2004 Nissan Murano

The first-generation Nissan Murano (2003–2007) shows a volatile complaint arc: a high 799 complaints in the 2003 launch year, a dip to 678 in 2004, then a sharp spike to 986 in 2005 — the generation's peak — before gradually declining to 675 by 2007. The 2004 target year sits in a relatively favorable position within this arc, with complaints down roughly 15% from 2003 and recalls cut from 6 to 4, while investigations held steady at 4 and TSBs decreased from 109 to 91. However, the 2004 still carries substantial complaint volume, with the top areas being Visibility (121 complaints), Power Train (107), Seats (90), and Electrical System (71), plus 14 crash complaints and 6 fire complaints — the data does not specify root causes for any of these categories. Notably, the 2005 spike that follows suggests that whatever issues were present in 2004 were not yet resolved and may have worsened, so the modest improvement in 2004 should not be read as a sign of resolved quality. Compared to the later 2007 model year, which posted the generation's lowest recall count (2) and investigation count (1), the 2004 remains a higher-risk choice. **Bottom line:** the 2004 Murano is a middling year within a troubled generation — better than the 2003 launch and the 2005 peak, but not as refined as 2007 — making it a conditional buy only if priced aggressively and if a thorough pre-purchase inspection confirms the power train and electrical systems are sound.