2004 Nissan Quest sl 3.5 from North America

Summary:

I really like it

Faults:

Air vent cover in roof fell off at 35,000.

General Comments:

This car handles very well in curves at high speed, due to the low ground clearance. The seats are not designed to lay back and take a comfortable nap. The rear bench seat position could not be changed by anyone that doesn't have a lot of upper body strength. I have to climb inside and stand over the seat and pull really hard to get the seat in an upright position.

I have approximately 74,000 miles and the only thing I have replaced is the belts, at 73,000. I was told recently that I should replace the brakes soon. The rear was still in pretty good shape, but it was recommended I replace all four. I really can't complain about this car it has been good to me.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th October, 2007

2004 Nissan Quest SE 3.5 litre gasoline from North America

Summary:

Generally good except for above noted faults

Faults:

Air conditioning stopped on a trip to Texas around 250 miles from destination (1400 miles into the trip) Started again after 100 miles or so. This happened when I only had 5500 miles on the car. Had a dealer check it out without finding the cause. Happened a year later on the same trip around 100 miles from destination. Never started again until I stopped at destination to have something to eat. After leaving the car for 1/2 hour, the A/C started running again after starting the car. Again dealer could find nothing wrong.

Had a squeak in the rear that I could not find. When I brought it to the dealer, he said there was a recall due to a problem with the 3rd row seat strikers which he repaired under warranty. Lo and behold the squeak was gone only to reoccur after returning to Minnesota in the spring. Took it to the dealer and he found there was a drain tube in a side panel that was rubbing which caused the noise. I have had it to this dealer a number of times and am very satisfied in his service.

Most troubling is that I needed to replace the rear brakes after 35,000 miles. The front brakes which take most of the load in braking were OK. 98% of my driving is rural which causes very little brake use. This mileage seems unacceptable especially on the rear brakes.

General Comments:

All in all, I really like the Quest, ride and performance are great and mileage isn't bad for this large a vehicle, but these incidents are annoying and I'm not certain I would buy another Nissan.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 18th September, 2007

8th Jan 2010, 15:48

Based on the description of the air conditioner problem, the reason why the dealer could not find anything wrong is because there was nothing wrong.

Any air conditioner can, and will freeze up causing it to be ineffective or shut off. When an air conditioner is set to MAX or the RECIRCULATE function of the ventilation system is on, then the cold air inside the cabin keeps getting recirculated, thus squeezing out more and more moisture from the air. This in turn causes more moisture to build up on the air conditioner condenser, freezing and building up a thick frost on it, eventually blocking the flow of air through the condenser, which causes temporary failure of the air conditioner. In the US this happens most frequently during the hottest times of the summer in the desert southwest and south Texas. The way to avoid this is to follow the manufacturer's recommendation to ONLY use the MAX or recirculate with the air conditioner when the interior is quite warm. Once the interior has partially cooled, then turn the air conditioner down. I hope this helps to clear things up for people depending on these reviews.