Nissan Quest Reliability Problems

Front 3/4 view of a Nissan Quest

Quest owners have made 421 complaints over 22 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 16th in overall reliability out of 26 Nissan models, with real transmission and engine concerns.

5 Common Nissan Quest Problems

A list of some of the most common issues Quest owners have to deal with.

  1. Sunroof Rattles and Explodes

    Heads up, Nissan owners! That giant piece of glass above your head may soon be on its way down in a thousand little pieces. Lawsuits accuse Nissan of using a faulty tempering process for their sunroofs since 2008.

    Continue reading article "Sunroof Rattles and Explodes" Nissan sunroof with giant shards of glass missing

  2. Timing Chain Defects

    Nissan says their timing chains are just noisy, but not defective. Try telling that to the owners who have seen loose timing chains rattled their engines apart, resulting in thousands of dollars in damages.

    Continue reading article "Timing Chain Defects" Overhead view of a busted timing chain

  3. Inaccurate Fuel Gauge

    That's because a wide swath of Nissan vehicles have gas gauges that never read full even after filling up, stop working below 1/4 of a tank, or show a low fuel warning even when there's plenty of miles to go. In other words, they're complet…

    Continue reading article "Inaccurate Fuel Gauge" Fuel gauge with the arrow on empty

What Quest Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

Full Lists on CarComplaints.com

Quest Generations

The Quest has 4 generations, each with their own issues. Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 3rd generation (2004–2010).

Quest Key Numbers

  1. 421 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 244 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 19 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Quest Class-Action Lawsuits

The Quest has been named as a class vehicle in the following lawsuits.

  • Settlement

    Duncan, et al., v. Nissan North American, Inc., et al.

    1. Settlement

      A Nissan timing chain lawsuit has been preliminarily settled after vehicle owners accused Nissan of selling six models with defective primary timing chain tensioners, timing chain guides, secondary timing chain tensioners and tensioner shoes.

    2. Case Filed

      A Nissan timing chain class-action lawsuit is working its way through the court system as the automaker succeeded in getting some claims dismissed while the judge allowed other allegations to continue.

    Problem
    Timing Chain Defects
    Class Vehicles
    • 2004-2006 Altima
    • 2005-2010 Frontier
    • 2004-2008 Maxima
    • 2004-2009 Quest
    • 2005-2010 Pathfinder
    • 2005-2010 Xterra
    Location
    Massachusetts
  • Settlement

    Vincent Chiarelli, et al. vs. Nissan North America Inc. and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    1. Settlement

      Nissan timing chain lawsuits have been consolidated and preliminarily settled after vehicle owners accused Nissan of selling six models with defective primary timing chain tensioners, timing chain guides, secondary timing chain tensioners and tensioner shoes.

    2. Case Filed

      A Nissan timing chain lawsuit accuses Nissan of manufacturing some of its most popular models with defective timing chain tensioning systems.

    Problem
    Timing Chain Defects
    Class Vehicles
    • 2004-2006 Altima (with 2 VQ35 engine)
    • 2005-2010 Frontier (with VQ40 engine)
    • 2004-2008 Maxima
    • 2004-2009 Quest
    • 2005-2010 Pathfinder
    • 2005-2010 Xterra
    Class Members
    Residents of New York or Florida or Maryland or New Jersey
    Location
    New York
  • Settlement

    Kobe Falco, et. al., v. Nissan North America, Inc., and Nissan Motor Company, LTD.

    2:2013cv00686

    1. Settlement

      If you're a Nissan customer and paid for a timing chain replacement or repair, you may be eligible for partial reimbursements or vouchers if the vehicle was purchased or leased in Washington or California.

    2. Case Filed

      The class-action lawsuit alleges Nissan designed and sold the vehicles with defective timing chain tensioning systems. Those systems include the primary timing chain tensioners, primary timing chain guides, secondary timing chain tensioners and secondary timing chain tensioner shoes.

    Problem
    Timing Chain Defects
    Class Vehicles
    • 2004-2008 Maxima
    • 2004-2009 Quest
    • 2004-2006 Altima (VQ35 engine)
    • 2005-2007 Pathfinder
    • 2005-2007 Xterra
    • 2005-2007 Frontier (VQ40 engine)
    Class Members
    Purchased of Leased in CA or WA
    Location
    California

Recent Quest News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Nissan owners are tired of their timing chains whining, buzzing, ticking, and knocking their engines apart.

    In the case of Kobe Falco, et. al., v. Nissan North America, Inc., and Nissan Motor Company, LTD., the plaintiffs say they were forced to pay for expensive timing chain repairs which happened to fall ever-so-conveniently just outside of Nissan's warranty period. Earlier this year, the class-action was certified by a judge.

    So now Nissan has brought together their best engineers and a top-notch legal team to come up with their defense –– ok, our timing chains are noisy, but they're not a safety defect.

    From CarComplaints.com:

    "According to the automaker, there has never been anything defective about the timing chain systems and the most that owners can show is that the timing chains make noise, not that the systems are a safety risk. Nissan says the plaintiffs admit no crashes are attributed to the timing chains, even though the majority of the vehicles have been in service more than 10 years."

    So the case will attempt to answer are Nissan's timing chains just loud and annoying? Or are they loud, annoying, and potentially dangerous?

    The vehicles named in the suit all use the same uniform timing chain system: the 2004-2008 Maxima, 2004-2009 Quest, 2004-2006 Altima (VQ35 engine), 2005-2007 Pathfinder, 2004-2007 Xterra, and the 2005-2007 Frontier (VQ49 engine).

    keep reading article "Nissan Says Their Timing Chains Are Just Super Noisy, Not Busted"

  2. Heads up, Nissan owners! The sunroof in your vehicle might soon be coming down in a thousand little pieces.

    A lawsuit alleges that all of Nissan's factory-installed sunroofs (panoramic or otherwise) can explode without warning. This includes any vehicle since 2008.

    "Plaintiff Janelle Horne says she was riding with her husband and four kids in a leased Infiniti QX80 when the sunroof exploded like a shotgun, causing Mr. Horne to pull off the highway and see shards of glass everywhere.

    Yikes, that'll get your attention. Hopefully this lawsuit means Nissan will start paying attention too.

    The lawsuit only includes residents of California at this time, but similar lawsuits may be filed nationwide based on its results.

    keep reading article "Heads Up, Nissan Owners! That Sunroof Isn’t As Safe As You'd Hope"

  3. A ti

    ing chain lawsuit filed in New York accuses Nissan of manufacturing defective timing chain systems, with issues in the chain tensioner, guides, and shoes. Five lead plaintiffs claim the Nissan vehicles have timing chain systems prone to early failure that can cause a huge expense for repairs. The plaintiffs claim failure of the timing chain can cause extensive damage to the car, including to the catalytic converter and destruction of the engine.

    The class-action is currently only for current and former Nissan owners (and lessees) who live in New York, Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey. However, this could lay the groundwork for other states.

    Loose and busted timing chains are a longtime nightmare for many 2004-2010 Nissan owners. When not properly tensioned, timing chains can cause everything from engine rattles, to misfiring, and eventually catastrophic engine failure.

    The lawsuit alleges that Nissan has known about the issue since at least 2004 when they issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) to their dealerships. Additionally, the automaker is accused of ignoring the defect until the systems fall out of the warranty period.

    The plaintiffs in Vincent Chiarelli, Philip Dragonetti, Michele Maszon, Todd Maszon and Chris Santimauro vs. Nissan North America Inc. and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. are represented by Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C.

    keep reading article "Timing Chain Lawsuit Filed Against Nissan in NY"

  5. Roughly a year after an investigation was opened into inaccurate fuel gauges

    Nissan has agreed conduct a "service campaign" for the 2007-2009 Quest. How does a service campaign differ from a recall? A recall is a fix related to a safety issue and some are federally mandated. A service campaign is issued by the automaker to upgrade or repair your vehicle for something that isn't necessarily safety-related. Now, this is where the line gets grayed because I would categorize running out of fuel on a crowded highway as a serious safety defect, but Nissan doesn't. You say tomato, I say car crash.

    In any event, the issue appears electrical in nature:

    "Nissan says the gas gauge can give inaccurate levels because of problems with resistors in a circuit in the sender unit. The automaker found one of two resistors could open and cause false gas gauge readings when the tank goes below one quarter of a tank. Gas would be used out of the tank all while the gas gauge said a quarter of a tank was available."

    To fix it, Nissan dealers will install an external amplifier box with jumper harnesses to bypass the resistor's electrical circuit.

    keep reading article "Nissan Agrees to Fix Quest Gas Gauges Following Investigation"

  6. Own a 2007 Nissan Quest? You might want to think twice about passing a gas station without filling up next time.

    That's because the Quest is currently under investigation for a gas gauge that can be off by as much as 60-80 miles. The inaccurate readings are leaving drivers stranded, sometimes in dangerous situations. One North Carolina driver said it's happened to her twice, once with her grandchildren in the van.

    "Driving along in peak traffic and suddenly vehicle shuts off. No power steering and almost involved in accidents both occasions the first time I was alone the second time I had my grand babies with me and that was terrifying for them as the other road users were whizzing past..."

    We've all probably been guilty of taking our cars to the last drop of gas after the fuel warning light comes on, but in the Quest's case there is no such warning. One minute you're rocking out to Hootie and the Blowfish -- or, you know, whatever the kids listen to these days -- next minute you're stranded on the side of the road.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says they've received numerous complaints, all within the past 14 months. This is still just a preliminary investigation, but we will notify you if a defect is found.

    keep reading article "Nissan Quest Owners Get Investigation After Years of Gas Gauge Complaints"

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