Nissan Quest 2004+: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Based on what you are describing, the rotors are not the problem. If you had steering vibrations while braking, then it would be the rotors. Since it is high speed vibrations, the tires are most likely the cause. This is not an uncommon thing. I've read in other forums about vibrations at high speeds and the dynamic load balancing is the way to go.
  • army4usarmy4us Member Posts: 7
    I had the same problem with it making no noise but would show everything, and the only way it would work again for me was if I got out and took the fuse out and then put it back in and it would work, they finally put in a new radio, well that one did not last but maybe 4 or 5 months and the left side of it did not work, so I had to have yet another new one put in and that was just in January. Good luck, these vans are a piece of crap....
  • questclawquestclaw Member Posts: 1
    I read you got the fog lamps from the dealer. What all did you order through their parts department, so I can know what to get/not to get? Also, you said you got the wiring parts through Advanced autoparts... WHAT'S this? I looked up advancedautoparts.com but found nothing like you described. PLEASE HELP - anybody...

    P.S. Dealer keeps telling me that I can't but the fog lamps through them.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Ha anyone installed aftermarket backup sensors or parking assist sensonrs for your Quest? I am considering installing them on my 2004 Quest S before my wife does the Flintstone's parking bumping technique with another car. How much did it cost and what brand did you go with? I'm looking at just the audible, flush mounted kind.
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Try talking to some bodyshops. They should be able to get the parts and install it for less than the dealership. (I just had all of mine replaced after my wife backed into a truck!)

    tom
  • garandmangarandman Member Posts: 524
    Here's a tip for any van or wagon and backup.

    Go to an RV shop and buy a Fresnel Lense. They are plastic and you wet them and stick them on the back window. They come in a couple of different sizes. Cost is about $10. You can see down to the ground within a couple of feet of your rear bumper.

    I have given them to some co-workers (who were parking challenged) and they work great! Even works on a Subaru wagon even though the window leans forward at an angle. simple. Cheap. Can't break. And you actually eyeball where you're going!
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Great suggestion but I'm afraid my wife needs a more subtle reminder that she is getting close. Something along the line of "You got two more feet!!!!" would be great but I'll take an annoying beep for now.
  • fmunoz1069fmunoz1069 Member Posts: 35
    Hi Questclaw,

    I went to my local Nissan dealer and purchased the fogs for the SE model. They fit perfectly. Then I went to a local parts store called Advanced Auto parts and purchased and auxillary light install kit. What state are you in? If you do not have and Advanced autoparts near you maybe Pep boys or any large auto parts house should have the kit. Now understand that the lights will not turn on with the factory switch, the kits should come with a relay,switch and wiring. The only thing you need to do is tap the parking light wire so that when you turn the parking lights on the lights can be turned on with the button that comes with the kit. One other thing is you will need to purchase 2 bulb pigtail sockets so that you can plug them into fog lite bulbs so that you can service the bulb if it blows out. I got mine through a kia dealer. The Kia Sedona uses the same fog light bulb. I hope this helps. If any one else needs more info let me know..
  • cirrusscirruss Member Posts: 87
    I also have been experiencing the steering wheel shaking at about 50-70mph (04 Quest SL). Got about 19,000 miles and also felt some minor shakes when braking at about 60-70mph. I took it in the dealer last week and paid $60 to balance all 4, and it did help it a 'little' bit but my 95 accord drives smoother than this van!!?!

    Now I wonder from reading other posts if the rotors are susceptible to a balance issue. If anyone have this problem resolved, please let me know.
  • ord62ord62 Member Posts: 26
    Go to this link:
    http://www.stratusgroupsite.com/shop.htm

    I installed it and it is a lot better than the one beeper that comes with the Quest. It has a digital readout in addition to the sounds that will tell you how far you are from the closest obstacle and which side of the car it is closest to. I installed a 4 sensor unit but a 3 sensor is adequate enough. Easy enough to install.

    I really love it!!
  • ord62ord62 Member Posts: 26
    I still say Class Action suit is an option.

    I've brought my Quest to the dealership 11 times already with multiple problems at most times. I expected no major problems with it. I can't even go out of town without a pesky problem. It should count 21 times if the multiple problems didn't occur at the same time. It includes 4 days for the recall and Customer Initiative.

    I have a toyota Celica and a Rav-4 on whihc I have not brought to the shop once for any problem. My Rav-4 is now more than 100,000 miles with no problem. Of course I had the break pads replaced once and spark plugs every three years but this are maintainance related.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Only the lawyers win with a class action lawsuit.

    I haven't had an issue with the van since August. Even the warm air during AC use worked it's way out. I would work through the Nissan channels and yor state to resolve your problems. Start with the service manager and work your way up the chain using well written letters and documented phone calls. And an occasional tip to the local TV station may help as well.

    Thanks for the tip on the backup sensors.
  • ord62ord62 Member Posts: 26
    Lucky you!

    I brought my car to the shop at least once a month for the past 4 months. One problem they can't fix and the other I don't know if it is fixed since I seldom use my Quest. I've only put 500 miles since November and it's only at 8,300 miles.

    I will have my time with the BBB court on March 2, 2005 and I heard from other forum members that they are not as sympathetic without the Lawyers.

    I already contacted 3 law firms that are willing to take my case without costing me anything. This will be my next step after BBB.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    What is the problem they can not fix?????
  • ord62ord62 Member Posts: 26
    one: One tire pressure goes down a lot lower than the other three when weather is below 39 degrees which causes the flat tire warning lamp. Add air to make it at 32 thru 33 PSI and after 6 weeks one is again 4 degrees lower.
    Second: If temp gets warmer at 49 degrees, three of the tires will be at 38 thru 39 PSI which is a danger to driving or overinflated. The one is OK.
    Third: They claim "work as design", I can't control the floor vents behind the front seats from the passenger control buttons. It can only controlled by the front controls.
    Fourth: Ceiling vents can't blow warm air during winter.
    There are others they think it is fixed that re-occurs so don't know if it is really fixed on which time will tell. These are:
    3 times repair on a "Service Engine Soon"
    3 times on Power Windows locking up. Even after recall intitiative.
    3 times repair related to Power Steering. This could have caused accident if I didn't notice earlier.
    3 times on dome lights, one after recall initiative done
    1 Air Bag warning lamp after recall was done
    and so on ....
  • bronco31bronco31 Member Posts: 6
    Two things that I do know is that my service manager told me to set COLD pressure in tires to 35psi(also make sure your tester cost more than $3.00 most cheap one are not very good. Second, I don't believe the rear ceiling vents are designed to blow when the heater is on. Heat blows on floor and rises, also I think(not sure) the knob on the rear air/heat control on the heat side shows blowing on the floor.

    Hope this helps a little!!!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think the ceiling vents are just for A/C in most minivans. A Sienna owner was making similar complaints today:

    toyota_girl, "Toyota Sienna Owners: Problems & Solutions (2004+)" #1338, 1 Mar 2005 3:49 pm

    Steve, Host
  • samuelgsamuelg Member Posts: 36
    The dealer did the "load" balancing on all four tires and one of them was out of spec & could not be adjusted to in spec. Dealer told me to go to a local authorized Goodyear dealer for a warranty replacement.

    After calling Goodyear, I had a replacement tire mounted & balanced within an hour. Great service. Interestingly, the tire shop had trouble balancing the new tire & had to re-mount and spin it so that the tire sat on the rim in a different position. This allowed the tire to be better balanced with fewer weights. I asked about this, as I watched it from the service window. The manager said that none of the major manufacturers balance their rims, except Mercedes & BMW. Interesting. I have no idea if this is true.

    Net: dynamic load balancing improved, but did not eliminate the problem. Perhaps the new tire helped too, but minimally. The new replacement tire is on the rear left position, so I would think it has minimal affect on vibration at the steering wheel. The van still shakes unacceptably at highway speeds. My '95 sable with 70K miles is smoother on the highway.... In fact, it seems to have gotten worse. Another point of info: the balancing weights seem to held on with double-edged tape. No metal clips.

    I think I mis-understood MR's comments about the rotors being to cause of his balance problem. Seems he had warped rotors.... this is definitely not that.

    A motor-head buddy of mine with lots of mini-van experience will take it for a test drive. He thinks it's still the tires, even though they've been balanced 4 times so far.

    I have more calls into the dealer- maybe I need all replacement tires??? I have 8K in one year. Van sat for months inactive while I pursued BBB arbitration. Could that be the cause of this...??Any suggestions?

    One last point, other than this balance problem and the heat vents, the van is excellent. I'm trying to keep a "balanced" perspective. :-)

    SamuelG
  • ord62ord62 Member Posts: 26
    My service manager agreed that the 38 - 39 PSI was dangerous that is why he decided to look into and then put it back to 32-33. It was the dealership who added and reduced air to the tires the past 4 months. One at Oil change, another at 7,500 mile service and then the two problems after.

    It looks like they want me to change tire pressure every time I use the car.

    But I still have the one tire that always losses air. I can't be crawling adding and reducing air all the time.
  • ord62ord62 Member Posts: 26
    I thought all AC has heat if put on the red zone. The front blows heat on the vents so I assume that they just put the vents in the ceiling against the sides.

    I think even the home window AC units blows warm air when put on red zone.
  • ahightowerahightower Member Posts: 539
    The rear will only blow cold from the ceiling and warm from the floor. Maybe a Nissan engineer can jump in and explain why it was designed this way - surely they have someone reading this stuff, right? But whether it could or should be able to do otherwise is irrelevant, because it obviously was not designed to in this case. This seems pretty clear to me just from looking at the markings on all the controls. When you turn from blue to red, there is a picture of the air blowing at the little dude's feet. I have no experience with BBB, but I think you might be laughed out of court for complaining about this.
  • gg2k2segg2k2se Member Posts: 109
    Sounds like you may have some real issues but tires and vents are not them. The logic behind the rear vents has been discussed before; Warm air rises and cold air sinks, hence the markings on the controls for the rear that show Red (warm) from the bottom and cold from the top. It's designed that way.

    Tire pressures are always set to factory spec 35 psi, when the tire is cold. Driving for 15 minutes can raise the tire pressure 3-5 psi; THIS IS NORMAL and not dangerous. Also, tire pressures changes about 1 psi for each 10 degree F change in temperature. So if you set the psi AFTER driving on a warmer day, it can drop 5-7 psi for a cold tire on a cold day.

    Sounds like you might have a slow leak in one of the tires if you measure it accurately, at cold, with a good gauge and account for ambient temperature changes.
  • army4usarmy4us Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone won a case yet with going through the BBB??? Just wondering since I am in the middle of one since Nissan only wanted to up my warranty, witch they ended up doing on every body's quest and give me one months payment that I make on the POS. I have had so many problems it is not even funny, I have been back and forth to my local dealership so many times my two year old knows right where to go to sit and wait! I also have gotten to know the Enterprise rental car people very well also.
  • scott174scott174 Member Posts: 74
    Uh, bubbly in the tire??? Tire out of round??
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    1) What kind of wheels do you haveon your van? It sounds like either you have a slow leak or if you have alumninum wheels, you could have a crack in the wheel itself. I have an Intrigue with aluminum wheels and it has a small crack that causes the tire to lose air over time.

    2) Same as one and I think others answered this well.

    3) Already explained.
    4) Already explained.

    So how did you do with the BBB hearing?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It sounds like it is definitely with the tires. I'm surprised they put the new tire in the rear and not in the front.

    Personally, I am not a fan of Goodyear tires esp. the OEM. Had two sets "cup" on my Explorer and the Eagle on my Intrigue were horrible.

    I noticed on Tire Rack that the only tires listed for the Quest are Eagle LS. Do other manufacturers make that size tire? If not, is ther an "equivalent" size we can use instead of the OEM size?
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    Got a letter from Nissan today noting a new round of "fixes"

    1) Noise reduction kit for sliding doors
    2) Structural insulation in the body above doors
    3) Replace driver power window switch
    4) Shifter lever
    5) 2nd row seat levers
    6) Throttle pedal
    7) ball studs that mount read door support struts
    8) Reading lamps will be modified (?) to improve operation
    9) a/c servicing label will be replaced

    I recall some of these on last fall's initiative, but were not done when I brought my car in, but some like items (1, 2 and 9 may have been done during that visits).

    Here is some info. that a few people were looking for:

    Radio (Clariion) has no sound: TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MFG Bulletin Number: 04078
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    this sounds promising. Maybe some Nissan folks are reading this board.

    I guess we need to find out if it is another initiative or just for certain customers or particular models.
  • missiemissie Member Posts: 5
    My last post was several months ago, and had my radio replaced again - and now no problems...EXCEPT low tire pressure warning on cold days...I just go and put a little air in when I can...The key to all of this is having a dealer you can work with. I do not even talk to the New Orleans (Lamarque) dealer we purchased from anymore - useless.... Now I work with Mandeville's Nissan...They know about the recalls and don't question/ just fix it... I have, however, brought in copies of these posts to be sure we are always on the same page regarding service alerts, recalls, etc... Also, it has been very useful having my 1-800-NISSAN file and representative's name handy. Document everything! Good luck, everyone!
  • quest2005quest2005 Member Posts: 5
    I have also bought a Quest 2005 and we love it. The problem I find is that I have to press the lock button on my keypad to lock all the doors. Its not like other cars where they will self lock and alarm if its left unlocked for a minute or so. Quest does not self alarm and lock it self. There are times when I forget to lock the doors and it doesnt lock itself. I wonder if any one else is in the same situation. Is my alarm system faulty?
  • july2004questjuly2004quest Member Posts: 9
    The clock on our 2004 Quest (purchased mid-July 2004) runs 2 minutes fast per month. Set to the precise time in late-Oct for Standard Time, it is now 8 minutes ahead of the correct time.

    Stevens Creek Nissan in San Jose declined to replace the clock, claiming that Nissan Technical Support indicated that this amount of drift was "within spec."

    Anyone else have this problem? I intend to insist upon warranty service to fix this obvious flaw.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Why would anyone want a car that locks itself automatically after you leave it? Too easy to lock yourself out, if you inadvertantly set the keys on the seat.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    i was thinking the same thing. I would rather have to push the lock button on the door or on the fob.

    I have the Quest S. is it possible to setup so that the doors lock when you put the car in gear?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Before you have them take apart your dashboard and replace the clock, ask yourself is a clock that runs 2 minutes fast per month (not per day, per week but per month) really worth all the hassle you will have to go through to get it fixed??????

    It may be annoying but it is pretty easy to reset the clock. I barely drive our Quest and it took me less then a minute to figure out how to reset the clock and another one to actually reset it.

    Look at it this way, if you rely on your car's clock for appointments, you'll never be late!
  • park3850park3850 Member Posts: 10
    Is anyone else having trouble with the fob cracking?

    I had to tape the first one I used. My wife finally gave me hers and now it's cracking.

    The things cost about $120 according to the dealer AND it's not covered!
  • garycoxgarycox Member Posts: 59
    I have a 2004 Quest, new from the dealer, that I purchased about 6 months ago. It doesn't have an alarm system on it and the dealer indicated that they do not install alarm systems so I'll have to go to an alarm system dealer for one.

    Anyone have any do's or don't about installing an alarm system on this van?
  • garycoxgarycox Member Posts: 59
    I have a 2004 Quest and while I know the passenger air bag will auto sense the passenger and turn off if the passenger is under a certain weight is there a way I can manually turn it off?

    My wife often rides in the passenger seat and uses her laptop or is working on other things. I would hate for the airbag to deploy and the laptop become a permanent installation on her head... My Ford truck had a switch to turn off the passenger airbag but I can't find anything in the manual about turning the Quest passenger airbag?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    As far as I know there is no way to deactivate the airbag.

    If you are in an accident and your wife is using her laptop, she wil suffer injuries whether the airbag deploys or not. If there is no airbag, she will go face first into the lapotop or the dash.

    Why not have her sit in the 2nd or 3rd row if she is using the laptop?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Aftermarket alarms raise issues with warranty claims if something electrical goes wrong. That's why many people prefer that the dealer do it. Check in the Security systems (Lojack, alarms, engine immobilizer, etc.) discussion too; maybe someone has some general tips for you.

    Steve, Host
  • quest2005quest2005 Member Posts: 5
    TO: dtownfb
    How do you set up so the doors lock when you put car in gear? Mine doesnt do that at all. Thanks for the comments
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It is a feature in my 2000 Intrigue and I had it in my 2001 Malibu. I know each manufacturer has there own programming for the fob and the locks. No big deal, just wondering if it could do it.
  • nucradnucrad Member Posts: 1
    I sprayed WD40 Oil on the door lock and strikers like another owner who posted a message in this forum, and my Quest passenger door no longer makes any noise. Guess the manufacturers of the door locking mechanism forgot to oil the metal parts. Spraying some WD40 is much easier than going to the dealer and have them spend two days adjusting the doors for a temporary fix only (dealer service said they could not guarantee that they could fix it, and that this was a recurring problem with the Quest 2004)
  • questslquestsl Member Posts: 11
    I have not seen any post lately about this issue, so sorry if someone else has already posted it.
    I had the TCM replaced a second time (first time was about 1 yr back.....) and so far no transmission problems (no power, stuck in 3rd, etc); the tech tells me that this is a 2nd revision of the TCM, so it is not the same one they installed the last time.
    So, the fix is supposed to be out there, so contact your dealer and ask about this if you experienced this issue.
  • garandmangarandman Member Posts: 524
    We've learned that there is a seal between the front door and the sliding doors. When it was cold the right side door would creak. If we opened the front door first, then closed the slider, no creak. I think the power close keeps it from closing like the driver's side slider.
  • samuelgsamuelg Member Posts: 36
    OK folks,

    After three trips back to my local Goodyear Tire Dealer, I got four replacement tires. They had some difficulty balancing one of the new tires on the rim, and suggested that maybe there was slight out of true problem with that rim.

    This helped the vibration problem, but did not eliminate it. I then went back to the dealer and they offered to load balance the one suspect tire that the Goodyear dealer highlighted. After doing this re-balance, the dealer did NOT bother road testing the van to see if the problem was really fixed. Does this say it all, or what?

    The van still vibrates.

    So I did what any of us poor schlepps would do- I went to a motor-head buddy to get an honest opinion. He drives lots of Porches, and does engine rebuilds & has overall very good vehicle "karma".

    His findings were very interesting. He took the van on the highway, driving up to 95 MPH. Wow. I was not used to this type of driving style....

    1. The van seems to go thru two resonant ranges, around 45-50 MPH, and then around 65-75 MPH. The floor seems to vibrate both vertically & horizontally. You feel it in your right foot on the gas pedal.

    2. Above these speed ranges, the van did NOT experience this vibration, in the 80-95+ MPH range. It was very stable.

    3. My buddy was both impressed with the overall handling of the Quest. He has a Chrysler T&C, and Porsche. He feels the tires & suspension were interacting at the speed ranges in item #1, and this was likely a characteristic that I'd have to live with.

    Honestly, I don't remember this behavior when the van was new. Perhaps I was too busy belly-aching about the heat problems to notice this!

    Do other Quests seem to have this behavior? Any other suggestions?

    Thanks.

    SamG
  • buymoretranebuymoretrane Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever get an answer on this? I am wondering the same thing. It seems that a simple programming change is all that is needed.
  • quest_number_4quest_number_4 Member Posts: 1
    STEERING PROBLEM, 2004 QUEST SE

    At low speeds, the steering is extremely sensitive and reactive to the crowning of the road. Coming to a stop at an intersection, the steering wheel turns 1/4 - 1/3 turn right, or left depending on how far from the center of the road I'm driving. THe same thing occurs during take off. The steering wheel also reacts to road roughness, unlike any other car or Quest I've driven, yet the dealer says this is normal.

    Even driving at highway speeds, I have to exert effort to keep the steering wheel centered, because it reacts to the road and makes the whole driving such a chore.

    I've taken it in 4 times so far for oil changes (8000 miles, 1 year) and reported the problem over and over. They claim they road-tested it and told me it is normal.

    This is my 4th quest, and I never experienced handling like this.

    Does anyone experience the same steering symptoms?

    Is there a fix?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    I doesn't sound like anything is wrong with the vehicle. I've noticed at times i had to straighten the wheel some but nothing out of the ordinary. I would check the pressure in your tires to make sure they are all at the same level. And also check the wear of your tires as well.

    My Quest tracks straight on the highway. At times when there is an unusually high crown in the road, I have to adjust but I do that in my car as well.

    maybe someon else will chime in with more info.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Nissan used to have a 12 month driveability warranty that I used to get my van aligned when it was pretty new. I didn't have pulling but the steering wheel was a bit off.

    I don't think you should have to exert a lot of effort to keep going straight even on crowned roads. And pulling to the right coming to a stop doesn't sound right to me either.

    A tire shop should be able to eyeball your tires and opine whether an alignment may be in order. Or find another dealer.

    Steve, Host
  • pulisubspulisubs Member Posts: 39
    Apart from going to the dealer, is there a website or can somebody provide remote programming instructions for a 2004 Quest SE Remote Fob? I broke mine and got a new one. Now I need to program it to our Quest.

    Any help is appreciated.
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