JD power 2017 dependability study

[blancotx]

JD power just released a dependability study and Infiniti in general was 3rd from last! and Twice as bad as Lexus and Toyota. Nissan did poorly also. Only Jeep and Fiat were lower...I was surprised and even shocked by this given Infiniti's Japanese origins. So....I'd like to hear from other QX80 owners - how reliable has your vehicle been? We were dead set on either that or the Armada (same car with diff front end now and $10-12K cheaper) until we saw this study so would greatly appreciate any feedback from actual owners. thx!

 

[icmoney]

No problems here

I have had my 2014 GX80 since May 2014. Bought it brand new off show room floor. It has every option available for the GX80 for 2014 model.

I have only changed oil and oil filter on schedule and now have 46000 miles on the vehicle. I change out air filters myself. Still have 22" factory tires on it and they look like they could last another 20K. About 80% of my driving is trips of 300 - 1000 miles.

I am completely happy with my GX80. I had a 2014 Lexus GX460 for only 6 months and traded it for the GX80. The GX460 was to cramped for us and hated the Barn Door rear cargo access. Also, I did not need full time four wheel drive.

Did the JD Power article specifically list the GX80 or just lump all models together?

 

[blancotx]

Thanks, JCmoney. It seems most people who I see on the street with a Qx80 and ask are very pleased with their Infinitis. I can't think of one person who had anything bad to say. This is why I was so surprised by the JD power study. To answer your question, they lumped ALL Infinit models together so it was just brand based. So perhaps some Infiniti models have more issues and it skews the overall results.

 

[focsle]

We have a 2014 and we love it. It may be the best car I have owned so far, Will definitely buy another.
Do your due diligence, the Q and the Armada do share the same platform, but the are differences beyond the price tag.

1966 SS 696
1970 427 Impala
1971 340 Cuda
1972 VW Van
1971 Saab 96
1965 IH Pickup
1986 Sivlerado
2005 Tundra
2006 LS 430
2013 Tundra

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[0macman0]

Thanks, JCmoney. It seems most people who I see on the street with a Qx80 and ask are very pleased with their Infinitis. I can't think of one person who had anything bad to say. This is why I was so surprised by the JD power study. To answer your question, they lumped ALL Infinit models together so it was just brand based. So perhaps some Infiniti models have more issues and it skews the overall results.

May want to lurk in the QX56 forum since 11-13 are the same as the QX80. That being said I really like the vehicle, and I have had problems and disappointments. I can't say though at any higher rate then the hondas I've had, but problems of greater magnitude. The catalytic converter / timing chain fiasco supposedly isn't an issue in newer models, that's the risk you run with any vehicle in the first couple of model years in the wild. I'd own another because of the vehicle dynamics and features, but it would be 14+ model year.

 

[Kcrebel]

This forum is dead for the most part. Like most forums this is a place to bitch and when folks are happy you get a stale board. I've found that members only come on here when they are having an issue or searching for something in particular. I try to drop by every few days and more times than not there are no new updates.
That said we are on our second Infiniti. Newest is 15 80. Had a 12 56 we kept for 80k before trading in on the 15. This one has close to 50k on it.
Couldn't be happier. We escaped the 12 without any timing chain issues. My dealer was as confident the day I traded in as he was the day I bought it that it would have made it fine. Both vehicles were/are serviced as recommended and always at Infiniti.
Take that for what it's worth. No way I would buy one used without a full history of service specifically oil changes and their intervals.
Only issues we have had were minor. Had an electrical issue where all 4 windows would roll themselves down while I was away from the car and the sensor that recognizes your key fob when its close to the vehicle failed about the same time and ran my battery down. Both were replaced and no farther issues. Matter of fact I think the battery drain was the replacement solenoid which was a bad batch.
Honestly I have had more damage done to my vehicle while it was being serviced than I have had problems driving it.
Twice with the 56 it was hit and damaged. Once the driver door had a gash cut in it from what appeared to be a tool being dropped down the side or something raised up into it. The other time the left rear bumper was scuffed to the primer on something yellow. I'm guessing one of the yellow safety poles. Dealer repaired both. On the 80 last time I had it serviced I also had it aligned since I was seeing some abnormal wear on the right front tire. Got it back only to find the left rear rim was scratched 180 degrees apart and was rather obvious that the alignment boot was placed on the rim vs the tire and scratched it. They pulled a rim off a loaner that was in as good condition as my others and swapped them.
We love our 80. If we were to trade today it would be for a 17 80. Or 18 if they are out yet. Now that we are back home in MS I would opt for the cooled seats we have not had in the past. Essentially we have owned the entry level awd versions and they are loaded beyond what the Tahoe/Escalade vehicles LTZ top end packages are. Love the increased HP and towing ability of the 80. Second row leg room is top of the line. I'm 6'3 and I can ride comfortably with front seats all the way back. Try that in any other full size SUV. Wished the 3rd row seats would fold completely flat and inline with second row. That is one thing GM has mastered in their newer models. Can't think of anything else though for GM. Lol.
Auto headlights hi beams only activate >25 mph. We live in a sub that has no street lights with winding roads. Never get up to that speed coming in or going out so that is pain point.
Unlock sensors or rear doors. A simple update would make working out of one of these so much nicer along with the option to shut/lock the rear lift gate and walk away while it's closing. The nav sucks ass. It's terribly outdated and the newest updates aren't much better.
about all I can think of off the top of my head. It's a joy to drive and I have yet to see anything that addresses more of our needs to hit the market and we look every year. I have no affiliation with Infiniti so no reason to stay with them if and when someone else makes a better option for us.

 

[blancotx]

very helpful, thx so much! We are leaning to the new Armada SL as its so similar and ~ $12K less for the options we want (and we like the subdued front end a little better). I think the JD power study is somehow skewed....apparently consumer reports shows Nissan /Infiniti much better.

 

[Kcrebel]

Mathews compound bows have been Outdoor Life/Field&Stream #1 bow like 20 years running. Somehow the Mathews product annually outperforms every other manufacturer in their tests. Ironically all of the writers shoot Mathews bows. When same tests are done by other groups you get a vast array of results generally skewed to the bow that was given to the testers to keep vs test if that makes sense.
Point is I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock into any report of how grand or poor a particular vehicle is when ranked amongst others.

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[blancotx]

Krebel, appreciate you taking the time and I agree most reports are biased to some degree (and some to an extreme...look at the presidential polling "studies" the networks did last fall...), but I also don't think you throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's a data point. If I saw Infiniti in the middle I might not be concerned, but when I see it it 3rd from the bottom only ahead of Fiat and Jeep (two known dogs), this catches my interest. The whole point of a comparison study is to "rank amongst others" after all. Another data point which I like better is just to ask actual owners about their experiences. So far it's been mixed, but I've heard enough to come away thinking Infiniti is probably somewhere in the middle (not the bottom). And now that I realize I can get the same car for $15K+ less in the Armada (we don't care about the front-end grill, tail lights, or "status"), I am probably willing to live with that. The safety features are a big selling point for us, and the Patrol seems to be loved around the globe. thx!

 

[Beerguy]

I think Infiniti has slipped a bit from their glory days. We had a 2008 G35 ... literally bullet proof ... nothing but routine maintenance at our Infiniti dealer. Still going strong, although weak point is the interior appearance didn't hold up.

I traded my Escalade for a new 2016 QX80 Limited in Imperial Black and will say its been solid but a few software and navigation issues otherwise good. The interior on this one is Bentley like although as Kcrebel indicates the Navigation/Center console electronics set-up is sorely lacking for this price point. Fit & Finish is great ... and I'm pretty particular with getting cars protected and detailed ($4K alone in Ceramic Pro coating and Xpel).

I just feel for the price point it could be a little better. The 2G to 3G issue was an embarrassment to Infiniti. How can you not rectify that knowing ATT was dropping at end of 2016 ... and insult to injury is Infiniti required a co-pay to upgrade the unit. This kind of stuff counts as negative information in the JD Powers survey.

Infinti has contracted JD Powers to solicit anonymous owners going in for service visits to complete a thorough report afterwards ... I presume in hopes of improving customer satisfaction and getting the real details behind the scenes.

Ironically, I too came away with a few scratches from the dealer washing ... car must have had winter dirt/sand on surface and you can see the scratches ... black shows everything.

Best of luck in your search

 

[xeod]

I know this is a super old thread. However, I had to ask a question and I felt this was the best thread for it. Actually its a 2 part as my first Infiniti I ever owned was a 2011 QX56. I had mine since 2016. Purchased it used with about 70k miles on it. LOVED my QX56 but buying used came with issues, although it only had 1 previous owner I had to replace all 4 door locks, cats, torque converter and bearings. $15k+ later (124k miles) I was looking at trading it in and contemplated not getting another Infiniti all because a co-worker asked how many do I still see on the road with 200k miles on them.

Now I knew that I have seen older QX56's on the road, but these were on the Nissan Armada platform and not the Nissan Patrol that is made from 2011-present for the QX56/QX80. The only one I can find for sale across the US was a 2013 with 192k miles. So question is, do the current platform QX80's last well beyond 200k miles and owners are so happy with their truck that they kept them vs. selling them. Which would be why I do not see them for sale. Or is it because they do not go beyond 200k miles?

If its possible, POST your milage if you are proud of your 2011-present QX56/QX80 and have high miles......

As an update to what I did with my QX56 trade-in, well I LOVE Infiniti so I bought a brand new 2018 QX80 that was still on the new car lot and got one heck of a deal!

 

[marctronixx]

the car is solid. the 2011s had some issues but the engine and tranny are all solid. ive a 2012 at 90K miles, daily driver. I drive it like I stole it. its solid, dependable. have not had any issues with it. none.

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