Nissan Quest Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Nissan Quest model year from 1991 to 2017, benchmarked against each other with 2,918 federal complaints, 24 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2004. These years top the Quest's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1998, 2001–2002, 2005–2006, 2008, 2011–2012 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Quest's own worst year — full methodology.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Engine tops the Nissan Quest file with 391 complaints, concentrated in the 1993–1995, 2004, 2007 model years, most often reported around 84,113 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Few reports | 7 | 0 | — | 1 |
| 2016 | Few reports | 16 | 0 | — | 2 |
| 2015 | Few reports | 16 | 0 | — | 2 |
| 2014 | Few reports | 22 | 0 | — | 3 |
| 2013 | Few reports | 22 | 0 | — | 2 |
| 2012 | Better year | 139 | 1 | Transmission & drivetrain | 20 |
| 2011 | Better year | 92 | 1 | Fuel system | 11 |
| 2009 | Few reports | 29 | 2 | — | 5 |
| 2008 | Better year | 75 | 3 | Fuel system | 14 |
| 2007 | Below average | 311 | 1 | Fuel system | 38 |
| 2006 | Better year | 108 | 1 | Transmission & drivetrain | 16 |
| 2005 | Better year | 124 | 2 | Engine | 19 |
| 2004 | Avoid | 651 | 4 | Electrical | 100 |
| 2002 | Better year | 38 | 0 | — | 6 |
| 2001 | Better year | 57 | 1 | — | 14 |
| 2000 | Typical | 120 | 2 | Electrical | 25 |
| 1999 | Typical | 165 | 4 | Speed control | 24 |
| 1998 | Better year | 56 | 1 | — | 7 |
| 1997 | Typical | 127 | 2 | Body & structure | 23 |
| 1996 | Typical | 174 | 2 | Latches & locks | 25 |
| 1995 | Typical | 205 | 3 | Engine | 31 |
| 1994 | Typical | 195 | 2 | Engine | 27 |
| 1993 | Typical | 164 | 5 | Engine | 25 |
| 1992 | Few reports | 4 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1991 | Few reports | 1 | 0 | — | 0 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 1,906 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Nissan Quest. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Nissan Quest TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Nissan Quest years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2004 as the Nissan Quest years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Nissan Quest problem?
Engine tops the Nissan Quest file with 391 complaints, concentrated in the 1993–1995, 2004, 2007 model years, most often reported around 84,113 miles.
What are the best Nissan Quest years to buy used?
The quietest Nissan Quest years in federal records are 1998, 2001–2002, 2005–2006, 2008, 2011–2012 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Nissan Quest only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.