Nissan Quest 2004+: Problems & Solutions

chiefdoc

Hi all, I have an 04 S with 53,000 miles. So far I've experienced the door noise (fixed, but making a come back), rear seat noise (fixed), vibration at highway speed (new tires and brakes, but steering wheel still vibrates some) transmission issue (replaced ECM per service bulletin), now I have a new one: A whining noise on acceleration. So far Nissan has replace a pulley, alternator and returned it with the same whin, no QA done, so I turned around down the street and returned. Anyway, expecting a call from my service department after they contact Nissan, it has been a week and they have no answer. Has anyone else experienced this or have any ideas? Thanks.

sopecreek

Sorry to hear your problem. I read your posting from about a year ago where you asked about aftermarket leather. Have you done it? I'm thinking about it. Any info would be appreciated.

chiefdoc

I did, Classic Soft Trim, a great investment since I have a 7 and 4 year old boys. It's not as nice as the factory stuff, I really like the way original trim around the seats and head rest looked.

rgkjones

My 2004 Quest had about a 1/4 tank left. I filled up the tank with what should of been just shy of a full tank. But when I started the vehicle up, my fuel gauge did not update. It still showed a 1/4 tank. I drove for another 5 minutes and it only when up 2 bars. I checked to make sure my gas cap was secure with about 4 clicks. Later in the day after driving for another 5 minutes it finally reached to almost full. Has anyone ever had this problem?

I love my Quest, but it seems like I find more or hear of more problems. Any feedback would be appreciated.

vinhphuc

this dealer doesn't have the red Quest SE with the dual-screen DVD system and running boards. Nevertheless they told me they can add them on, and they claim the DVD screens are even bigger than the factory-installed 7 inch. Are these add-ons covered by Nissan warranty in case of problems? Has anyone got a car in similar situation and so far how has your experience been?

chiefdoc

I experienced the same after a fill up about 9 months ago and it hasn't happened again.

spivey1869

Has anyone experienced problems with trim pieces that are coming loose or with a knocking noise in the front brakes usually in the morning under moderate braking?

As described the braking issue is a hard knocking noise in the front brakes and you can feel it while braking. The van does stop but it seems to "slip" a little during this. At first the dealership found nothing wrong. When we took it back and left it overnight they did notice it the next morning during a test drive and replaced the ABS sensor even though the ABS system was not throwing any errors. I think they are going to try the ABS motor next as the sensor obviously was not the problem.

As for the trim, I've had several pieces coming loose including a piece covering the A pillar on the passengers side, the power window module in the drivers door, the dimmer switch/mirror adjustment panel, as well as the piece covering the exterior tailgate handle which came completely off and appears to be broken where it mounts to the van.

ahightower

We had a trim piece come off of the inside front passenger door handle. Then the door couldn't be opened at all from the inside. That was on the 2nd or 3rd day of my ownership. My wife actually cut her hand a little bit when it came off. The dealer fixed it right away, and we got a free tank of gas, and a thousand apologies. No other problems to report in the past 7 months and 10,000 miles.

mhall929

Hello,
I have owned a 2004 Quest SL for about a year and I do enjoy driving it. I have the intermittent radio problem about once a month, and the transmission "lack of power in fail-safe mode" issue has happened twice. I see the service bulletins and have talked to 2 dealerships about getting the repairs done, but all I hear is, "we need to replicate the problem in order to fix it."
I could understand that if I was wanting a repair done out of thin air, but Nissan has issued bulletins for both of these -
Has anyone have any luck with getting the repairs done?
Are these covered under the warranty?
How exactly does one get a dealership to replicate these problems that are intermittent in nature?
Thanks - this is very helpful board by the way -
mhall929

chiefdoc

I had the transmission issue, and everytime I went in for an oil change I made them document that it occured. Then I found the bulletin on nissanhelp.com (through this forum) and took it to them, it says if customer reports, not upon replication by service department. If they still won't fix it contact Nissan Customer Care.

marualmoyo

We have a 2004 Quest SL with 19K miles. We have had endless problems like the rattling seats, sliding doors rattling and radio/cd player issues that have gone in numerous times. Last week we had the problem where the engine would groan when you stepped on the gas. took it to the dealer and they said it was a dirty filter. It was the first time I heard about that. Anyway, got the car back and it sounded fine. Yesterday it began to make the same noise. I have seen the similar problem elsewhere, but no suggested ideas of what ot maybe. We have always had nissan. Disappointed with this one. Quality and finish are really shabby

eyeblind

I had the intermitent silent radio. Dealer would not replace it unless they could duplicate the problem. I had it happen to me once, just as I left the house. I drove it down to the dealer and showed them that there was no sound coming from the radio. They then replaced it.
I also have had the transmission thing happen to me a few times. Even though the dealer confirmed the bulletin on this problem, they won't fix it unless they can duplicate it. It is not an easy thing to duplicate because you never know when it will happen. The bulliten states IF YOU CONFIRM ( meaning the dealer )
A CUSTOMER REPORTS THE FOLLOWING. My dealer interprets that as they must confirm the problem by duplicating it before they will fix it. I called NISSAN
NO HELP and they basically sided with the dealer, though they said I should try another dealer or go to arbitration. It hasn't happened for 5 months now, so I have not pursued it any farther. I agree with you, mhall929, I am not going to waste my time to go in the dealer to get a new A/T Control Module just for the heck of it. On day I'll probably try another dealer.
Good Luck.

zaragoza

I took my '05 Quest in and they had to adjust a part and lubricate both doors.

zaragoza

zaragoza

nope sorry I have not had that problem

Zaragoza

ahightower

JD Power total quality survey is out:

"Nissan also performed dramatically better in the 2005 study, with the Nissan Quest as the most-improved model, recording an impressive 104 Problems Per 100 vehicles improvement."

I could not see what the actual score was. I know the average pp100 is 118. Toyota, Chrylser, and Dodge still ranked highest. Regardless, that is a huge improvement for the Quest, now everybody on the fence can relax and go buy one.
:shades:

garandman

It's posted elsewhere.

"Nissan Motor Co. had the most improved vehicle model with the Nissan Quest minivan. Oddes said the Quest had 243 problems per 100 vehicles last year, and dropped that to 139 this year. The Kia Spectra, Hummer H2 and Scion xA also showed marked improvement."

http://www.adelphia.net/news/read.php?id=11921642&ps=1014&cat=&cps=0

njdude101

I went to Audio shop to install Alarm (to defend from body damage) and Remote start for my 2005 Quest S, and that guy told me that if I keep only one remote then I won’t be able to open power sliding door and trunk with new remote, if I want to keep all factory install functions then I have to keep two remotes and before I unlock door I have to turn off the alarm first,

Then I went to other place (like circuit city) that guy told me that they had problem with remote power sliding door, it was keep opening by it self while driving, he also mentioned me that since car already had an alarm and if I install another alarm it will might Void factory warranty….better ask dealer before installing this things.

Does anyone have installed any of these in his new Quest ???

questvictim

i have a 2004 Quest that is a nightmare. it's loose, it rattles, it drives like a soviet tractor. I literally cannot hear the radio because of the squeaks and groans. the dealership is unable or unwilling to do anything about it.

steer clear --- STEER CLEAR --- of this hunk of junk. email if you'd like more details.

dtownfb

have you had the Sustomer service Initiative done? They have fixes for all of the squeaks and groans. Have you tried calling the regional manager to discuss the dealerships unwillingness to do anything? Most people on the board love the way the vehicle drives. Can you further elaborate on why yours drives like a soviet tractor (which I hear are quite reliable and sturdy)?

garandman

i have a 2004 Quest that is a nightmare. it's loose, it rattles, it drives like a soviet tractor. I literally cannot hear the radio because of the squeaks and groans. the dealership is unable or unwilling to do anything about it.

steer clear --- STEER CLEAR --- of this hunk of junk. email if you'd like more details. How many miles on it? Which trim level? What part of the country are you in? Who is the dealer?

I see that you registered today and this is your first and only post?

jipster

The 2005 Nissan Quest ranks very high in JD Power Associates rating for initial quality. I would agree that I wouldn't buy a 2004...but I would buy a 2005 model.

Also, I think you meant the 2004 Quest drives like a Russian tractor...not a "soviet tractor" as the Soviet Union is no longer a country.

spivey1869

I've got the 2005 model and it still has some of the same squeaks and my brakes have problems. In fact I am in the process of running "Lemon Law" on it and according to my attorney, the brakes are a known issue with Nissan which they supposedly know how to fix now. Even though I've had these problems I've got to say that the van rides like a dream and I have every intention of getting another one that will have a little more sugar in the lemonade.

gawami

Vonbill, I've searched the web for a trailer wiring harness for my 2004 Nissan Quest and can't find one. Came upon your posting and wonder where you found a reasonably priced one.

Thanks for the help, Gary Miller

vonbill3

I am not aware of a wiring harness specifically for Quest. I believe my earlier post referred to the power converter required only. I just now entered "trailer light power converter" in Froogle and found a number of sources. The pictures for some displayed what looks like all the harness necessary except maybe the wire required for connecting to the battery positive terminal. Note that you need the power converter not the so-called standard box. Good luck.

dtownfb

What brake issues have you had? The only one I am aware of is the rotors warping. Had it, they resurfaced the rotors. No problems since.

I just had my 2004 Quest inspected and I have 10 and 9 on the pads. I was very impressed considering most minivans go through brake pads pretty quick due to weight.

lschneider

There is no wiring harness for trailer wiring on a 2004 Quest. Much more information can be found at www.automotiveforums.com, Nissan, Quest, Towing With a 04 Quest. I went through that forum thread and found lots of info. Then I did it myself and posted my summary. It said:

I just finished the same install. Here are some details on how I did it. I had a class III hitch installed at U-Haul. They would not touch the wiring since they said it could damage the computer. I checked with the dealer and they said that there was no aftermarket wiring harness available. I tried Nissan customer service by phone and E-mail and they said the same thing.

I then checked around (including this site) and found that I indeed needed the DrawTite Modulite converter. I did some shopping on the net and found it (#18146) for only $26.88 at www.browns-of-tworivers.com/page31.htm - with freight it was only $33.13 - about a third of the local price. The local guys wanted $79.95 for the part and $179.95 for the part and installation. I saved a bundle for just a little cursing as I did the work.

I started by pulling off the left rear plastic panel. But it would be MUCH easier if you take off the rear panel in the well first. Just pull the real panel from the bottom carefully and when the plastic buttons pop then lift the whole thing up to take it off.

Then remove the left rear panel. Same process, be careful pulling and be sure none of the blue plastic snaps come out of the panel - if they do, recover them and snap them back in place.

I didn't find a white wire to power the Modulite, mine was also a blue/yellow wire in the main wiring harness down near the far rear left corner under the breakouts for the left light wiring. The fuse marked for towing in the engine compartment fuse panels makes this wire live.

I installed the Modulite on the floor just behind the rubber grommet mentioned above. Screwed it down with two sheet metal screws. For my Quest I followed the three wire instructions on the Modulite instructions. Tail light wire was green/white for me, the stop lights were green/yellow and the left stop light was solid green. These wires all come out of the wiring harness just above the blue/yellow power wire and the grounding bolt (that you ground the white Modulite wire to).

I ran the right stop light wire over to the right tail light area, took off the plastic panel and hooked it up to the solid green right stop light wire in the wiring harness.

Since I won't use my hitch very often I decided to run the wiring harness and connector for the trailer out through one of the holes in the storage compartment in the rear of the left panel. I just coiled it up in the storage space and will hang it out through the weather-stripping when I need it.

Buttoned everything back up, put the fuse under the hood and everything worked just fine. It was a hassle figuring out how to get the panels off but take your time, move slowly, and everything should turn out OK.

Hope if you do it that it works out as well as it did for me. The advice here was very helpful to me.

lschneider

I was looking around in another auto forum for info on my trailer wiring problem (see my other post) and found some info on Nissan extending the warranty on 04 Quest's. I checked more and could not find confirming data so I finally contacted Nissan customer service by E-mail giving them my VIN.

They got back to me by E-mail and confirmed that they would indeed extend the 3/36 factory warranty to 5/60 at no charge to me. I replied that an E-mail was nice but I didn't think it would go far in four years with a Nissan service manager or if I tried to sell the van after the "normal" 3/36 warranty expired. I asked for something more "official".

They responded and I got a letter dated 9/10/04 (well before I started my inquiry) signed by Mark McNabb confirming that my warranty was indeed being extended. They even sent along a small tag to apply to my warranty booklet saying the same thing.

I don't know if it applies to all 04 Quests but it would be worth an E-mail to Nissan customer service if you own an 04.

famof3kids

Great information, thanks!!

famof3kids

Can you post that customer service e-mail address? I don't see anything on their "Nissan USA Owners" website. Thanks....

dtownfb

It was all part of the Customer Service Initiative last summer. They extended the manufacturers warranty to 5 yr/60 months. They sent the owners an official decal to put in the owners manual. All Nissan dealerships should know about this but it is nice to have something official just in case.

ahightower

I did not get a decal or letter. I did get an email, which I have saved. I just wrote back requesting a decal and/or letter for future reference, will let y'all know if and when I get anything. The email was a reply to my inquiry via the nissanusa.com website. I will be glad to forward anyone my email if you need to confirm this and pursue it further. Send me a private message.

jroden

I have an 05 w/ 5000 miles and have taken it in 6 times for door rattle fixes which have not made much progress. If anything, there are new rattles on the other door not, not a metalic rattle, more of a body flexing and shifting sort of a sound. The dealer took me out in a brand new Quest off the lot and it rattled also. I have opened a case with the zone rep and requested a buyback if they cannot fix the problem. Has anyone had a satisfactory resolution if the dealer is unable to fix the problem? The dealer has been fine, I just think the fit and finish of the Quest is causing these problems. I was going to give Nissan one more chance then call the BBB line. Any advice on how to proceed would be great, I like the car, I'm just sick of having to take it to the dealer every other week.

rbradley

http://www.courtesyparts.com Has the wiring harness for 2004 quest

njdude101

I also have a same problem, i went to dealer four times and power sliding door ( passanger side) still makes noise, I would also like to know that what type of actions we can take if dealer won't able to fix the problem.

jroden

I'll post up here if anything interesting happens. Right now I have been to dealer 6x for the door, including a new rubber seal and inside handle. It is better, but not fixed. I have opened a ticket with Nissan and they are working with the dealer, so I expect I'll be taking it in a few more times. I like the van, but I'm hopeful that I can get a buyback and purchase something different, I'm concerned that the quality problems will hurt the resale.

As an aside, mine is an 05 and has evidenced many of the problems people mentioned with the 04's, including radio problem, tire pressure loss, poor heating and light fixtures in cabin blowing out. No transmission or wobbling issues, though.

njquest

I have had Both the front and rear break re-surfaced and the pads replaced. The front @ 15K and rear today @20K. The vibrations happened when the front brakes went. A shimmy happen (when braking) when the rear brakes went. At $240 a pop this is going to get expensive real quick. The Service manager at Lynnes Nissan in Bloomfield NJ (his name is David) told me that nearly every 04 Quest has come in the teens for brake jobs. He also told me that Nissan had chosen these brakes for there smoother braking ability. I picked up the Quest May 15 of 04. Not Happy about the brakes but I love my quest.

Dave

fmunoz1069

One thing I think everyone that is having brake problems is that the wheels must be torqued down to the proper spec. Alot of the techs have there air guns turned up all the way so when they tighten down those wheels they are too tight. I have requested that my dealer torque down my lug nuts and so far no pulsation and I have driven about 4k miles since. I think this will help.

I too am having problems with the sliding door rattling. It just started happening. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet. I am afraid to. Has any one done a repair on the rattling slider that has helped??

dtownfb

I know the front rotors are proned to warping but I have never heard of the rear needing re-surfacing so quickly. And why are you paying for the warped rotors when the vehicle is under warranty with a known issue?

wrenchman

At 14000 miles I got a bad brake pulse when breaking at highway speeds only. Took van back to dealer,they said I needed 4 wheel brake job.I told them that the brake sensors were not touching and it felt like an out of round rotor. They told me the van needs brakes and the warranty for the brakes was12mts or12000miles.Called nissan in cali.they called the dealer to find out what the problem was. nissan said brakes are only warranty for 12 mts.or 12000 miles.I asked them if there was anything they could because I only had 14000 miles and only had the truck for 14 mts.they said no. So I took the truck home resurfaced the rotors (the left front was the only rotor out of round).and now the brakes are fine.I buy a new vehicle every 3 years,and after dealing with nissan and there dealers this is my first and last nissan !!! :lemon:

wrenchman

They will only warranty brakes for 12 mts 12000 miles.All nissan would say is that if the pads were change it would repair my problem and they were not covered.....never again...nisan and there dealers got you.and there is nothing we can do!!

sopecreek

I may have infomration you might find useful as you seek solutions to your problem.
When I was negotiating for the purchase of my 2005 Quest SL, the salesperson told me that Nissan had brake problems with Titan trucks and had to improve the brakes. He added that Nissan decided to improve the brakes for the 2005 Quest even though there were no issues with the brakes. I had no idea what he was talking about as I thought the all the basic mechanical specs were the same for both 2004 and 2005.
Well, I went on to www.nissannews.com to check the brake specs and found the following regarding the rotor size/type.

2004 (rotor size diameter x thickness in inches)
Front: Vented disc 11.42 x 1.10
Rear: Solid disc 12.13 x 0.63

2005
Front: Vented disc 11.42 x 1.9
Rear: Vented disc 12.13 x 0.62

Compared to the 2004, the 2005 front rotor thickness has almost doubled and the rear rotor is now vented disc.
This makes me think that the 2004 Quest has rotors (especially front) that can be warped more easily than the 2005.

Try the following links for the sources. Good luck!

http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/2004vehicles/quest/specs.shtml
http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/2005vehicles/quest/specs.shtml

qltypck

I have had multiple problems with my Quest from the door rattling to water leaking into the interior. We have had it in over 5 times to fix the water leaks and still have an issue. I went back to the dealer and he made an offer to buy it back and put us in a new 2005 Quest at his cost (family friend so I trust the deal) - but the buyback value is less than I owe and we will end up eating the difference in a higher payment. What would happen instead I go through the Nissan buyback program? Anybody know how long it takes, how much of a pain it is, and how they calculate the buyback amount?

sopecreek

Sorry guys, I realized that the front figure of 1.9 inch was, well, insanely thick. Measured mine and came to conclusion that they meant to say 1.09 inch. Must be an error.
So the only difference in the brakes is the rear rotor being vented disc for the 2005.

plashenick

We brought our Quest SL (Sep '04 build) in around 16,000 to Freehold Nissan after pulsing started. They resurfaced rotors - smooth running since. They have always been friendly and helpful, at least I got 1/2 the equation for a happy consumer correct!

DCH is a large outfit so I assume they can afford to be more helpful then other dealers. We have had nearly all the problems you could have; radio (3 times) doors not closing, rattles, etc. And all have been addressed and corrected. They even arranged for multiple loaners.

We are making the pilgrimage from NJ to Florida in 2 weeks, plan to watch the MPG closely.

famof3kids

Last fall we had a tire pressure warning alarm go off. I assumed it was due to the lower temps, so, I added air. Then in Feb, same wheel again, so, after reading on this forum of known slow leaks around tire pressure sensors, assumed that was it. Again in May another alarm. So, I took it to the dealer, who is great, and mentioned that it might be a sensor leak.

When I returned to the dealer, I had a large screw that nearly had the head worn off, in that tire. Whoops, that's what I get for assuming problems with the van because of known issues I read here. So, guess caution is always warranted.....ha :shades:

BTW, the dealer plugged the tire, performed a state inspection, and gave me a vial of touch up paint, all for $20. Wow!

squest

Tell me about your radio problems. I am taking mine in tomorrow for the AM radio which plays sometimes, and sometimes not. They have already replaced two sections of antenna feed, and now say the head liner must be dropped to replace the long feed to the back.
Was your head liner dropped? Did they get it back in so it looked as good as new?
Thanks in advance for your answer.

plashenick

:surprise: I had he problem wherein when turning the radio on we got no sound from any function (CD, AM, FM or DVD). We have the single CD (Clariion). We experienced this from early on (Jan '04) with final resolution in Apr '04. The radio was replaced several times. After threatening legal action at the recommendation of the NJ Attorney General we learned thatthere is a designflaw inthe Clarioon for early '04s that casued the Amp to overcharge and trip its' internal breaker. The only way to reset is to stop the car, turn the car off (including lights) then retart the car - basically a reboot.

The newer design radio (replacement) incoprorates the missing voltage step down to avoid the overcharge. I have read of an issue from a Nissan TSB covering poor AM reception due to the Antennae, but have no first hand knowledge.

Hpe this help

caffienecraver

I have also experienced the problem of rattling - 2 visits - 2 different dealers - the problem has indeed been fixed - apparently, when I took it in for this problem, I asked the dealer specifically to look up any and all recalls and/or service bulletins and proceed accordingly - they came back finding several voluntary recalls and fixed them all - this included passenger door sliding motor, shift lever knob/safety device, rear door struts/ball joints, rear door actuator, and sliding door "insulation kits" designed TO ELIMINATE THE DAMN RATTLE - all worked. BUT HERE ARE THE PROBLEMS I CONTINUE TO HAVE:

1) first the van is too low and when we went camping last summer, with only a moderate load, the van would scrape massively on every speed bump in the parking lot - not to mention that it regularly scrapes the front bumper against parking lot stops regardless of load carried.

2) the roof rack cannot hold the weight limit prescribed in the owners manual or as per the label on the rack itself (125 pounds - evenly distributed of course) without snapping the tack welds on the support beams under the center of the bow of the roof. The manufactourer says I caused the damage and would not repair it under warranty as the load is supposed to be carried on the rails and not lay upon the roof itself (their excuse) - I think this is BS, cuz we all know that every other car we've had with a rack allowed for weight on the roof, but strapped to and between the larger main rails. Also, I cannot find any note in the manula about this unusual requirement of load placement on the rails only.

3) We had our fuel pump give out after owning the van for only 2 months - then just the other day it would not start for 5 minutes and when it did the fuel guage read empty, despite a full tank of gas. The dealer could find no faults and I am worried that this is likely another fuel pump failure lurking in the wings.

4) the finish on the console around the radio - you know - the matte grainy like finish - well with simple non-abraisive cleaning it rubs off thus revealing the smooth plastic underneath - we had it replaced at dealer expense, but i caution other owners - be very careful as that finish on the column and console is NOT DURABLE.

caffienecraver

I have not gotten the amended notice of warranty or the accompanying decal - how do I confirm/get it - also these are problems I have had with the van of late (a 2004 SL model) - can anyone share - does anyone have similar issues - also I just posted a response regarding the rattling door issue - Nissan has indeed found a fix and it works:

1) first the van is too low and when we went camping last summer, with only a moderate load, the van would scrape massively on every speed bump in the parking lot - not to mention that it regularly scrapes the front bumper against parking lot stops regardless of load carried.

2) the roof rack cannot hold the weight limit prescribed in the owners manual or as per the label on the rack itself (125 pounds - evenly distributed of course) without snapping the tack welds on the support beams under the center of the bow of the roof. The manufactourer says I caused the damage and would not repair it under warranty as the load is supposed to be carried on the rails and not lay upon the roof itself (their excuse) - I think this is BS, cuz we all know that every other car we've had with a rack allowed for weight on the roof, but strapped to and between the larger main rails. Also, I cannot find any note in the manula about this unusual requirement of load placement on the rails only.

3) We had our fuel pump give out after owning the van for only 2 months - then just the other day it would not start for 5 minutes and when it did the fuel guage read empty, despite a full tank of gas. The dealer could find no faults and I am worried that this is likely another fuel pump failure lurking in the wings.

4) the finish on the console around the radio - you know - the matte grainy like finish - well with simple non-abraisive cleaning it rubs off thus revealing the smooth plastic underneath - we had it replaced at dealer expense, but i caution other owners - be very careful as that finish on the column and console is NOT DURABLE.

awesome9again

Rear rotors are vented on the 04 as well. At least on the Canadian van they are.

Regards.