2011-2017 Nissan Quest Brake Job Guide: Symptoms, Costs and the Right Parts

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A brake job on a 2011-2017 Nissan Quest means pads, and usually rotors, at all four corners, because this generation of Quest uses vented disc brakes on both axles. Front pads wear first on this heavy front-drive minivan, but the rear discs are real brakes that need their own service, and every Quest in this range also needs its brake fluid checked, because Nissan changed the fluid spec from DOT 3 to DOT 4 through a service campaign.

How the Brakes Work on the 2011-2017 Quest

Nissan's launch press kit for the 2011 Quest lists four-wheel vented disc brakes with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Brake Assist and Electronic Brake force Distribution, plus standard Vehicle Dynamic Control and traction control. The van rides on Nissan's D platform, shared with the Maxima, Altima and Murano, and is powered by the 3.5-liter V6.

What that means for a brake job:

• Front brakes do most of the stopping on a loaded minivan, so front pads and rotors are the first wear items.
• Rear brakes are also vented discs with their own calipers and pads. Electronic brake force distribution lets the system use the rear brakes more when the van is loaded, so rear pads on a Quest that hauls a full family do not last forever.
• The parking brake is a foot-pedal unit: the owner's manual has you fully depress the pedal to apply it and press it again to release it. There is no electronic parking brake, so no scan tool is needed to retract the rear calipers.
• Wheel size varies by trim. The press kit lists 16-inch wheels on the S and SV and 18-inch wheels on the SL and LE. Always order brake parts by your exact year and trim so the parts match what is on the van.

Symptoms Your Quest Is Due for Brakes

The Quest has a built-in warning that many owners mistake for a random noise. Nissan's owner's manual explains that the disc brake pads have audible wear warnings: when a pad needs replacement it makes a high-pitched scraping sound while the van is moving. At first you only hear it with the brake pedal pressed; after more wear you hear it all the time, pedal or not. If you hear that scrape, get the brakes checked right away.

Other signs that a brake job is due:

• Pulsation or a shaking steering wheel under braking, especially coming down off the highway. That points to rotors with uneven thickness or deposits.
• Grinding instead of a high squeal. That usually means the pad friction is gone and the backing plate is on the rotor, which makes rotors part of the job no matter what.
• Pulling to one side, which suggests a sticking caliper or slide pin on one wheel.
• A soft or long pedal. On this van, that one deserves extra attention because of the ABS actuator issue covered below.
• The red brake warning light on with the parking brake released. The manual says that light also warns of low brake fluid. Low fluid is often just worn pads (the caliper pistons have moved out and the reservoir level drops), but check for leaks before assuming that.

The DOT 4 Brake Fluid Campaign Every Quest Owner Should Know About

This is the single most important Quest-specific item on the list. The original owner's manual calls for Genuine Nissan Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or an equivalent DOT 3 fluid. Nissan later ran voluntary service campaign P0A08 covering 57,669 model year 2011-2015 Quest vans, along with Murano models. According to the campaign bulletin filed with NHTSA, a chemical reaction between a chromate coating on a valve inside the ABS actuator and DOT 3 fluid can form a gel around the normally closed valve. In some cases the valve can stick open, brake pressure can fluctuate, and the driver may feel increased pedal travel (a soft pedal) when the ABS activates. Nissan states that normal braking is unaffected.

The dealer remedy is to replace the brake fluid with DOT 4, inspect the ABS actuator with Nissan's Consult tool and replace it if needed, change the reservoir cap, and give the owner a manual insert instructing them to use DOT 4 from then on.

What this means for your brake job:

• Before you start, have a Nissan dealer run your VIN for open campaigns. The campaign is free, and it is the only way to get the ABS actuator inspected with the factory tool.
• If the campaign has been done (look for the updated reservoir cap and the manual insert), top off or flush with DOT 4 only. Do not put DOT 3 back in.
• If you are flushing fluid as part of the brake job, use a fresh sealed bottle of DOT 4. The owner's manual warns that old or contaminated fluid can damage the brake system.

Front vs Rear: What to Replace Together

A few rules that keep the job from coming back early:

• Pads and rotors together is usually the smart call on this van. It is heavy, and fresh pads on grooved or unevenly worn rotors tend to bring pulsation back quickly. Measure the rotor against the minimum thickness cast into it; if it is at or near that number, replace it.
• Always do both sides of an axle. Never replace pads on one wheel only.
• Replace the hardware. New abutment clips and fresh caliper slide pin grease prevent the squeal and uneven wear that worn clips cause. A brake hardware kit is cheap insurance.
• Check the calipers. A caliper that pulls the van to one side, or pads worn much thinner on one side than the other, points to a sticking piston or seized slide pin. Replace a bad caliper in pairs with replacement brake calipers.

Choosing the Right Parts

For a family minivan the best all-around choice is a quality ceramic pad: quiet, low dust, and consistent in daily stop-and-go driving. Browse ceramic brake pads for a daily-driver Quest. If the van runs fully loaded most of the time, look at heavier-duty pad and rotor options in our brake pad and brake rotor collections.

Matched kits that bundle pads and rotors for an axle take the guesswork out of ordering and are a good option when both ends are due at once. Whichever route you go, confirm fitment by year and trim, because the 16-inch and 18-inch wheel trims can differ.

How Hard Is a Quest Brake Job?

For someone with basic tools and a safe way to lift the van, a front or rear pad and rotor job on the Quest is a moderate DIY. Nothing about it is exotic: 1A Auto's rear brake procedure for the 2011-2017 Quest calls for ordinary tools including a jack and jack stands, metric sockets, a brake caliper compressor, brake cleaner and a torque wrench.

The general sequence on each axle:

1. Loosen the lug nuts, lift the van at the factory points and support it on jack stands. Never work under a van held only by a jack.
2. Remove the caliper bolts and hang the caliper from the suspension with wire. Do not let it dangle on the brake hose.
3. Remove the pads and clips, then the caliper bracket, then the rotor. On the rear, make sure the parking brake is fully released first.
4. Clean the hub face of rust so the new rotor sits flat. A rusty hub is a common cause of new-rotor pulsation.
5. Install the new rotor, bracket, clips, pads and caliper. Torque the bracket bolts, caliper bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual.
6. Pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the van, check the fluid level (DOT 4 if the campaign has been done), then bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops.

If the fluid is dark or has not been changed in years, add a flush. With the ABS actuator history on this van, a flush with the correct DOT 4 fluid is one of the better investments you can make.

What drives the cost is simple: pads only is the cheapest, pads and rotors costs more but usually lasts longer, and doing both axles at once roughly doubles parts while saving a second trip. Shop labor is the biggest share of a professional job, so doing the work yourself saves the most.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2011-2017 Nissan Quest have rear disc brakes or drums?

Rear discs. Nissan's 2011 press kit lists four-wheel vented disc brakes with ABS, Brake Assist and Electronic Brake force Distribution.

What brake fluid does a Nissan Quest use?

The original owner's manual calls for DOT 3, but Nissan's service campaign P0A08 for 2011-2015 Quest vans switched the fluid to DOT 4 and tells owners to keep using DOT 4 afterward. If your van has had the campaign, use DOT 4 only.

What is the scraping noise from my Quest brakes?

Most likely the built-in pad wear warning. Nissan's manual describes a high-pitched scraping sound that first appears only while braking and later all the time as the pad wears further. It means the pads are due.

Do I need a scan tool to change the rear brakes on a Quest?

No. The Quest uses a foot-pedal parking brake, not an electronic one, so the rear caliper pistons retract with a standard caliper compressor. Just make sure the parking brake is released.

Why does my Quest brake pedal feel soft during ABS stops?

That matches the condition Nissan describes in campaign P0A08: gel from DOT 3 fluid can stick a valve in the ABS actuator, causing increased pedal travel when the ABS activates. Have a Nissan dealer check your VIN for the open campaign.

Should I replace rotors every time I replace pads?

Not automatically, but often on a heavy van like the Quest. Replace rotors that are below the minimum thickness stamped on them, badly grooved, or causing pulsation.

Sources

1. Nissan USA - 2011 Nissan Quest Press Kit - four-wheel vented disc brakes, ABS, Brake Assist, EBD, D platform, wheel sizes by trim
2. Nissan - 2012 Quest Owner's Manual - audible pad wear warning, foot-pedal parking brake, brake warning light, original DOT 3 fluid spec
3. NHTSA - Nissan Campaign Bulletin P0A08, Brake Fluid Flush - 2011-2015 Quest population, ABS actuator gel condition, DOT 3 to DOT 4 remedy
4. 1A Auto - How to Replace Rear Brakes 2011-2017 Nissan Quest - rear pad and rotor procedure and tools required