Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Nissan Quest 2004+

1202123252648

Comments

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Maybe you (or any other recent buyers who live in MI) would like 15 minutes of fame?

    A newspaper reporter would like to talk with recent minivan buyers who live in Michigan. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com or swebster@freepress.com with your daytime phone number by Thursday, June 17, 2004. Thanks,

    Jeannine Fallon PR Director, Edmunds.com

    Steve, Host
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    Funny you mentioned the domestic vans in your neck of the woods. We live in northern Indiana, the Michina area, probably an hour away from where you are. Here we see LOTS of windstars on the road. We personally have quite a few friends who own them, and they are all very happy with their windstars. Although I'm not mighty impressed with the Freestar's build quality, it looks like a decent and functional van, and a good value too I might add particularly when considering its strong safety record. If offered a killer deal we prolly wouldn't mind buying one (with the canopy). And we kinda like its looks too. Being a 02 Malibu owner, I can testify GM vehicle's mechanical reliability. But I just can't swallow the Venture's prehistorical exterior and interior styling.

    I think we'll wait till the end of the year for bigger rebates, which should abound with the debut of the new Odyssey and increased competetion between Quest and Sienna.
  • pernaperna Member Posts: 521
    Make sure you sit in the third row. It's really only useable for small children, which is fine.. if you're only ever going to be carrying small children back there. From personal experience, children don't stay small for very long. ;)

    The fit and finish of the van also leave something to be desired, but I pretty much went over that in an earlier post.

    They are screamingly cheap right now with low interest financing and $5k rebate, though. Notice I didn't say "good deal", because IMO some vehicles aren't a good deal at any price. This is one of them. The reason the rebate is so high is the van just isn't competitive.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    When I sat in the Freestar's back seat, I was surpised that it really felt tight, with the armrest/cupholders being too high and too close to the body. The other vans we looked at on the same day all felt roomier in the 3rd row.

    Today I checked out the new GM vans very carefully on GM's website. They actually looked a lot better upon closer inspection, with the exception of the rear end. Also the interior looked small. They're coming out this fall. Well, I hope by the end of the year the greater competition will get us a great deal on the Quest. Happy motoring.
  • tommyztommyz Member Posts: 6
    Nissan was quick to put a $1000 rebate on the Quest. Since sales are still way below expectation, and inventory is exceeding 100days, and the 04's are almost a year old now, I'm thinking larger rebates are coming in July.

    Any other guesses?
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    the '04s will get better incentives WHEN THE '05s COME OUT. not before that. nissan doesnt go more than $1000-$1500 on a current year model before the next one shows up.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    on better incentives at the end of the year to take the plunge
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    nissan will wait till the '05s come out to offer extra $$$ on the remaining '04s. there is a catch-22 for this:

    1. you will get a great deal on an '04, but you will have only a limited availability.

    2. you can get exactly what you want, but you may have to get an '05 at a higher price.

    i can understand the need to wait for incentives, but i see it happen every year where folks outsmart themselves and end up with no incentives or a model they dont want because they waited TOO long.
  • tommyztommyz Member Posts: 6
    I'm happy with the $1000 offer, combined with invoice pricing (or slightly less).

    I think I'm going to get my SE while they have the one I want. Besides, I am really gonna need it in a month when #2 arrives!
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    that its the right move. you are dealing with a KNOWN quantity instead of hoping for something that might or might not happen. good luck!
  • eyeblindeyeblind Member Posts: 156
    I bought my 2004 Quest SL for $2,000 under msrp
    at carsdirect. No hassle, no sales person or
    finance person pressuring you. It is a great
    way to buy a car.
  • ul1210ul1210 Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know when the 2005s come out? I'm ready to take the plunge on a new Quest within the next few weeks.

    Also, is the heater/AC problem fixed in production? I've heard a lot about this problem and would consider buying an '04 if this problem was fixed. Is there a manufacturing date that all van built after would not have the problem?

    Thanks in advance for any help.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    Very good point. We'd LIKE to have a new van right now, but I won't start my big-buck new job untill this fall :). I'm tempted though.
  • tommyztommyz Member Posts: 6
    Anyone know if the locks are programmable by the dealer, to lock/unlock based on speed or when the key is removed?

    I have this feature in some form on my Suburban and Passat. The salesperson said no Nissan products have this feature.
  • pernaperna Member Posts: 521
    You'd be surprised by the GM vans. My folks have a Montana (extended) and the thing is downright cavernous. It feels similar in size to the Quest.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    I don't think we'll get a current GM van, but will definitely check out the new ones. I just can't get over their dated styling. Stylingwise the Quest beats anybody else IMO. We really love the Quest both inside and out. We'll see.
  • purrmeisterpurrmeister Member Posts: 8
    I too miss the auto locking doors that I had on my jetta. The doors lock when you reach 20 miles per hour.
    It really bothers me that the back doors do not auto lock on our SL. I don't remember to lock them when I'm doing everything else with my daughter and I don't think I saw anything about auto locks when I read through the manual. Aren't they considered a safety feature?
  • tommyztommyz Member Posts: 6
    I confirmed with 3 people at the dealer that the Quest (nor any Nissan) has the automatic door locking feature.

    My wife will miss this, as she really likes the added security from an outside intruder.

    For child safety in the Quest, I plan to activate the safety lock lever in the door. That keeps the handle from opening on the inside. The ON/OFF switch in the overhead console disables the door pillar switches too.
  • tommyztommyz Member Posts: 6
    Picked up our SE yesterday! Got a Coral Sand/Beige combo with Single DVD. This thing is amazing.
  • pernaperna Member Posts: 521
    We're basically in a holding pattern for the new GM vans. If we don't like them we'll buy a Quest, it's that simple.

    The main downfall, IMO, to the new GM vans is that it doesn't look like they're going to be offering a side-curtain airbag. Bad GM! The interiors sure do look nice, though, and are vastly better than the current models. I actually like the look of the Saturn Relay both inside and out.

    The crash test ratings will be interesting to witness, as well. The ratings on the current vans are atrocious.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    I kinda prefer the Buik's looks. But you're right. The lack of side airbags is a major turn down for me. Why why why, did GM think families would want to forgo such an important safety feature to save $500 bucks? Beats me. The side curtain AND seat mounted bags should be standard on all minivans, or at least available as options. The curtain protectes the head; and the side bags protect the torso. Kudos to Nissan for making the curtain standard even on the base model. However, it'd be extra nice if they had made the side airbags standard as well. Well, at least you can order those on the Quest, right?
  • phillipm1phillipm1 Member Posts: 21
    Automotive Daily News ran an article this past week about Nissan sending over 200 of their engineers to go to Canton, Ms. to try to find out how to solve the "disappointing" quality problems with the Titan, Quest, and Armada vehicles being produced at this new plant. They will also go to the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tn. Seems that both Titan and Quest sales are running about 40% below Nissan's expected annual sales rate and the quality problems has Nissan most concerned.
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    im not sure about quest, but titans are on pace after the initial ramp-up of pruduction. their goal is ~8000 units per month, and they are there. (7600 in june)
  • phillipm1phillipm1 Member Posts: 21
    The article I read stated that Nissan had projected a first year annualized sales for the Titan at 100,000 units but will achieve sales of 60,000 to 70,000 units. about 30,000 to 40,000 shy of their forecast and that Nissan was very concerned about this "miss".
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    the goal of 100k was for the first full calendar year.

    the first MODEL year will be around 60k, but they should be in the 90k range at the end of december.
  • gg2k2segg2k2se Member Posts: 109
    Finally, some good news on the door rattle issues. The "problems" board listed a website where Nissan announces it will be sending a letter soon to all Quest owners to fix up to 8 early production problems with the "Quest Customer Satisfaction Initiative". Check it out, it's interesting. My vehicle was the 18,100th built and it looks like some of these issues go up to vehicle #45,822. The VIN # starts at 300000 and mine is 318100.

    My SE has about 10,000 miles on it and has had it's share of 1st year issues, but runs great. Eliminate the rattles and I'll be 100% satisfied.

    http://nissanhelp.com/News/Quest%20Satisfaction%20Initiative.htm
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    I find that my car is on the list for five items, plus I have the third row seat outstanding. My dealer says Nissan is not giving them time frames for when parts will be available, but when they are it requires car to be in service for about 1 week (rental to be provided). I like this because it will push me over the 20-days in shop rule for the lemon law. I can then be in the driver's seat, so-to-speak.
  • gg2k2segg2k2se Member Posts: 109
    plashenick - what is the third row seat issue?

    I called my dealer also and they are checking on the parts, they have yet to do any of this which means I'll be the first, which is a little scary. I'm going to ask many specifics on what the fixes are, especially the door rattle. I can't imagine it taking a week but we'll just wait and see what they say.
  • nissanfannissanfan Member Posts: 15
    Hey there, Steve! Yes, I am around now - been very busy and "away" for a while. But, I am SO happy that my letter was published in the Letters to the Editors section - I felt so special ;). I wasn't crazy about their response, since it seemed pretty dismissive. But at the same time it seemed as though they didn't have an answer to any of my questions - so I guess I stumped them and that's good! ;)
  • nissanfannissanfan Member Posts: 15
    Cool! I'm glad that you liked my expressed opinion and that you made the right choice in choosing which minivan to drive - the one that appealed to YOU and not to the "mob mentality", "not able to think for themselves" masses. Thanks for the response too!
  • nissanfannissanfan Member Posts: 15
    So Steve:

      What made you pick the 1999 Nissan Quest as your vehicle?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Well, we were driving an '89 Voyager that was near the end of its useful life and knew we wanted something new for a road trip. The Siennas were nice but pricy and a bit plush for us. I had a 17 year old Tercel at the time and liked the drive trains but the dealer wouldn't deal.

    We looked at another DC van but the selections were too confusing and we never connected with a good salesperson who could find anything on the lot that had the right option mix. We almost bit on a used one.

    I then tried to buy an Odyssey and there was an LX in stock, so I drove home, salesperson in tow, to get my checkbook. When I got back to the dealer I got passed off to a closer and the price went up. I walked. My wife didn't like the Ody anyway and was concerned that the passenger dash intruded too far into the cabin.

    We then went to the Nissan dealer that had just settled up with the AGs office for various fraudulent activities and test drove a GXE. I had a couple of Datsuns before and the 5/60 drive train warranty was appealing. They weren't selling too good back then either, so we got into it for $22,600 (I left about $2,000 on the table, in other words <g>).

    I did the deal by fax and the salesguy was good - naturally he left for the Jeep dealer the day after we picked the Quest up. GM and Mazda were next on our list but the Nissan salesguy did his job. I didn't consider the Villager since the warranty was only 3/36. We didn't like the Windstar interior too much.

    This all occurred when we were living in Anchorage and there's no alternative dealers nearby, so it's hard to cross shop the same van across town.

    We're up to 94,000 miles on the Quest and I just reglued the driver mirror back together last night for the 5th time, and it needs a radiator flush. So far so good, but I think we would have been satisfied with another DC van just fine too.

    Steve, Host
  • xo23xo23 Member Posts: 6
    I am hoping someone in the board can give me some guidance here.

    I placed an order with a dealership for this configuration:
    Quest SE
    Smoke
    Rogue Leather(we wanted black carpet)
    Seat package
    Mud Flaps
    floor mats

    This configuration was impossible to find since no one had Rogue leather and if they did it had the Nav and DVD systems which we did not want or need. So we ordered through this dealership In April or should I say tried to. They advised that Nissan would not allow them to order any SE's for the entire month so we would have to wait until May to place the order. So we said OK we will wait since the reason we needed the van like most people we were going to have our third child in June. The dealership advised that the vehicle should be here end of June or at the latest middle of July.

    Here is the email I received from them today:
      "My Nissan Manger was finally contacted by Nissan with
    your VIN number: 5N1BV28U94N367089. It is scheduled to arrive on 8/13. I
    know that is late and we are very sorry for the inconvenience. Nissan was
    behind in there production due to numbers and the 4th of July Holiday. The
    vehicle may arrive early but that is the date Nissan is giving us right now.
    I will definitely keep you posted".

    Am I out of line to be very very upset. I think we have been more than patient with them even allowing them to wait another month to order the vehicle since they were not allowed any new SE orders.

    What does the board think? Do you think I am entitled to anything for all this inconvience? This is my first brand new vehicle purchase and it goes without saying my first one ever ordered from the factory. I want to make sure I am not over reacting and since I have no history with this type of situation I would like to hear back from the board.

    It is getting to the point where 05's are going to be out before I get this vehicle.

    thanks
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    take a breath and a chill pill.

    there is only 1 negative here...you have to wait.

    the 5 positives:

    1. you got what you wanted.
    2. the incentives you get will be when you take delivery.
    3. you got what you wanted.
    4. you have a good salesperson that is keeping you informed.
    5. you got what you wanted.

    if you ordered in may, there is no possible way to get it by the end of june.

    the dealer placed the may order on the 1st week of june. the orders are then compiled by nissan, and a build schedule is set for july with june's orders. the july-built van is then shipped (2-4 weeks from build date, and voila! you have your august arrival.

    the only mistake was the dealer telling you a june delivery. other than that, you did well.
  • xo23xo23 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the reply Bowke28. You are exactly right the expectation level is what is the real issue. As stated before this is my first vehicle ever purchased like this so I am just trying to get feedback from other people that maybe have went through this and if this is an unusual experience. Should I be more upset than I am. By your email I should not be upset this is not out of the ordinary and their is nothing more the dealer could have done or do.

    thanks again for your response I do appreciate it

    Also I look forward to hearing from any one else on this subject
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The only thing else you can do is call another dealer or two and see if they can find a van with your configuration on a lot somewhere. If so you could take delivery now.

    Having to wait five months for delivery for a van that's not in great demand seems like 3 months too long - by the time August rolls around you'll only be a month or two away from the 2005 models.

    If it were me, I'd walk and start over with a new dealer.

    Steve, Host
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    no need to take an alarmist position, steve. as a nissan dealer myself, i can tell you that there are exactly 0 units like he ordered nationwide. he probably went through this with the dealer.

    also, if there WERE a van with that configuration out there, his current dealer would have every incentive to get it done now.

    if he starts over with a new dealer, he takes the chance of not getting someone that will keep in contact with him while he waits THE NEXT 3 MONTHS.

    BTW...he is not waiting 5 months. the order was placed in may, reported in june, built in july, and delivered in august. that counts 3 months to me.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Cynical types would say that the dealer took Xo23 out of the market back in April, so we're at month 4 with just a promise of delivery in another 3 or 4 weeks.

    When will the '05 Quests hit the showrooms anyway?

    Steve, Host
  • xo23xo23 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks Steve for the advice I do appreciate it. I also agree with what you said about a vehicle that is not in great demand taking 3 months too long. And the previous poster was correct their are none of these vans(with what we want) out their at any dealerships so that is not an option.

    It is good to find out that the month that a vehicle is ordered is not the month it goes into production but the following month.

    In a nut shell here are the issues:
    1. Agreeing to wait 1 month until that dealership was able to order more SE models.
    2. Having the dealership set a level of expectation and not coming close.
    3. Having a vehicle that is not selling as good as Nissan had hoped taking in my opinion way too long to be delivered.
    4. Since I am not taking advantage of any of the incentives should I wait until the 2005's are out(when will you know the release date of the 2005's?)

    Positives
     1.I hopefully get a van that will have all the fixes done at the factory ahead of time so none of the recalls will affect me.

    thanks again for the posts
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    "Since I am not taking advantage of any of the incentives should I wait until the 2005's are out"

    no.

    and let me ask you...why are you not taking any incentives?
  • sstrz1sstrz1 Member Posts: 28
    Are you 100% sure about getting the configuration you want?....rogue leather has been discontinued (according to my dealership)
  • xo23xo23 Member Posts: 6
    according to their own website it is still availible. If it was not a choice I would assume they would take it off their site.

    Like me I am sure the main reason people are ordering rogue is for the black interior color.
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    according to your dealer, they just dont have them...sounds like a load of BS to me. we just had one arrive, and another on order for the july order.
  • tridaddytridaddy Member Posts: 8
    Does anybody have the water resistant seat covers for the 04 Quest? I see them for sale on the web but it doesn't show a picture. I was wondering about the quality and how they look. I see they sell them for all three rows which would be great for after a sweaty work out or to protect my leather from the kids.
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    I saw your comment and felt inspired to reply, "...If it was not a choice I would assume they would take it off their site." I tried to use Nissan's website to report problems with my car in late January of this year. For the purchase date section of the website I could not
    enter newer then December 31, 2003. As most people in the Western world realized that after four weeks (past Dec. 31) that 2004 must have and did occur you would think that would have been updated as well. Never underestimate the diligence of a lazy web master
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    An earlier post of my was removed that responded to this,

    Third row seat rattle:

     - We kept hearing a rattle from the rear of the car and thought it was the hatch.
    - brought into for oil change and asked them to take a look
    - They showed me the rattling was coming from the rear seat, which they have seen before.
    - Told that there is a fix, but takes 1-2 hours to pull the seat apart and put back together.

    As it is not a terrible rattle, just a background-buzz we decided to wait until we were going back My dealer is Freehold Nissan (DCH group). They have always been very up front with me, even encouraging use of the Lemon Law.

    Steve: I had only posted the dealership's service number, which is readily available on the web, I did not think this would be a problem
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Per the Rules of the Road link above:

    Town Hall does not support the publication of phone numbers in posts or user profiles. There is no way Edmunds.com can validate that a phone number is legitimate, and is not being posted to harass someone.

    And as you say, it's easy enough to search contact info on the net. Thanks for the repost!

    Steve, Host
  • questilquestil Member Posts: 5
    Factory ordered SL, with DVD, Nav, Skyview, upgrade package. Since we opted out leather dealer did not have in stock and they have to place order. Delivery time for car they told us 3 to six weeks. When I followed up there was change to six to eight weeks. Also I am reading in posts that this taking three months. They placed order end of june and they are claiming to get in mid August. Can somebody comment if I am getting right information.
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    if you placed your order at the end of june, it will have been put through in the 1st 7 days of july.

    once all the orders are in, nissan schedules all july orders for august. if it is built at the beginning of august, you may receive it by the 3rd week or so. if its built at the end of august, it wont come till mid-september.

    so i guess they gave you a best-case scenario. they are not lying or anything...they are just not giving you the whole story.

    with nissan orders, it can be anywhere from as little as 6-7 weeks to as much as 12-14 weeks, and the dealer has absolutely no control over it. personally, however, i would have told you the 12-14 weeks, and let you be pleasantly surprised if it came sooner. ;-)
  • bad1550bad1550 Member Posts: 27
    My 2004 Nissan Quest SL stock radio has a "SAT" button.

    Would this radio be compatible with XM Radio and what additional equipment would I need?

    I would appreciate the help!

    Thanks

    Bob
Sign In or Register to comment.