According to Au7o's research across NHTSA recalls, manufacturer TSBs, and owner forum reports, the 2004 Nissan Quest has 7 documented known issues, with 4 rated critical. The most serious are Power Sliding Door Motor and Latch Failure ($200-$800 repair), VQ35DE Timing Chain Guide and Secondary Tensioner Wear (Rattle on Start-Up) ($1,200-$2,800 repair), RE5F22A Five-Speed Automatic Transmission Slippage and Failure (V42) ($2,200-$4,500 repair) and Front Passenger Occupant Detection Bladder Fails to Suppress Airbag (V42, Recall 04V103) ($0-$0 repair). Across all issues with published estimates, repair costs range from $150 to $4,500. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
On the 2004-2017 Nissan Quest 3.5L VQ35DE V6, the Quest's power sliding doors suffer from motor failures, broken cables, and latch mechanism issues. The electric motor that drives the door wears out, leaving the door stuck partially open or unable to power-close. The latch assembly also fails, preventing the door from staying closed. In some cases, the door opens unexpectedly while driving, creating a serious safety hazard.
Replace the sliding door motor assembly ($300-$600) or the latch assembly ($150-$300) depending on the failure. Check the door cable for fraying before assuming the motor is bad. Lubricate the door track and rollers with white lithium grease every 6 months. If the door opens unexpectedly, the latch recall (NHTSA 15V-595) may apply — contact Nissan dealer.
Owner tips & cautions
WarningIf the sliding door opens while driving, disable the power door switch immediately and use manually only. Then get to the dealer for the latch recall. This is a child safety issue.
On the 2004-2007 Nissan Quest VQ35DE, on the third-generation (V42) Quest, Nissan moved the instrument pod to a center-dash location, and that pod is the single most complained-about component of the generation. Owners report the LCD segments for odometer, fuel level and coolant temperature going blank or showing only dashes, gauges and warning lamps cutting out intermittently, and in many cases the whole pod losing power while driving. A recurring owner observation is that when the cluster drops out the transmission simultaneously reverts to 'O/D OFF' and the van jolts on the next shift, because the same feed/ground path also carries transmission signaling. The failure is a solder-joint and internal circuit-board fault in the cluster itself plus, in some cases, a failing body control module - swapping in a used cluster from a donor van typically reproduces the same symptom because the donor unit has the same aged board.
Odometer, fuel and temperature LCD shows dashes or goes blank
Gauges and warning lights cut in and out while driving
Entire instrument pod loses power intermittently
Transmission drops into O/D OFF when the cluster blanks
Dim or pixelated LCD segments
How to Fix
No recall exists. The economical repair is to remove the cluster and have the circuit board and LCD ribbon connections rebuilt by a cluster-repair specialist, which retains the original mileage; several vendors offer a mail-in service for this exact 2004-2006 pod. A new dealer cluster requires odometer programming and costs several times more. If the cluster repair does not resolve intermittent dropouts, check the body control module and the cluster power/ground harness behind the dash before condemning a second cluster.
On the 2004 Nissan Quest, nHTSA campaign 04V103000 covers 2004 Quest vans equipped with the automatic airbag suppression option, in which the front passenger seat uses a seat-cushion bladder and sensors to detect who is in the seat. Nissan found that with a certain child test dummy positioned as required by the federal test, automatic suppression may fail to occur - meaning the passenger airbag stays armed with a child in the seat, contrary to the advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS 208. The consequence is exactly the scenario the suppression system exists to prevent: a full-force passenger airbag deploying against a child. Owner notification began June 23, 2004.
Common Symptoms
Passenger airbag OFF indicator does not illuminate with a child in the front seat
Airbag status light behaves erratically as occupants shift
Airbag warning lamp illuminated
How to Fix
Free recall remedy under NHTSA campaign 04V103000: dealers inspect the front passenger seat cushion and sensor assembly, and where it is found not operating correctly, the seat is removed and the sensor recalibrated. Check the VIN against the NHTSA lookup. Independently of the recall, treat a passenger airbag status light that stays on with a child in the seat, or that behaves erratically as occupants shift, as a live fault - the bladder and its sensor can also fail with age, and the same recalibration or a sensor replacement is the repair. Children under 13 belong in the rear rows regardless.
On the 2004-2006 Nissan Quest, nHTSA campaign 05V474000 covers 2004-2006 Quest vans in which moving components of the second-row seat adjustment mechanism are left exposed. Because the second row of a minivan is where children climb in, out and between rows unsupervised, an exposed pinch point in the adjuster is a real injury exposure - fingers can be caught in the mechanism as the seat is slid or folded. Nissan filed it as a voluntary safety recall in October 2005. It is worth flagging on any used V42 purchase precisely because it is a passive hazard rather than a driveability fault: nothing about how the van drives will tell an owner whether the remedy was performed.
Common Symptoms
Exposed moving parts visible in the second-row seat adjuster
Fingers can be pinched when sliding or folding the second-row seat
Missing covers over the seat adjustment mechanism
How to Fix
Free recall remedy under NHTSA campaign 05V474000 - Nissan dealers install covers over the exposed portion of the second-row seat adjustment mechanism at no charge. Verify the VIN against the NHTSA recall lookup before carrying children in the second row of a 2004-2006 Quest; if the covers are absent, the recall is almost certainly still open. There is no aftermarket substitute - the parts are the dealer-supplied covers.
On the 2004-2017 Nissan Quest VQ35DE, both the V42 (2004-2009) and V43 (2011-2017) Quest use the VQ35DE 3.5L V6, and this engine family has a well-documented timing-drive wear pattern discussed at length in Nissan owner communities. Three distinct parts fail: the plastic primary chain guide cracks and breaks up, the secondary (bank) chain tensioners lose their hydraulic bleed-down control, and the primary tensioner plunger sticks. The signature is a loud rattle or buzz for a few seconds on cold start-up as oil pressure builds, plus a rattle on throttle between roughly 1,500 and 2,500 rpm; worn secondary tensioners instead produce a constant whine from the front of the engine. It is a mileage-and-oil-quality failure, most often surfacing past 120,000-150,000 miles and much earlier on engines run on extended or neglected oil changes. Left alone, a disintegrating guide can let the chain jump timing.
Loud rattle or buzz for a few seconds on cold start
Rattle from the front of the engine between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm
Constant whine from the engine bay
Check engine light with camshaft/crankshaft correlation codes
Rough running or misfire if timing has jumped
How to Fix
No recall. The correct repair is a full timing-chain job - primary and secondary chains, all guides, both secondary tensioners and the primary tensioner, plus the front cover seal and water pump while the front of the engine is open. Replacing only the tensioner on a chain that has already stretched brings the noise back. Because it is a front-cover-off job on a transverse V6 in a minivan, labor dominates the cost. Prevention is genuinely effective here: keep to a short oil-change interval on the correct-viscosity oil, since sludge is what makes the tensioners stick.
On the 2004-2007 Nissan Quest VQ35DE, the third-generation Quest used the RE5F22A five-speed automatic behind the VQ35DE - a transmission shared with the contemporary Maxima and Altima 3.5, and the subject of a class-action complaint filed in 2011 alleging premature failure in 2004-2007 Quest vans. This is a conventional planetary automatic and is a DIFFERENT unit from the JATCO CVT fitted to the 2011-2017 V43; do not conflate the two failure stories. Owners report slippage on light throttle, flare between gears, a harsh 1-2 or 2-3 engagement, and the SLIP indicator illuminating - often followed by the van losing drive entirely. The mechanism is clutch-pack wear accelerated by fluid overheating; drained fluid comes out dark and burnt. The center-dash cluster fault can also strand the transmission in O/D OFF, so confirm which of the two is actually occurring before quoting a rebuild.
No recall or extended warranty covers this. Diagnosis starts with a fluid inspection and a scan for stored transmission codes; burnt fluid with clutch material means the unit needs a rebuild or replacement, not a fluid service. Rebuild with updated clutch and valve-body components, and add or verify an auxiliary transmission cooler - overheating is the driver of the wear. Use only the Nissan Matic fluid specified for the year; the wrong fluid accelerates the same failure. Owners who caught it early enough report success with a full fluid-and-filter service plus cooler, but slippage under load means the clutches are already gone.
On the 2004-2009 Nissan Quest, the V42 Quest offered the SkyView fixed glass panels over the second and third rows plus a powered front moonroof - four glass openings in one roof, each with its own drain tray and hose. The drain tubes route down the pillars under the headliner and are prone to kinking and to plugging with debris; when they back up, the water tray around the glass overflows into the headliner rather than out the rocker. Owners report soaked headliners, wet carpet in the second and third rows, and - because the drip path runs down onto the overhead and center electronics - killed radio, amplifier and HVAC control units. The seals around the fixed SkyView glass can also perish independently and let water in between the glass and the roof panel. Nissan addressed water leaks from the SkyView roof in a service bulletin issued in September 2005.
Common Symptoms
Water dripping from headliner over front or rear seats
Wet or stained headliner and pillar trim
Damp carpet in second or third row
Musty smell inside the van
Radio, amplifier or HVAC control head stops working after rain
Water pooling in moonroof tray
How to Fix
No recall. The fix is almost never the roof panel: pull the headliner trim or the A-pillar covers, locate the four drain hoses, and clear them with low-pressure air or a soft trimmer line - never a stiff wire, which punctures the hose. Straighten any hose kinked under the headliner and reroute it clear of the pillar trim clips. If the fixed SkyView glass seal itself has failed, the panel must be resealed or the glass replaced. Anything that got wet downstream - radio, amp, HVAC control head - needs to be dried out and often replaced, which is what turns a cheap drain cleaning into a four-figure bill. Clear the drains preventively at least annually on any V42 with the glass roof.
According to Au7o's research across NHTSA recalls, manufacturer TSBs, and owner forum reports, the 2004 Nissan Quest has 7 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: Power Sliding Door Motor and Latch Failure, VQ35DE Timing Chain Guide and Secondary Tensioner Wear (Rattle on Start-Up), RE5F22A Five-Speed Automatic Transmission Slippage and Failure (V42). Of these, 4 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
Is the Nissan Quest reliable?
The 2004 Nissan Quest has 7 known issues compiled from NHTSA recalls, manufacturer TSBs, and owner forum reports. 4 issues are rated critical: Power Sliding Door Motor and Latch Failure and VQ35DE Timing Chain Guide and Secondary Tensioner Wear (Rattle on Start-Up) and RE5F22A Five-Speed Automatic Transmission Slippage and Failure (V42) and Front Passenger Occupant Detection Bladder Fails to Suppress Airbag (V42, Recall 04V103). Prospective buyers should inspect for these issues and factor potential repair costs into their purchase decision. Regular maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule helps prevent many common problems.
How much does it cost to fix common Nissan Quest problems?
Repair costs for known Nissan Quest issues range from $0 to $4,500, depending on the specific problem and whether you choose DIY or professional repair. The most critical issue, Power Sliding Door Motor and Latch Failure, typically costs $200-$800 to repair. Au7o provides step-by-step DIY maintenance guides that can help reduce repair costs.
What is the 2004-2017 Nissan Quest Power Sliding Door Motor and Latch Failure?
The Quest's power sliding doors suffer from motor failures, broken cables, and latch mechanism issues. The electric motor that drives the door wears out, leaving the door stuck partially open or unable to power-close. The latch assembly also fails, preventing the door from stayin… Repairs typically run $200-$800. Severity: high.
What is the 2004-2017 Nissan Quest VQ35DE Timing Chain Guide and Secondary Tensioner Wear (Rattle on Start-Up)?
Both the V42 (2004-2009) and V43 (2011-2017) Quest use the VQ35DE 3.5L V6, and this engine family has a well-documented timing-drive wear pattern discussed at length in Nissan owner communities. Three distinct parts fail: the plastic primary chain guide cracks and breaks up, the… Repairs typically run $1,200-$2,800. Severity: high.
What is the 2004-2007 Nissan Quest RE5F22A Five-Speed Automatic Transmission Slippage and Failure (V42)?
The third-generation Quest used the RE5F22A five-speed automatic behind the VQ35DE - a transmission shared with the contemporary Maxima and Altima 3.5, and the subject of a class-action complaint filed in 2011 alleging premature failure in 2004-2007 Quest vans. This is a conventi… Repairs typically run $2,200-$4,500. Severity: high.
What is the 2004 Nissan Quest Front Passenger Occupant Detection Bladder Fails to Suppress Airbag (V42, Recall 04V103)?
NHTSA campaign 04V103000 covers 2004 Quest vans equipped with the automatic airbag suppression option, in which the front passenger seat uses a seat-cushion bladder and sensors to detect who is in the seat. Nissan found that with a certain child test dummy positioned as required… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
What is the 2004-2009 Nissan Quest SkyView Roof and Moonroof Drain Blockage Causing Interior Water Damage (V42)?
The V42 Quest offered the SkyView fixed glass panels over the second and third rows plus a powered front moonroof - four glass openings in one roof, each with its own drain tray and hose. The drain tubes route down the pillars under the headliner and are prone to kinking and to p… Repairs typically run $150-$2,000. Severity: medium.
What is the 2004-2006 Nissan Quest Second-Row Seat Adjustment Mechanism Finger Pinch Hazard (V42, Recall 05V474)?
NHTSA campaign 05V474000 covers 2004-2006 Quest vans in which moving components of the second-row seat adjustment mechanism are left exposed. Because the second row of a minivan is where children climb in, out and between rows unsupervised, an exposed pinch point in the adjuster… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: medium.
What is the 2004-2007 Nissan Quest Center-Dash Instrument Cluster LCD and Gauge Dropout (V42)?
On the third-generation (V42) Quest, Nissan moved the instrument pod to a center-dash location, and that pod is the single most complained-about component of the generation. Owners report the LCD segments for odometer, fuel level and coolant temperature going blank or showing onl… Repairs typically run $200-$900. Severity: medium.
Content on this page was compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, owner reports, and public automotive data. While we strive for accuracy, this information may contain errors. Always verify repair procedures and specifications with your vehicle's service manual or a qualified mechanic.
