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Nissan QuestModel year report

2011 Nissan Quest Problems

Compared with other Nissan Quest years

Typical for this model

60/100 1.2× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2008

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
66filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
16,500miles, 54 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 19 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Nissan Quest (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year report most often by far that the engine quits while the tank is low and the van is on a downhill slope, idling, or at slow speed; many of these complaints were filed when the vans were nearly new. A second common theme, reported at higher mileage, is delayed or rough acceleration tied to transmission behavior, and a smaller group describes electrical problems such as batteries that will not hold a charge, dead keys and warning lights.

  1. Fuel system

    Engine stalls on a slope or at low speed with low fuel

    • 31 complaints (47%)
    • median 6,800 mi at 1.3 yrs old (28 state mileage)
    • filed 2011–2025

    Complaints describe the engine cutting out, or the van refusing to restart, when the fuel gauge shows a quarter tank or less and the vehicle is on a downhill, an incline, or idling at a stop. Owners say the distance-to-empty display still showed dozens of miles, that adding a gallon or two of fuel usually got it going again, and that rolling the van to level ground sometimes let it restart. Several say the dealer replaced the fuel tank, pump module or sending unit, or reprogrammed a module, and that the stalling came back afterward; others were told the dealer could not reproduce the problem or had no remedy. Mostly reported under about 20,000 miles, often within the first year of ownership, and typically on slopes with a quarter tank or less.

    Recall 12V076000

    What to check: Ask whether the fuel-supply software recall was performed and whether the fuel pump module or tank has been replaced. Before buying, park the van nose-down with a quarter tank and confirm it starts and idles without stumbling.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “This car has completely shut off on me 5 times in the past month! I have had to have gas delivered to me all of these time to be able to drive. On most of these occasions I have had over 1/4 take and had no warning lights on indication fuel level was low. This seems to be a common problem that Nissan is refusing to recognize or do anything about. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10450698, filed 2012-03, 10,500 miles

    “The vehicle fails to draw gas from the gas tank when parked on a decline (front down), and there is less than 1/4 tank of fuel in the tank. This happened in our driveway, where we were unable to start the vehicle even with 1/4 tank of gas, until the vehicle was put in neutral and rolled to a flat spot. Then the vehicle was able to start. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10443346, filed 2012-01, 2,500 miles
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Hesitation then a lurch when accelerating from a stop

    Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe pressing the accelerator from a stop or very low speed and getting a few seconds of no response, followed by a hard jerk as the van finally moves. Some say it happens on slight inclines or is worse after long highway drives, and a few report the van dropping to very low speed with transmission codes stored. Complaints mention dealers replacing the transmission, or telling owners they could not duplicate the problem. Reported from roughly 70,000 to 165,000 miles, and in some cases after extended driving.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Drive the van from several complete stops, including on a slight hill, and note any delay or lurch. Ask whether transmission fluid changes were done and whether any transmission fault codes were ever read.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I just paid my van off when I started having engine issues.at 120,000 codes read p1701 TCM wiring , p0746 pressure control solenoid , p1778 step motor , p0868 pressure control module .is it the transmission the mechanic doesnt want to touch it just wants to change the tranny . I can not afford this. I am single mom is there not someone that can rebuild them properly ???? I bought a Nissan because I thought it would last longer. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11004701, filed 2017-07, 120,000 miles

    “My 2011 Nissan Quest is having issues with the transmission. On two separate trips this summer my Quest has seemingly been incapable of down shifting to gain power during passing or climbs. This only happens during several hours of extended driving time but during normal around town driving it operates without incident. I have now had my Quest serviced at two separate dealers, one in florida and the other in ohio, both found nothing at all wrong. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10892734, filed 2016-08, 76,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Battery drains, no-start and electrical faults

    Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report batteries that go flat or need repeated replacement, keyless start systems that do not recognize the key, and occasional complete loss of power while driving. Some describe accessories such as the radio, navigation unit, backup camera or power windows behaving intermittently, and one owner traced a jerking feel to times when the wipers were on. Complaints mention dealers recharging or replacing batteries and, in some cases, telling owners nothing was found. Scattered from a few thousand miles up to about 160,000 miles, with several reports in the 70,000 to 130,000 mile range.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check battery age and voltage, test that both key fobs start the van repeatedly, and ask whether any battery drain or no-start diagnosis was done. A service bulletin covers the key-not-detected symptom, so ask whether that procedure was applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When driving down the road my van will start jerking like it's not getting enough fuel. I had it checked out and the mechanic could find nothing wrong with it. We drive around and it wouldn't act up. Since then, I've noticed it does when when using the windshield wipers.”

    NHTSA complaint #11399017, filed 2021-03, 140,000 miles

    “Purchased brand new vehicle on 4/20/11, on 7/20/11 car would not start. Had to tow car to dealership, they said it was the battery and they would recharge it. We requested that they install a new battery and they finally did. Yesterday 3/3/11 we had the same problem. Went into a store for 5 minutes, returned to the car and it was totally dead. Had to have the car towed to dealership again. As of this writing not sure what the outcome will be. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10450212, filed 2012-03, 2,103 miles

Buying note. The low-fuel stalling reports are the most common theme for this model year, so confirm the recall work was done and test the van on a slope with a partial tank. Also budget for a transmission and electrical inspection on higher-mileage examples, since complaints about hesitation and battery or key faults cluster there.

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.

NHTSA recorded 66 consumer complaints for the 2011 Nissan Quest. 54 of the complaints include a mileage, and 56% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 16,500 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 128 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Nissan Quest model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 60 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Exterior lighting (1), Seat belts (1), Seats (1), Body and structure (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Fuel system: “When the van has 1/4 or less of gas and is on an slight incline. The van will not start only will start again when you put in 5 gallons of gas. I have drove this van like this for almost a year making sure it is half to full tank of gas. Now I am having problems even with the tank full going up inclines wanting to stall even with the gas petal pushed its not sending the signal to the fuel.”

NHTSA complaint #11403948, filed 2021-03, 113,000 miles

Electrical system: “I was traveling on the highway at night with my daughter and my two grandkids. When I noticed that the car started to stop and then got off the highway and came to a stoplight the car completely shut down. Everything completely went off the car would not start, the electrical system also went down there was no power anywhere in the vehicle. I then contacted Nissan consumer affairs and reported the issue. They advised me to take it into the Nissan dealer and have it diagnosed. …”

NHTSA complaint #11404205, filed 2021-03, 76,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Our 2011 Nissan Quest is having issues with the transmission. At high rates of speed, such as on the freeway, especially when the car has been running for awhile, the transmission begins to make a ringing type sound when accelerating. It also struggles to downshift properly, taking several seconds to engage in the downshift for more power and then jerking roughly. It has left us vulnerable to a situation in which we could crash by not being able to get out of the way of another vehicle quickly. …”

NHTSA complaint #10891997, filed 2016-08, 95,000 miles

Engine cooling: “I was driving down a moderate incline on low fuel when the engine stopped running. I was able to safely pull to the curb and restart the engine. I took the car into the Nissan dealership to be looked at and was told there were 3 other cars in line with the same problem. Nissan is well aware of the problem. I was then told not to let the fuel tank get below 1/2 tank.”

NHTSA complaint #10443689, filed 2012-01, 6,500 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

56% of the 54 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 4,000 and 80,000 miles.

44%0–109%10–252%25–509%50–7520%75–10011%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (54 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 16,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’1125’13’15’17’19’21’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Nissan Quest version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Quest FWD3.5L 6-cylCVT192421$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Nissan Quest → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 128 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 128 bulletins →

Other model years of the Nissan Quest

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2017644,0000—22—Not enough data
20161356,0000—22—Not enough data
20151254,0000—22—Not enough data
20141864,0000—21—Falling
20131895,8520—21—Falling
20129370,0001—2150 · TypicalFalling
20116616,5001—2160 · TypicalFalling
20092284,0002—19—Falling
20085097,0003—1913 · FewerStable
2007228100,0001—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20067457,0001—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20058250,8002—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200444533,8224—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20022934,0000—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20014258,0001—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20008748,0002—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199911850,0004—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199841103,0001—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19978968,5002—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1996134103,0002—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995167100,0003—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1994165111,1002—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1993118162,0005—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Nissan Quest model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Nissan Quest?

Owners of this model year report most often by far that the engine quits while the tank is low and the van is on a downhill slope, idling, or at slow speed; many of these complaints were filed when the vans were nearly new. The issues reported most often: Engine stalls on a slope or at low speed with low fuel; Hesitation then a lurch when accelerating from a stop; Battery drains, no-start and electrical faults.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Nissan Quest have?

NHTSA recorded 66 consumer complaints for the 2011 Nissan Quest as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Nissan Quest is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 34 complaints (52% of the total), followed by electrical system with 10.

Has the 2011 Nissan Quest been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Nissan Quest get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Nissan Quest (Quest, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 19 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Nissan Quest reported?

Among the 54 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 16,500 miles and the middle half falls between 4,000 and 80,000 miles; 56% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.