2015-2022 Nissan Murano ABS Light On: Common Causes and Fixes

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

If the ABS light is on in a 2015-2022 Nissan Murano, the anti-lock system has found a fault and switched itself off. Your normal brakes still work, but without anti-lock help. On 2015-2018 models, check the ABS actuator recall first: Nissan tells owners whose ABS light stays on for 10 seconds or more after startup to park the vehicle outside and have it towed to a dealer. On any year, the most common other causes are a wheel speed sensor, its wiring, or a damaged tone ring.

How the ABS System Works on the Murano

The Murano owner's manual describes the ABS as a set of electronic sensors, electric pumps, hydraulic solenoids and a computer. It watches how fast each wheel is turning and changes brake fluid pressure at each wheel so none of them locks and slides, which lets you keep steering during a hard stop.

Every time you start the engine and pull away slowly, the computer runs a self-check. The manual says you may hear a clunk or feel the brake pedal pulse during that check, and that this is normal. The ABS warning light should come on when you switch the ignition on and then go out. If the computer finds a fault, it turns the ABS off and leaves the light on.

The ABS light, the red brake warning light and the VDC (stability control) indicator are separate warnings. The brake warning light covers the parking brake and low brake fluid. Per the manual, if the ABS light and the brake warning light are on together, with the parking brake released and the fluid level correct, the ABS may not be working properly and the brakes should be checked promptly.

Check the ABS Actuator Recall First (2015-2018)

This is the cause you must rule out before anything else, because it is a fire risk and the repair is free.

Nissan filed NHTSA recall 19V-807 in November 2019. It covers 2015-2018 Murano SUVs built from August 22, 2014 to May 31, 2018, along with some Maxima, Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 models, 391,479 vehicles in total. It also pulled in vehicles from the earlier recall 18V-601 that had not been fixed or had been inspected and found not to need repair at the time.

According to Nissan's safety recall report, an oil seal inside the ADVICS ABS actuator may not seal well enough. It can wear early and leak brake fluid. When that happens, the ABS warning light stays on. If you keep driving, the leaking fluid can short the actuator's circuit board, and in rare cases that can start a fire. The fix is a new ABS actuator, installed by a Nissan dealer at no charge.

What to do:

• Enter your 17-character VIN on Nissan's recall lookup or at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
• If the recall is open and your ABS light stays on after startup, do not keep driving. Park outside, away from buildings and other cars, and call Nissan Roadside Assistance for a tow to the dealer.
• If the recall work was already done, or your Murano is a 2019-2022 model, move on to the causes below.

Other Common Causes of a Murano ABS Light

Wheel speed sensors and wiring

Each corner of the Murano has a wheel speed sensor that reads a toothed or magnetic ring turning with the hub. Brake & Front End, a trade magazine for technicians, says the main causes of wheel speed sensor faults are broken wires and loose or corroded connectors, not the sensor itself. The sensor harnesses run close to the suspension and get flexed, hit by road debris and soaked by salt spray, so wiring is the first thing to look at.

Modern vehicles like the Murano use active (Hall effect) sensors that read wheel speed all the way down to zero. You cannot test an active sensor with a simple resistance check the way you would an older two-wire passive sensor. The practical test is a scan tool that shows live wheel speeds: drive slowly and watch all four readings. The one that drops out, reads zero or jumps around is your problem corner.

Tone rings, rust and bearings

The sensor needs a clean, even signal from the ring it reads. Rust building up on the ring, cracked or missing teeth, or metal debris stuck to the sensor tip can all make the signal weak or erratic. A worn wheel bearing lets the hub wobble, which changes the gap between the sensor and the ring and can also set an ABS fault. On salt-belt vehicles, these problems often show up after a brake job or a bearing replacement, when a sensor was pried out of a rusted bore or the harness was stretched while the knuckle was moved.

How to Diagnose It Step by Step

1. Look at which lights are on. ABS light only points to the ABS system. Red brake light only means check the parking brake and fluid level. Both together means get the brakes checked soon.
2. Check the recall if your Murano is a 2015-2018. Do this before spending money on anything else.
3. Check the brake fluid level in the reservoir. A falling level usually means worn pads or a leak. Do not just top it up and forget it.
4. Read the codes with a scan tool that can talk to the ABS module. A basic engine-code reader will not see ABS codes. The code will usually name the corner (front left, rear right and so on) and whether the problem is the circuit or the signal.
5. Inspect that corner. Follow the sensor harness from the knuckle to the body connector. Look for rubbed-through insulation, a pulled clip or a green, corroded connector. Wiggle the harness while watching live data.
6. Pull and clean the sensor if the wiring is good. Check the tip for metal debris and check the ring for rust or damage.
7. Replace the part the evidence points to, clear the codes and test drive while watching live data.

Fixing It and What to Replace at the Same Time

A wheel speed sensor swap is a job most home mechanics can handle with hand tools and penetrating oil. The hard part is usually removing a sensor that has rusted into its bore without breaking it. A hub bearing replacement is more involved and needs the correct axle nut and hub bolt torque values from the factory service manual. The ABS actuator is a dealer job on recalled vehicles and needs special equipment to bleed the system afterward in any case.

Because the sensors live right behind the brakes, an ABS repair is a good time to check your pads and rotors:

• If the brake fluid was low, measure the pads. Fluid level drops as pads wear because the caliper pistons move further out.
• If you are replacing a hub or pulling a knuckle, it takes little extra time to fit new rotors and pads on that axle, since the rotor is already off.
• Replace pads on both sides of an axle together, never on one wheel only.
• Flush the brake fluid at the interval in your maintenance schedule. Moisture in old fluid is hard on ABS valves and pump seals.

For rear pads that fit the 2015-2022 Murano, see our Bosch rear ceramic brake pads for the Murano and Pathfinder. You can also browse all brake rotors, ceramic brake pads and brake hardware kits to finish the job properly.

Is It Safe to Drive With the ABS Light On?

With only the ABS light on, the Murano still stops using its regular brakes, but the wheels can lock in a panic stop or on wet, icy or loose roads, and stability control may be limited as well. Leave extra following distance and get it checked soon.

There are two exceptions. First, on a 2015-2018 Murano with an open actuator recall, an ABS light that stays on means park it outside and have it towed, as Nissan instructs. Second, if the red brake warning light is also on, or the pedal feels soft or sinks, do not drive until the brakes have been inspected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Murano ABS light come on and then go off?

An intermittent light usually points to a wiring or connector problem, or a sensor that loses its signal over bumps or in wet weather. Scan the ABS module for stored codes even after the light goes out, since the code usually stays in memory and names the wheel.

Will disconnecting the battery reset the ABS light?

It may turn the light off for a moment, but if the fault is still there, the system will find it again during the next self-check and turn the light back on. Fix the cause, then clear the code with a scan tool.

How do I know if my Murano is part of the ABS actuator recall?

Enter your VIN on Nissan's recall lookup or at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Recall 19V-807 covers 2015-2018 Murano SUVs built from August 22, 2014 through May 31, 2018. Only an actual VIN check tells you whether your vehicle's repair is still open.

Can new brake pads or rotors cause the ABS light to come on?

Not the pads or rotors themselves, but the work can. A sensor harness that is stretched, pinched or left unclipped during a brake job, or a sensor knocked while the caliper is off, can set an ABS code. Recheck the routing and clips at the wheel you worked on.

Is a clunk or pulsing pedal when I first drive off normal?

Yes. The owner's manual says the ABS self-check at startup can make a clunk and a brief pedal pulse. It is only a concern if the ABS light stays on afterward.

Sources

1. NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 19V-807 - affected Murano build dates, vehicle count, ADVICS actuator oil seal defect, ABS light warning and fire risk, remedy
2. Cars.com Nissan Murano recall list - recalls 18V-601 and 19V-807, 10-second ABS light guidance and park-outdoors advice
3. Nissan Murano Owner's Manual: Anti-lock Braking System - how the ABS works, self-check clunk and pedal pulse, ABS shut-off when a fault is found
4. Nissan Murano Owner's Manual: Warning Lights - ABS light, brake warning light and meaning of both lights on together
5. Brake & Front End: Diagnosing Wheel Speed Sensors - wiring and connector faults, active vs passive sensors, tone ring damage, scan tool testing