First-generation Nissan Murano recalled in USA

The first-generation Nissan Murano was launched in the UAE only in 2005, but the Japanese-built crossover had been on sale since 2003 in the United States. The NHTSA, America’s transport safety agency, has ordered Nissan to recall about 360,000 first-generation Murano models in the U.S. because of a defect that can cause an engine stall. Apparently, the material used for the Murano’s air-intake ducts is prematurely aging and shrinking, leading to a risk of separation in the system. That separation can cause an engine stall if the debris gets sucked into the engine.

The NHTSA says that can increase the risk of a crash if this happened at any random moment. All models between 2003 and 2007 are affected. We can only assume that the Nissan Murano sold in the UAE and other GCC countries till 2008 are also affected.

While parts replacement in the U.S. begins on July 6, it remains to be seen if Nissan dealers in the GCC react to this. We already hear that Nissan dealers here refuse to sell spare parts to owners of private American-imported Nissans here, so at least some grey-market owners of the popular Murano in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are out of luck.

This is just one among the string of recalls for the Japanese-built first-generation Nissan Murano in the United States. Earlier recalls for the SUV involved seat belts, fuel tanks and electrical problems.