What breaks most · 1991 to 2017 model years
Nissan Quest problems by year
Owners have filed 2,121 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan Quest across model years 1991 to 2017. Three years stand out: 2004 for electrical system complaints, 2007 for fuel system complaints and 1995 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1992 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2004, 2007, 1995
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1992, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 21211991 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 2004445 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 9057 fires · 118 injuries · 13 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 74kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 37Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 118 | 4 | 5 | Engine and cooling (32) | |
| 165 | 9 | 2 | Engine and cooling (55) | |
| 167 | 9 | 3 | Engine and cooling (42) | |
| 134 | 4 | 2 | Latches and locks (26) | |
| 89 | 10 | 2 | Body and structure (16) | |
| 41 | 3 | 1 | Visibility (7) | |
| 118 | 4 | 4 | Speed control and throttle (39) | |
| 87 | 11 | 2 | Exterior lighting (20) | |
| 42 | 9 | 1 | Body and structure (7) | |
| 29 | 1 | 0 | Tires (5) | |
| 445 | 7 | 4 | Electrical system (77) | |
| 82 | 3 | 2 | Engine (15) | |
| 74 | 1 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (15) | |
| 228 | 3 | 1 | Fuel system (78) | |
| 50 | 3 | 3 | Fuel system (11) | |
| 22 | 2 | 2 | Fuel system (5) | |
| 66 | 2 | 1 | Fuel system (25) | |
| 93 | 5 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (28) | |
| 18 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 18 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (2) |
What fails on the 2004 Nissan Quest
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 17% |
77 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2004 Nissan Quest |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 16% |
72 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2004 Nissan Quest |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 16% |
70 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2004 Nissan Quest |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 14% |
61 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2004 Nissan Quest |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 11% |
48 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2004 Nissan Quest |
| Air bags | 9% |
42 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
37 | 2 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2004 Nissan Quest |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
26 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2004 Nissan Quest |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Takata recall the speedometer goes in and out all the lights in the van is not working and light blink on and off and the overdrive stays on all the time
-
Fuel gauge goes from full to empty when it's almost full, nissan did a fuel sender campaign repair but it did not correct the problem...this happens every time i start the car and drive just a mile or so
-
While driving engine check light appeared on the dashboard and remained on until vehicle was turned off. Consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced a sensor. Two days later engine check light reappeared.*ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan Quest years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2004, 2007, 1995 carry the most filings on the Nissan Quest. The 2004 alone has 445 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Nissan Quest problem?
On the 2004 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 77 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan Quest problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan Quest complaints that include mileage is about 74,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.