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 2005 Nissan Quest owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The 2005 Nissan Quest se has severe problems with motor mounts and their faulty design which resulted in a vehicle crash. My wife went to the dollar store,this being about two months after all the motor mounts were replaced, she got in and started to back out as she pressed the accelerator the engine revved up to 3000 RPM and then jammed the transmission into gear causing it to jerk the wheel violently and bark the tires the engine is so quiet you cannot hear if this is happening it propelled the vehicle right into another vehicle parked all the way in the parking spaces behind her costing us 2000 dollars to pay for vehicle damage there could had been pedestrians around which could have been hit and killed there is over 30000 complaints online of this same problem. …
Noise, vibration and sounds indicating imminent failure of one or more valvetrain components in the vehicle's 3.5l v6 engine. Problem is known to Nissan; addressed in a service bulletin in 2004. Company failed to remedy the defect, which consists of premature failure of timing chain and/or valvetrain components, including variable valve timing module and parts. The problem is currently the subject of class action lawsuit.
The engine makes a rattling noise. Dealer says timing chain guide needs to be replace at a cost of $1700. They also asked me not to drive the vehicle as it May cause the timing chain to jump in the middle of the road causing an accident and also engine damage
The van turns on but it loses speed while driving and it is very hard to make it accelerate once it comes to a stop, thought it was a transmission problem but it wasn't. Now they think it is loss of communication with computer
I was driving to the doctor when my van lost all power in a line of traffic all mode got hit by a truck in the rear end. Do not what happened just know it is down .car has no power will not pull out or driveway
The transmission on my 2005 Nissan Quest went out while on vacation in north carolina from out of state in June of 2015. Just replaced the timing chain today 12/16/15 am losing faith on nissans reliability.
Sitting in a drive through break on in drive car revs up to about 70mphs. I put in park as its movong forward to nearly miss a car infront of me and I turn the car off. Now break compress to the floor.
I purchased this van brand new and after a couple years began to hear a subtle tapping noise every so often coming from the engine. I was told its a lifter tapping and May come and go but not worth repairing because it will cost a lot of money and it really doesn't effect performance. After another year or 2 the noise got really loud and the check engine light came on. After doing research online I found hundreds/thousands of complaints about the same thing. Come to find out we all had the same issue, the timing chain tensioner was not applying the correct amount of pressure to the guide due to a defect in engine design that causes the plastic on the guide to break and slip down. This causes slack in the timing chain which in turn caused the rapid tapping noise as it struck the inside of the engine. …
I've had this vehicle into my local Nissan dealers service center many times for a loss of power. They had me replace the ECU, which had to be programmed, then they said that it was the catalytic converters. I bought all three of those. After that it needed to be programmed for the air/fuel ratio. Still ran the same. I brought it into a different shop, they said it had a bad throttle. My brother had one I had put in but still no power, and hesitation at acceleration and up hills, and misfires and backfires a lot. One of the codes they found for me was a timing issue. My brother has same van told me he had to replace the timing chain. I've heard a rattling and whining noise from timing area, so I looked into this further. …
My wife notified me that while driving to work, our van a 2005 Nissan Quest 3.5 s, without warning completely shut off leaving her stranded in the middle of traffic. After a few minutes and several attempts she was able to restart the vehicle and return home. On another occasion while I was driving the vehicle around town I experienced a similar incident when again without warning the van shut completely off as I was approaching an intersection on a red light. After bringing the vehicle to a complete stop without braking assist or power steering it restarted after a few attempts. During both incidences the vehicle had a full tank of fuel and showed no indications of trouble.
Engine complaints in other Quest years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Nissan Quest?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Nissan Quest, 24% of the model year's 82 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system › fan (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Quest engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2005 Nissan Quest, though it has 2 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 2005 Nissan Quest engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 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.