1999 Nissan Quest Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1999 Quest most often describe a sticking accelerator pedal that needs heavy pressure before the van lurches forward, and many report repeat visits for throttle-body cleaning. Brake complaints are also common, centered on premature pad and rotor wear and sticking calipers. Electrical gremlins such as headlights cutting out and wiring connector damage round out the picture.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Sticking accelerator pedal / throttle body deposits

   • 36 complaints (31%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2000–2011

   Owners describe the gas pedal becoming hard to push, then giving way suddenly so the van lunges forward, sometimes stalling or surging when pulling away from a stop. Many say dealers cleaned the throttle body and called it normal carbon buildup or maintenance, and the sticking returned within tens of thousands of miles. A few report throttle position sensor or accelerator cable replacement as the fix. Reported across a wide mileage range, often from around 20,000 to 80,000 miles, and frequently recurring after each cleaning.

   What to check: Ask for service records showing throttle-body cleaning or accelerator cable replacement, and test the pedal from a stop to feel for stiffness or a lurch. A recently cleaned throttle body does not guarantee the sticking will stay away.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Accelerator pedal sticking. This has happened on two or more occasions. I have not been back to the dealership yet because I don't want them wasting my time with telling me that this is a maintenance problem as they have told so many others here in this column. This is definetly a defect and requires an investigation.”

   NHTSA complaint #10037560, filed 2003-09, 45,500 miles

   “Accelerator pedal constantly sticking! There is is a major problem and should be addressed by the national highway and traffic safety administration. I know that there is a class action suit involving the throttle-body cleaning but my vehicle does not qualify because the warranty has expired. The problem has existed since the vehicle was new but the dealership said that they could not find a problem with it. I have all of this documented in service receipts and paperwork. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10048947, filed 2003-12, 60,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Premature brake pad and rotor wear, sticking calipers

   • 19 complaints (16%)
   • median 66,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2010

   Complaints describe front pads and rotors wearing out quickly, sometimes within a year or about 20,000 miles, with grinding, squealing, or a shaking wheel when braking. Several owners report a caliper or brake hose sticking so a front brake dragged, and in some cases the pedal went to the floor after the master cylinder separated from the booster. Dealers typically replaced pads, rotors, calipers and hoses, and some repairs recurred. Reported from roughly 20,000 miles upward, with repeat brake jobs common by 60,000 to 100,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect pad and rotor thickness, caliper operation and brake hose condition on both front corners; ask how recently the brakes were serviced and whether the same corner has been repaired more than once. Service bulletins describe brake diagnosis and rotor resurfacing procedures.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Where to start.... Brakes; 65,000 miles and we're on the 4th set (we've replaced them 3 times)! Efi... Every 25,000 miles the throttle sticks and yes, we joined the class action. And the latest? The crossover pipe on the exhaust system broke, filling the cabin with exhaust... Engine parts should last longer.”

   NHTSA complaint #10050648, filed 2003-12, 20,000 miles

   “My wife was driving our 1999 Nissan Quest on the interstate the first time the driver front brake locked up. She drove the vehicle to stones river Nissan of murfreesboro, tn where they replaced the brake calipers, hoses, rotors, and pads. The brake pads wore out after only 8k miles. Took the vehicle to a different shop to have a tire repaired and the pads replaced and the driver's front locked up again on the technician while road testing his repair. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10273147, filed 2009-06, 101,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Headlights and lighting that cut out intermittently

   • 6 complaints (5%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2013

   Owners report headlights and tail lights turning off and on while driving, with some finding a melted connector where the harness plugs into the bulb, and one describing a fuse box that overheated and melted. Repairs ranged from replacing a bulb or wiring harness to replacing electrical components; in other cases mechanics could not reproduce the fault. A related recall addresses tail light sockets that may not hold the bulb. Reported from about 30,000 to 100,000 miles, often as an intermittent problem with no clear pattern.

   Recall 99V347002

   What to check: Check headlight and tail light operation, including wiggle-testing the bulb connectors for heat damage or melting, and confirm whether the tail light socket recall was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 1999 Nissan Quest, continues to have wiring problems that have caused the head lights and tail lights to quit operating. Each head light wiring harness has been replaced at least once and now the left head light and left brake light do not work. This has also been observed on multiple Nissan Quest and mercury villagers on the road. I called Nissan and was told this was not a recalled item but my dealer has been repairing free of charge.”

   NHTSA complaint #10010337, filed 2003-03, 40,000 miles

   “Low quality materials causing a fire hazard that were noticed by inspecting equipment. The passenger headlight malfunctioned and the electrical system went out and came back on including all dash electrical equipment while the van was in motion. The right headlight was not operating every time it was needed. I purchased the van and I noticed the headlight was coming on and going off. I inspected the headlight assembly and noticed that the connector that snaps the harness to the bulb had melted wires. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10023071, filed 2003-06, 32,500 miles
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Seat and door latch problems

   • 7 complaints (6%)
   • typically at 2.9 yrs old
   • filed 2000–2012

   Owners report child seat and second-row seat latches that would not lock or released unexpectedly, and door latches that failed to hold a sliding door closed. A recall covers inadequate lubrication of the easy-entry seat latch on some vans. Repairs involved replacing the affected latch parts. Reported at varied mileages, often early in ownership and in some cases years later.

   Recall 99V056002

   What to check: Test every seat latch and sliding door latch for positive engagement, and check whether the seat latch recall was completed for this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Consumer child seat does not always lock into place. The consumer stated a recall had been issued regarding this issue, however she was told by customer service her vehicle identification number was not included, but when she did her own research, her vehicle identification number was apart of the recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10139947, filed 2005-10

   “Consumer unlocked the passenger door by depressing the unlock button, when pulling the handle to open the door, the side door locked without any indication, consumer states that this happens all the time.”

   NHTSA complaint #893253, filed 2001-08
5. 5
   Tires

   Tire tread separation and premature tire wear

   • 7 complaints (6%)
   • median 27,150 mi at 8.1 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2000–2008

   Complaints describe tread separation or blowouts at highway speed on tires that were still relatively new, with one owner reporting a crash. Others describe fast, uneven tire wear and a shaking front end, with a bent rear axle diagnosed in one case. Dealers generally treated the wear as normal or pointed to tire condition rather than the vehicle. Mostly reported between roughly 17,000 and 30,000 miles, though some at higher mileage.

   What to check: Inspect tire age, brand and tread condition, check for uneven wear or cupping, and ask about alignment and any prior axle or suspension repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “General ameri gs 60 tire had tread separation on the highway while traveling at the recommend speeds of 70 miles an hour. The tire through a large chunk into the car and could have lost control or worse.”

   NHTSA complaint #10018491, filed 2003-05, 27,150 miles

   “After vehicle reaches 17,00 miles steering wheel and front began to shake giving the vehicle a rough ride. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed as having bent rear axle. The vehicle was never been in accident so the bent axle should be manufacturer defect. The tires are worn prematurely, but the dealer refused to pay for the replacements claiming at 17000 miles it is a normal wear.”

   NHTSA complaint #866825, filed 2000-08

Buying note. These are old vehicles now, so condition and records matter more than the model's reputation: ask for brake and throttle service history and confirm open recalls were completed. A test drive that includes slow-speed takeoffs and steady braking will surface the two most commonly reported problems.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.