Transmission Solenoid Problems of Nissan Murano

The solenoid pressure valve in my 2003 Nissan Murano failed at 81,100 miles. It runs fine on the highway but when you transition to city driving at each stop it will loose power and the car will barely coast through the intersection, then it will catch and accelerate very quickly. The check engine light was not on when this occurred. I contacted the dealer who said they could do nothing since the service engine light was not on. I took it to 2 other auto repair places who were able to retrieve information stored on the computer, which stated it was the solenoid pressure valve (the light was still not on at this point). I learned from several mechanic shops that this is a common problem with this vehicle but they do not make the part that needs to be fixed, they only sell a "valve body kit" and quoted me $2000 for this repair. However, they also stated that there is a 25-50% chance that this repair will not be effective and I would then have to fully replace the transmission for an additional $5000+. Luckily there were no injuries because of this problem but I find it unacceptable that Nissan knows about this problem but only requires an absurd amount of money to fix it. I made a large investment in Nissan based on their reputation for reliability and have been greatly let down.

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Nissan Murano cvt transmission causes delayed acceleration. After 65,000 miles the vehicle did not immediately respond when the accelerator was pushed. It would inch forward then surge. At one time I barely avoided a major accident when merging into traffic and the engine did not respond to the accelerator; then suddenly shot forward a couple seconds later almost causing a collision from the delay. When I took it in they said I needed a new transmission; but I noted that there was not a rise in rpm's when it did not accelerate as would be the case if it was slipping. When I asked about that they said it was probably the solenoid switch that keeps the engine from revving when there is a transmission problem. After checking on the internet I found web sites with many people reporting the same problem. Many said they found it was the switch getting dirty and then shutting down the rpms. I tried a transmission fluid change and it solved the problem for about 30,000 miles then starting doing it again. I changed again and it is once again resolved. Besides the fact that Nissan has a manufacturing issue here this problem is very dangerous. When you step down on the gas and there is a delay it causes you to divert your attention from driving; typically you automatically pump the gas again. Then the sudden surge forward is unexpected and may put you in a place you did not now (after the delay) want to be; especially if merging into traffic.

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