Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
21 mpgcombined; city 19, highway 24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,470U.S. average; Ohio $13,820 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Quest. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
28
0
0
0
Electrical system
18
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
16
0
0
0
Engine
13
1
2
0
Unknown or other
12
0
0
1
Structure
9
1
0
0
Vehicle speed control
8
2
0
1
Service brakes
6
2
0
1
Tires
5
0
0
0
Air bags
4
1
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
4
1
0
0
Wheels
4
0
0
0
8 more parts
Engine and engine cooling
2
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2012 Quest over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 29, 2010, THROUGH FEBRUARY 21, 2012. DUE TO SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING, WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR IDLING ON A DECLINE WITH ¼ TANK FUEL OR LESS, THERE MAY BE AN INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY STALL.
Risk: VEHICLE STALLING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 2, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-647-7261.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 120 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Quest, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (27), electrical system (26), service brakes (13), wheels (12), fuel system (11).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Audit query AQ12003 Gwinnett Place Nissan / Quest Recall
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Quest.
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data