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Nissan Quest 2004+: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • raul4raul4 Member Posts: 95
    To nishonbaru: Is your Quest a 2004? Also, is it a S, SL or SE? Thanks.
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    S.

    I just got the call from the BBB Auto Line. They have to be nutral Nissan offered me $500.00 and to continue to honor the warrenty.

    I said NO.

    She did say that she thought I had a very strong case.

    We're going to arbitration
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    Sorry, I forgot to mention.... Yes it is a 2004.

    I cannot believe that Nissan will not do better than the $500.00.

    It astounds me that they could have such an obvious case of what the lemon law is for and they make such a poor offer. I am insulted. This is my first and last Nissan. They should be ashamed of their product.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope you get this resolved to your satisfaction. It sounds like your service department may have been at fault more than anything. I have a hard time believing that 3 transmissions are bad. Good Luck.
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    No it's not a shop issue. The issue is that Nissan has produced an inferior product. They only replaced the transmission once. I have had 5 different issues with the transmission for which repairs work was done. Not shifting 3 occurances. Leaking seals 2 occurances. All of you that have had the problem with the car not shifting are going to have further issues. Yes the problem is the result of a faulty TCM. However, when this occures it will ruin the transmission. ie "1/2 to 1/3 inch of metal shavings and part of the clutch assembly found in the pan". Since I have had the same problem with the TCM on the second transmission, I have asked the folks at the service department to drop the pan and check. They won't. They're afraid to.

    Nissan needs to do the right thing and take back my van. They should be falling all over themselves to make this right. They are morally unfit to do business.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Gee I'm almost sorry I showed you any sympathy.....As I have said, I have not had any problems with the non-shifting since August 2004. My guess is any transmission problems from the non-shifitng would have surfaced in the past year and 3 months. Also the powertrian is warranted until 60k miles. Like I said, I really think most of your problems is with the service department. Based on your post, it does not appear they repaired your transmission properly. Especially since you mention problems with teh seals AFTER they installed the new tranny. And the fact they won't drop the pan on your van speaks volumes to me.

    If I were you, i would pursue a buy back. Again good luck.
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    Sorry I guess I'm just extremely dissapointed with Nissan. To me, and I think most people, dealer or corporate does not matter. They all represent Nissan. And we are not talking a small time dealer here. Coggin is huge in the south. They sell pretty much every car made.
    What I am truely dissapointed in is the fact that even with all of the documentation and evidence that I have to back up my claim, they made a extremely poor attempt at trying to settle. It was insulting and it has made me angry.
    Just so that you know, in Florida, 15 days out of service is all that you need in order to persue a claim. I had 19 days the first time the car was in for service.
    I feel that I have been extremely patient with this issue. I feel that instead of Nissan thanking me for my patience, they have choosen to punish me. I feel betrayed by a company that has lost sight of their most important asset, their customers.
    And to that end I am posting my dealings with Nissan Corp on every website I can find. Every Blog that's out there will hear from me. Every person that I discuss my van with I let them know my experience with Nissan. Maybe I won't have a huge impact but word gets around. And in the end disgruntled customers will have a far greater impact on Nissan's bottom line than any amount of money they would have saved by simply doing the right thing.

    Sorry for my rambling.... :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    No problem nishonbaru. I woudl probably be worst that you are. Many of us have found that having a good dealer makes a difference in ownership. I had a great dealer that took my problems seriously and was honest and upfront with me. And they kept me up to date on the progress with certain problems. Makes a huge difference.

    Keep up your fight with Nissan. A great website to check out is nissanhelp.com. It has tons of information on al Nissan vehicles including TSBs and recalls. You should look at this site to get more information regarding your transmission. Let us know how it ends up.
  • hondo5hondo5 Member Posts: 1
    We just passed 15 k on our 04 SL.
    All the following based on front end judder/vibration.
    Dealer cut the rotors @2k after 4 months of ownership, service "advisor" said parking car in sun would cause rotors to warp.Yes,he did say that.
    Cut rotors again @7300k+-,plus did pads no charge(10 months).
    Brought in for same problem last month @ 15k and was told we need rotors and pads @ $279.
    Service Manager said it was courtesy replacement of pads 1st time.
    Also told us it's normal wear because Quest is a heavy vehicle.Said van was parked for awhile and had high spot. We told him BS because White was tough to get initially on East coast and picked up car within 24hrs of hitting ground.
    Amazing what they'll say and do to get out of warranty repairs.
    Never mind that either dealer couldn't "duplicate" the common complaints of squeaks and rattles.
    Asked him if I should expect only 4-5k on pads(1st set) and if there wasn't a problem why were they cut twice?
    Said I could go to another dealer to see if they could help us out.
    Nice.
    Here's hoping I get a service report card for them.
    Nissan USA said if we need pads/rotors it's our bill,but ok to go on road test with the other service manager.
    2nd Nissan shop says we'll need brakes all around 3-4k.
    Why?
    We know they're defective rotors:lemon:that have been cut twice instead of being replaced(now to thin to cut according to 2nd shop),which I was promised the 1st time and waited a 2nd day to only find out that they had been cut, or shall I say resurfaced.
    My wife is primary driver(very cautious,3 kids) mixed local(60/40)& highway driving.
    Friends(same year-Quest S) and other posters with the Quest get 25-30k and we can't get to 15k.
    Yet there are others with same complaints.
    Nissan it's not an isolated incident.
    Perhaps a bad run of rotors like the Titan/Armada/Q56 are affecting the Quest /Murano as well
    Maybe class action suit will get results. :mad:
    We're all waiting for your solution.
  • blaingblaing Member Posts: 1
    I need to replace the original tires on my Nissan Quest -- any suggestions? I've read that the Goodyear Eagle LS2 isn't the best tire -- tread wears out quickly and road noise seem to be the major complaints/low ratings.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Did the servcie manager really say that??? I would have written a letter to Nissan and cc everyone from the REgional manager to the president complaining about this idiot. The next itme they say something like that ask why didn't they design rotors to match the weight of the car? It's not like your Quest had a middle age crisis and gained weight. it came for the factory weighing 4200 #.

    It's well known that the rotors for the 2004 Quest and Titan are thin. A number of manufacturers have decided that to make their cars lighter they would make the rotors thinner which is why you see so many rotors warping.

    The problem I have is they should have replaced your rotors the second time they had to "cut" your rotors. I would check with an independent mechanic to get his opinion. Also an independent can upgrade your rotors to something thicker. Why put on the same sorry rotors from Nissan? I bet he/she can do it for less money too.

    Unfortunately Nissan won't help you and honestly, they don't have to since your vehicle is over a year old (rotors and pads are a wear an tear item). Good luck.
  • gg2k2segg2k2se Member Posts: 109
    My right slider intermittently gets within 6" of closing, then auto-reverses like it hits something (the warning chime dings). I took it in the the dealer who replaced the door "control module", but the problem remains. Any ideas or service bulletins you are aware of?

    I too had my brakes turned at 15,000 due to warped rotors at no charge. I'm curious to see how long they'll last. I would consider getting an aftermarket rotor if these don't last. Has anyone found a good aftermarket rotor for the Quest (Brembro?)

    As far as service, my Vestal NY dealer has been good. They don't always find the problem at first but keep trying. I get a loaner so it's only a minor inconvenience to/from work to stop at the dealer.

    Despite numerous minor issues, my 2004 SE is a good van and I'm confident that the 5 year warranty should shake out the big problems.
  • spoonieboy1spoonieboy1 Member Posts: 22
    For all you Quest owners with rotor problems go to post #1427 and #1435. These posts should explain your problem and offer a solution. Also chec out the Pro-Cut website. Look under the Awards dropdown under Nissan.
  • lahendaalahendaa Member Posts: 1
    my 1991 nissan maxima was recently stolen.when i purchased the car there was an alarm system already installed on the car.i guess its a factory alarm that came with the car.i dont know how it was stolen with the alarm on.or can my key just be universal and open any nissan maxima please advise very confused.
    lahendaa
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    As a side note to rotors replacements. The fact that they are wear items may not preclude individual states lemon laws; which says all parts must operate for a minimum period of time. This can range from 1 to 2 years and up to first 18,000 miles at no cost. This will vary by state, but with few exceptions, covers all parts from moldings to engines.

    Years ago I had a Ford Probe in NY that required 4 brake jobs in first 14 months, I never paid a penny. Check your local laws (www.mycarstats.com is a good place to look for laws and related links). Rotors / pads that wear in 3 months / 4000 miles would not be considered to be "free of defect" as it is not meeting the timeframe that state's require for "reasonable expected usage".

    When you follow with the factory / dealer remind them of this, but know your rights before you go in to "talk".
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    Interesting......I have another experience about the poor quality of Nissan
    The other day we were at the mall and were leaving. Not paying attention my wife walks up to a Nissan Quest same color and all as ours and opens the rear passenger side door to let our daughter in the van. I knew the van was not ours but thought it was funny that she was so lost in her world that she was not paying attention. She goes and pulls on the door handle and the door starts to open. We don't have electric side doors and the door is now opening on its own. Also, the alarm is going off. If the van is locked and the alarm is going off.....Why is the door opening? You can't have the alarm on and the doors unlocked? It does not work that way. When you lock the doors the alarm is on. Unlocked and the alarm is off.

    I don't know? If it looks like a Lemon and acts like a lemon and smells like a lemon..... :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
    5 out of 5 lemons
  • squestsquest Member Posts: 25
    After that work on the door, the slider codes must be reset.
    They did not do it on my work, so I looked up the SvcBulletin and did it myself. This may fix your problem.
    If you can talk to the tech, ask him if he re programmed the door opener. He may not even know there is such a bulletin. That is what I learned when I questioned the tech who worked on my car.
    Hope this helps.
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    Could be an after market alarm.

    As a strange aside: years ago I owned a 91 Mercury Capri (The maita-like convertible). I grabbed my freidns car kets (Ford Probe 89) to move my car. The keys felt funny and had to be jiggled when turning the lock, but I did unlock my door and start my car.
  • sclinsclin Member Posts: 5
    My 04 Quest SL suffered rattle sounds like others in this forum. The rattle sounds like coming from the sliding door; however, my Quest had customer service items like the door squeak kit installed. I went back and forth to my dealership and finally they were able to locate the source of the rattle sound from the second rows seats. The rattle sounds only occurs when there is no passenger in the second row. If I move the second row seats to the most forward position, I hear lots of rattling sound when the van hits uneven surface. If I move the second row seats all the way back then the rattling sound stopped. My service manager further tested their new 05 Quest and told me the problem is the design problem with the second row seat's latch. Does anyone have the similar issue? I believe Nissan should be able to come up with a simple fix for the seat. I don't know if I should call Nissan Corp to further discuss my issue.
  • eyeblindeyeblind Member Posts: 156
    When did you have your transmission replaced? (month, day, year)
  • army4usarmy4us Member Posts: 7
    If you do not get any where with your arbitration case, let me know. I also went through BBB, and went through the whole arbitration and got nothing from it, I got a few offers from Nissan all wanting to make me keep the piece of junk quest. I found a lawyer that Nissan has to pay for and I can give you that info if you would like. To say the leaset, I am out of my quest, :lemon: and Nissan paid me $5,000, so I put that down on a New vehicle, and payments were much less. Would never get another quest again!!!!! amy_gill_2000@yahoo.com
    Feel free to write me. :shades: Now in my new vehicle
  • djpkdjpk Member Posts: 12
    I've been looking for tires around my area and www.tirerack.com to replace one on my 04 Quest. Since they are rare model, only model I can find is the same one it has. When I called NTB, the guy suggested use 235/65/16 instead of 225/60/16 tires. He said it will fit. Does anyone know about this? I just want to double check on this. I wish I could return this piece of junk back to Nissan Dealer. Ever since I had this car from NOV 2003, all I had was problems after problems. Problems with fuel pump, display screen, door rattle, door won't open, and of course brakes. I can't even remember other minor things... Who knows what I will have next...
  • garandmangarandman Member Posts: 524
    've been looking for tires around my area and www.tirerack.com to replace one on my 04 Quest. Since they are rare model, only model I can find is the same one it has. When I called NTB, the guy suggested use 235/65/16 instead of 225/60/16 tires.
    NTB has fitments for both Goodyear TripleTred and Michelin HydroEdge, among others.

    If you pick a tire you can go to the website, or tirerack, and look at the specs for rolling diameter, revolutions per mile, and load rating. There are numerous choices. You can pick the one that matches up closest, or costs the least. The 235/60x16 seemed to be a few dollars less expensive than 215 or 225/60x16, for whever reason.
  • djpkdjpk Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for your info. Actually, the guy suggested 235-60-16. This gives me a lot more choice like Michelin. I just want to make sure it works with my car.
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    Thanks I'll keep it in mind. We meet tomorrow at 1:00. Nissan did offer us $500.00 and said that they would honor the warrenty. No dice. And to top it all off the van is making funny noises again. What were the particulars in your case. How many days, How many attempts. What state are you in?
  • chuck0731chuck0731 Member Posts: 12
    I don't know whether this problem has been addressed elsewhere in this forum (I'll search after I post), but has anyone had a problem with the transmission gear selector lever getting stuck in park? It happened twice over the weekend to my 2004 Quest SL without any apparent cause, and took a lot of jiggling/yanking/tugging, etc. before I could get the van in gear. I took it into the shop on Monday, and they claimed they adjusted the shift cables and cleaned and repositioned the knob to fix the problem. Unfortunately, it happened again twice last night, and the second time it took me over 25 minutes of struggling before the lever somehow slipped into gear (I have no idea how).

    I took it into the dealer again today, and of course they couldn't re-create the problem, so they have no idea how to fix it. They're keeping it overnight to see if it will lock up after staying out all night, and if that doesn't work they said they'd try and have their courtesy shuttle driver test drive it after his shuttling duties to see if he can re-create my situation. However, if anybody has experienced this problem before and is aware of a solution I can present to them, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    Well we did the arbitration thing today. Not supposed to discuss it though. Nissan should be embarrased by the way they are turning their back on their customers. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
    Does anyone know where I can get a lemon sticker or magnet for my car. Or one that says that this car is a lemon
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    Was it in your favor? I had a lemon law case (same sipulation about discussing). It was in my favor, but I do still own the van
  • bretonbreton Member Posts: 4
    Had this problem occur at times when parked on a slight incline. Was able to get it out of park by sticking a small screwdriver in the slot above the gearshift to release the locking mechanism. There is a small plastic cover over this slot. There is a description in the owner’s manual how to do this. The Nissan mechanic was able to duplicate the problem. They really did not know what caused it but replaced the gearshift and it has not happened since.
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    9/04 :lemon:
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    :lemon: We'll know within 10 days. If not we'll take this one to the state. After 5 repair attempts and 42 days out of service I can't see how they could ignore a law that says the manufacturer MUST replace the car after only 15 days and 3 repair attempts. But in Florida big business has more influence than they should. :lemon:
    I did find a my car is a lemon bumper sticker. I'm going to proudly attach it to my Nissan
  • plashenickplashenick Member Posts: 165
    Are you pursuing on your own or with a lawyer?
  • nishonbarunishonbaru Member Posts: 39
    We did the first part with the BBB on our own. If we need to take it to the state we will. What Nissan fails to realize is that if we need to, all we have to do is say the word and we will have one of the largest law firms in the state behind us. It helps being employed by a law firm. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • waynerpwaynerp Member Posts: 35
    Has anyone replaced their radio with aftermarket? Mine is completely dead, and I'm considering it. I know I'll lose the steering wheel and rear seat controls, but I wonder if the speakers & sub will work if I use an aftermarket harness kit. Does anyone know if the 2000 Quest has OEM external amps? Any advice?
    Thanks
  • waynerpwaynerp Member Posts: 35
    OOPs - wrong forum
  • ecyqecyq Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2005 Quest 2 1/2 months ago - at the end of Sept. Since then the car has died on 3 seperate occasions. The last time was last Friday, you could hear a clicking sound, everything worked except the car wouldn't turn over. Of course by the time the dealer looked at it there was no power at all. The dealer is stating that we must have left something on & that is what drained the vehicle. Has anyone heard of any electrical problems with the vehicle?
  • nipperbgnipperbg Member Posts: 5
    The same thing happened to me. Dirty battery post.
  • f1236089f1236089 Member Posts: 25
    Am I glad to find this forum? I just start to notice the brake wrap problem and knowing this is a known problem for the van, I will be sure to talk to the service manager about it next time I take it in for service.

    We bought the van in 9/03 and had the interior light problem right away. Took 2 trips to fix it (blew again after 1st fix). We also experience the tranny slowness twice, both on very hot days (over 105 degree) but it never happened again and dealer couldn't reproduce the problem either. Also experience the auto sliding door not responding to the remote or the button inside, but it went away on itself too :confuse: I also start to notice the brake wrap problem, will have to have the dealer take a look next time I take it in.

    Overall, I am happy with the van. Very nice power and comfortable. We did need to change a few dealers to find one that works with us, but if you find a nice service adviser, a lot of problem would be solved. I am a long time Nissan fan and hope (knock on wood) this van won't change my love for Nissan.
  • mparkmpark Member Posts: 4
    Hello all 2004 Nissan Quest owners. I want to find out if I am the only one who has this particular problem. I have been in and out of local Nissan Service Dept for last 9 months regarding this problem. Let me go into detail about this problem now. When cruising on a freeway around 60mph and applying brakes the WHOLE car starts to vibrate. It was only the steering wheel at first but now it's the whole car vibrating. Even as I am writing this message, my car is in the Nissan service dept for last and final attempt to repair this problem. By the way, my car was in shop over 10 time for this same problem. I have spoken with the service guy and he told me that 9 out of 10 Quest he test drove had this problem as well. He also told me that this is only for 2004 model. So those who own 2004 model, drive your car and see if you have this problem. Happy holidays everyone. :)
  • chuck0731chuck0731 Member Posts: 12
    I had exactly the same problem with my 2004 Quest, with a number of unsuccessful "fixes", but I finally got it fixed properly back in July. I'll spare you the details here, but my post #1364 describes the whole scenario. BTW, it's been about 7,000 miles since the fix, and the problem has not re-occurred yet. Good luck with your efforts.
  • mparkmpark Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your response. Looks like I am going through what you went through. I really hope it'll get fix but I think this will be my first and last Nissan I will ever buy. It's just too much of waste of my personal time visiting service dept every other week.
  • army4usarmy4us Member Posts: 7
    We had over 50 work orders involved and in a 6 month period we were in a rental vehicle for 40 days!!!! We live in GA. Hope that you get some place with them. If you want them to buy it back then you need to keep them going, don't settle for $500....
  • exploder750exploder750 Member Posts: 159
    Picked up a used Quest 3 weeks ago, 2004 with 49,000 miles. Made sure they flushed transmission fluid & bought extended warranty. Today while running errands, started the van & put in into Drive. It ran as though it was starting out in forth gear and stayed in forth, no shifting, no overdrive. Pulled over, shut it off & re-started it. It ran & shifted fine after that. :confuse: Anyone else experience this?
  • squestsquest Member Posts: 25
    This is a known problem. There is a service bulletin on it. Look at Nissan site and search for service bulletins.
  • exploder750exploder750 Member Posts: 159
    I checked MyStats.com and found some complaints; dealers acknowledging that it's the transmission going into 3rd gear safe mode for no reason. No service bulletin listed, though. Does Nissan website have an official service bulletin listing?
  • exploder750exploder750 Member Posts: 159
    Never mind, I found the bulletin on a Nissanhelp website. Looks like a module needs to be replaced. Thanks for the pointer!
  • garycoxgarycox Member Posts: 59
    I have a 2004 quest, when applying the break at high speeds I hear a rumbling and have a slight vibration. It was once worse but it had the roters had to be turned which fixed the bad problem.
  • garycoxgarycox Member Posts: 59
    Mine has done that about 5 times now over the past 8 months. I took it to the dealer and they said that they couldn't find a problem and no codes where in the computer. However, if I stop and turn it off and back on then it's fine so sure it doesn't do it when they have it. I'm wondering if it's going to get worse over time?
  • exploder750exploder750 Member Posts: 159
    Here's the address to the service bulletin link:

    http://www.nissanhelp.com/Ownership/Bulletins/Nissan/2004/NTB04-144.htm

    I do have an appointment at the dealer for this issue tommorrow, now you have me nervous. Hopefully the dealer won't blow me off over it. What the hell do we have to do, drive them straight to the dealer when it happens?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It sounds like the rotors may have warped again which is not uncommon. This time you should have the rotors replaced. Depending on your mileage and your relationship with the dealership, you may get them to replace them for free since this a known issue. Of course they may say it is a wear and tear item.
This discussion has been closed.