Last updated: 2026-10-10
Nissan Murano vs Toyota RAV4: Reliability Compared
Nissan Murano
Toyota RAV4
A slight reliability edge goes to the Nissan Murano over the Toyota RAV4, mainly on far fewer recalls. The RAV4 costs less to repair each year. Owners filed many more complaints about the RAV4, but the Murano's count has no sales data behind it.
How Do the Nissan Murano and Toyota RAV4 Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Nissan Murano is more reliable than the Toyota RAV4, scoring 79/100 vs 76/100.
Edge goes to the Murano, but only slightly. Federal recall records show 5 recalls across its model years, against 53 for the RAV4, and owners filed far fewer complaints. The RAV4 wins on running costs, with lower repair bills and fewer shop visits. The Murano's complaint count has no sales data behind it, so part of the low number may simply reflect fewer cars on the road. Treat the Murano as a narrow winner, not a clear one.
Key Differences
- 1Toyota RAV4 costs $78 less per year to repair
- 2Nissan Murano has 48 fewer total recalls
- 3Toyota RAV4 has 4% lower major repair risk
Category Scoreboard
Nissan Murano vs Toyota RAV4: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Nissan Murano | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 79/100 | 76/100 |
| Years Tracked | 8 | 8 |
| Total Recalls | 5 | 53 |
| Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume | 134 | 2734 |
| Annual Repair Cost | $507/yr | $429/yr |
| Repair Frequency | 0.5/yr | 0.3/yr |
| Major Repair Risk | 14% | 10% |
| Safety RatingNHTSA overall | 2026 NHTSA | 2025 NHTSA |
| Frontal | ||
| Side | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Year Wins | 6 | 1 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Nissan Murano and Toyota RAV4?
Broader and more serious complaints sit with the RAV4. Owners report floods of dashboard warnings, fuel tanks that stop filling early on Hybrid and Prime models, coolant bypass valve failure, and air bags that stayed folded in serious crashes. Its air bag, electrical, engine and power train areas all carry crash-linked reports. Murano complaints center on a forward collision warning that keeps shutting itself off. Its worst reports are a brake pedal sinking to the floor, a parked car burning completely, and a lurch after shifting into Drive. Its electrical area has no crash-linked reports, while the RAV4's does.
| Component | Nissan Murano | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 24 | 432 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 8 | 443 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | — | 335 |
| ENGINE | — | 292 |
| AIR BAGS | 5 | 252 |
| POWER TRAIN | 6 | 180 |
| STEERING | 4 | 146 |
| STRUCTURE | — | 145 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 9 | 87 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 | 61 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 4 | 25 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 4 | 22 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 21 | — |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | — | 14 |
| TIRES | — | 5 |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | — | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 | — |
| SUSPENSION | 2 | — |
| EQUIPMENT | 2 | — |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 2 | — |
Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.
Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Nissan Murano or Toyota RAV4?
How Does Nissan Murano vs Toyota RAV4 Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Nissan Murano | Toyota RAV4 | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 74/1002R / 14C | 84/1005R / 49C | Toyota RAV4 |
| 2023 | 82/1000R / 6C | 80/1006R / 147C | Nissan Murano |
| 2022 | 82/1000R / 5C | 80/1006R / 133C | Nissan Murano |
| 2021 | 82/1000R / 14C | 73/1006R / 450C | Nissan Murano |
| 2020 | 74/1002R / 41C | 70/10011R / 611C | Nissan Murano |
| 2019 | 77/1001R / 39C | 66/10010R / 864C | Nissan Murano |
| 2018 | 82/1000R / 14C | 76/1003R / 330C | Nissan Murano |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Nissan Murano scored 82/100 and the 2023 Toyota RAV4 scored 80/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Nissan Murano vs the Toyota RAV4?
Nissan Murano vs Toyota RAV4: Common Questions
- Is the Toyota RAV4 more reliable than the Nissan Murano?
- No, the Murano has a slight edge overall. It has far fewer recalls and owner complaints. The RAV4 still stands up well, with lower repair costs and fewer shop visits. Murano complaint counts have no sales data to normalize them, so the gap is small.
- Which has more recalls, the RAV4 or the Murano?
- The RAV4 has more. Federal recall records show 53 recalls across its eight model years, against 5 for the Murano. Check any car you are considering for open recalls by VIN, including the air bag recall some RAV4 owners said lacked repair parts.
- Which costs less to repair, the RAV4 or the Murano?
- The RAV4 costs less. Independent repair-cost data shows $429 a year against $507 for the Murano. Over five years that is roughly $390 saved. The RAV4 also has fewer unscheduled shop visits and a lower chance that a repair is major.
- What are the most common Nissan Murano problems?
- The most common is the forward collision warning light, which comes on and disables the system, and adaptive cruise control with it. Smaller groups of owners report brake failures, a pedal sinking while stopped, a lurch after shifting into Drive, and a passenger air bag that switches off.
- Do RAV4 air bag problems make it unsafe to buy?
- They are a serious concern to check. Owners report air bags that stayed folded in head-on, side and pole crashes, and 71 air bag complaints are crash-linked. Confirm the recall work is done and ask a dealer about parts before you buy.
Related Reliability Comparisons
More Nissan Murano comparisons
Decided between Nissan Murano and Toyota RAV4? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Nissan Murano and Toyota RAV4
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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