Faults:

Head gaskets recalled.

Transmission replaced at 30k miles.

Replaced brakes at 40k miles.

Replaced tires at 35k miles.

Repainted tailgate at 40k miles.

Replaced interior moonroof cover twice.

New struts and motor mounts at 45k.

General Comments:

The Murano is a great-looking, smooth-riding, expensive-to-operate, and fragile beast. We loved the car when we bought it, but after about three years our Murano began to fall apart, requiring frequent dealership visits and expensive maintenance fees much earlier than expected.

On one trip to the dealer, we were advised by the service manager that the Murano "wasn't really designed for the Phoenix (AZ) climate". One wonders if Nissan is aware that its own service managers feel this way about the Murano.

Adding frustration to the frequent service visits were the unexpected high-costs for even basic maintenance. Tires cost almost $2000 for a decent set, and oil changes were about double. The struts and other mounts job was almost $4k, however most of that was covered due to a recall.

Faults:

Recall for faulty head gaskets.

Replaced a leaking valve cover gasket.

Replaced a faulty fuel sender.

Replaced both rear windows and power window assemblies - the windows had cracked and detached from the winder mechanism frames.

It's AWD, but still seems to burn through tires - the front OEM tires were done at 16K miles, and all four replacements are about due now (30K later), despite regular rotations.

General Comments:

AWD version handles heavy rain and ice storms very well (we don't get snow where I live), but gets about 2 MPG less than the claimed MPG.

Real world mileage for AWD version - 18 MPG city, 24 MPG highway.

Recommended fuel for the 3.5L V-6 is premium, and it seems to run much better on it.

Large blind spots to the rear.

Poor luggage room for its size.

Very smooth and quiet on the highway.

Very comfortable seating for four adults - five is a stretch unless the fifth passenger is a child.

Powerful V-6 mates well with the CVT, but it still takes some getting used to.

Love it or leave it styling.

My wife loves it, despite its problems.

General Comments:

I rented this car for 2 weeks. I hated it. Handling was awful. The car is butt ugly. The interior, especially the dash, was HIDEOUS.

Performance was totally crap. I had power, but the shifting was all wrong. Driving in the mountains, it handled so poorly that I had to return it for a replacement, as it was ruining my vacation. The replacement, a V8 Audi was fantastic.

What a crappy car the Murano is, and I've driven hundreds and owned dozens; this to me was the all time worst, followed by a 2005 Ford Focus, yuck.