Used 1997 Nissan Quest Minivan Consumer Reviews
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17 years and still going
My van now has 114,596 miles on it. This van has only been used for trips and a few times as a daily driver. I have been all over the West with it. I have followed the service interval from day 1. I run Amsoil always and have never had any major issue's. I've had 3 batteries, The alternator replaced at 86K, I had the brakes replaced at 45K & 90K, A fuel pump at 113K and just got my 4th set of tires on it. That said, I am just about to have shocks, struts and the brakes done as they have 3mm left. I am in need of the Drivers side master control switch (Power windows and locks) and a major service. Tune Up, Oil, Transmission, Power Steering fluid and coolant. It will last another 10 years easy
wont stop till the tire drops
so we got the car with 196k its got 340 now starter just went out 25 bucks this car is insane and plus we drive alot!!!!!!!!! if u need a reliable car this car would be best for the penny pincher economy wise person and too this day it drives strong
The longer the better
When this car just passed standard 3 years warranty, the a/c board goes out. But after that, this car engine has been so reliable and just change oil and pump gas. The other minor defect is the antenna went out twice on me. I put $450.00 Navigation System and no more upgrade needed.
Mom's Fun Van!
It has all the features I would ever really use. Great stereo, air conditioning, and heater. Comfortable seating all around. It is VERY reliable in quality and performance. Never a problem. The mini-van handles well around corners. It accelerates promptly when entering the freeway, even with a van full of high schoolers. This is my "No worries, Take me anywhere van!" I have never had to use the roof rack because I could just take out a bench seat to use it for hauling. I LOVE my mini-van!
Great little Van
After 88000 original miles with one timing belt changed as well as scheduled maintenance, it is still running great !!!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Good for the long run
The van to this point has been rather inexpensive to maintain. Very comfortable for long driving trips. No so good were the original tires, Generals. The van does not handle that well, I was passed up by Semi's on the Pennsylvania turnpike. Average fuel economy, the EPA sticker is a little optimistic for city mileage. Averages 16 in the city and 23 on highway.
Nissan part of car good, Ford part so-so
Never had a drive train problem with this car and I was not fanatical about changing the oil, etc. Not enough horsepower (170). Very comfy ride and handled well. CD changer stopped working. A/C died after 74k miles. Electric seats painfully slow. Very comfy though. Never towed anything with it. Never thought it had enough power for that. Excessive wind noise on highway. Seatbelts didn't work well, wouldn't retract fully (just like Aerostar). Just got a Toy Sequoia. What a difference! Much quieter. Pricey though.
Wish I Had Purchased Something Else
I actually purchased this van d/t all of the positive reviews here on Edmunds. I purchased my van at 192,000 miles from a couple who had pristine records on the van and claimed 'no problems' other than maintenance. This van has left me stranded twice now, including once while away in another state where I knew no one and was using the van to do a craft show. It seems to have a lot of issues with the fusing/ electrical system and I have had to had the fuel pump replaced. Yes, I understand it is an older van and repairs will be necessary, but I have sunk over $3000 in repairs in just the past 9 months I've had it. Wish I would have done more research.
Great for our family
After 6 years, we just sold our GXE. It was a fantastic van. The two tone color was beautiful, loved the style and was extremely reliable. Van was loaded: auto lights, premium stereo, auto sunroof, AC, cruise con, alloys etc. East to drive and comfortable. Best family vehicle we've had. Easy to drive. Not a bulky feeling van.
97 Quest
I bought my Nissan Quest as brand new for my new born daughter, the A/C controller goes out twice, recently A/C just replace with refurbish system, Engine runs good never break down, HP is limited for lane passing. The brake make some noise but works fine to stop the car. No major repair.
Van Vagabond
Bought 1st 97 Nissan Quest used in Jul 99 with 49,000 miles; Have logged 78,000 additional for total of 127,000 miles with only routine maintenance; Bought 2nd 97 Nissan Quest used in Jan 2003 with 44,000 miles; Expect this one to be a good as the last.. Drove all 2003 models and for the value could not find any better for my needs... Keep on making them Nissan'sssssss
Good family mini-van
Bought it used with 20K miles on it. Now has 70K miles and still running very well. Very reliable, not major mechanical problems. Good quality overall. My kids like it. Very comfortable and fun to drive. Engine not very powerful, though. A/C and Power windows still working well. Only one quality issue: After 65K miles sliding door unlocks easily when driving in highway. Dealer had to replace all door's hardware to fix it. We will stay with NISSAN for new van this year but I need one of the latest models with the extra sliding door.
3 yr old quest- threw rod- bad transmiss
3 yr old late model 1997 nissan quest threw rod through motor at 80000mi- same motor in Mercury Villager throwing rods was recalled.Nissan said too bad- Had transmission overheat, noise, low power on hills, brakes reground, rotors replaced sounded like you were dragging concrete blocks behind you- drove great first 2 yrs- then started falling apart- bought at $18,500 then salvage sale $3000 in 1/2001 through trade in- Toyota dealership shook their heads at it :(
I love my Nissan Quest!
This is a fantastci vehicle- fun and easy to drive, comfy, sporty yet functional. I have had this van for 6 years and have only had to complete maintenance work on it. I have a very busy family like, used to commute 50+ daily to work, and this van took it like a champ!
Looking for greener grass
We purchased our Quest in December of 1999 with around 22K miles. We currently have 63K miles. We have had brake problems, throttle replaced, electric problems and currently we have had to replace one of the fuel injectors. I seriously doubt I will consider purchasing another Nissan product. We put very few miles on this vehicle and service it regularly. We bought Nissan because we had heard good things about the quality. Our experience has not been positive. Like others, I believe the wind noise on the highway is excessive. I also feel this is a poor quality product.
'97 Quest
We bought the van used, with 84,00 miles already on it. Other than the wind noise edmunds mentions, we have had excellent service out of this van. It has great acceleration, fuel economy, and is quite comfortable on long trips. This particular van has the removable center row captain's chairs, which really makes a lot of room for cargo. Best used car I have ever owned.
Quest
My Quest has had some problems since I bought it. I have had to replace the flex pipe as it was rusted for $360 at Speedy Muffler. This quieted the exhaust substantially. The transmission used to bump abruptly into second gear but since I changed the tranny fluid and filter the smoothness has improved substantially. Air bag light came on one day but local Nissan dealer cleared the codes for free. They said it may have been caused by a low battery. These are great guys at Doner Nissan in Newmarket,Ontario.
good vehicle
very comfortable gas miles per gallon could be better,just 23 hwy miles and 17 city engine power , not to powerful for the size of the van.A zooming noise the i just find out that is fuel pump(common problem on nissan quest) i use to have a 4 cil.(mazda)that the gas milleage was 24 city,36hwy im complaining about it because gas price today is on the sky.$2.38 per gallon (nyc)
My experience with 97 Quest
Overall this van was a good choice. The only problems I`ve had were brakes constantly needing work done on them. The pads needed changing often.
Would buy again
I have seen complaints about brake problems with the Nissan Quest, but the brakes on my '97 Quest were not touched until 100,000 miles, and then the rotors were in excellent shape and I just had a new set of premium quality pads installed (the rear were good). I replaced the timing belt and lower ball joints at about same time as brakes, and that's it! This van has never let me down. It starts great and gets me where I'm going.
A reqal baby -- our '97 Quest
This little mini-van has been the best car I have ever owned. She rides well, handles well, and just keeps on going. With nearly 300,000 miles and nothing but oil chanes and plug wires, it has worked perfectly. We jsut drove it this month( July 02- 15, 2005 ) from south Florida to Seattle Washington via the South Dakota Balands, Yellowstone National Park, The Grand Teton mounain range, the Rockies and it never missed a beat. 25 miles on the highway and 22 around town. I hope your car can compare with this little gem. Roger J. Fort Myers, Florida
142,000 and going strong
This has been an excellent ride. I dislike the thought of giving it up - I may just wait until it is a decade old! Car has been extremely reliable. Small amount of regular maintenance has kept it very road worth. Recent strut replacement gives it back original smooth ride. Had trouble early on with door locks that seemed to have a mind of their own. Also, seat belts quit retracting early in the relationship. "Sarah" has been through much and still retains most of that "grilish" look. Happy the new model has second door. With kids getting older probably won't go for another van but definitely Nissan is a qulity producer of cars.
Great Vehicle
We've driven this van for the last 4 years and have been well pleased with its performance. The engine is rock- solid, requiring very few repairs despite the 153,000 miles on it. We drove it from Indiana to Florida three times without incident. The three vs. four doors became more of an issue once we had a fourth child, but before then it was not bad. The one downside is lack of storage space - tough to go on a trip without using the roof rack.
'97 GXE
Great minivan. Only a few annoying things: all buttons and switches were sticking. Rear wiper and side windows were electrically intermittent. Very reliable. 3.0 6-cyl is strong enough with decent gas mileage. Transmission was strong and could easily handle mountains. Never had a major issue with this van.
A van that rides like a car!
We were reluctant to trade our Outback for a van. It's that "I drive a mini van now I'm old" thing. After driving every available make there is, the Nissan won our hearts. Rides like a car, fits in the garage, still fits 4 kids with 2 adults. The only thing I would have done differently is buy a newer one to get the 2nd sliding door.
1997 Nissan Quest
Bought it new in 97 and still have it. Excessive engine noise. Bad electrical problems (once for rear AC, twice for EGR valves), poor brakes, frequent tire wearout, transmission is sticking (I hope that does not break down before I sell). I have had fair share of problems for 114k miles. I would not buy another Nissan again.
Couldn't ask for a better vehicle
The day I saw my Nissan I was so excited! I know it sounds like I was bringing home my baby for the first time, and it was! It rides great, it feels so open, and comfortable! Believe it or not but we still have our Nissan, and it still runs good (it's 10 years old) and it still looks good! I am selling it, only to buy another Quest! When talking about selling our van my 8 year old starts to cry because this is the only vehicle he has had to ride in and he loves it. he gets one seat and his sister gets the other. Everyone in our family has their place in this van! We love it!! It was truly a blessing from God when we got this van!