SOS or collision notification system repairs.
  • Inspect the full bottom edge of the windshield for cracks, especially near the defroster vents.
Open the 2022 checklist

2020 Murano

41 owner complaints
  • Automatic emergency braking 7
  • Steering 4
  • Brakes 4

Worth adding to your 2021 checks

  • Inspect the panoramic sunroof glass for chips or cracks, and ask whether it has ever been replaced.
  • Drive at 25 to 50 mph, including under overpasses, and watch for false automatic braking.
  • After startup, check the dash for a stuck forward collision warning malfunction message.
Open the 2020 checklist

2023 Murano

6 owner complaints
  • Brakes 2

Worth adding to your 2021 checks

  • With the engine running, press the brake pedal hard and hold it. Walk away if it sinks toward the floor.
  • In an empty lot, brake hard from low speed and confirm the pedal stays firm and the ABS engages.
  • After the car sits overnight, look under the front passenger side for oil or fluid puddles.
Open the 2023 checklist

Which Murano is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2021 Nissan Murano. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

VersionDriveEPA rating
3.5L 6-cylAWD, FWD22–23 mpg
  • Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Murano that averages well under the EPA 22 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Nissan Murano, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

  • Automatic emergency braking5No crashes

    Cruise control doesn't hold the set speed on downhill grades, even gentle ones. Speed climbs until the driver brakes, in some cases by 13 mph or more. Other reports describe automatic emergency braking slamming on with nothing ahead, both on the highway and on a parking garage ramp, which creates a rear-end crash risk. A crash sensor warning also lights up repeatedly. One report describes the opposite problem: at 35,000 miles the system failed to brake before a minor collision. Dealers often can't reproduce these faults or call them normal.

In owners' own words

Excerpts from complaints Murano owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.

Automatic emergency braking
As I was driving up a parking garage ramp, about 1/2 way up the ramp, the vehicle slammed on the breaks like a front end collision was imminent. There were no cars in front of me, and I wasn't close to any required turns in the parking garage. If someone was driving too close, they would have rear-ended my vehicle. The vehicle simply had no reason to stop on its own.

Filed with NHTSA, June 2021

How the 2021 compares with other Murano years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2021 ranks joint third for owner complaints among 8 Murano years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2021 Average of other years
  • Automatic emergency braking52

Where the 2021 fits in the Murano's history

Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.

The 2021 is the seventh model year of the Murano's third generation (2015–2024).

It includes the 2020 update.

What changed for 2020

  • Updated front and rear fascias
  • New wheel design
  • Nissan Safety Shield 360 as standard for SV and SL models

Also looking at these instead of a Murano?

Cars shoppers compare with the Nissan Murano, with their own 2021 checklists.

2021 owner complaints, side by side