Best and worst Nissan Quest years — which to avoid

For those looking for a decent family minivan, Nissan Quest makes one of the best options on the market, as long as you avoid the problematic model years. As with every other car, there have been some reports on repetitive issues affecting certain model years, so going around those is the best buying advice you can get.

We’ll help you do that in practice through this guide on the best and worst Nissan Quest years so you’ll know exactly which Nissan Quest years to avoid. During our journey, we’ll dedicate some attention to highlighting the main issues that made those model years so unreliable according to driver concerns and complaints submitted to NHTSA and other reputable driving safety organizations.

Why you can trust REREV’s advice on which car model years to avoid: Our car experts look at official data, ask real drivers what they think, and talk to experienced mechanics to make sure our list is useful. This reliable info can make buying a car easier for you. Want to know how we do it? Find out more about our research methodology.

How we rated the best and worst Nissan Quest years

While evaluating the best and worst Nissan Quest years, our team did its best to keep it simple with only double-checked and verified information in mind. So, we explored the available reliability records and driver complaints sent to NHTSA, as well as overall safety ratings for certain Nissan Quest years to get our initial rankings going.

We compared all that data with first-hand driving experiences and reviews from past and present Nissan Quest owners through sites like Edmunds, Consumer Reports, Kelley Blue Book, but also some Nissan Quest forums. Overall, we double-checked everything along with Nissan Quest recalls to create this overview of the best and worst model years:

Most common Nissan Quest problems

Nissan Quest has now been around for more than 25 years, and it’s only natural that a car produced in such a long run has a few model-specific drawbacks. We’ll start with the worst kind and that’s engine-related issues which were quite expressed during the first two production years.

1. Engine issues

One of the most bothersome problems with Nissan Quest is that drivers reported a no-start condition of their vehicles. On other occasions, the car would simply stall and the engine would seem to die off. Our team wanted to get to the bottom of it, and we found out that most of these issues were caused by a failed distributor shaft.

This part is crucial for properly starting your engine since it stands on the camshaft and distributes the spark to the spark plugs. It acts together with the ignition coil to power the spark plugs, and without a properly working distributor, you never know if your Nissan Quest will start or not.

Some of the main symptoms of a bad distributor include difficulties cranking the engine and the car sometimes starting and sometimes not. On top of that, drivers reported having problems with engine mounts and that’s the cause behind most of the reported vibrations and noises coming from the engine area.

2. Faulty airbag modules and sensors

There are two sides to this story and the bad one is that certain Nissan Quest models had struggles with the airbag deployment system. It was mostly due to a faulty airbag module and bad passenger seat occupancy sensors which led to improper airbag deployment.

In case of bad sensors, the airbag wouldn’t deploy at all in some situations and that’s a cause for worrying about your driving safety. The good thing is – Nissan sorted out this issue for most affected vehicles during a 2004 recall. So, the only thing you need to do if you are buying an older Nissan Quest is to check if that unit has gone through a recall, or simply get a newer model than the 2004 Quest.

3. Problems that led to steering difficulties

One of the worst problems that drivers of Nissan Quest minivans experience is a steering issue caused by improperly attached rack and pinion bolts. To make things clear, the rack and pinion translate the power of the steering wheel’s motion to the wheels and it makes it easier to steer the car.

In this case, Nissan acknowledged their mistake and issued a recall to deal with the matter of loose bolts. Improperly attached bolts often led to the rack and pinion gear detaching from the car, making it difficult to keep control over the vehicle. Some of the main symptoms of bad rack and pinion include grinding steering noises and difficulties making a turn.

4. Faulty fuel injectors

Drivers of the third-gen Nissan Quest frequently complained about engine misfires and improper combustion cycles. As it turns out, it was mostly due to faulty fuel injectors that excessively wore off and caused problems for drivers.

This matter often occurred before the vehicle reached 100,000 miles, and it led to a lean condition within the engine. Without a proper fuel supply, Nissan Quest engines misbehaved and drivers heard rattling noises and the engine struggling to provide power to the wheels.

Worst Nissan Quest years to avoid

After going through all these issues, you may think that the Nissan Quest is an unreliable model, but we merely wanted to give you an update on frequent issues. The good news is – there are only a few problematic model years and that’s what we’ll discuss through the Quest generations.

So, the big question is – what are the worst Nissan Quest model years? The worst Nissan Quest years are by far the 2004 and 2007 models, but take a look at the complete list of badly-rated years:

• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2011
• 2012

We’ll naturally examine each of these by going through the main issues that plagued these models and made them unreliable for used purchases.

Third-generation Nissan Quest (2004-2007 model years)

The third generation of Nissan Quest came with some pretty bad issues and these were mostly expressed for the 2004 and 2007 models. These two are also the worst models of the Quest overall, so we advise you to skip these and go for a later third-gen model.

Some of the main problems of Nissan Quest vehicles produced between 2004 and 2007 include engine stalling issues, problems with the transmission, and peeling paint. There were also quite a few reports on braking system issues and premature wear of the braking components, so it’s better not to bother going for one of these. As the problems kept on piling up, majority of drivers also reported transmission problems like rough shifts and stalling, so we’d advise skipping all of the model years between 2004 and 2007.

Fourth-generation Nissan Quest (2011-2012 model years)

With the fourth generation of the Quest came considerable updates and the car seemed more reliable than ever. Still, the 2011 and 2012 models are best avoided, and although these weren’t as bad as the mentioned third-gen models, they did share some of the main problems.

These include faulty transmissions, problems with the A/C heater, and paint peeling issues. On top of all these, the engine stalling issue was once again present, only this time it was mostly due to electrical issues and problems with the starter. So, it’s a safe bet to avoid these and go for newer models instead.

What are the best Nissan Quest years to buy?

Nissan Quest had more than just a few good production years, and this fact is backed up by some models that hardly received any complaints from drivers. Our team is happy to provide you with the list of the most reliable Nissan Quest models after putting you through the stress of knowing about the common problems:

• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999
• 2000
• 2001
• 2002
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• 2013
• 2015
• 2016

As you can see, there are plenty of reliable model years and it’s up to you to decide which generation you’ll opt-in for. A reliable model is waiting in all generations, and it’s the 1997 one that stands out as the most reliable for a first-gen Quest.

The 2002 model was the most reliable second-gen one, and the best third and fourth-gen models are 2010 and 2015, respectively. These didn’t receive many complaints and whatever option you decide to go for, you won’t be disappointed in terms of reliability at least.

2002 Nissan Quest

The 2002 Nissan Quest model received praise from drivers regarding its overall dependability as it rarely showcased problems that the following few years from 2004 were prone to. By these, we mainly mean engine and paint problems since this model only had a few reported instances of electrical faults and faulty accessories.

So, if you are in the market for a used older generation Nissan Quest, we’d advise going for this one because of its excellent reliability reports and the fact that there were no recalls regarding the engine and transmission at this date.

2010 Nissan Quest

After a few problematic model years, the 2010 Nissan Quest was a true refreshment in this sense as it only received less than 10 complaints overall, making it the best option for a later-generation Quest. There were no engine-related issues for this one along with impeccable transmission operation which guaranteed driving satisfaction without many worries.

Is Nissan Quest worth buying?

Overall, Nissan Quest is a minivan that’s worth buying on the used car market and it’s a great pick for those in need of a spacious family car. We hope that this guide helps you find the most reliable models, and more importantly – avoid all the bad ones.

It’s a good thing that there were just a few bad models, so it’s up to you to decide which one you’ll go for among the listed best model years. One final piece of advice is – don’t waste your time by getting a 2004 or 2007 Quest since these two are simply not worth the drag of constantly having to visit a mechanic.

Choosing your family’s next van? Our guides like Toyota Sienna years to avoid, Dodge Caravan years to avoid, Kia Sedona years to avoid point out the best years to buy and those to avoid, making your decision straightforward and informed.