QX reliability (potential new users thread)

Hi and welcome.

Ive a 2012. Daily driver with about 86K miles. Had the recall done 2-3 years ago. Wasn’t having any issues prior to the recall but dealer stated my vin fell within the vins that were recommended to have the work done.

Zero issues. Engine is still as strong as the day i bought it in 2012.
 
Have a 2011 with 125,000 miles on it. All the recall stuff was done and it runs great! no issues.
 
newbie questions 2006 qx56

Thinking of buying a 2006 qx my question is it has 161000 miles and seems to be in good shape. do you think this is to many miles they are asking 7500.00 they have receipts for regular oil changes but not much else

what would I need to do as far as getting it up to date with fluids
what should I have checked like brakes, drive belts etc
any help would be appreciated or should I walk away with this many miles
jimbo
 
Check other ads for similar car in your area. Check local used lots to see if the price is fair.

Since its a private sale, you may be able to haggle.

Well me personally I’d replace all fluids because that way *I* know when they were changers and how fresh things are.

Depends on where you are located. If you are in the snow belt, check for rust and worn AC lines that go to the back.

Check manifolds, cats, coil packs. Check for any codes at the obd port!!!
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I'll be test driving the QX tomorrow and have been scouring the internet on what to look out for and questions to ask. The QX is fuly loaded and has the deluxe touring package, tech, theater and tire and wheel package. Dealer is asking $28K, mileage is $74K.

My questions and concerns are:
1. Is $28K for the super loaded car a good deal or what should I offer the dealer? It doesn't look like they negotiate on their pricing but it wont hurt to ask. I checked KBB trade in value and it ranges from $22-25K. Private party sale is $27K.

2. Is this model year affected by the Catalytic converter and manifolds (what are those)?

3. Any issue with height fitting in the garage? Wondering if I should take measurements to be sure.

4. What other major services should I budget for? I've seen on here regarding time belt at 90-100K miles.

5. Anything else am missing? I'm not mechanically inclined, the most I've done is change filters on my prior car.

The car is a local trade, and when I called the dealer had taken it to the Infiniti dealer so am thinking that means any pending recalls were taken care of. I'm hoping to drive the car till the wheels fall off (knock on wood... and for sure this time!) but am concerned if having all those packages/bells and whistles affect the longevity and of course the cost of ownership.
 
1. Price is subjective but seems in line. Also depends on the upkeep.
2. No, but getting the VIN and checking on the Infiniti website or calling the dealer takes a couple minutes to be sure.
3. Depends on the height of your garage. The car is about 6 foot 6 inches with 22 inch wheels and roof rack
4. Verify maintenance records from the owner and look at the Infiniti service maintenance booklet
5. You’ve owned cars before, so visually inspect the car. If its been in the rust belt, inspect the underbelly. Kick the tires, take it for a drive. Listen to what it tells you as you drive, if anything.

The armada and qx are quality cars with a lot of longevity. It’s a great car with the tech and comforts you get at the price.
 
marctronixx said:
1. Price is subjective but seems in line. Also depends on the upkeep.
2. No, but getting the VIN and checking on the Infiniti website or calling the dealer takes a couple minutes to be sure.
3. Depends on the height of your garage. The car is about 6 foot 6 inches with 22 inch wheels and roof rack
4. Verify maintenance records from the owner and look at the Infiniti service maintenance booklet
5. You’ve owned cars before, so visually inspect the car. If its been in the rust belt, inspect the underbelly. Kick the tires, take it for a drive. Listen to what it tells you as you drive, if anything.

The armada and qx are quality cars with a lot of longevity. It’s a great car with the tech and comforts you get at the price.
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I appreciate the response!

A few more questions,the timing chain issue, would this require to be replaced as reading this thread said the cost would be in $$$. Premium gas only for the car correct? I've seen some folks say mid-grade. Also read that the 22 in wheels are not only hard to find but also expensive.

I test drove the car today, it wasn't detailed yet so am going back Friday for another test drive. I currently have a 2013 Honda Pilot, so whereas the responsiveness on the QX was stellar vs the Pilot, it did feel like I was driving a house so am on the fence if the QX is really more car than I need. Even though the QX is higher off the ground than the Pilot, the front seats felt like they were the same height. Overall, the QX beat the Honda on all aesthetics and handling fronts, not sure if I should make the switch given both cars are the same year (2013) and same mileage (75K).
 
Timing chain — just call in to a dealer with your VIN or use your VIN on the Infiniti site (this may no longer be there—it used to be when the recall was live).

High test is highly recommended for petrol yes. Anything less and you are diminishing the performance of the engine.

Not sure about the wheels- ive 22s from the factory (ive a 2012). The factory wheels are hella expensive. You can find some nice aftermarket wheels for about the same money as the factory.
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The vin lookup is still active on the Infiniti website and the one am looking at doesn't have any open recalls. KBB shows two recalls, the fuel pressure sensors and airbags. Carfax does show the fuel pressure sensor was replaced in April 2015 and then again in August 2015. Nothing on airbag but KBB shows only 1800 vehicles were affected.

One thing I did see on the carfax was that "interior trim" and "trim" was checked like 4 times. What's that about?
 
dont know. ive a 2012 and have zero issues with the interior trim. i could take a photo of my inside of the car and youd swear it was just off the factory.

of course i dont have a family and im a bachelor. but still.. :D
 
baddogz28 said:
Yes, you would be better off with an FX.

I do know that the 04 Armada and QX56 have grossly undersized brakes that were a source of very, very poor reliability ratings for those cars in their first year. Statistically, one of the least reliable vehicles ever made.

I would pass.
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Look on front bumper to see if it has sensors? If it does you can set cruse control and it won’t let you anything that’s in front of you. I had the ‘04 qx56 4x4, and loved it until I crashed it, are would be driveling it today. Im one that stays with with cars until the engine starts burning oil. I now drive a 2008 qx56 4x4, with almost 200 thousand miles, and the engine doesn’t burn any oil between oil changes. I don’t remember about the brakes on ‘04, but are cheap, I say cheap because I had a Bentley, everything on it was hand made, brake job on it was two grand. The ‘08 Infinity I’m driving now also has around 200,000 miles on it.
 
Buying 2010 QX56 - Looking for advice

Looking at a fairly low mile (68k) 2010 QX56 for the wife to play kid duty and possibly as a smallish boat hauler. Zero experience with these SUVs so I'm looking for advice on purchase or staying away, common issues, any pointers would be welcome. Dealer has it listed at $19,495. Seems high to me, was planning on offering somewhere in the $17-18k range.

The QX in question is a silver over black 2010 with second row captains chair option (would have preferred bench).

It's got a fully documented/regular dealer service history, but like a lot of these older vehicles has been sold at auction a few times and is now at a small independently owned dealership. I normally shy away from these types of places but the mileage and service history warrant a look. It is a 4 previous owner truck. Clean no accidents Carfax, but that doesn't mean it hasn't had paintwork. I'm in the auto/body/detailing industry so I'll do a thorough inspection. Also plan on having a PPI done prior to making an offer.

Couple things that stick out as possible red flags to me:

52k miles
4/14/14 - Power Steering line/hose replaced
5/30/17 - Power Steering hose/line replaced
Do these trucks eat power steering lines or something?

7/7/14 - AC hose replaced
Recharge refrigerant
AC hose assembly replaced
AC hose/lines/seals replaced
7/22/14 - AC/Heat checked

56k miles
7/3/15 - AC Serviced
AC recharged
AC condenser replaced
Seems to me to be a common problem with the AC on this vehicle, something I should be concerned about?

Other noteworthy services above and beyond the normal stuff would be below:

66k miles
4/14/18 - Rear differential serviced/fluid replaced
front brake pads/rotors replaced
radiator/condenser fan motor replaced

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

-Brian
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hello and welcome.

no the car does not eat hoses or power steering lines.

AC recharging, issues, etc is common on any car. all Ac systems will eventually leak refrigerant into the air, so naturally a car that's 9 years old may have had some of this work performed.

ive had 2 armadas brand new and now a qx (also new when purchased ) and ive never had any AC issues.

with that vintage year id check the manifolds for cracks (THATS a common problem on that car) and the CATs/o2 sensors. make sure you plug up a scan tool and see if any codes are there.

check the back up camera and make sure the guidelines and camera image are clean and free of noise in the image.

id still have the AC system pressure checked since its had work done on it. the liens that go under the car in the back for the rear AC run between the body and frame and that little joint there can wear down causing a leak. this is why I ask that you pressure test. if a prior owner had an issue with this they may have done a homemade mod to save a dollar or two.

if its been in the rust belt check the chassis/undercarriage .
 
jamieb said:
what are your thoughts about the 2004 infiniti qx56?

would i be better off getting fx35 or fx45?
i have owned and worked on plenty of vq30de and vq35de's so i know a lot about them. but what about the 4.5L(vk45de) and 5.6L (vk56de)?? are they as good as the vq's (jd power awards every year)? i have had several maximas and have a qx4 now. it is not big enough.
fx35 and fx45 dont have much back seat room either.
qx56 has a lot of back seat room
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I've owned 12 Infinitis with a 2011 QX 56 AWD with all options in the garage now. Bought it new and has only 85k miles on it. It has all the option packages offered which included blind spot warning in the tech package, hydraulic suspension in the Deluxe Package and the entertainment package. The vehicle has been flawless, zero issues to report. other than two batteries and one replacement set of tires. at 60k miles. My VIN was recalled for the replacement of the timing chain. I had no issues with it but of course elected to take them up on the redesigned lube jets. I change the oil every 3750 miles which I believe is why I did not have an issue with it. I use a synthetic.

I just returned from a trip to New Mexico mountains of just over 600 miles each way to an altitude of nearly 10000 feet. These days this vehicle gets high way trips as I am the only driver now and my passenger and wife likes to ride in my Lexus around town, easier in and out. This vehicle has been great on ice here in Dallas area and handles the snow in NM when we use to go out there in winter. It has not been in the shop for anything but PM and the recall work. Other than dead battery in the garage it has never left me stranded in over 9 years of ownership. Im feeling lucky so off to get a lottery ticket lol

PS I had a first generation QX56 a 2008 model. World of difference in my view between the two generations. I traded up to the second generation for the technology specifically blind spot warning
 
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^^^ my experience reflects yours. ive a 12 with all options as you do. car has 90K and I drive it everyday as my (only) daily driver.

ive only had PM work done and I use nissan ester oil--changed every 3K miles. i drive it like a rental car and use the manual mode and drive it like a stick.

the key to getting worry free use out of these cars with DIG engines is to DRIVE them.. the cats need to be HOT to burn off the material that comes out of the exhaust. mall crawlers and occasional use drivers will get the most issues because these engines are designed to be DRIVEN. my tach still hovers at about the 800rpmmark when idle and the needle does not fluctuate. its rock steady--even with the AC on. using high test petrol and preventative maintenance will keep the second gen qx going strong.
 
I drive mine like a standard too in the mountains, downshifting to slow me down on steep slopes. I agree this beast want to run hard and is at its best at high speeds. Great engine in it. Mine is black on black with 2nd row bench..

I have conssidered trading it in on a 2014 or newer one with the same options plus the rear collision cross traffic system. But after hearing the issues others are having, I am sticking with mine. It is one of three flawless Infiniti's I have had in my 12. My LS460 L AWD has been flawless as well, its a 2014 with 46k miles on it. It seems the city miles but has been to NM three times. I haul on that trip, 600 miles in eight and a half hours time.
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black on black here too with captains chairs.

id like to have the new features as well but didn't know others had issues with them.. that's interesting.

great to see i'm not the only one who drives this car in manual.. :) with the hbmc and "stick" driving, this guy moves like a scalded cat!
 
I must admit I use the manual shift to downshift to save breaks in the mountains. It works great. This thing is quick off the line too which is helpful in DFW freeway entrance like it must be in LA too other than rush hour when you are entering a parking lot lol..
 
the fact that it rev matches as you downshift is choice! yes freeway entrances. this car really does get off the line quick. impressive with the heft of the car..and yeah gotta hurry up and wait on the parking lot of the interstates around here.. :p
 
I really enjoyed reading your off road experiences. Can you guide me to your other write ups about it in this great vehicle? I have not off roaded with mine at all.
 
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