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Vehicle safety record

1998 Nissan Quest Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 41 complaints about the 1998 Nissan Quest with NHTSA, most often about the body, doors & structure (8) and the visibility & wipers (7). Those complaints describe 3 crashes and 2 injuries. It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in December 2000 for the tank assembly. For comparison, the 1997 has 97 and the 1999 has 118.

NHTSA data checked

AFar fewer problems than a typical Quest year, for its age

#102 most complained-about 1998 vehicle

Complaints
41
Recalls
1
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Deaths
0

Most common 1998 Nissan Quest problems

Share of all 41 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

1998 Nissan Quest recalls 1

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Fuel system: tank assembly

00V419001268,229 vehicles affected

The problem
Vehicle description: minivans. The fuel tank vent hose allows air to vent from the fuel tank during refueling. Cracks have developed in the vent hose. If (1) the fuel tank is overfilled, not allowing excess fuel in the vent hose to flow back into the tank, (2) the vehicle is driven only a short distance after refueling and, (3) there is subsequently significant heating of the fuel tank, the fuel in the tank can expand into the vent hose and leak fuel.
The risk
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
The fix
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VENT HOSE.

What owners say

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41 complaints about the 1998 Nissan Quest

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.

Fuel system

When I am driving I am smelling gas inside my vehicle during my heater on and outside, this is the second time this happen! *Tr

Filed Incident Fuel system, gasolineNHTSA 10558731
Fuel system

The fuel pump makes a whining noise when vehicle is running from (mid-car) / (almost sounds like it's in the speakers) and you can smell gas bad - especially after a fill up. *Tr

Filed Incident Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 10460319
Fuel system

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 nissan quest. The contact stated that as soon as the engine was started, the vehicle would exhibit an unusual whining noise from the rear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed and the contact was advised that the fuel pump would need replacing. The contact stated there was a technical service bulletin for the failure (nhtsa item number: 604996-fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump) yet there were no recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 7,000 and the current mileage was 186,000.

Filed Incident Fuel system, gasolineNHTSA 10360686
Body, doors & structure

Have had a problem with doors automatically locking since early in the vehicle's life. Attempted to take it in prior to warranty expiration but dealer could never replicate problem, and thus went unfixed. Now the problem occurs regularly. Can unlock door with key (keyless entry no longer works) and before we get the door open, it locks again. All doors do not always lock when front locks are engaged. Can lock vehicle, return and open side door before front door is unlocked and alarm begins sounding. Found very similar complaints posted and know personally of one other owner who has the exact same problem. Very dangerous situation with children in the car. *Nm

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 10159730
Acceleration & cruise control

Dt*: the contact stated while driving with the cruise control set at 70 mph the vehicle began to suddenly accelerate. The contact attempted to stop the acceleration and deactivated the cruise control by applying firm brake pressure, but the vehicle did not respond . Although the cruise control light that normally illuminated when in use turned off,the vehicle remained at a highway speed in spite of the brake pressure the contact continued to enforce. When the vehicle did not stop nor slow down the contact...

Read the full complaint

engaged the emergency brake which slowed the vehicle enough so the contact could pull over to the side of the road and shut off the engine. The contact allowed the engine to rest for a period of time , and inspected underneath the hood. Upon inspection the problem could not be determined but a strong odor was detected. The odor smelled as if something had overheated. Afterwards,the engine was restarted and the vehicle continued to be driven normally. There have been no further problems, but the cruise control has not been engaged since the incident. The vehicle has not been seen by a dealer. *Ak

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10147067
Suspension

Front right coil spring breaks / snaps while car had been resting for 30 hours, punctures tire. No previous indication of trouble orfailure. If this had occurred while vehicle was moving, serious injury or death.

Filed Incident SuspensionNHTSA 10133714
Body, doors & structure

From the beginning our nissan van (1998) has had problems with the doors locking after the engine is off and the door is opened. Today, I was almost unable to get out of the van today, as the door keep locking every time I would try to open the handle. If this had been a child, they could have died in the heat (this is the middle of summer in florida) trapped in the car. I have checked to see if there has been any recalls on this problem, but found that only letters were sent out to the consumer regarding this problem. This could result in tradgedy for children, if they are caught in the vehicle. Something needs to be done quickly.*Ak

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 10082958
Airbags

While driving and turning to the left side of the road consumer hit a pot hole, and both air bags deployed. *Ak

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 10061478
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

Vehicle locks automatically, without warning. The van has locked automatically both when the ignition was on, and when it was off. Also, when using the key to manually open the doors, it is difficult to get the doors open on the first try. This is on on-going problem. This is a dangerous condition, especially when one considers that the sale of minivans are primarily targeted to drivers with children.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Structure · Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 10058482
Engine & cooling

The engine began making a ticking noise which goes away after the engine warms up. My mechanic thought it might be the valve lifters but on closer inspection discovered that two of the six bolts that attach the manifold to the engine had snapped off. The repair will cost around $800 to $900. *La

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10049332
Electrical system

Automatic locks will intermittently activate when key is in the ignition. On one occasion while refueling the vehicle the doors locked, in which the consumer was locked out of the vehicle, vehicle has been examined by dealer but they were unable to duplicate the problem, the vehicle car alarm sounds on its own intermittently, the dealer was unable to duplicate this problem, the radio volume goes down by itself.*Ak *nlm

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 8016125
AirbagsCrash

Consumer states that in a frontal accident none of the air bags deployed on impact.*Jb

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 8009052
AirbagsCrash2 injuries

While traveling in stop and go traffic and another vehicle jumped in front of him. Consumer applied brakes and he hit motorist from behind. Upon impact, airbag didn't go off. Dealership was aware of problem.*Ak *jg

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 8002616
Body, doors & structure

Doors lock intermittently, this happen while in park, idling in park, van off and attemping to open door after using remote.

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 9004974
Body, doors & structure

The remote keyless entry system fails to keep the car locked or unlocked, the consumer must not use the key to unlock the door because it will disable the remote keyless entry system,the locks lock and inlock randomly while driving or parked. *Yh

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 785597
Body, doors & structure

The vehicle locks the door automatically with no reason. This can happen even when the vehicle's engine is running. Also, if unlocking the vehicle by the remote keyless entry, the driver door will open. Upon pressing the "unlock" botton again to unlock all doors, all door will unlock and immediately all, including the driver's door will lock. Twice I had my car locked up on me while running in my garage. I am a proud father of a new infant. While trying to put the baby in the vehicle, what can I do if the doors...

Read the full complaint

lock on their own again? It will be a danger to my child's safety. Also, if you try to unlock the car with the unlock (electrical) botton, it sometime will not let you do so by automatically locking the car. This is a safety issue if we need to exit the vehicle in an emergency. Please review and advise.*Ak

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 749625
Brakes

Occasional grinding noise and/or pulsating brake pedal when brakes are applied normally.*Ak

Filed Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 744155
Wheels & tires

While driving on highway, wheel started to vibrate and then tread separated on right front bridgestone tire. P205 75 r15. 64,000 Miles on tires .Has not contacted dealer yet. *Ak *slc

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 879742
Visibility & wipers

Blower motor assembly (front & rear) have chirping noises constantly. *Ak

Filed Incident VisibilityNHTSA 733328
Seats & seat belts

While trying to place rear seat belt on the body, pulling it out to lock, restraint looked like it was tight, but it will not lock up.*Ak

Filed Incident Seat beltsNHTSA 871643
Electrical system

Under the hood explosion when ignition switch was turned on. No injuries were reported. Dealer/manufacturer were notified. Feel free to provide further details. *Ak

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 864565
Airbags

While traveling at 5 mph and making u turn, wheel went over curve and air bags deployed without indication. Dealer has been notified. Driver suffered physical injuries, and he rtwo children were quite tramatized. *Ak

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 860077
Visibility & wipers

The windshield has cracked in the lowest middle of glass underneath the leaf screen. I have contacted both the nissan dealer and nissan customer service and they both refused to correct the problem. Dealer has admitted that there are no signs of stone chip on the glass. When contacted nissan, I was told they would not warrant their glass eventhough the vehicle is still under full warranty. I want to make sure that the glass does not break and cause an accident. *Ak

Filed Incident VisibilityNHTSA 720441
Engine & cooling

Oil bracket assembly failed, no oil reading could be seen. Mjs

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 549198
SteeringEngine & coolingVisibility & wipers

Engine check light comes on, and the engine overheats. Also, heater doesn't work, and hears rattling noise when consumer starts the vehicle. *Ak

Filed Incident Steering · Engine and engine cooling · VisibilityNHTSA 851258

Nissan Quest: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
200244021Engine & coolingA
2001511104Body, doors & structureB
20001032133Electrical systemD
1999118442Acceleration & cruise controlC
199841130Body, doors & structureA
1997972105Body, doors & structureC
1996140246Body, doors & structureC
19951733114Engine & coolingD
1994170282Engine & coolingD
All Quest years

1998 Nissan Quest vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 1998 Nissan Quest

Does the 1998 Nissan Quest have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 1998 Nissan Quest: tank assembly (December 2000). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Nissan Quest?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the body, doors & structure (8), visibility & wipers (7), fuel system (5).

How many complaints has the 1998 Nissan Quest had?

41 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on August 3, 1998 and the latest on January 6, 2014. Of these, 3 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 2 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 1998 Nissan Quest a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 79 out of 100 (grade A: far fewer problems than a typical Nissan Quest year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Nissan Quest years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 1998 Nissan Quest has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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