Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Nissan Quest owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Quest. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle stalled without warning. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V076000 (Electrical System, Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
If I push the brakes to make the car stop, then try to have it accelerate again, like at a stop sign or anything, the gas pedal feels like it's not doing anything, and the car doesn't start for like 5 seconds, then when it does it goes about 5 mph for like 500 feet, then it goes back to normal, and because of this we feel it's not safe to operate. This happens every time I drive it, so I only feel safe on not very populated roads driving it.
My vehicle is experiencing the issue under Recall NHTSA ID 12V076000: fuel supply issue that could cause engine stalling. Specifically, due to a programming error, the fuel pump might not supply enough fuel to the engine when driving at slow speeds or idling downhill with a tank or less of fuel.
Tl* the contact own a 2011 Nissan Quest. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary at a traffic light and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she continued to drive the vehicle and 20 minutes later experienced the failure while driving uphill. The contact called Nissan of salem (2755 mission st se, salem, or 97302, [phone]) and abc Nissan (1300 e camelback rd, phoenix, az 85014, [phone]) and the dealers were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 12V076000 (electrical system, fuel system, gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.
Our Nissan Quest has been stalling out with less than between 1/2 and 1/4 tank of gas on a downhill. It is mostly happening while stopped at stoplights or stop signs, but can sputter, shake and act like it is not getting proper fuel supply on downslopes even while driving. The car has stalled out multiple times on busy streets, leaving me vulnerable to rear end collisions. We have 4 children in the car with us most days and we cannot have our car stopping in the middle of a 6 lane road. After it has happened multiple times, we looked up the issue on line and saw that indeed there is an issue with this model and year of car for the exact same problem, however, our VIN # is not included in the recall. Nissan will not fix it now, yet it is still a serious and potentially life threatening issue.
There have been 3 instances where our van has stalled sitting on an incline with a quarter or so of gas left. There is an open recall for the 2011 Quest but mine doesn't fall under the same manufacture date range. After researching, I found that this seems to be a wide spread problem with the Quest over several years not just 2011. I took it to the dealer to have them research and they said they have never heard of that before. They suggested purchasing a fuel sending unit to fix the problem. If it was just a problem with the gauge then why would the car stall on a hill with plenty of gas left? I am worried about what will happen if I am actually traveling down a hill at speed and my car stalls.
When the van has 1/4 or less of gas and is on an slight incline. The van will not start only will start again when you put in 5 gallons of gas. I have drove this van like this for almost a year making sure it is half to full tank of gas. Now I am having problems even with the tank full going up inclines wanting to stall even with the gas petal pushed its not sending the signal to the fuel.
Acceleration from a full stop is unreliable. The issue is most prominent when going up a slight incline and will continue until the vehicle is able to level off, when acceleration resumes to normal response. Even on level road surfaces, the acceleration is inconsistent once accelerator is pressed. This has been a consistent issue for well over a year.
First incident: vehicle's low fuel warning light came on and computer indicated 55 miles to empty. Approximately 8 miles later, while idling in a parking lot on a subtle downhill slope, the engine stalled. Pushing start button caused an attempt to crank, but engine wouldn't start. Accessory power still worked. We put 1 1/2 gallons of gas in the van and it still would not start (just cranked and sputtered out again). The van was towed to a Nissan dealer and once off the tow truck, it started up without problems and indicated 74 miles to empty. Dealer ran diagnostics and said nothing was wrong, and they believed it ran out of gas but stated computer and fuel gauge we're accurate. Second incident: 12/16/11, low fuel light came on at 52 miles to empty. …
The fuel indication light came on while departing our neighborhood, while going down a hill to a stop sign the vehicle stalled and would not restart. Had to fill the tank via a gas can to make it to the station. Gas light came on tonight March 15th while in interstate and drove approximately 7 miles and parked. Indicator at the time still said we had approximately 40 miles. Parked on a decline and car would not start when we returned. Again filled tank with a gallon of gas and drove to station where we filled with an additional 14 gallons. 14 gallons + 1 gallon from can = 15 gallons....in a supposed 20 gallon tank? The math isn't adding up. Luckily our children haven't been in the car on either occurrence nor have we stalled on a busy highway where a serious accident could occur as a result. …
Fuel System complaints in other Quest years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2011 Nissan Quest?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2011 Nissan Quest, 52% of the model year's 66 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Nissan Quest fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2011 Nissan Quest, though it has 1 recall 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 2011 Nissan Quest fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 7,000 miles, and 79% before 25,000 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.