Last updated: 2026-10-10

Jeep Cherokee vs Nissan Murano: Reliability Compared

Jeep Cherokee reliability comparison

Jeep Cherokee

70
GoodReliability score: 70 out of 100, rated Good
VS
More ReliableNissan Murano reliability comparison

Nissan Murano

79
GoodReliability score: 79 out of 100, rated Good

Reliability favors the Nissan Murano over the Jeep Cherokee, with 5 recalls against 105. Repair costs are close. The gap is the Cherokee's long list of crash-linked steering, brake, engine and powertrain complaints, which the Murano's much shorter list does not match.

How Do the Jeep Cherokee and Nissan Murano Generations Compare?

Most used Muranos you will see belong to the third generation (Z52), which ran from the 2015 to 2024 model years, with minor updates in 2020. The fourth generation (Z53) began with the 2025 model year. Within the third generation, 2018 and 2021 stand out as the strongest years, while 2020, the update year, ranks among the weakest. The 2025 is the first of a new generation and also ranks among the weakest, so it deserves a careful inspection and a recall check before you commit.

Verdict

The Nissan Murano is more reliable than the Jeep Cherokee, scoring 79/100 vs 70/100.

A clear edge goes to the Murano. Federal recall records show 5 recalls for it against 105 for the Cherokee, and owner complaints run far lower. The Cherokee's list includes engine fires, steering that cuts out, and parking brakes that apply at highway speed. The Murano's worst reports are fewer and more scattered. Both land in good standing, and the Cherokee does better on shop visits, so the gap comes from severity and volume, not day-to-day repair bills.

Key Differences

  1. 1Nissan Murano has 100 fewer total recalls
  2. 2Nissan Murano costs $13 less per year to repair
  3. 3Nissan Murano scores 9 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

2Jeep Cherokee
—
3Nissan Murano
Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Jeep Cherokee vs Nissan Murano: Which Is More Reliable?

Jeep Cherokee vs Nissan Murano at-a-glance reliability comparison
MetricJeep CherokeeNissan Murano
Reliability Score70/10079/100
Years Tracked88
Total Recalls1055
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume4984134
Annual Repair Cost$520/yr$507/yr
Repair Frequency0.2/yr0.5/yr
Major Repair Risk12%14%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall
2026 NHTSA
2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins25

What Are the Common Problems With the Jeep Cherokee and Nissan Murano?

Transmission and electrical faults dominate the Cherokee's complaints. Owners report harsh shifts, slipping, stalling at stops, and cars that shut off while driving. Steering, engine and brake areas carry crash-linked filings, including steering seizing at about 25 mph and the parking brake engaging on its own at 55 and 70 mph. Many powertrain and engine reports describe a Grand Cherokee, so read them with care. The Murano's biggest group is a forward collision warning that shuts itself off intermittently. Its crash-linked reports are fewer: brakes, one powertrain lurch, and a passenger airbag that can switch off.

Jeep Cherokee vs Nissan Murano common problem areas comparison
ComponentJeep CherokeeNissan Murano
POWER TRAIN13306
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM11618
UNKNOWN OR OTHER61824
ENGINE415—
STEERING3704
SERVICE BRAKES2529
AIR BAGS1075
SUSPENSION1012
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL854
EXTERIOR LIGHTING494
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE1821
SEATS22—
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING16—
SEAT BELTS112
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM11—
LANE DEPARTURE32
VISIBILITY/WIPER—4
BACK OVER PREVENTION3—
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: Jeep Cherokee or Nissan Murano?

Annual repair cost is close: about $520 for the Cherokee and $507 for the Murano. That $13 gap comes to roughly $65 over five years, which is small. The Cherokee averages 0.2 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.5 for the Murano. A Cherokee repair has a 12% chance of being major, against 14% for the Murano. On cost alone the Cherokee is slightly better on visits and major-repair odds.

How Does Jeep Cherokee vs Nissan Murano Reliability Compare by Year?

Jeep Cherokee vs Nissan Murano year-by-year reliability scores
YearJeep CherokeeNissan MuranoEdge
202676/1002R / 1C82/1000R / 1CNissan Murano
202575/1003R / 64C74/1002R / 14CJeep Cherokee
202366/10022R / 396C82/1000R / 6CNissan Murano
202167/10018R / 554C82/1000R / 14CNissan Murano
202076/1005R / 436C74/1002R / 41CJeep Cherokee
201967/10017R / 1833C77/1001R / 39CNissan Murano
201868/10018R / 1468C82/1000R / 14CNissan Murano

Best years to cross-shop: The 2020 Jeep Cherokee scored 76/100 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 Jeep Cherokee vs the Nissan Murano?

Pick the Murano if you want the lower-risk used buy. It has far fewer recalls and complaints, and nothing in its data points to a recurring engine or steering failure. Target 2018 or 2021, its strongest years, and be cautious with 2020 and 2025, its weakest. Test the forward collision warning and cruise control on the drive, and confirm the passenger airbag light behaves normally. Pick the Cherokee if you want fewer trips to the shop. It averages 0.2 unscheduled visits a year against 0.5 for the Murano, and a repair is a bit less likely to be major. Target 2020, its strongest established year, and avoid 2023 and 2024. Treat 2026 with caution, since a new model year has had little time to collect complaints. Before you buy, check recall status by VIN and ask whether the steering and parking brake have ever been serviced.

Jeep Cherokee vs Nissan Murano: Common Questions

Is the Jeep Cherokee more reliable than the Nissan Murano?
No. The Murano has a clear edge. It has far fewer recalls and owner complaints, and its problems are less severe. The Cherokee does better on unscheduled shop visits, but its steering, engine fire and parking brake reports weigh more heavily for a used buyer.
Which has more recalls, the Cherokee or the Murano?
The Cherokee, by a wide margin. Federal recall records show 105 recalls across 8 model years for the Cherokee and 5 for the Murano. Run the VIN of any specific car to see which recalls were completed before you buy.
Which costs less to repair, the Cherokee or the Murano?
They are nearly even. Independent repair-cost data puts the Cherokee at about $520 a year and the Murano at about $507. Over five years that is roughly $65. The Cherokee needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.2 a year versus 0.5.
What goes wrong most often on the Nissan Murano?
The forward collision warning is the top complaint. The light comes on, the system shuts itself off, and adaptive cruise control stops working until a restart. It tends to return. Brake, electrical and powertrain reports are fewer but include a pedal sinking to the floor.
Are the Cherokee's transmission complaints really about the Cherokee?
Not all of them. Many powertrain and engine reports in the data describe a Grand Cherokee. Still, the Cherokee's own list includes harsh shifting, slipping, stalling at stops, and some full transmission replacements, so check the shift behavior closely on a test drive.

Related Reliability Comparisons

Decided between Jeep Cherokee 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 Jeep Cherokee 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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