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

Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems

2456746

Comments

  • 1dcfan1dcfan Member Posts: 1
    We've had our 1999 GXE for about two months already. Shortly after purchase we began to have problems with the driver's side window. Sometimes when we rolled the window down we had a hard time getting it back up. Next business day we took it in to have it fixed. They replaced the switch.

    We are experiencing the "wiper swipe." Now knowing it is not just in our head, we are going to take it to the dealer to have it checked out.

    We had a 1994 Quest and the only problem we had with it was the brakes kept making noise even after they were worked on. The Quest had over 100,000 miles.
  • manasdmanasd Member Posts: 1
    Bought a 99 Quest GXE with premium audio which is supposed to allow rear passengers use a different media using a headphone. I cannot get that to work. The moment 'media' button is pressed in the rear audio controls the entire music system starts playing the same media.
    Anyone had this problem or knows how to get around it - Thanks.

    Manas.
  • bigt5bigt5 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 1999 Nisan Quest SE. I left the lot at night and the next morning I noticed that there were runs in the paint (Black over Silver two tone). I took it to the dealer and they waxed it showing that there were runs in the entire body of the vehicle, most likely from the factory under the clearcoat. I am now in a fight with both the dealership and Nissan Corporation to try to get a new car. Who should have their brand new car taken apart and repainted for a week to week and a half at a body shop, thus giving paint and molding which is not as nice as factory paint? Any suggestions?
  • asthar40asthar40 Member Posts: 5
    I have a nissan quest 1999 se.It has 8000 miles, I am very happy with my purchase. However, sometimes I notice that when I drive trough a hole or a rough road a weird sound like something is loose can be herd in the rear. I thouht it was the spare tire loose but it is really tight. I do not have the rear shelf in my van and the rear cargo area is empty. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • rwcosrwcos Member Posts: 5
    Check for roof rack and make sure it is tight and not loose ,I had the same problem and it was the dial on the adjustment piece that was causing a sound when you hit highway speeds.
  • senhsenh Member Posts: 2
    My 94 Quest w/ 71K miles now needs to replace a re-build transmission w/ the cost over $3300. It seems not right for the reputation of this brand. It makes me to re-think to buy this kind van again. I did regular maintenance at 30K and 60K. When I did my 60K fuild change, the shop told me the used fluid is very dirty like having mud in there. It happened in last Dec. Now, it beyonds 70K and over 60K's warranted period. I need to pay that myself. I checked other shops and they quote me from $1800 to $2800. My question is what is the reasonable price to replace this. Is the dealer price over value ? How can I get some money back from Nissan ? thanks !!
  • ambradleyambradley Member Posts: 7
    You probably can't get money from Nissan, although it's always worth trying. First try through your dealership, then through Nissan directly (call their 800-number). Your vehicle is out of warranty both in miles and age, so you're probably out of luck.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again - your transmission failed a bit early but some will, while others won't. It's unfortunate and shows the value of an extended warranty, which is pretty cheap for the Quest compared to other minivans.

    The transmissions are probably the worst, except for all the other vans out there. Go talk to the Windstar owners who had to do rebuilds at 50,000 miles due to a failed forward clutch piston (I know, I was one of those). Then go talk to the Chrysler van owners. Their 4-speed has been troublesome since the 1980's, when they started putting it in the cars.

    The Nissans hold up better than most minivans, but nothing is perfect. Some people will have failures. Yours is only the second I've read of in here, the first posted a short time ago, at 86k miles.

    Oh, and I would have a reputable company other than Nissan do the rebuild. It will probably get done faster, have a longer warranty, and cost a lot less. Dealers are not known for being cheap.
  • jacq2ejacq2e Member Posts: 1
    After three Chrysler vans, I have had it. My son is a mechanic and from the amount of repairs that he does he is telling me to look at the Quest or Windstar. He says both have improved.
  • slagaslaga Member Posts: 1
    Manas

    We have the same problem with the rear audio controls. It simply does not work the way the manual says it should.

    We discovered that we couldn't split the audio while we were driving cross country and meant to get with the dealer to find out what the problem is. Of course we haven't yet. If anyone has any info on this please pass it along.

    I'd like to know if there would be a way to get anything back from Nissan if the system doesn't work. It clearly states in the brochures that you can play one type of audio up front and another through headsets in the rear. That was the only reason we wanted it.

    It would be nice not to listen to Barney during 12 hour roadtrips. . . .


    slaga
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    In case people don't know, you need to have the premium cd/radio to get dual playback capacity.

    The basic rear audio package only gives the rear passengers the ability to turn the radio/tape/cd off/on. It also allows rear passengers to turn the speakers off and listen with the headphones. However, you won't get the dual playback feature.

    If you paid for the premium audio upgrade and your dual playback is not working, the dealer should fix the problem.

    I've noticed a number of people don't realize that the dual playback feature is only available with the premium audio upgrade. (optional on the se/gxe) As a matter a fact, when I first bought my Quest even the sales person was misinformed. He told me that my van's rear audio had dual playback when it didn't.
  • jeepers3jeepers3 Member Posts: 2
    Fell in love with the Nissan SE...but find it is quite expensive for my budget. Must have quad seats and rear air, but am flexible on the rest. Anyway, what is the best price on the Nissan SE? Can I get a GXE with quad seats and rear air? If so, best price?
  • charles15charles15 Member Posts: 57
    You can get the GXE with rear air for as low as $20,000 if you really bargin. The quad seating is not offered in the GXE.
  • ambradleyambradley Member Posts: 7
    I read through my manual yesterday. You cannot play a different media in the rear than in the front. The MEDIA button allows you to switch between AM, FM, FM2, Cass, CD, and CDDJ (changer) from the rear - it does not allow it to play one on the front speakers and another on the rear. Apparently unlisted in the manual is how to turn off the rear controls - hold down 3 & 5 for a few seconds until the headphones icon disappears from the display. You will have to repeat this each time the radio is turned off then back on, but it remembers it if you turn the van off while the radio is on. I have the GLE with popular package and the AM/FM/Cass/CD/CDDJ stereo, too.
  • saileanusaileanu Member Posts: 5
    Stay away from the Ford - it's no better than the Crysler. I would look at the Honda, then Toyota and then Nissan. I have a 99 Quest SE with 17k miles now. I like it, but, I am very concerned with the Ford connection. Sorry to be so negative, but, considering the infinite stories about relatively new American cars that need trannies, engines, ac units, alternators and other repairs in the first 75k miles I wouldn't TOUCH one.

    Don't buy the extended warranty from the dealer. You can get a much more comprehensive one at a lower price if you look right here on the Edmunds site.

    But, why is it, if anybody knows, that Mercury is selling the Villager (rebodied Quest) instead of the new Ford Windstar ? And how much of the Nissan Quest's (parts wise) is actually American? And who actually did the designing - Ford or Nissan?
  • brianinohbrianinoh Member Posts: 20
    Don't worry...Nissan puts the Quest through a extra special inspection that catches all of the screw-ups on the Ford assembly line. Easiest way to tell if a particular part or component is Ford or Nissan: if it breaks, it must have been Ford.
  • stanleyg33stanleyg33 Member Posts: 1
    I am trying to decide between a Nissan Quest (SE or GLE), Honda Odyssey EX, and a Toyota Sienna (LE or XLE)!....If anyone has any sound advise please e-mail it to me at stanleyg33@yahoo.com
  • jeepers3jeepers3 Member Posts: 2
    Can anybody tell me about their best "on the road price" for Nissan SE (and list options). Thanks so much!
  • dhoffdhoff Member Posts: 282
    Back in December of 1998 we got our 99 Quest SE for $440 over invoice. This isn't the best price I have heard of, but we were happy with it.

    The best price you can get in your area will depend on how many vans your local dealers have in stock, how well they are selling, and how motivated they are to move them out.

    You may want to look back in the Nissan Quest topic, as well as the archived posts. You will find more information there. Good luck.

    Dave
  • kruse3kruse3 Member Posts: 1
    I have been given a price of $200 over invoice, but had to take color available on lot.
  • mrlmrl Member Posts: 2
    Anyone interested in a quest should look at the villager. Ford is offering 2.9% financing for 48 months plus $1000 cash back. Nissan is not offering any incentives at the moment.
  • taipei99taipei99 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 1999 SE with convenience package, 6-Disc CD changer and splash guards for $23,230 including all fees but tax. The invoice is $23,335 (plus $400 what dealer called "marketing accessment fee") and the dealer's holdback is $650. The news paper ads for this Quest SE is 21,999, you know how they ran the ads.

    According to the sales, the 2000 Quest will come to the market in 6 to 8 weeks. So the price may drop if Nissan is willing to offer rebate or incentive, which Nissan has not done for 1999 Quest yet. It is a good time to start shopping around now. Since even the price may drop again, the choice of 1999 models will become less and less. It seems like the SE has been moving out quick, then the GXE. By the end of September, we may only find a few fully loaded GLE with sunroof and leather seats around.
  • dawg2111dawg2111 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all. I am new here. I am looking at getting a new 99 or 2000 Quest. Is it a big price difference from Captain Chairs instead of the normal seats? I need the extra room to bring my Great Dane and Afghan Hound to dog shows. Is the chairs standerd in the SE trim?
    thanks for your help all!

    Jim
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    Since this particular topic forum was created for discussion of Quest PROBLEMS, I'd like to suggest that people bring their questions about Quest pricing and options over to topic 630 of this same conference. Nissan IV.

    http://wellengaged.com/engaged/edmund.cgi?&f=0&c=Vans&t=630&q=*


    SE Quest owner. ;-)
  • blakewebblakeweb Member Posts: 1
    Our 1993 Nissan had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it used in 1997. It now has nearly 70,000 miles on it now. The problem is it has trouble getting over hills or even accelerating. We have gotten conflicting reports of what we should expect of an engine in this year of van and that the next year they put a bigger engine in the Quest. The EGR or ERG valve (a part of the emissions control?)is noisy and we were told that some are. If we replace it we might just end up with the same noise.

    We love our 1991 Nissan Sentra which is why we stuck with Nissan. Now we are wondering if we made a mistake. Our Sentra is past 200,000 and has had little work done to it and has never had the front-end aligned. We have bought three sets of tires over that 200,000 miles. So we are at a loss as to why our van is being out-performed by other vans we have driven.

    Any suggestions would be welcomed,
    Still impressed with Nissan
  • dhoffdhoff Member Posts: 282
    The question that comes to mind is if you have noticed a power decrease since you first purchased the van, or if it has always been that way. I haven't driven an older Quest lately, but I do know that they have 151 hp and aren't as peppy as new vans with more power.

    Regardless, given your mileage, it's probably time for a "tune-up" for your van. I'd recommend finding a good, trustworthy independent garage. Have them change the sparkplugs, air filter and fuel filter. Also have them check the plug wires and the ignition timing and adjust it if necessary. Then drive it for a while and see if you have more power.

    If not, then your mechanic will have to do a little more searching. They may have to check the compression, and hook it up to a simulator to check the emission sensors. At your mileage your oxygen sensor could be kaput. If so, you may have noticed a drop in gas mileage as well as power.

    Hope this helps. Let us know what you find out.

    Dave
  • ambradleyambradley Member Posts: 7
    If you compare the HP of your van to other 1993 vans, you will find your horsepower and torque are not low. Today, most if not all vans have more power, including the current Quest, but at that time, 150hp was about average.

    I don't believe there were substantial mechanical changes from 1993-1998. You might try driving another early Quest at a used car lot to see if it accelerates better than yours.

    Minivans are not high-performance vehicles. Today, most vans are around 200hp, but even that is not a lot compared to the size of the vehicle it is pulling.
  • ScameronhScameronh Member Posts: 5
    These are not exactly problems yet, but I want to be somewhat pro-active.

    1) The cover on the passenger side Airbag is a little loose. It does not rattle, but you can easily rock it with your hand. Does anyone else have this problem?

    2) The drivers door is sometimes difficult to unlatch. It seems to be more of a problem in hot weather and only from the outside. Anyone experienced this?

    3) Intermittent wiper is activating once in awhile when we activate the turn signal. I know this has been talked about here, but I want to know if the problem has remained solved once the dealer changed out the part and how difficult was it to get the dealer to change the part?

    4) Lastly, once in awhile when shifting from reverse into drive (yes I fully apply the brake to stop) the transmission appears to slip ever so slightly. With all the discussion regarding transmissions, I was wondering if I should have this looked at now or wait for it to become more pronounced?

    Any help on these issues would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks
  • fifaboyfifaboy Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I'm in the market for a minivan and very much like the Nissan Quest. I like the fact that the engine and transmission are Nissan products. The only thing I'm leary of is Ford's involvment with the Quest. I don't like Ford's history with Peeling Paint and overall reliability. Does anyone know exactly how much involvment Ford had with the Quest. I'd hate to drop 20K and find the paint peeling in 3 years.
  • clu3clu3 Member Posts: 5
    My 94 Quest driver side brake lights are not working (both upper and lower). I know the light bulbs are fine. I checked the fuse box in the driver side, seems no fuse is for the left brake light.
    Does any one knows if there is any component for controlling the left brake light.
    Thanks
  • m6chem6che Member Posts: 18
    And you thought your wiper switch problem was bad. (Is this why we're all considered cry-babies about our Quests? :-) Mitch
    8/16/99
    - AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (AP) -- DaimlerChrysler AG is recalling 2.1 million minivans because of defects that could cause the liftgates to collapse, the windshield wipers to stop and fires to break out under the vehicles.
  • tomjkane3tomjkane3 Member Posts: 3
    In reference to your brake light's not working, I have a 1994 Villager Nautica that had the same problem. I changed both bulbs at least 3 times.
    Turns out it is a wiring problem, which Mercury dealer informed me was covered under a recall. albeit a quiet one. Check with your Nissan dealer, and you will likely get it fixed for free. Make sure they do both tail-lights. Seems the wiring inside the bulb harness works itself loose, and the bulb does not make contact with the receptacle (sp?)
  • clu3clu3 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the brake light response
  • lithialithia Member Posts: 1
    I owned a 1994 Nissan Quest. For the most part it served my needs for a minivan with 3 kids. I had very little problems until 80K miles. I had serviced it regularly and always required the technicians to do a thorough check. I had noticed a few small things...such as the headlamps had the "ford" emblem stamped on them...hmmmmmm. Then at 80K miles my transmission went completely out. There was no indication of ANY shifting problems at all. Of course there was no warranty left so I traded for a Toyota. You get what you pay for but you usually don't wish for the quality until you realize you don't have it!
  • tdkl10tdkl10 Member Posts: 1
    My 94 Quest started acting up about 4 months ago. It had hard time shifting out of 1st gear. Then about two weeks ago when accelerating fast from stop the rpm would go to 6000rpms at 28mph before shifting into second gear with a lot of engine whine. My van has 85000 miles on it. From all the postings I've read on this forum most transmission failures appear to be happening around 80000 miles. It's going to cost me 3700 bucks to get it fixed at a local dealer,that's on top of 500 bucks it cost to see if the solenoid was the problem.
  • questmomquestmom Member Posts: 3
    Bought a 99 Quest in late June of this year. Bought it for the space, seating, hauling capacity, professed miles/gallon and yes, I like the funky look. Drove like a dream until the last 400 or so miles. Now, @ only 3800 miles, I am getting only about 18 miles/gallon on 99% expressway travel, the van has obvious body rust about the size of a quarter on the door panel, noticeable high pitched engine whine, very sluggish acceleration, noticeable gear changes/surges, noticeable clunking when decelerating, driver's outside mirror vibrates, and a noticeable vibration is felt @ idle. In addition, there is a noticeable gritty feeling under foot when applying gas now. NONE of this was noted @ purchase or for the first 3000 or so miles. I originally felt like I was in an express elevator; no idle noise/vibration, not able to feel gear shifts, not able to notice any feel under foot at all, no real noise to speak of, stopped on a dime without jerking...I thought I bought a great mini van. Needless to say, I'm not a happy camper now. I've called the service manager at the dealership to schedule my required maintenance and to note these major annoyances, and all he said was bring it in. Not the type of response I was hoping for. Only thing I seem to have gotten for my money now is a payment book.

    As an aside, my boss also has a Quest, though a 96, and he just found a steady stream of gas pouring out of his gas tank.... makes you wonder.
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    I saw your similar post in the Nissan Quest IV, topic #630, and I posted a response there. Good luck.

    Pocahontas
    Community Leader/Coupes, Convertibles, and Sports Cars
  • hugozhugoz Member Posts: 82
    I've logged 112,000 miles on my 1993 Quest XE that I bought new; still going strong! Am on the third set of brakes and third set of tires; have replaced all belts and the windshield (which was damaged by rocks) and the rear muffler/exhaust pipe, but otherwise the rest of the van and engine are fine!
    My main quibble: don't go to the dealer for ANY service; they rip you off. I would buy another, but I'm thinking about buying a new Villager, because of the current rebate/finance deal mainly -- any advice pro or con on that?
  • garcia2kogarcia2ko Member Posts: 16
    Sounds to me like the Nissan's are a better deal, with the TV, longer powertrain warranty, etc. Villager makes you pay for the anti-lock brakes and other items.

    Although, Villager does give you a low interest rate and rebate (both). Check out the costs, could be a toss-up.
  • retzer2retzer2 Member Posts: 4
    It really boils down to what options you want vs. what you can live with because the two makes have very different configurations. For the base models (my choice) the Quest offers ABS, the air filtration and keyless remote/anti-theft as standard equipment. These are listed only as options or included in options packages on the base Villager. But the base Villager also offers options not available in the base Quest -- two-tone paint, power seat, power rear window, pop-out tailgate window, upgraded interior lighting. Of course, if you want the power rear windows, you'll have to get the power seat too etc.

    I was hoping to get a Villager but wound up with the Quest. The Quest was cheaper -- even when I factored in the Mercury rebate (financing didn't matter) -- because Villagers I found came with more options I didn't want but would be forced to buy in order to get the stuff I did want.
  • dhoffdhoff Member Posts: 282
    I remember a couple of folks posting some disappointing gas mileage numbers. As I remember, someone took theirs to the dealer where they hooked it up to the computer to check for trouble codes and came up with none, so they said there was nothing they could do.

    Well, I just changed the oil in my Quest last night and I noticed that Nissan still uses the old fashioned distributor (most if not all others have gone to fully electronic distributorless ignition). This means that the ignition timing is adjustable and may be off. This may not show up as a trouble code on the computer and could affect mileage. If you are getting poor mileage I'd have the dealer check the timing.

    Hope this helps.

    Dave
  • jadams2jadams2 Member Posts: 5
    Own a 93 Quest. Have had very few problems with it. At 65,000 miles, it has acquired a ticking noise that corresponds to acceleration. I don't know much about engines, sounds like lifters? Other than the ticking sound coming from the engine, it is running fine.

    Anyone have this problem? Anyone know what the problem might be?
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Is this an overhead cam engine? If so, have you had the tappets adjusted? One possibility is they need adjustment.

    guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • jadams2jadams2 Member Posts: 5
    The ticking noise I reported earlier is most likely being caused by a breach in the exhaust system caused by a lost seal in the Exhaust Manifold. A mechanic noticed at least one broken off EM Stud. I called the Nissan Dealer and they told me this happens and I am looking at a $350 to $400 bill to replace the Exhaust Manifold (which is most likely warped).

    I noticed a Apr 1994 Tech Service Bulletin put out by Nissan to fix this problem.

    Could anyone email me a copy of this bulletin?

    I would like to take it to my local mechanic to see if he could do the work, and save some money.
  • surjn98surjn98 Member Posts: 34
    At what speed does this ticking sound appear?
  • vlsvls Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone,
    I had posted in this
    townhall back in the
    latter part of Jul about
    mileage on my SE. At
    that time I had 4K miles on it and since, I have taken a trip from
    Houston to CA & back. I
    now have almost 8K miles on the car. I found out
    some interesting facts
    on the mileage. If I
    kept the speed from 60
    to 70 I averaged between 23 & 24.5 mpg. If I
    cruised at 75 or higher
    the mileage dropped to
    20 & 21. In my book
    this is still not good
    however. (either
    figure). After some of
    the responses received from before I have decided that is pretty much normal. Also any hill of any consequence and with the cruise on
    invariably, the
    transmission downshifts
    to third. I finally
    cancelled the cruise as
    I started climbing so it wouldn't downshift
    everytime. Quite
    aggravating.
    I still enjoy the car
    very much however. With the 2 A/C's one sure
    will not get hot, even
    in the desert in AZ, &
    CA. It is a tremendous
    road car.
  • jadams2jadams2 Member Posts: 5
    The sound is there pretty much all the time. Most notably from 20 to 50 mph. By only when giving gas to the engine.

    I now believe the noise is caused by escaping exaust from the warped Exaust Manifold. I am taking it into the Nissan garage tomorrow.
  • esp63esp63 Member Posts: 27
    when my '94 villager's manifold bolts broke, I experienced the same ticking sound when accelerating. good luck.
  • esp63esp63 Member Posts: 27
    look at some posts I made earlier in this topic(as well as in the mercury villager topic) concerning how I got Mercury to fix the problem on their dime. It may help you out.
  • esp63esp63 Member Posts: 27
    see #201 in Mercury Villager topic
  • jadams2jadams2 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks I read your earlier posting and the hassle Ford put you through. Thanks for the info. Our emmission warranty on our 93 Quest has expired. The Nissan garage confirmed that 3 manifold studs have broke and are causing our problem. We are waiting for Nissan to act on our claim before we get it repaired.
This discussion has been closed.