Is the Honda CR-V more reliable than the Nissan Murano?

No, the Murano holds a slight edge. It has far fewer recalls and a much shorter complaint record. Its complaints can't be adjusted for sales the way the CR-V's can, though, and the CR-V wins on yearly repair cost and shop visits. Expect a narrow gap, not a decisive one.

Which has more recalls, the CR-V or the Murano?

The CR-V has far more. Federal recall records list 46 recalls across nine CR-V model years, compared with 5 across eight Murano model years. Whichever you choose, confirm that all open recall work has been done before you buy.

Which is cheaper to repair, the CR-V or the Murano?

The CR-V costs less. Its estimated yearly repair bill is about $100 lower than the Murano's, and a smaller share of its repairs are major. The CR-V also needs fewer unplanned trips to the shop each year.

Do the CR-V and Murano both have phantom braking problems?

Yes, owners of both report the car braking hard with nothing ahead. CR-V reports are far more numerous, often involve adaptive cruise or curves, and include crashes. Murano reports center on the 2019, with sudden stops between 10 and 45 mph. On both models, dealers often cannot reproduce the fault.

What is the Honda CR-V steering problem?

Owners describe a wheel that sticks when starting a turn or near center, then releases suddenly and causes overcorrection. Clicking, creaking, or popping is common. Reports cluster around 47,000 to 53,000 miles, and dealers usually point to a failing steering rack or gearbox.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Murano: Reliability Compared

Honda CR-V

Good

More Reliable

Nissan Murano

Good

On reliability, the Nissan Murano holds a slight edge over the Honda CR-V. The deciding fact is recalls: 5 for the Murano versus 46 for the CR-V. The CR-V costs less to repair each year, but check its steering before you buy.

How Do the Honda CR-V and Nissan Murano Generations Compare?

Most used CR-Vs in this range come from the fifth generation, which ran from 2017 to 2022 and got a facelift for 2020. That includes the weaker 2018 and 2019. The sixth generation arrived for 2023. Nearly every Murano year here shares one basic design: the third generation covered 2015 to 2024, with minor updates for 2020. The fourth generation launched for 2025. That first year is among the Murano's weakest so far, even though it has had little time on the road to collect complaints.

Verdict

The Nissan Murano is more reliable than the Honda CR-V, scoring 79/100 vs 75/100.

A slight edge goes to the Nissan Murano. Its record is much lighter: 5 recalls across eight model years against 46 for the CR-V. Its largest problem area holds 21 owner complaints, while the CR-V's top areas run into the hundreds. This is not a clear win. The Murano's complaint count can't be adjusted for sales, so part of the gap may come from how many more CR-Vs are on the road. The CR-V also costs less to keep running and visits the shop less often. Read this as a narrow lead on recalls and complaint volume, not a sign the Murano is trouble-free.

Key Differences

1Honda CR-V costs $100 less per year to repair
2Nissan Murano has 41 fewer total recalls
3Honda CR-V has 5% lower major repair risk

Category Scoreboard

3Honda CR-V

—

2Nissan Murano

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Murano: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Murano at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda CR-V	Nissan Murano
Reliability Score	75/100	79/100
Years Tracked	9	8
Total Recalls	46	5
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	5017	134
Annual Repair Cost	$407/yr	$507/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.5/yr
Major Repair Risk	9%	14%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	2 (1 tied)	5 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda CR-V and Nissan Murano?

Steering is the CR-V's biggest worry, and the Murano has no matching problem area. CR-V owners describe a wheel that sticks near center and then lets go suddenly. Dealers often blame the steering rack, and this area is tied to 24 crashes. The CR-V also draws reports of highway power loss into limp mode, oil rising from fuel dilution, and fuel injector failures. Phantom braking shows up on both models, but only the CR-V's reports are linked to crashes. The Murano's crash-linked areas are different: service brakes, airbags that failed to deploy or flagged a passenger sensor fault, and a car that lurched forward while parking.

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Murano common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda CR-V	Nissan Murano
STEERING	1159	4
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	656	21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	553	8
ENGINE	464	—
FUEL SYSTEM	347	—
SERVICE BRAKES	283	9
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	239	—
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	165	24
POWER TRAIN	146	6
AIR BAGS	106	5
VISIBILITY/WIPER	98	4
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	88	4
STRUCTURE	59	—
SEAT BELTS	8	2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	4	4
LANE DEPARTURE	2	2
SEATS	3	—
SUSPENSION	—	2
EQUIPMENT	—	2

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda CR-V or Nissan Murano?

Independent repair-cost data favors the CR-V. It averages about $407 a year in repairs against $507 for the Murano, which works out to roughly $500 over five years. CR-V owners also make fewer unscheduled shop visits. When a repair does come up, the CR-V has a 9% chance of it being major, compared with 14% for the Murano. Steering is the exception: a CR-V that needs a new rack can wipe out years of those savings in a single bill.

How Does Honda CR-V vs Nissan Murano Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Murano year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda CR-V	Nissan Murano	Edge
2026	83/1000R / 35C	82/1000R / 1C	Honda CR-V
2025	80/1006R / 201C	74/1002R / 14C	Honda CR-V
2023	72/1007R / 578C	82/1000R / 6C	Nissan Murano
2022	76/1005R / 242C	82/1000R / 5C	Nissan Murano
2021	77/1003R / 241C	82/1000R / 14C	Nissan Murano
2020	74/10010R / 358C	74/1002R / 41C	Tie
2019	69/1007R / 996C	77/1001R / 39C	Nissan Murano
2018	65/1004R / 1960C	82/1000R / 14C	Nissan Murano

Best years to cross-shop: The 2021 Honda CR-V scored 77/100 and the 2023 Nissan Murano scored 82/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda CR-V vs the Nissan Murano?

Pick the Murano if you care most about a short recall history and fewer complaint filings overall. A 2022 is one of its stronger years. Skip the 2020 and 2025, its weakest. If you look at a 2019, test the automatic emergency braking on a real drive, since many complaints about that year describe the car braking for nothing. Also confirm the airbag warning light stays off. Choose the CR-V if low running costs matter more to you. It makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, and fewer of its repairs turn out to be major. Avoid the 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. On any CR-V you test, drive at 40 to 50 mph and feel for a wheel that catches near center, clicks, or pops. Dealers quote $3,500 to $4,478 for a failing steering rack or gearbox. The newest years look clean partly because they have had less time to collect complaints.

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Murano: Common Questions

Is the Honda CR-V more reliable than the Nissan Murano?: No, the Murano holds a slight edge. It has far fewer recalls and a much shorter complaint record. Its complaints can't be adjusted for sales the way the CR-V's can, though, and the CR-V wins on yearly repair cost and shop visits. Expect a narrow gap, not a decisive one.
Which has more recalls, the CR-V or the Murano?: The CR-V has far more. Federal recall records list 46 recalls across nine CR-V model years, compared with 5 across eight Murano model years. Whichever you choose, confirm that all open recall work has been done before you buy.
Which is cheaper to repair, the CR-V or the Murano?: The CR-V costs less. Its estimated yearly repair bill is about $100 lower than the Murano's, and a smaller share of its repairs are major. The CR-V also needs fewer unplanned trips to the shop each year.
Do the CR-V and Murano both have phantom braking problems?: Yes, owners of both report the car braking hard with nothing ahead. CR-V reports are far more numerous, often involve adaptive cruise or curves, and include crashes. Murano reports center on the 2019, with sudden stops between 10 and 45 mph. On both models, dealers often cannot reproduce the fault.
What is the Honda CR-V steering problem?: Owners describe a wheel that sticks when starting a turn or near center, then releases suddenly and causes overcorrection. Clicking, creaking, or popping is common. Reports cluster around 47,000 to 53,000 miles, and dealers usually point to a failing steering rack or gearbox.

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Decided between Honda CR-V and Nissan Murano? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda CR-V and Nissan Murano

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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