Overview & Reviews

The Nissan Quest has typically had a supporting role in the minivan market. The first two generations, in particular, were rather anonymous and subpar. The more recent third-generation Quest made a huge leap ahead in terms of styling and performance, though it, too, never really caught on with the public.

The newest and latest fourth-generation Nissan Quest, however, is the most competitive model yet. Its bold styling, interior refinement and smooth V6/continuously variable transmission (CVT) place it firmly in the discussion among the leaders of the pack: the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

Current Nissan Quest
The Nissan Quest minivan is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 making 260 horsepower, put to the ground through a CVT. There are four trim levels: S, SV, SL and LE.

The base S is sparsely equipped for a minivan, but still offers an auxiliary audio jack and a few other niceties. The SV adds a wealth of other items such as alloy wheels, power-sliding doors and high-tech items like Bluetooth and an iPod interface. The SL trim is more luxurious thanks to its leather upholstery and one-touch folding third-row seats, while the top-trim LE gains a navigation system and an advanced "Around View" parking camera, while offering an optional panoramic moonroof spanning nearly the length of the roof. The kids will be thankful that a DVD entertainment system is available on all but the base S.

Inside, the Quest's controls are logically grouped on the center stack and easily navigable. Interior materials are the best you'll find in a minivan, with the leather-appointed cabins in the range-topping trims feeling especially premium and luxurious. On the downside, the Quest's standard second-row captain's chairs eliminate the option for an eighth passenger. And although the Quest's seats fold neatly into the floor, this design results in about 40 cubic feet less cargo capacity than other mainstream minivans.

Overall, though, the Quest is a legitimate, if commonly overlooked, choice for a minivan. Thanks to its compliant ride, composed handling and smooth power delivery, it should serve families quite well.

Used Nissan Quest Models
The current, fourth-generation Nissan Quest was introduced for 2011. There have been no significant changes since then.

The third-generation Nissan Quest was produced from 2004-'09 (there was no Quest for the 2010 model year). At its debut, it shook up the minivan world with its avant-garde body styling, unique cabin design and a marketing campaign that did its best to disassociate the van from its soccer mom image. The Quest's pillar-style center stack was certainly distinctive, but the multitude of similar buttons made operating often-used functions a hassle. Thankfully, the busy center stack was replaced by a much more user-friendly layout in a 2007 refresh.

All Quests of this generation were powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 235 hp, and power was sent to the front wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. Four trim levels were available -- the base 3.5, 3.5 S, 3.5 SL and 3.5 SE -- each with an increasing number of features and conveniences. Oddly enough, none of these trim levels included rear seats -- forcing customers to pay extra for a seat package that included second-row captain's chairs and a flat-folding rear bench.

This Quest had a few things in its favor, including a roomy interior and handling that was a cut above most other minivan competitors. However, downsides were numerous, including a third-row seat that wasn't split, a relative lack of cargo capacity and limited availability of stability control. Overall, minivan shoppers would be better served by other top choices in this segment.

The second generation of the Nissan Quest debuted for 1999. Offered in base GXE, midlevel SE and leather-lined GLE trims, this Quest featured a 3.3-liter V6 with 170 hp, as well as a unique sliding (but not removable) third-row seat that could be stowed right behind the front seats -- after the second-row seats were taken out. The van's questionable ergonomics, iffy build quality and poor crash test scores, however, made for a last-place finish in an Edmunds minivan comparison test. The model run continued through the 2002 model year, but there was no Quest sold for the 2003 model year.

Introduced in 1993 and sold through 1998, the first-generation Nissan Quest had a 151-hp 3.0-liter V6. Base XE and uplevel GXE trims were offered and seven-passenger seating was standard. The biggest change for this generation occurred in 1996 when a minor face-lift yielded a new grille, bumpers, headlights, taillights and dashboard.

The first two generations of the Quest were rather anonymous and subpar. It might also be helpful during the shopping process to know that these Quests were also nearly identical to the Mercury Villager from the same time period. With either variant, however, minivan shoppers are still advised to consider better-ranking minivans first.

User Reviews:

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  A Good Choice in Minivans - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By J.R. - December 27 - 10:20 pm

  Our old Suburbans engine blew on the way to St Louis so we unloaded it and searched for a replacement. Not having a lot of time for research and negotiation, we ended up with a 2005 Nissan Quest with 74000 miles. We really liked the features as well as the unique appearance both inside and out. It runs great, has excellent acceleration, and is very reliable. You can lay flat all the seats and load it to the hilt, and it still goes like its empty. The seats arent quite as comfortable as Id like, nor is the mileage as consistently high as I had hoped. And Ill never buy from that dealership again as they severely took advantage of our situation. Otherwise, we love it!

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  Excellent value for the money, still looks modern - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By blockmachining - December 10 - 10:29 pm

  Pros: Value, dependability, comfort Cons: Watch the plastic sliding door handles Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9 We bought the van new in April, 2002. We now have 118K miles on her. The only unscheduled problem we have had was the axle boots ripped open around 62K miles, so we replaced both axles. This repair was completely unexpected as the vehicle is always garaged and not abused. When it hit 105K, I changed the timing belt, water pump (preventive maintenance only...no issues at the time, just easy to get to while the timing belt was off), drive belts and spark plugs. She continues to run like a champ. We have the SE model which improves handling; however, you can definitely feel the bumps when you hit them. We get between 20 and 21 miles per gallon driving a 50/50 mix of highway and city driving. Right now, the only issue we have is the radio display fades in and out which is a common problem on these vehicles. There is a cheap repair where you resolder the power supply lead on a circuit board inside of the radio. Right now, its not bad enough to mess with so we are leaving it alone. We have the captains chairs in the middle row which is comfortable for the kids. We also have the overhead video player which the kids love. We, the grandparents, love it to. Just turn it on and the kids will not make a sound except for needed bathroom breaks and the Im hungry, feed me calls. The van came with Goodyear tires which lasted approximately 40K miles. Then we put on a set of Yokohama Avid Touring S tires which lasted almost 65K miles. These were really quiet tires; however, the weight of the van made the tires look underinflated. We now have on General Altimax RT tires which ride and handle excellent. They also appear to support the weight of the van a little better. Its too early to tell about tread wear but right now, it looks like they will last approximately 50K miles or so. The vans sliding door handles are a weak spot when the doors are frozen. Do not use these handles to break open the frozen door. Just grab the handle, pull on it until the door lock unlatches, then grab the body of the door and pull on it to break the ice holding the door closed. The handles are only plastic and cannot handle the pressure required to break the ice. I learned this the hard way. I like the white background on the instrument cluster found in the SE vans. They look really cool during the day and are easily legible during the night. The sound system is really good for a van. The SE came with the sub speaker system which gives it a little thump! I have used nothing but synthetic oil in the engine since it was new. It will burn approximately 1 quart of oil every 5K miles. I also have my oil analyzed at Blackstone Labs every 7.5K when I do the oil change. So far, engine wear is below the average level for this engine. I attribute this to the synthetic oil usage. I dont use the high dollar Mobil 1 or other high performance synthetic oils. I just use the Walmart brand synthetic since this is not a high performance engine. I used Mobil 1 in my 90 Nissan 300ZX twin turbo because this engine was a high performance engine and was often ran very, very hard. If you use synthetic oil, you can run this oil for the full 7.5K oil change interval recommended in the owners manual. There is no need to change it every 3K miles like the oil companies recommend. They really like to see you spend your money for their oil! Im going to change the transmission oil filter and oil when she hits 120K just to be safe. I have not had to touch the exhaust system so far, which is almost hard to believe. The muffler still looks and sounds good and the stainless still exhaust piping should last the entire life of the van. The van has a high performing AC system and the heat is warm within just a mile or two of starting out. There a few rattles in the sliding doors and rear hatch when you hit a fairly large bump, but its not too bad. The van is definitely past middle age, so what would you expect? I have some rattles now, too. I hope this review helps you. If you can find a good used Quest van, Id recommend it. No, you will not get a polished van like what is produced today. But you will save approximately 30K dollars if you were to buy a new one. Good luck.

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  blackmini - 2001 Nissan Quest
  By mymini - December 5 - 6:53 pm

  This has been a very reliable vehicle for my family. Ive had very few problems with it. Most problems has been in the door locks or hardware.

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  So far pretty good but some disappointme - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Momof3sons - November 20 - 6:00 am

  We shopped around for a while before deciding on the Quest. Overall, the price, appearance, and interior room sold us. Really impressed how roomy it feels inside with all five of us in there -- but we were disappointed with some of the interior parts that either fell out or broke within a day of getting it. AC vent on celing fell right out onto my sons head without even touching it, and a button under the steering wheel jammed in and cant be retracted. Hate to have to go to the dealer for that. I think they could have given a little better quality to the inside and a split bench in the back would have been great. Otherwise, for the money, good deal.

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  Very Satisfied - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By lynnw - November 3 - 10:00 am

  So far I have had no problems with my Quest. It has a comfortable smooth and responsive ride. The interior is very roomy. This van has very good power and does not make you feel as though it is dragging along. I find it very fun to drive.

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  Quest is a Hot Mess - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By sesaalegria - October 29 - 1:47 pm

  I bought my Quest SL new in 2005 with the extended warranty; I planned on driving it for many years. Well, Im looking to trade it in way ahead of schedule. By the time it had 73K miles, the 4th alternator had to be put in! The first 3 were under regular warranty, the 4th under the extended. Currently it is in the shop having the computer replaced, to the tune of $2K out of my pocket. Oh, and the brakes? I cant count how many times theyve been replaced. Sure, it is roomy, comfy on long road trips, the DVD player is a lifesaver with the kids, the drive is smooth, it was stylish in 2005, and the purchase price was good-all reasons I got it. In the long run-well-RUN! Not worth the test drive.

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  Overall Satisfied - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By postalmaster - October 20 - 10:00 am

  This is the best looking import mini van.

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  Almost a Lemon - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Dave D - October 18 - 9:00 am

  We have owned the Quest for a year and a half and in that time have had it back to the dealership for repairs/warranties/recalls/service about 15 times. Within the first month of owning the Quest, I noticed rattling noises, wind coming from the rear doors, and other "small things" that seemed much worse becasue they only added to the overall total of complaints I began to have. Couple this with the passenger side mirror needing to be replaced, rear defogger unit replaced, doors adjusted, sensors tweeked, and the kicker, the alternator and battery dying in the middle of January in Minnesota away from home, and you can see why I must say this is the absolute worst vehicle I have ever owned.

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  Timing Chains are Bad! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Bittersweet - October 11 - 10:00 am

  We have been proud owners of Nissans for more than 13yrs. Our 04 Quest has been great over all! I have had problems with the automatic doors not closing and/or sticking. Windows have the same problem. Console is scratched and looks crappy because material does not clean well. Under carriage is to low, going over speed hump I lost plastic bolts holding plastic bottom in place. Now my mechanic is telling me that I need a new timing chain, the dealership will charge $3200 he will fix for $1800. He says it really should be a recall but because of the cost Nissan will not recall! Timing chains are suppose to last longer and be more reliable. Research the web many people having same problem!

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  Problem with Rear Main Seal/leaking oil - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By janeen - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Nissan Quest 2004 for one month. On its one month anniversary, we noticed oil in the driveway. It was leaking oil...minimal but still for a $27,000 car you expect more than that. Took it back to Quirk and they gave me a rental. If I knew it was going to take a week to fix, I would not have settled for the Kia Rio I was given. Picked up my Nissan tonight and hope that is the end of any problems.