Most common 2009 Nissan Quest problems
Share of the 22 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Quest complaints by model year
Best Quest years: 2017, 2015, 2016. Years to avoid: 2004, 2007, 2012, 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
2009 Nissan Quest recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 titan, armada, and Infiniti qx56, and model year 2008-2009 Nissan quest vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin end was not spin-formed to specification during the manufacturing process of the brake pedal assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect to see if the pivot pin had been formed properly and will replace the brake pedal assembly if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on March 22, 2010.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2009 Nissan Quest:
Fuel level gauge system failure
On May 8, 2014, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE14-012 to investigate allegations of inaccurate fuel tank fill level while driving resulting in the vehicle running out of fuel in model year (MY) 2007 Nissan Quest vehicles.During this investigation, Nissan identified a condition in the subject vehicles that may result in the fuel gauge falsely indicating more than the actual…
What 2009 Nissan Quest owners say
Fuel & propulsion system
Our gas gauge indicated that we had 1/4 tank of gas. The tank was empty. We ended up stranded on the highway in 80 degree weather with two young children in the car till aaa was able to bring us gas. We got to the gas station and filled up and the tank literally took over 20 gallons, which means it was completely empty even though the gas gauge said we still had 1/4 tank. In addition, only a few weeks before, we had just replaced the gas gauge with a brand new, Nissan gas gauge. Nissan has already issued a recall on 2009 quests for this problem, but apparently my Quest's VIN is not among those recalled, so they won't fix the problem without my paying a Nissan dealer for a diagnosis and then writing a claim. I think this is ridiculous and they need to expand the recall to all 2009 Nissan quests. I should not be charged for a fix that is clearly specific to this Nissan vehicle's problem.
We received a letter on jan 9, 2015 from Nissan north America advising that there was a potential problem with the fuel gauge and that we must maintain at least a half tank of gas until they repaired the problem. They advised they would contact us within a few months to do so. They have not contacted us in any way. As far as we know we must continue to maintain the gas level. When we called they said there would not be sending a letter rescinding the first letter's requirements and that only those car owners needing repair would receive a followup letter. Think about that for a minute. If they advise you by letter that you must take action to avoid a problem, then they must advise you that such no longer needs to be done also by letter. Please require them to do so to all the car owners who think they have a fuel gauge problem.
Brakes
This Nissan Quest had the rear brake pads changed in December 2014. This will be the 3rd set (including the original ones when purchased) of brakes on the rear since the vehicle was purchase new at the dealer. The front brake pads are also on their 3rd set. The dealership states it is my braking habits making the pads wear out so quickly. The front brake pads wear out around 35,000- 37,000 miles. The rear brake pads last around 40,000 miles. The vehicle currently has 86,000 miles on it and was purchase new. I spoke to the dealership and informed them that if either the front or rear brake pads wear out within the same time as the previous ones had, that a Nissan representative would need to investigate. Within all my years of driving and owing vehicles I have never had to replace brakes like I have on this vehicle.
Went on a road trip. Our new Nissan Quest 2009 was fine until after 4 hours of driving and then suddenly the steering wheel started to shake. It shook so badly that we thought we had a flat tire. It continued to shake until we pulled over to the shoulder and come to a complete stop. We went back on the highway and it was fine for a couple of hours and then acted up again. The same thing happened. It won't let us accelerate and no matter how slow we go it was still shaking. We had an infant in the van and our other son was 5 yrs. Very dangerous to be on the road in the middle of the night and having to pull over every couple of hours when it started acting up. Imagine when there are no shoulders to pull over and the van was shaking so bad that you can't control it. Please recall this item. Something is wrong with the brake system/rotors etc.
Body & structure
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Quest. The contact stated that the passenger's side rear sliding door inadvertently opened while the vehicle was locked. Additionally, there was water build-up in the passenger's side rear sliding door track and an unknown burn mark on the floorboard. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,521.
Sliding door(s). While reviewing others complaints of the Nissan Quest, I found I was not alone with the manual sliding doors. The driver side manual sliding door gets stuck randomly, and one must pull on it so hard (to get it open), that one is fearful of the handle breaking off. This issue is not as bad on the passenger side as it is the driver's side.
2009 Nissan Quest engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Nissan Quest a good car?
Based on 22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Quest rates better than average: 64% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Quest at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Nissan Quest?
The fuel & propulsion system — 5 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (4) and body & structure (4).
How many recalls does the 2009 Nissan Quest have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2009 Nissan Quest, the most recent from February 10, 2023 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Quest?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2017, 2015 and 2016. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004, 2007, 2012, 1995 and 1996. See the full Nissan Quest years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Quest problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 84,000 miles; 35% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.