Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Nissan Quest owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I entered 14 freeway by sierra hwy entrance, as soon as I got in the fwy and left the pedal gas to slow down to get into traffic my van lost power and the shut off complete, i was very fortunate that it happened at the entrance and the cars behind me were able to stop on time and nobody got hurt, also today as soon I exit the cvs store get in into traffic, 1 minute after the van lost power and got stuck in traffic, this is very scary for me and my kids, my mechanics are not able to find the problem, please help
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Quest. While waiting at a stop light, the engine surged and the vehicle was forced out into a four-way intersection. After a few seconds, the engine went back to idling normally. On February 9, 2015, while waiting at a restaurant drive thru, the engine surged forward while the brakes were engaged and crashed into the preceding vehicle. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000. The consumer stated on three occasions, the engine revved, and lunged forward as he was braking, causing him to loose control of the vehicle which resulted in him hitting a handicap parking sign. …
My family's 2004 Nissan Quest spontaneously stalled while being driven on a total of five occasions since purchasing the vehicle on July 9th, 2015. The first incident occurred on about July 13th, 2015 in a parking lot while moving at a low speed of not more than ten miles an hour but every stalling incident since then was while the vehicle was being driven on roads at various speeds over ten miles and hour and under fifty miles an hour. When the vehicle is being driven before stalling there are no significant indications before hand to indicate that there is anything wrong with the vehicle except that on the last few occasions we have noticed that a second or two before stalling the check engine and slip lights glow. After stalling the vehicle restarts either on a first attempt or a second attempt. The vehicle does not stall every time it is driven either. …
While applying the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. Within seconds of parking the vehicle a fire occurred. The vehicle displayed a dangerously slow acceleration as if the transmission was in the wrong gear when trying to accelerate the vehicle. There was also poor fuel economy (11.6 to 12.1 mpg instead of the normal 19-26 mpg). Also, within the first few weeks of ownership, the power sliding door on the right side opened independently on two occasions and failed to open or close on several occasions, there were problems with the control buttons, the radio text display on the dash read malfunction multiple times and sometimes it occured when the engine was started. There was a problem with the catalytic converter.
While driving in the freeway, the engine sudenly stalled, pulled over and tried a couple of times and engine started again, after that the stall cotinues happening with no simptoms at all, it happens at any time and any condition; during traffic driving or during high speed driving, day or night. Really dangerous because some times other drivers have problems to avoid crash with my van that does not start and can not be moved away. All kind of reviews have been performed and no success to fix this issue. I have read this is a very frequent failure for Nissan Quest vehicles; can you do anything to ask Nissan for a solution? A lot of money has been paid for sensors, relays, ECU, fuel pump and of course labor. Please help
Once started, the engine makes a ticking sound. Over the last couple of months, there have been occasions while driving, the vehicle will rapidly decelerate, engine light illuminates and not begin accelerating adequately until it is turned off and restarted. The problem has escalated to completely stalling and the engine light illuminates. After a few attempts, the vehicle will restart, but the problem is occurring more frequently. A local mechanic diagnosed the problem as the timing chains needing to be replaced. After further research, I have discovered class action lawsuits in some states for premature failure of timing chains on 2004-2009 Nissan Quest, among other models.
My 2004 Nissan Quest se caught on fire and was totaled. The vehicle has been acting strange and 5 days prior to the fire was the last day I drove it. It would not crank after I put it in the garage and so I was going to have it towed to the Nissan dealer the next week. It was not touched after that day until we were awoke by our smoke alarms. We opened our garage door as it was the nearest exit only to realize the fire was in the garage. When we went outside around to the garage we saw that the fire was coming from under the hood of the van out the windshield and passenger side front tire.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Nissan Quest. While the vehicle was parked for 45 minutes, it spontaneously caught fire and was completely destroyed. An investigator inspected the vehicle and concluded that the fire originated in the engine compartment due to a failure of the power distribution box. The contact has a copy of the police report and pictures of the incident. The manufacturer denied any responsibility for the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. Updated 11/17/08 updated 11/13/08.
During 05/05/2016 started having transmission issue, the car suddenly started giving starting problem and then when it will start it will not have any pickup in drive mode. After few hours everything went normal and when started driving all of sudden break got pressed and car couldn't go anywhere and check engine light came on. After diagnostic it found to be bank 1 camshaft sensor but even after replacing vehicle still behaves same with engine light on.
Engine would suddenly cut off while in motion at 25-35 miles per hour. Two repairs were necessary at a cost of approximately $500 to get the problem repaired. The problem was that both the front and rear crank shaft sensors had to be replaced. As for the seat problem, one of the release levers broke off completely. I have not yet had it repaired so I do not have a cost for this repair. I have to use pliers to release the lever.
Engine complaints in other Quest years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Nissan Quest?
NHTSA has 71 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Nissan Quest, 16% of the model year's 445 complaints. The component named most often is engine (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Nissan Quest engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2004 Nissan Quest, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Nissan Quest engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 5 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.