2009 Murano Loss of Brake Pressure

[JasonMiami]

My wife was nagging me that her2009 Murano would lose break pressure after hitting bumps. Like the typical husband I told her it was the ABS to slow down and stop driving like Evil Knievel! A while later it happened to me where I hit a bump and lost all break pressure. It felt as if the ABS engaged and would not disengage. No lights on the dash or any other signs. The problem corrected itself about 15 minutes later. I brought to the dealer and of course they could not find anything or duplicate the symptom. Finally after several times of bringing it to the dealer it happened to them!
They said it was the Master Cylinder and found it odd that it would go bad with only 60k miles. They put a new master cylinder and where happy to charge me $500!
Less than 6 months later it is doing it again! It doesn't do it all the time, and only going over some bumps.
I brought it to the dealer and of course its not doing it while they have it. They seem baffled. I told them to keep the car as long as they need to, worse case scenario give me a trade in value because if they cant find the problem, I don't want the car! Im also wondering if I paid to have the master cylinder replaced for no reason.
My biggest fear is that my wife will go over railroad tracks, lose break pressure and not be able to stop for upcoming traffic!
Anybody experience this problem or any ideas what it might be?????

[darylzero]

Saw this on another forum, http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/ ... rakes.html

A prius forum had some posts about the same issue.

Did Nissan check your ABS sensors? Is your car AWD? Are you braking when you go over the bumps? How fast are you going?

I'm just asking a lot of questions in hopes that someone else here may be able to help, I'm not a mechanic by any means.

[JasonMiami]

Thanks for the reply, I will read that thread in its entirety later.
Nissan said they couldn't check the sensor unless it failed on the diagnostic check, or light came on. But they would replace it for $1,200 if i wanted. but that still wouldn't guarantee the source of the problem. Unfortunately everything would be out of pocket since the car is out of warranty! I am now in the market for a new car because Im scared every time my wife & daughter are in it! NO MORE NISSAN FOR ME!!! I'm considering the Honda Pilot now.

[Matthew144]

Well i think you should check the brake fluid on monthly basis and all other important things like that which are come under the routine maintenance. So if you keep this thing mind then hope you will never face this problem again.,

[vandpool]

First off this is not a routine maintenance problem. I have been a factory trained mechanic for over 40 years. I have run drag cars, raced motocross, raced SCCA vintage sport cars and now I own a ATV race team that races cross country. I have always done my own work on all my own stuff.

Right before Christmas my wife and son started to go to the store. They backed out of the driveway and started down the street. She went around the block and came back to the house and said her brakes were acting funny. The brakes worked but they were soft and went almost to the floor but they did work. I first checked the fluid level and it was good. It only had 60,000+ miles but to be on the safe side I went ahead and checked the pads for wear, the rear had between 1/4 and 1/3 wear left and the front were about 1/2 gone.

Since I already had them apart and it wouldn't be long before it needed them anyway I changed the rear brakes. After I did that I bled all four wheels and again checked the brake fluid level. Brakes worked like new until two days ago.

We were leaving on a 700 mile trip on Tuesday, Monday afternoon I check the car over good and topped off the fluids. About 60 miles from my destination I went to pull over to the side of the road and hit some small bumps. I was applying pressure to the brake pedal when I hit the bumps (rumble strip) and felt the pedal lose pressure. I was able to stop but the rest of the trip the brakes worked but were spongy. When I got to my destination I check everything and fluids were good, no signs of any leaks.

I again bled the lines, the bled valves were all tight and there was no fluid in the rubber caps, and I double check all the fittings on the brake lines from the master cylinder to each caliper and found none that were loose or showed signs of leaking.

After bleeding the system the brakes are working normal. I use a bleeding tool that has a clear hose that has fluid in it prior to opening the bleed valve. When I opened each valve I saw no bubbles to indicate there any air in the system which leads me to believe that the problem is in the ABS control such as a valve sticking (when you open the system by bleeding the brakes the pressure is removed from the valve and it returns to normal position). If it happens again I will be contacting the NTSB and filing a complaint.

Nissan is like all the other manufactures they try to hide problems. I had a 2004 Titan that had a brake problem and was recalled back in 05-06 took several trips to the shop to be fixed, I bought an 08 and guess what it got recalled for the same brake problem and it is still not right. Both would shimmer when you applied the brakes at above 55 MPH like the anti-lock system was on but there was light on the dash! My next one will be a Ford!!!!

[USADriver]

Thank you for your post . You probably saved me thousands !

We experienced spongy brakes driving the kids to school... SCARY Sxxx. Took it to the dealer they didn't notice anything but recommended a brake flush. The problem went away and came back a week later.

After reading your post I I removed the ABS fuse and BAM the breaks worked again. Performed a test drive and all worked well. Put the ABS fuse back in and the problem no longer existed.

This is definitely recall worthy. If they abs system fails I should at least the car should still be able to stop.


2009 Nissan Murano 75000 Miles .. Original owner ... all recommended factory maintenance performed by nissan dealer

[led1002]

We have a 2009 Murano also, with exactly the same problem and work that "vandpool" had. At 40,000 miles the the car was brought in for the loss of pedal and spongy feel. The dealer replaced the rear brakes and it was okay for a few thousand miles until the problem repeated yesterday. This time the brakes went out about a mile from a 12% downhill with a sharp corner at the bottom. Fortunately my wife was able to slow the car by putting it in a low gear an slowly driving into the driveway at the bottom of the hill. When I came home and got in the car it still had the spongy pedal (to the floor), unfortunately after a pump or two the pedal came back for me so the dealer has nothing to diagnose. Ours doesn't appear to be related to any bumps, it just appears to happen randomly. Has anyone identified the source of the problem and fixed it?

[led1002]

Just wanted to provide an update for others. We towed our Murano in to the dealer (August 26) to diagnose the random loss of brake pedal and make a repair. He setup the diagnostic computer to run while they drove the car around to see if they could replicate the problem and trap any error codes. They had the car for several days driving it over rough sections of road trying to get it to act up. Finally they were able to replicate it and were also able to get the pedal back again. They found a section of road that could trigger the problem repeatedly. In addition they found that they could park the car for an hour or two and the pedal would remain soft when they returned. None of this reported any error codes to the computer which indicated to them that it was the master cylinder since its not monitored. In addition they consulted with the factory and regional reps and they both agreed the master cylinder was the most likely culprit. They recommended the replacement of the MC and even though the car was over year out of warranty offered to cover half of the repair cost. So far the car appears to be behaving normally (fingers crossed). Hope this helps others that may have this problem.

[athorman]

Hi led002 (and others), I joined this forum b/c of this thread!! Anything further with your brake problem? Did the MC finally solve your issues?

I've searched the web high and low for people with a similar experience to mine (I drive a Hyundai Entourage) but haven't found anything aside from this thread. I experience loss of brake pressure after hitting a bump while braking. The first time it happened, I was slowing down to make a right turn and hit a few successive pot holes. My foot went to the floor, but a few pedal pumps and it returned. For the rest of that trip, every time I pressed the brake, I would have no pressure, but a few pumps would bring it back.

The problem resolved itself until and didn't return for over a month, until a few days ago. This time I was braking approaching a highway on-ramp and a big seam in the pavement caused my foot to go to the floor. This time it took a couple days before the pedal returned to normal.

Every search on the web has pointed me to ABS kicking in b/c it sensed wheel spin. I am certain that is not the problem, as I have experience ABS 'working' before.... funny noises, shuddering pedal, lights on the dash.... I have none of that, just no brakes!

I've done visual inspections of the fluid level, the pads, and the calipers.... nothing seems out of the ordinary. The only thing that I can think of is when applying the brakes and hitting a bump, the brake fluid sloshes around in the MC and a small air bubble gets in... if the air bubble is close to the MC (and not the caliper) perhaps it is able to work itself out and the pedal returns.

I did visit a well respected shop and they said that 'it might be the MC'.... they separated it from the booster and did not find any fluid leaking toward the booster. They asked me if my foot slowly dropped to the floor at red lights? Nope, nothing like that. I wasn't about to spend $400 on the MC since I am unsure if that is the problem. However reading your post, maybe I should take the plunge...

I hate driving around with my kids knowing that at any time I might need to pump the pedal 3 times to get the van to stop!

It is a 2007 Hyundai Entourage / Kia Sedona with 131000 on the clock. Also, when I Google 'Hyundai Entourage Master Cylinder' or 'Kia Sedona Master Cylinder' I can't find even 1 person complaining about replacing that part... typically when a part fails on a vehicle, the web is full of complaints!!

Anyway, sorry for the long post, I hope that led002 replies, or anyone else with some ideas! I am pretty mechanically inclined although I don't claim to be a master mechanic.... The only times that I've brought a vehicle into the shop in the past few years is for tires or an ECM reprogram that I couldn't do on my own. Everything else from oil changes to struts and axle shafts to lift kits to you name it, I've done on my own!

[kilnmaint]

I just got back from the shop where my Master cylinder was replaced. The brakes still are soft and go down under pressure from my foot. How can I get an official notification to Nissan so the lawyers can feast on the lawsuit when the wreck occu=urs?

[09breaks]

I have the same problem. About 60k miles. Has happened at least 5 times now. 4 times in the same spot where I'm going down a very slight incline into a parking garage. Once on a flat street at slow speeds in traffic. Took it to the dealership. They replaced rear breaks and all fluid. Was okay for a couple of months, but is back today.

[led1002]

Here's an update on our 2009 Murano Brake repair done by Nissan in August 2014. The brakes had been working fine up until today when my wife called in tears because she lost her brakes after driving the car over a milled asphalt surface and then hit the bump to transition to the unmilled surface. When she applied the brakes the pedal went to the floor again. The car has been towed back to the Nissan dealer for further evaluation. Nissan definitely has a reliability problem here and they can't seem to isolate it. Problem now is what to do with this car.

[led1002]

Hi Athorman, I just saw your post from 11/6/2014. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like our Murano. If you take a look at my post made above you'll see ours is still not fixed. Unfortunately I can't shed any light on your problem either. I am wondering if the Murano and your Entourage may have any components that are in common since Mfrs outsource many of the brake components?

[cjohnson3190]

I have been having the exact problem that many describe above. After checking pads, fluid & bleeding lines, father-in-law said had to be the master cylinder. Local (non-dealership) mechanic confirmed same diagnosis. I left the car with him while on vacation. He replaced the MC but in his own testing, he was not satisfied that the problem was resolved. He continued for a week to test & research the issue (codes, Nissan service bulletins, etc.), but could not find a satisfactory resolution of the braking problem. He finally suggested that I take it to a Nissan dealer. (A side note here... my mechanic did not charge me ANY labor... trusting me with the "honor system" if it's determined that the MC is bad! Who does that?!) Anyway, I'm back to square one, and after reading this thread... wonder if I want to even bother taking it to a Nissan dealership... or look for a new vehicle?!

Anyone have any new info or insight?? Thanks!

[nicoclubuser]

Register your complaints online.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/Sea ... ids=361628

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Nissan/Murano/2009/brakes/

Some guy even posted a clip on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTfIDZHOYf8

Remove your ABS fuse and your brakes work. You will not have abs but your car will stop. *not and electrical issue* POST IF THAT WORKS FOR YOU.

Possibly $3-5,000 parts and labor repair.

[zilla2222]

I think I have located the problem of my brakes loosing pressure when you hit a bump while braking.
Yesterday I was braking at a stop light when I hit a pot hole and the brake pedal went almost to the floor, I was able to pump them up enough to get home.
I don't have any leaks at cylinders and my pads are new and my fluid level is OK
Today the brakes were still loosing pressure so I took a rubber mallet and tapped on the anti skid control valve while my friend pumped the brakes
The problem immediately went away. It looks like the anti skid valve is internally bypassing fluid
I called my Nissan service center and they said there are no recalls on the anti skid module but after reading all the issues with this it sounds to me
like they need to take a look at having a recall !
This is dangerous stuff

[IBMdude]

I have exactly the same issue with a soft pedal. No leaks externally. 47K on the car (2011 year).

Dealer tried replacing the master cylinder, and that didnt fix the issue.
$2900 + labor is what I am being quoted for an ABS module swap!

@zilla2222: Whern you say anti skid control valve being "trapped with a rubber mallet", did you mean the pump that is mounted close to the firewall in the engine compartment on the passenger side? Was your engine on/off?

Is there anyone that offers re-built modules?

This looks like dangerour stuff indeed. Looks like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

I think I have located the problem of my brakes loosing pressure when you hit a bump while braking.
Yesterday I was braking at a stop light when I hit a pot hole and the brake pedal went almost to the floor, I was able to pump them up enough to get home.
I don't have any leaks at cylinders and my pads are new and my fluid level is OK
Today the brakes were still loosing pressure so I took a rubber mallet and tapped on the anti skid control valve while my friend pumped the brakes
The problem immediately went away. It looks like the anti skid valve is internally bypassing fluid
I called my Nissan service center and they said there are no recalls on the anti skid module but after reading all the issues with this it sounds to me
like they need to take a look at having a recall !
This is dangerous stuff

[zilla2222]

IBM Dude
Sounds like I am the only person to have narrowed this down to a component
The problem is with the pump on the passenger side firewall.
I have not had the problem again since changing the brake fluid but I do have a pulsating brake pedal on occasion that I think is also related. Very scary when that happens.
I have put in a safety report with the NTSB but have not heard anything back from them.
I agree, this is a lawsuit waiting to happen
I am going to have the Nissan Dealer change the pump, if they ever have a recall I will have the record for a refund.

[kealbright]

I have a 2009 Murano and have the same ongoing problem for more than a year. First time I took it in for this problem (all work on this car has always been done at authorized Nissan dealership service center) the brake pedal had gone soft but then returned to normal and they could find no issue. Car was fine for many months. Second time the problem occurred the brake pedal did not return to normal Service center bled the brake line and said it was fixed but problem re-occurred several months later. Third time they thought it needed a new master cylinder but that did correct the problem, so they put in a new brake booster. That was last week, and the problem just re occurred on snowy, slick roads. Car is back at dealer and I am shopping for a new car....

[Hukonrt1]

Same car, same problem. 133,000 miles Soft pedal, would slow the car a little then get soft as the pedal passes through this short transition. Becomes more firm at the bottom end and will stop the car. Still a little scary. Removed the ABS fuse and braking is normal again except all kinds of warning lights show up: no key, VDC off, brake (parking brake), and the speedometer does not function. It seems this must be integrated into several other systems!. I could live with this but the wife would likely get some speeding tickets!
Anyway, replaced the fuse then did the rubber mallet tap dance on the ABS pump and distribution block assembly on the passenger side firewall. The brakes are behaving normally at this time. Makes me wonder about the ABS assembly if it could trap air and "cavitate" or if by removing the fuse it could reset itself in some way? I will take a closer look and see if there is a way to "bleed" this assembly.
Definitely must agree that the ABS assembly is the root cause of the problem.
Will post an update if the problem resurfaces.

[Hukonrt1]

Think I have this figured out: recommend looking at this video http://datab.us/IKi5O3ZlSu4#How%20an%20 ... or%20Works
The loss of pedal is due to some rust or dirt getting into one of the valves operated by solenoid. The keeps the valve open and fluid from the master cylinder is pumped into the ABS reservoir rather than into the brake lines. These solenoids are activated by the abs sensor allowing brake fluid to return to the pump and into the reservoir. That is, if the sensor detects skidding the activated solenoid valve releases some of the brake fluid pressure from that wheel in order to stop the skid. After the skid is stopped, the solenoid valve returns to the normally closed position. If anything prevents the valve from fully closing the fluid being pumped from the master cylinder is pumped into the ABS reservoir, instead of traveling to the wheel cylinder. When the reservoir can no longer receive any more fluid, the fluid will travel to the brake cylinder activating the brakes normally. The brake pedal could travel all the way to the floor!
Hitting a bump could dislodge a small piece of dirt or rust within the assembly and it could become lodged in the valve keeping it open.
Tapping on the pump assembly while pumping the brakes temporarily removes the obstruction and allows the solenoid valve to close, returning the brake system to normal operating mode. Since brake fluid is hydrophylic (loves water) it is recommended that the fluid be changed every couple of years to keep it fresh and water free. Most people don't do this (including me) and wait for a system to fail before fixing it. It might be interesting to learn if this problem occurs in areas of very high humidity or rainy areas more than in very dry areas.

[zilla2222]

Update
I had my ABS motor modulator valve replaced in January $2100 and have not had any more issues
The NHTSA has had a total of 22 complaints and 13 additional one since I filed my complaint in October 2015
This is a recall waiting to happen for the 2009 Nissan Murano ABS module
Interesting that no other year models have the issue as per the NHTSA web site.
Just wish the NHTSA would get off their a** and do something about it before someone gets killed

[coachkwj]

Where exactly is the ABS fuse? My wife is having this exact same problem.

[coachkwj]

'Found fuse and pulled it and speedometer doesn't work. Filled out online forms. How do you make Nissan aware of this?

[jorges6400]

I just purchased a 2016 Nissan Murano in September 2016, it has about 800 miles. My wife was backing out of the driveway yesterday morning and loss brake pressure nearly taking out a light pole. Had the car towed to the dealer and was just informed that the brake booster went bad. I haven't owned the vehicle for 30 and i'm having issues.

What did i get myself into.

[Taupe]

I also have the 2009 and have had intermittent issues with the brakes. Any time the abs system has been called upon for the last few years, the brake feel squishy and exhibit the same behavior others have complained about in this thread. Two weeks ago the issue recurred, and would not clear no matter what I did. I tried vibrating the abs pump, removing the fuse, relieving the pressure, etc. to no avail. I filed a complaint with the NTSB, and contacted my dealer who informed me the part would be $2400 plus 5 hrs labor. They simply would not budge on covering any of the work or even allow me to speak with a mechanic. The parts counter also was completely unaware of whether there is an updated version of the abs actuator, or whether they would simply put the same known bad part back on the car to fail again at some point in the future.

I did a little research on my own and have been able to determine that there have been several updates to this part. I believe that's why the 2009 has so many complaints, yet the 2010 and 2011 models have almost no brake complaints on the NTSB's site. The original part on my car was 47660-1AA0B, and the part number goes up in sequence to 1AA5C. Recently, all previous version have been replaced by a different model - 47660-1SW0B. Unfortunately I bought a part from a wrecking yard out of a 2010 model before finding this out, with part number 1AA0C, only a single version newer than the part that failed. Fortunately it seems to be working as I immediately regained normal brake function upon replacing. At least now I know how.

FYI, it took a solid 6 hours to replace the part. The power valve and engine shroud have to be removed, but no other additional parts. I was a little nervous about bleeding the brakes on an ABS vehicle as you're supposed to cycle the abs system during bleeding. I simply bled the brakes, took the car to a wet field to engage the abs system in a low stress spot, and bled the brakes a second time. Saved several thousand dollars, wrecking yards sell the part for around $150, the cheapest I could find it online was $1600 and it's not available to parts stores, Nissan only.

At five hours of dealer labor plus $1600 for the part (lowest cost), you can save yourself $325 an hour by doing the project yourself.

[Rick_in_Atl]

Thank you for your post, Taupe, and everyone here who has taken the time to post. Taupe - it sounds like my 2011 Murano is having the same problem yours had - spongy pedal every time but brakes work. I'm curious if after a month yours is still working well with the replaced pump? I've tried most of the things suggested here with no luck - including tapping, flushing/filling, new pads, etc.
Thanks again for your post and the parts detail you have given...
Rick

[alpha tango]

So I have the exact same problem with my 2009 Murano.
I tried to slow down on some snow, totally normal road conditions, my ABS engaged, but the pedal went to the floor and did not return. The top 10% of the pedal gives me 10% braking power, the middle 80% of the pedal travel does nothing, and only the bottom 10% of the pedal, just before it touches the floor, actually provides any real braking.
As a result, the reaction time and stopping distance is terrible. This will cause an accident at some point.

I have tried what many suggest: Taking out the ABS fuse and driving with no fuse for a day, removing the battery leads and leaving it overnight, tapping on the ABS module with a rubber mallet while someone pumped the brakes... none of it is working. The brakes are stiff as a rock when the car is off and pedal is pumped, but as soon as I start the engine, the brake pedal goes to the floor.
Will bleeding the brakes get me back to normal, if only temporarily? IF I can at least get it back to normal, then i can sell it.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for how to fix this? My local dealer said it would be over $2500 to replace the ABS module - which is absurdly expensive considering the car is only worth around $11,000. I am not going to bother changing the master cylinder, as we know that is not the root of the problem.

I know the NHTSA is doing an "investigation" but how long until we actually see a recall?

thanks for any help or advice.

[[email protected]]

The 2009 Murano Brake pressure/failure issue is expertly described in the above posts.This longstand ing Critical safety issue has gone on for 9 years. My question has to do with my astonishment of how no one(Nissan,The Fed. govt) has failed to offer or acknowledge or provided a repair solution to a fundamental safety issue regarding the 2009 Murano.
It is Inconceivable to me that this highly important daily driver Safety problem has been swept under the rug by Nissan.Unbelievable.
My 2009 Murano with 44K miles (Original owner.Wife's car) aforementioned brake started last month. My wife told me the brake pedal suddenly went to the fire wall and the brakes were basically ineffective. And she went on to say this was a one time thing that day.Last week I took her car out and there in essence was no brake pedal pressure. I continued on my trip with basically no pedal,pumping to gain a measure of effectiveness. On my return trip there was no improvement.A totally insane feeling when there is no to minimal brake pedal pressure or minimal braking effectiveness. upon my wife taking car 2 miles to work the next day the pedal pressure was fine.
Last week dealership told me after looking over the brake system and test driving the car the brake system is fine. I have a very similar mechanical expertise background as a number of the above posters. No Mr. service manager,the Brakes are Not fine.
Again,who is going to make this problem right? I am loath to even let my wife drive the car.And what? I am supposed to try to immediately sell, with a straight face ,this defective un-safe vehicle to another family man? Insane .
This is not the America we all have fought for.In my business, we back our products and workmanship. We absolutely know when an issue is brought up to us if piece is defective or simply worn out. .And regardless of the timeline involved, we remove and replace the Defective piece NO CHARGE.
Nissan really has dropped the moral ball on this irrefutable Safety issue regarding some of the 2009 Murano critically important Brake issues. I wish I were a Lawyer.Nissan is exhibiting an UnBelievably cavalier attitude towards the Safety of their customers and others on the roads.Horrible. I will be returning to dealer tomorrow to let them know about the information gleened from this website. As well as attempting to contact the proper channels at the Nissan corp level.This situation is a kin to the Firestone tires and the early Explorers. So we need multiple Fatalities to get a Recall? Insane.

[amc49]

If one understands the majority of the posts here, one would realize that simply changing the brake fluid every once in a while (a normal maintenance requirement at some point) will likely fix most of the issues...........no car maker ON THE PLANET guarantees zero hydraulic failures on vehicles that are NINE YEARS OLD. Hydraulic part lives are time based as well as enviro based (heat).

As well, repeat driving of a vehicle that has hydraulically failed one time is a legal voider of all responsibility by the vehicle maker once owner insists on doing that. Hydraulic issues do NOT repair themselves if there is truly an issue. Quit driving the vehicle.