Comments: 1-15, 16
1. Sliding door hardware (Recall) 8k
2. Transmission Control Module (Recall) 13.5k
3. New transmission 13.8k.
TCM was replaced due to starting in 3rd gear and no reverse on occasion.
The first transmission also slipped out of first and popped into 2nd. Second transmission now slipps put of first and slams into second. I guess the industry term is 'flair'. This occurs when warm and under medium acceleration from a stop.
Anyone else notice transmission flair?
Other than the transmission, the van has been great. Great engine (the 3.5L make this thing a rocket-sled). Great interior. Great room... and decent fuel MPG.
One the bright side, Nissan considerably extended the Bumper To Bumper warranty on the '04 models. If you find a new, left-over, you should be able to get a good deal and a great warranty.
More 'conventional' seat shapes, less wind noise at 75mph, and a quieter air-conditioning blower would be nice, tough.
Oh yea, the Goodyear tires are an odd size (only Goodyear makes them in the 2 Quest' sizes) and they tend to shake, regardless of tire balance.
I just wanted to state that you are not alone in this feeling with the Quest Van. I am a Nissan Service advisor and my mother owns a 2004 Quest SE and I can tell you first-hand that her's has been in the shop more than once for squeaks, rattles, transmission ECM and many more. On a daily basis I receive calls from upset Quest owners with the same complaints.
I wish I could help, but sometimes my hands are tied if we cannot duplicate the problem in the shop.
I can say though, be patient, every Nissan Service Department is working to make each and every Nissan what it should be when there's a problem.
I agree 100% with these comments - we have a 2004 Quest that was one of the first off the line, and I just left it at the dealer's yesterday because the transmission was slipping out of gear. At one point on a 100 mile drive yesterday, it actually dropped into Neutral.
I'm still awaiting word from the dealer as to what's wrong with the transmission, but we have a laundry list of bells and whistles that need addressing as well (lights popping out of the ceiling, etc).
All that being said, we absolutely love this vehicle and I still recommend it heartily to anyone who wants to buy one. Maybe the 2005's will be a better model because Nissan will have had a chance to work the kinks out.
Gentlemen.
Firstly, let me just say that I appreciate your honest opinions and reviews of this vehicle. But what I don't understand is how you guys can say this is a great van when there is a fundamental flaw with a core component, like the gearbox.
"It automatically slipped to Neutral" is simply not an acceptable flaw in a vehicle. I'm currently in the market for a minivan and was considering the Quest until I read your reviews. I have a family that includes a two year old and a one-month old. There is no way I will even consider this van given the potential risks associated with this defect.
Don't get me wrong. As an owner of a used 1997 PathFinder, I think Nissan is capable of making reliable/economical cars. I love my PathFinder and it has served me well. I'm not even sure I want to get rid of it when I get my minivan. But my minivan of choice won't include a Quest after reading your reviews.
My wife and I are really struggling with our decision on a minivan, and reading these reviews makes it tougher.
We narrowed our choice down to the 2005 Quest and the Odyssey, not really liking the Sienna. I brought my family of 5 to try both and we felt much more comfortable in the Quest. However, much as we have loved our previous Nissans (Sentra and Axxess) which were extremely reliable (156,000 on the Sentra with only an alternator and minor brake work), the reliability issues listed here and elsewhere online really worry me.
So I was almost sold on the Odyssey until I began reading people reporting that their Odysseys (as well as CR-Vs) were catching fire due to an oil issue.
So please, someone offer some wisdom. Are these problems common or uncommon? Are these reports from the few unfortunates, or will most buyers be similarly frustrated? Help!
I'm the guy that started this thread.
I believe the Honda oil fires are from poor service. Yea, placement of the oil filter may not be optimum, but… From what I've read, the techs forgot to remove the old gasket from the oil flange, before installing the new filter. Honda filters are also re-badged Fram products, now. Fram are not regarded as a high quality filter anymore.
Back to the Quest. I drove a left-over '04 with the 5spd auto a couple months ago. It drives MUCH better than the 4spd I have. Shifts are quick w/o any hesitation. Totally different animal! I also see that 2005 SL's get the 5spd, too…I shoulda waited for an ’05.
I do like the van. It’s entry and exit ease is great. Engine is great. Oil changes take me less than 10 minutes, and no special oil or filters are required (unlike some European imports). I noticed that Chrysler has moved their exhaust pipe to under the passenger side sliding door, to allow room for the sto-n-go seats…not very safe if you ask me! Toyota and Honda have good products too, but besides the transmission acting funny and crappy tires, the Quest has been trouble free.
Now, if Nissan would step up to the plate and admit they have a ”transmission flair" issue with the 2004 4spd transmission, my confidence and brand loyalty might be recaptured. Right now, I wonder if I’ll dump another $30k with a brand that is trying to tell me my transmission problems is all in my head.
My only other beef is with the crappy Goodyear tires. They are crapola. I have had several “force balances” and the thing still shakes like a 200k Yugo. BTW, the SE I drove with the 5spd had worse tire shake than my SL.
UPDATE:
Transmission flair seems to go away when AC is on. (Maybe Nissan is looking into this?)
My sister has a 2005 Quest SL and it is excellent thus far. I've driven it many many times and there are no shakes or shimmies in it at all, and the tire noise some of U speak of wasn't there either. I've had it up to 85 MPH cruising and hot roding and it performs wonderfully. The 5 speed auto shifts flawlessly and is always in the right gear. I believe because it has that extra gear that it accelerates as fast as it does (it weighs around 4000 pounds). Throttle tip in is sharp off take off. When her husband went car shopping I was glad he got an 05 and not the 04 he was looking for because of the difference in the trans.
5000 miles later the transmission flair is getting worse. Xmission is wandering and acts up under normal driving.
I don't think I'll be chucking another $30k down on another Nissan anytime soon.
We are looking for a new van for our family and loved the 04 Nissan quest look. but after reading all the comments about this van I think maybe we will keep looking for something with hopefully less maintenance thanks.
To the previous poster. You won't buy anything if you base everything on what you read on these boards. Every vehicle out there has plenty of bad posts. I'm sure they are all legitimate grips, but you have to understand that usually those that comment on boards such as these are those that are disgruntled and having problems. There is nothing wrong with that either, I've posted on the Windstar site, my '97 had all of the same problems that were mentioned. We just purchased an '04 Quest, even after reading the posts, simply because we read similar posts on the Odyssey, Windstar, Sienna and the Montana. So you're gonna buy something, just drive the vehicle, they don't all have problems. Tell the dealer your concerns and see if they will let you keep the car overnight for further observalence. We had a Pontiac dealer do that for us, unfortunately for them it brought to light some things we didn't like about the Montana...
Original poster again.
Well, I am at 40k miles and a break-even point on value and pay-off. I have decided to dump this van for something more confidence inspiring. Probably NOT another Nissan!
The transmission never malfunctioned enough to warranty repairs (per dealer), but it, to this day, does not function properly.
The front rotors warped about every 10k miles.
The secondary electrical system (radio, DVD, windows, etc...) malfunctioned a couple times. That is they did NOT work. Letting the van rest overnight 'healed' the problem.
The power sliding door is tripping during closing more often (senses a problem and opens). There is no info in the manual on maintenance... probably a $150 dealer service call.
Oh well, I gave Nissan another try. It is sad thyy had such nice cars in the late 80's & 90's. I guess the Renault merger upset the apple cart a bit???
Sorry Nissan...You're not getting another $30k from me!
Got a used '04 Quest and brought it to the shop already 3 times because of the exhaust not in proper place. Check engine light always come in and go. Passenger door won't open - maybe sticky rubbers. CD player won't eject the CD; dealership told me that extended warranty does not cover it and I can't find any aftermarket cd player. Rep from Best Buy told me that this van does not accept aftermarket cd players. Changing the tires is very inconvenient.. you need to order it ahead of time and wait for 3 days to have it replaced. Always hear rattling sound from the back, don't know where... Is there anything else can go wrong on this van?
Just traded in my 2004 Quest. Bought it just off the line in October 2003. I loved the features, style and room, but the number of problems are now beyond counting. The items replaced and repaired since I purchased it are innumerable. This last item (the radio) did it in. I do have to say that the service dept. was more than accommodating. The dealer said he'll probably have to send it to auction to unload it.
I bought my 2004 Quest used in October of 2005. It had 12,000 miles on it. It now has 62,000 miles. the only problem I have ever had is finding tires for it. It runs great, performs well (except for the tire problem... WHO is responsible for this!!!). I guess I purchased one of the few good ones that were made in '04. I have been well pleased with my van. Everyone that rides in it has had nothing, but positive comments about the roomy, comfortable ride it is. The kids love the DVD player complete with its own headphones as well as their own air conditioning controls.
We purchased our 04 Quest used in 2005. Loved, loved the interior room. The van drives like a car, with all the perks of a mini van. HOWEVER, not one journey in this vehicle goes without a flaw, or two or three!
Here is the list in no particular order:
- An ongoing issue with sticky door handles in the winter; simply put, they will not open if the temperature is cold.
We have to enter through the driver's door, which will open, but you have to push the handle down outside to close.
One dealer service dept. suggested we "blow on the handles" Yeah, right, and what about the sliding door that won't budge, "use a hairdryer!" Genius!
- The entire dashboard had to be removed to repair the broken heater - now every button seems to be out of place.
- The side mirror adjustment button is pushed in.
- Van stalled while driving on the interstate; so fortunate to be at an off ramp; glided onto it, sat in subzero temperatures waiting for a tow truck in the middle of nowhere land. Nissan found out it was a problem with the air filter. Stranded in an Upper State NY motel for a day, a day of our precious one week vacation south!
- Our tire pressure alert light is always on Nissan cannot figure out the problem.
- Do not sit and listen to your radio on acc. mode, the battery is drained within 5 minutes
- Power windows fail to work occasionally, and of course when it is blowing snow, or raining!
- Our engine repair alert light used to always be on, Nissan unable to correct it, it just stopped on its own
- New tires were very expensive because of the odd size??
- Back door lift, the interior casing has come away from the door, used to snap back into place, but not now.
- Fuse for the interior lights ALWAYS blowing and needing replacement
Oh I could go on, and on, and on, suffice to say we have ourselves a lemon. It is odd despite the flaws, I have yet to drive a vehicle so comfy and unique, within the same price range. I will follow up and let you know when I have rid myself and family of this fruit and what new vehicle won us over! Until then I continue on/in my Quest...