2004 Nissan Quest Body & Structure Problems

WE RECENTLY HAD TO CHANGE THE ALTERNATOR AND NOTICED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT THE SUBFRAME HAS A LARGE HOLE IN IT AND IS COMPLETELY NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND NOTHING HAS BEEN HIT THERE AND IT HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT RELATED TO THAT AREA AT ALL, VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT MY HOME WHEN THIS WAS FOUND AND STILL IS I DID NOT TAKE ANY PICTURES AT THAT TIME OF THE ROTTING HOLE IN THE SUBFRAME I CAN GET PICTURES BUT WE WILL HAVE TO REMOVE RIGHT SIDE FRONT TIRE SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS HAS TO BE DONE. *TR

I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SOME MAINTENANCE/REPAIR TO THE FRONT AXLE ON 1/16/2020 AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE SUBFRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BY THE FRONT TIRE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE HE CAN PUSH HIS FINGER THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE FRAME. HE TOLD ME HE COULD NOT BELIEVE I HAD NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE IN HIS OPINION HITTING A MEDIUM SIZE CHUCKHOLE IN THE ROADWAY COULD CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY COLLAPSE. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THIS DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT AND HAS BEEN ONGOING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED IN A GARAGE AT MY HOME DURING ITS USE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW BY ME AND NOT ROUTINELY LEFT PARKED ON THE STREET. THE MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT IN HIS OPINION IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE VERY FAR.

I AM WRITING DUE TO THE FACT I TOOK MY 2004 NISSAN QUEST INTO THE SHOP TODAY BECAUSE OF A LOOSE STEERING WHEEL AND A HORRIBLE CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE. MY VAN ONLY HAS 97,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF VERY WELL. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THE THE SUBFRAME IS BASICALLY ROTTING AWAY AND IS THE WORST HE HAS SEEN IN 50 YEARS OF WORK. I'VE READ NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS ONLINE OF OTHER WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. I FEEL LIKE NISSAN SHOULD HELP COVER THE COST OF MY REPAIRS DUE TO POOR MANUFACTURING AND POOR QUALITY OF PARTS. I AM VERY UNHAPPY AND WILL BE SHARING MY STORY WITH WHOEVER I CAN SHARE IT WITH. I WILL INCLUDE A LINK WITH A SITE WITH MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SAME VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP ME OUT. THIS IS A BIG ISSUE BECAUSE MY WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE DAILY. HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NISSAN/QUEST/2004/BODY_PAINT/ROTTING_SUBFRAME.SHTML

THERE WAS NOISE COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND UPON APPLYING BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL WAS GETTING PULLED FORCEFULLY TO THE RIGHT. THINKING THAT THERE COULD BE SOME PROBLEM WITH THE STRUTS, I TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE SUB-FRAME (FRAME OR ENGINE CRADLE) UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND ALMOST COMPLETELY GIVING AWAY. A HIGH-SPEED BUMP OR A SUDDEN BRAKING MAY HAVE CAUSED IT TO GIVE AWAY COMPLETELY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO GO COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL. THE CAR IS OLD BUT THAT OLD FOR THE FRAME TO GIVE AWAY. THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR BUT MORE THAN THAT IT IS A SAFETY CRITICAL ISSUE THAT MAY LEAD TO A BAD ACCIDENT. THE ONLY REASON THIS MAY BE NOTICED BEFORE SOMETHING DREADFUL HAPPENED IS ONLY BY CHANCE. THE DRIVERS MIGHT BE NOTICING OTHER ISSUES THAT PROMPTS THEM TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP WHILE THE OTHER SIDES OF THE FRAME ARE HOLDING UP THE VEHICLE FOR SOME TIME. SOME FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWED THAT THIS SAME ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY QUITE A FEW CONSUMERS (FRAME RUSTED/BREAKING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE), BUT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN THUS FAR. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND I-TEAM NEWS REPORTS ABOUT SIMILAR ISSUES, BUT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO QUIETLY GET THEIR CARS REPAIRED BUT NOT LODGE A COMPLAINT. GIVEN MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH NISSAN ON A DIFFERENT ISSUE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE (CAM SENSOR FAILURE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TURN OFF COMPLETELY (WHILE DRIVING) THAT COMPLETELY JAMS THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE COULD ONLY BE BROUGHT TO STOP BY APPLYING PARKING BRAKE). I DON'T TRUST NISSAN TO TAKE ANY ACTION UNLESS THEY ARE FORCED TO.

TAMARA INFLATORS, SENT MY VAN TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER FOR BRAKE REPAIRMEN. I WAS TOLD SINCE THE FRONT SUBFRAME AT PASSENGER SIDE HAD SEVERE RUST AREA, MY VAN IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. IT WILL COST ME MORE THAN $4,000 TO REPLACE. I CHECKED INTERNET. THERE ARE MANY SAME PROBLEMS OCCURRED ON 2004 QUEST. IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEFECT OF MATERIALS TO ME.

I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC FOR AN ALTERNATOR, MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED ALMOST THROUGH AND DEEMED THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WE LOCATED A USED SUBFRAME WITH DIFFICULTY BECAUSE MANY OF THEM WERE LIKE THIS. SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE FRAME IN THIS VEHICLE. IF IT HAD CRACKED THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. NISSAN NORTH AMERICA IS UNINTERESTED BECAUSE I DID NOT GO TO THE DEALER. I HAVE THE RUSTED PART. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN QUEST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED ISSUE, THE MECHANIC INFORMED HER THAT THE SUB FRAME ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, TURNED IT OFF AND WENT ON THE HOUSE MINUTES LATER THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FLAMES WERE BIG AND THEY WERE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I HAD JUST DROVE THE CAR ABOUT AN HOUR, THERE WAS NO SMELL NO SOUND NO INDICATOR LIGHTS NOTHING. THE FLAMES WERE BIG AND CAR WENT UP FAST. *TR

NO INCIDENT YET. I WAS INFORMED BY NISSAN SERVICE THAT THE FRONT ENGINE AND SUSPENSION SUPPORT FRAME HAS A HOLE RUSTED THROUGH AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE. THERE IS NO REASON A HOLE SHOULD FORM IN A FRAME SUPPORT MEMBER IF SAFELY DESIGNED. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR AN AVERAGE VEHICLE OWNER OR NON-NISSAN GARAGE TO NOTICE THIS PROBLEM SO MANY VEHICLES MAY HAVE IT. THE MOST OBVIOUS TIME THE FRAME WOULD BREAK WOULD BE DURING A HIGH SPEED BUMP. IT WOULD BE HAZARDOUS IF THE FRAME BROKE DURING TRAVEL RESULTING IN POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN QUEST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR BECAME PARTIALLY JAMMED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR MANUALLY AND NOTICED THAT THE DOOR WAS NOT ON TRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY MECHANIC NOTICED SEVERE ROTTING OF RIGHT SIDE OF SUBFRAME WHICH HOLDS THE ENGINE AND OTHER IMPORTANT CAR PARTS IN PLACE. I WAS MADE AWARE THAT IF THE SUBFRAME BROKE, THE ENGINE WOULD FALL OUT AND THE RIGHT WHEEL WOULD SLIDE TO THE SIDE, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR. VERY DANGEROUS, POSSIBLY FATAL. I WAS LUCKY IT WAS FOUND BEFORE SUCH AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAVE FOUND TWO OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SUBFRAME ROTTING OUT. THERE IS A DRIP FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER THAT IS DESIGNED TO FALL RIGHT ON THIS IMPORTANT STRUCTURE AND POOLS THERE. MY FEAR IS THAT OTHERS ARE UNAWARE OF THE STRUCTURAL ISSUE AND COULD NOT BE SO LUCKY TO FIND IT IN TIME BEFORE FATALITY OCCURS. I BELIEVE THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED TO FIX THE IMPROPER DRAINAGE OF THE AIR CONDITIONING. *TR *JS

DRIVING MY 2004 NISSAN QUEST WITH APPROX 61000 MILES AT 55 MPH ON LOCAL HIGHWAY WHEN IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SIDE OF CAR WAS HIT. I PULLED OVER AND FOUND MY PASSENGER POWER SLIDING DOOR RAIL COVER, A PIECE (~4FT BY 5 TO 8 INCHES) HAD NEARLY COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE CAR EXCEPT FOR BENT BACK BRACKET. I COULD NOT REMOVE (PIECE WEDGE INTO TAIL LIGHT) SO I PUSHED IT IN AS BEST AS POSSIBLE AND DROVE HOME. VERY FORTUNATE THE PIECE DID NOT DETACH COMPLETELY AND HIT THE VEHICLE BEHIND. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE, MAYBE EVEN HURT SOMEONE. I FOUND OTHER REPORTS OF THIS SAFETY/DESIGN PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH 2004 QUEST. THE METAL COVER WAS BENT, THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY CRACKED AROUND THE EDGE AND SOME NASTY SCRATCHES IN THE PAINT. THIS PIECE IS ATTACHED BY SMALL PLASTIC GROMMET CLIPS THAT SEEM BRITTLE. POORLY DESIGNED SINCE THE REAR IS ATTACHED UNDER THE TAILLIGHT AND THE FRONT WITH PLASTIC CLIPS. IF THEY WOULD HAVE PUT THE METAL TAB IN THE FRONT ALSO THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN KENNESAW,GA AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $700 TO FIX AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED AS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. CALLED NISSAN CORPORATE AND THEY DRAGGED THEIR FEET FOR A FEW DAYS AND CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THEY WOULD ASSIST IN ANY WAY DUE TO BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. IT IS A REAL SHAME BECAUSE I HAVE HAD 2 NISSANS PREVIOUSLY (TRUCKS) AND I WILL PROBABLY NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN. CORPORATE WAS VERY COLD AND SHORT, ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MIND. *TR

MY NISSAN QUEST 2004 HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE SLIDING DOOR- IT OPENS BUT CLOSES IMMEDIATELY - ALMOST TRAPPING MY 4 YEAR ONCE. ALSO, IT DOES NOT LOCK FULLY AND SO THERE IS A BEEPING SOUNDS WHEN THE VAN IS STARTED AND DRIVEN FOR A WHILE, WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR FROM THE BUTTON INSIDE, THERE WAS A NOISE AND BEEP AND IT WOULD NOT CLOSE AT TIMES UNTIL 3 OR 4 TRIALS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN QUEST. ON 4 SEPARATE OCCURRENCES, WHEN THE CONSUMER PRESSED THE KEY FOB TO OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR, IT WOULD MALFUNCTION AND CLOSE WITHOUT WARNING WHILE PASSENGERS WERE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE VEHICLE. DURING THE 4TH MALFUNCTION OF THE DOOR, THE CONSUMER WAS STANDING OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE BENDING OVER THE PASSENGER CAR SEAT , WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE HEARD A BALL BEARING FALL INSIDE THE WALL OF THE VAN AND ROLLED ONE HALF INCH AND THEN THE DOOR BEGAN TO CLOSE. THE DOOR HIT THE CONSUMER ON HER LEFT HIP AND ADVANCED HER PELVIS TO THE RIGHT AND CONTINUED CLOSING UNTIL HER BACK RIGHT UPPER THIGH MADE CONTACT WITH THE D-RING IN THE DOOR FRAME. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO CLOSE PRESSING HER THIGH EVEN MORE. THE DOOR MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN BY NOT SENSING THE CONSUMER'S PRESENCE IN THE DOOR JAMB AND AUTOMATICALLY RETRACTED THE DOOR. THE CONSUMER PLACED HER LEFT SHOULDER ON THE DOOR AND PUSHED AS HARD AS SHE COULD UNTIL THE DOOR RETRACTED IN MANUAL MODE. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED A BRUISE TO HER SKIN AND MUSCLE OF THE BACK OH HER RIGHT UPPER THIGH. UPDATED 08/11/09.*JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 NISSAN QUEST (WITH APPROX 60500 MILES) AT 55 MPH ON LOCAL HIGHWAY WHEN IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SIDE OF CAR WAS HIT. I PULLED INTO THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND FOUND THAT MY PASSENGER POWER SLIDING DOOR RAIL COVER SIDING PIECE (~4FT BY 8 INCHES) HAD NEARLY COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE CAR EXCEPT FOR BENT BACK BRACKET. I COULD NOT REMOVE (PIECE WEDGE INTO TAIL LIGHT) SO I PUSHED IT IN AS BEST AS POSSIBLE AND DROVE 20 MILES HOME. THE PIECE FELL OFF COMPLETELY IN DRIVEWAY WHEN I OPENED PASSENGER DOOR. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THE PIECE DID NOT DETACH COMPLETELY AND HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME WHEN I WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH. I GOOGLED AND FOUND 2 OTHER REPORTS OF THIS SAFETY/DESIGN PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH 2004 QUEST. OTHER THAN THE SINGLE BENT BRACKET AND A BIT OF CHIPPED PAINT ON THE EDGE THAT HAS WEDGED UNDER THE TAIL LIGHT--THIS PIECE AND MY CAR SHOW NO OTHER SIGNS OF DAMAGE. I WAS NOT HIT BY ANYTHING--SO EITHER THIS PIECE WAS NOT PROPERLY ATTACHED OR THE ATTACHMENT IS NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED. *TR

OUR 2004 NISSAN QUEST WHICH WE PURCHASED NEW IS RUSTING AROUND THE SUN ROOF. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE VAN. FOR A VEHICLE LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD, AND HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT, I BELIEVE RUST IN THIS LOCATION IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. WHEN MY DEALER SAID HE WOULD NOT COVER FIXING THE RUST, I TOOK THE VAN TO A BODY SHOP, AND THE OWNER WAS SO APPALLED BY THE RUST, THAT HE CALLED A DIFFERENT NISSAN DEALER, WHO AGREED AND RECOMMENDED WE FILE A CLAIM TO NISSAN'S CLAIM OFFICE. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS, AND HAVING TO TAKE THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES, THE CLAIMS OFFICE STATED THAT SINCE THE VAN IS OUT OF WARRANTY, IT IS NOT COVERED. MY CLAIM NUMBER WITH NISSAN IS 6336483. *TR

2004 NISSAN QUEST SL VAN, PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR, CLOSING ON ITS OWN AND FAILING TO SENSE AN OBSTRUCTION (IN THIS CASE, MY CHILD). MY WIFE HAD TO PHYSICALLY THROW HERSELF AGAINST THE DOOR TO STOP IT FROM CRUSHING OUR SON. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE AS OF YET.

TL* - THE CONTACT STATES THAT HIS SLIDING DOORS WILL NOT CLOSE ON HIS 2004 NISSAN QUEST VAN. THE CONTACTS STATES THAT THIS HAPPENS IN ALL TYPES OF WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE HAS TAKEN THIS VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES. TO NO AVAIL THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED.

THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING SIDE DOOR ON MY 2004 NISSAN QUEST VAN CLOSES SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING -- PINNING THE PERSON ENTERING/LEAVING THE VEHICLE, OR THE PERSON WHO IS LEANING INTO THE VEHICLE BETWEEN THE DOOR FRAME AND A CONTINUING-TO-CLOSE- DOOR. *JB

THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR PANEL STARTED FALLING OFF MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE CLIPS AND ALSO MENTIONED THAT THEIR COURTESY VAN WAS DOING THE SAME THING. THE CLIPS HELD THE PANEL IN PLACE FOR TWO WEEKS. I TOOK THE VAN BACK AND WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW PANEL (VERY EXPENSIVE). I HAVE YET TO PURCHASE THE 2000 DOLLAR PANEL AND STILL DO NOT USE THAT DOOR. *TR