2012 Nissan Quest Problems: 5 Known Issues

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.

On the 2011-2017 Nissan Quest, the Quest rear A/C system fails prematurely, most often because the long rear A/C line set running under the van leaks, and the rear evaporator can also develop leaks. Because the rear circuit shares refrigerant with the front, a rear leak drains the whole system and cooling at the front also suffers. The rear expansion valve can also stick, preventing proper refrigerant flow. Repairing the rear A/C requires significant disassembly.

On the 2011-2012 Nissan Quest VQ35DE, on 2011-2012 model year Quest vans, Nissan determined that the fuel pump control module could fail to command enough pump capability at low speed and low torque once the tank was down to about a quarter or less, starving the engine and causing it to stop running without warning. Nissan filed this as a safety recall - NHTSA campaign 12V076000 - because an unannounced stall in traffic is a crash risk. This is a control-module calibration defect on the V43 and is distinct from the mechanical sender-resistor fault that affected the earlier 2007-2009 vans; owners with a low-fuel stall should check which of the two their model year falls under.

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.

On the 2011-2015 Nissan Quest VQ35DE, nissan ran a voluntary service campaign, ID P0A08, covering roughly 320,616 vehicles including 2011-2015 Quest vans (alongside 2010-2014 Murano and Murano CrossCabriolet). The cause is a chemical reaction between the chromate surface coating on the ABS actuator's normally-closed valve and DOT3 brake fluid, which forms a gel around the valve. The gel can hold the normally-closed valve open, making brake fluid pressure fluctuate and giving the driver noticeably increased pedal travel when the ABS activates; Nissan states normal braking is unaffected. Because the defect is chemistry between the fluid specification and the valve coating, it develops with time and fluid age rather than with any particular driving pattern, and it recurs if the van is refilled with DOT3 after the repair.