2004 Nissan Quest problems & reliability
445 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Nissan Quest, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
30 complaints report injuries (39 injured, 4 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Nissan Quest vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 77 | 17% |
| Power Train | 72 | 16% |
| Structure | 70 | 16% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 61 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 48 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 42 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 37 | 8% |
| Visibility | 26 | 6% |
| Tires | 24 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 24 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 53,107 miles (middle 50% between 9,488 and 97,000 miles), based on 288 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Engine · filed Apr 20, 2023
“The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Quest. The contact stated while at a complete stop, the driver and passenger side front overhead airbags deployed without impact. The contact sustained headaches and sought medical treatment 2 days later with his doctor. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle…”
Air Bags · filed Dec 30, 2021
“unknown the frame is rusted in front steering section. /photos of area are being provided for your inquiry.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 31, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SIDE AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT
Preliminary Evaluation PE08004 · opened Jan 25, 2008 · closed May 30, 2008
- FINGER PINCH POINT
Engineering Analysis EA05012 · opened Aug 19, 2005 · closed Oct 20, 2005 · led to recall 05V474000
- FINGER PINCH POINT
Preliminary Evaluation PE05019 · opened Apr 21, 2005 · closed Aug 19, 2005
- POWER-SLIDING DOOR OPENING
Preliminary Evaluation PE04027 · opened Mar 15, 2004 · closed Jun 2, 2004 · led to recall 04V186000
Technical service bulletins
115 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Nissan Quest. The 10 most recent:
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2026
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2026
VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 2004-2012 ARMADA, TITAN, AND 2004-2009 QUEST; DRIVER AIR BAG COVER CAMPAIGN ID #: PC944, PC946, PC947, PC949 APPLIED VEHICLES: 2004-2012 Armada (TA60) 2004-2009 Quest (V42) 2004-2012…
NTB23-080D · Service Campaign · issued Sep 4, 2024
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-107G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2024
WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB17-019H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-028I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB09-081K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB08-097L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2023
SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or…
NTB23-053 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2023
12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V battery testing. These…
NTB23-049 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2004 Nissan Quest has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 Nissan Quest?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 53,107 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.