2004 NISSAN QUEST Complaints

THERE IS A LOUD, ANNOYING AND DANGEROUS RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE MOTOR. BASED ON WHAT SEEMS LIKE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS AND MANY OPINIONS FROM VERY EXPERIENCED MECHANICS, IT IS THE TIMING CHAIN - THE WHOLE THING- FROM THE CHAIN, TENSIONERS AND EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENTIRE TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM. THIS IS ABSURDLY ANNOYING, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND OUTRAGEOUSLY LABOR INTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE TO FIX. I, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS OUT THERE, PUT MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE ON A DAILY BASIS AND HAVE TO WONDER JUST HOW SAFE THIS THING IS. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CHAIN BREAKS? WHAT HAPPENS IF IT BREAKS WHILE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY? I JUST HAD MY FAMILY TO FLORIDA THIS SUMMER - CAN'T IMAGINE THAT SCENARIO. OBVIOUSLY, THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

I WENT TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS VERY SURPRISED TO HAVE THEM TO TELL ME I NEEDED A TIMING CHAIN REPLACEMENT. I WAS SO SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAVE HAD THIS VAN AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AT LEAST FOUR TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VAN. I FEEL THAT NISSAN KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS TIMING CHAIN DUE TO THE COMMENTS THE SERVICE TECHS WERE MAKING.THIS IS A $3800 REPAIR THAT IS DUE TO POOR DESIGN BY NISSAN, I WAS TOLD THEY PUT THE METAL TIMING CHAIN ON A PLASTIC GUIDE. I FEEL THAT NISSAN SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT WITH ITS CUSTOMERS ASAP!

THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR IS INACCURATE. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY FUEL UP, IT ONLY INDICATE 3/4 OF A TANK ON THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR. UP ON SUBSEQUENT RESTART OF VEHICLE (2 TIME), THE FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR FINALLY READ FULL. *TR

THE GAS GAUGE IS DISPLAYING INACCURATE INFO. EVEN IF I FILL IT TO THE TOP, IT STILL DISPLAYS EITHER EMPTY OR HALF FULL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MY CAR ENGINE HAS BEEN MAKING A CLICKING NOISE FOR THE PAST 10,000 MILES AND SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. ON TAKING IT INTO THE DEALER AT APPROX 95,000 MILES, THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO HAVE THE TIMING CHAIN REPLACED WITH OTHER INCIDENTALS FOR A COST OF APPROX $3200., $2300 ALONE FOR THE TIMING BELT ASPECT. I DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE TIMING CHAIN REPAIR BUT ONLY THE REPAIR OF THE HIGH SPEED STEERING HOSE. I HAVE BEEN REVIEWING THE TIMING CHAIN REPORTS AND IT DEFINITELY SEEM THAT NISSAN HAS A PROBLEM WITH FAILING TIMING CHAINS AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND AS SUCH SHOULD BE RECALLED. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT NHTSA START AN INVESTIGATION INTO RECALLING ALL THE NISSAN TIMING CHAIN VEHICLES. *TT

WE WERE NORTHBOUND IN MOTION JUST LEAVING A LIGHT CONTROLLED INTERSECTION, ON A GREEN, WHEN STRUCK EXTREMELY HARD ON DRIVER SIDE. WE WERE IN MOTION AND OTHER PERSON ATTEMPTED TO COME FROM WESTSIDE EXITING A BAKERY, MID STREET, TO MAKE LEFT TURN AND HEAD SAME DIRECTION AS US (NORTHBOUND) BUT FAILED. OTHER DRIVER SAID TWO VEHICLES STOPPED AND WAIVED HER OUT. SHE SPED ACROSS TWO SOUTHBOUND LANES, DID NOT STOP IN THE TURNING MERGING LANE, KEPT GOING STRAIGHT ACROSS THOSE 3 LANES, HER FRONT END STRUCK DRIVER SIDE DOOR TRAVELING DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR MINIVAN, CRUSHED MIDDLE DOOR THE HARDEST ,TO DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL. WE NEVER SAW HER. DAMAGES TOTALED $4,784.39. VEHICLE TOWED TO CERRITOS NISSAN BODY SHOP, FROM LAKE ELSINORE. IMPACT SEVERE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED WARNING THE SIDE DOOR OPEN. THE PROBLEM IS, REPAIRS COMPLETED ON 9/28/11, WE GO TO PICK UP VEHICLE, WHEN WE ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE, WE SEE THE ODOMETER INDICATOR AND FUEL GAUGE NOT DISPLAYING ANY NUMBERS. BOTH GAUGES WORKING FINE, PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. BODYSHOP TOOK A PICTURE UPON THE VEHICLE'S ARRIVAL OF THE DISPLAY PANEL DOCUMENTING MILEAGE AND FUEL. HOWEVER, NOW CERRITOS NISSAN, AFTER HAVING CARE, CUSTODY, AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, FOR 3 WEEKS, CLAIMS THAT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL JUST WENT BAD DUE TO AGE OF CAR. MOREOVER, WANT US TO PAY TO FIX IT. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT OR CAR?S ARRIVAL TO THE SHOP. DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM, I FIND THIS RESPONSE SUSPECT. THE SHOP ALSO INDICATED MANY TIMES CUSTOMER LEAVE THE SHOP AND CALL BACK WITH THIS COMPLAINT. WE NEVER LEFT THE PREMISES. I GOGGLE THIS ISSUE SHOWS DUE TO MOISTURE OR COLD WEATHER IS A CAUSE FOR THIS ISSUE OCCURRING. WAS THE VEHICLE LEFT UNPROTECTED AND SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS TO CAUSE THIS? HTTP://QUESTDRIVER.COM/NODE/764#COMMENT-1666 PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN QUEST. THE CONTACT WAS STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATED SLIDING DOOR PLACING A CHILD SEAT IN THE VEHICLE WHEN HER CHILD DEPRESSED THE CLOSE DOOR BUTTON. THE AUTOMATED SLIDING DOOR CLOSED WITHOUT DETECTING THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PATH OF THE DOOR. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SCRATCHES AND BRUISES TO HER LEFT LEG. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN QUEST. THE CONTACT STATED THE SLIP WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL WHEN APPLIED. THE CONTACT HAD TO CONSTANTLY PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THEY INSPECTED THE LINES AND THE BRAKES BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,081.

MY 2004 NISSAN QUEST BEGAN SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING, EVEN AT SIGNIFICANT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, REQUIRING THE VEHICLE TO BE PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED. VEHICLE HAS 69,923 MILES AT THE TIME IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CORRODED ENGINE CONTROL MODULE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I NOW UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO BE MORE OF A DESIGN FLAW THAN AN "ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR" AS NISSAN CALLS IT. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. I DID NOT EXPECT A $1,500.00 REPAIR BILL NOR DID I EXPECT SUCH A COMPROMISE TO MY FAMILIES SAFETY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT JUST SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING, NO POWER, NO ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE!!! I WAS LUCKY. *TR

WARNING LIGHTS "SLIP", "TCS OFF" AND "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WOULD INTERMITTENTLY REMAIN ON WELL PAST IGNITION -- USUALLY AFTER THE ENGINE HAD STRUGGLED TO START. DASHBOARD "TCS ON" SWITCH DID NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS. SOMETIMES, EVEN WHEN THE VAN WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 25 TO 55MPH, THESE LIGHTS WOULD SUDDENLY POP ON AND THE ENGINE WOULD STALL OUT, DEPRIVING ME OF MOST OF MY STEERING AND BRAKING CAPABILITIES WITH TRAFFIC RIGHT BEHIND ME. IN MY AREA, THE MAIN HIGHWAY IS HEAVILY TRAVELED, FULL OF CURVES AND OFTEN NARROWS TO 2 LANES WITH VERY LIMITED SHOULDERS. THE ENGINE DYING UNEXPECTEDLY ON THIS ROAD IS A SAFETY HAZARD NOT ONLY TO EVERYONE IN MY VEHICLE BUT TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AS WELL. I AM FREQUENTLY FOLLOWED BY FULLY-LOADED LOGGING TRUCKS AND SEMIS, WHOSE DRIVERS WOULD FIND IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT (IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE) TO AVOID HITTING ME, ESPECIALLY IF I WERE IN A SPOT WHERE I COULD NOT COAST ALL THE WAY OFF THE ROAD. AFTER READING NUMEROUS ONLINE COMPLAINTS OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ENGINE PROBLEM, I WROTE TO NISSAN REPORTING THE DANGER, SUGGESTING A RECALL. (FILE #7197243) THEY REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR BECAUSE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. TOLD ME TO TAKE MY QUEST TO A DEALERSHIP, WHO WANTED $104 JUST TO HOOK UP THEIR DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT, PLUS THE ACTUAL REPAIR COSTS. THE PROBLEM -- A FAULTY CAMSHAFT SENSOR -- WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FIXED BY A LOCAL SHOP. THE MECHANIC THERE TOLD ME THAT THE MECHANICS' "CRYSTAL BALL" HOTLINE WAS REPORTING FREQUENT FAILURES OF THIS COMPONENT -- IN ADDITION TO A TSB NISSAN PUT OUT ON THE PROBLEM. (SO, THEY ARE AWARE!) GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS SENSOR FOR SAFE OPERATION OF THEIR ENGINES, SHOULDN'T THE COMPANY ADDRESS THE HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE ONES INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLES, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE? I HOPE YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST AS A RESULT OF NISSAN'S REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND DEAL WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR