Diagsheet

2018 Nissan Murano · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 26owner reports
  • 27,000median miles
  • 2involved a crash

Newest report Mar 31, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

26 of the 113 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Murano.

Tick what matches of 26 reports

1
1
2
1
17

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the ABS module (5 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the brakes covers the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

19V-807Nov 8, 2019
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.

Risk and remedy
Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.

NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Murano

EA18-001opened Apr 18, 2018
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · model years 2009

Extended braking distances. Closed jan 17, 2023, led to recall 18V-916.

NHTSA summary
On April 18, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) 18-001 to investigate reports of braking concerns in model year (MY) 2009 Nissan Murano vehicles. A failure of the hydraulic control unit (HCU) portion of the antilock brake system (ABS), which involves improper operation of an internal hydraulic control valve(s), can cause extended brake pedal travel and may result in a reduction in overall braking effectiveness. Tier-one supplier Continental manufactured the HCU for Nissan.The corrosion-preventive, zinc coating used on the armatures of the normally closed (NC) valves within ABS HCU may react with brake fluids lacking sufficient corrosion-preventative additives. This reaction can cause the formation of a gelatinous material, which may cause the NC valves to close slowly. Over time, the gel can solidify to an extent such that the spring used to return the valve to the closed position may not be able to overcome the gel buildup, allowing the NC valve to remain open. If any of the four NC valves remains open, fluid will be diverted to one or two accumulator(s). This misdirected fluid has the net effect of causing brake pedal travel to increase, however enough stroke remains in the pedal to generate braking force. Although the hydraulic braking system remains intact and full braking force is maintained once the pedal travels the additional distance, when this condition occurs, the initial increase in brake pedal travel could result in i
PE17-002opened May 3, 2017
Service Brakes, Air · model years 2009

Extended braking distances. Closed may 4, 2018.

NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is closing this Preliminary Evaluation and upgrading to an Engineering Analysis (EA) 18-001.During the PE, ODI requested and reviewed information provided by Nissan including consumer complaints and other field and technical data related to failures of the hydraulic control unit (HCU), an electro-mechanical brake system component that provides antilock braking and other functionality in the subject model year (MY) 2009 Murano.The subject failure of the HCU, which involves improper operation of an internal hydraulic control valve, can cause extended brake pedal travel and may result in a reduction in overall braking effectiveness.Tier-one supplier Continental manufactured the HCU for Nissan.ODI currently recognizes 484 subject vehicle complaints that appear related to the alleged defect.Fourteen crash allegations, with three non-life threatening injuries are under evaluation also.ODI has been monitoring consumer complaints received, and in some cases has obtained suspect HCUs from complainants' vehicles.Recovered HCUs sent to NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) in East Liberty, Ohio are under evaluation, and VRTC has conducted limited vehicle testing also.In a July 28, 2017 submission, Nissan acknowledged that a failure of the HCU can result in increased brake pedal travel during braking.Nissan's analysis of returned parts revealed that a zinc coating used on the normally closed valve assemblies inside the HCU may react wit

None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 16,000 and 36,000 miles, from the 17 reports that gave a mileage.

218
919
820
221
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225
126

What owners wrote

“My car several times while driving randomly had the traction control loss light pop up randomly (dry conditions) several times through a 45 minute drive. Around the 35 minute mark it popped up again, and my car completely stalled out. My VIN is allegedly not apart of one of their recalls but it appears as if it’s the exact same issue many others had and that it should have been included with said recall.”

Filed Nov 9, 2025

“The front radar module frequently fails disabling the Automatic Emergency Braking and the Adaptive Cruise Control.”

Filed Feb 22, 2022

“All of the safety lights came on including ABS and AWD sensor. I took my car to DeMaag GMC Nissan in Battle Creek MI and they said that the ABS Actuator is bad. I see that there has been a recall for this for the 2016-2018 Nissan Murano but they say that mine wasn't included and they told me that this was the issue. Why is it not included?”

Filed Jul 15, 2021

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 26 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.