Owners have filed 223 complaints on the Infiniti QX4, covering 1997–2003. The system named most often is Suspension (51 reports). Worst years by volume: 2001, 1999, 1997; cleanest: 2003, 2000, 1998. 28 reports describe a crash, 2 a fire, 1 a death. On average the car was 10.5 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Infiniti QX4
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 223 QX4 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Suspension 51 Read
2002 infiniti qx4. Consumer writes in regards to recall concerning side strut tower housing *tgw the consumer stated he was involved in an accident, because of the failed part. He is seeking reimbursement for the repairs. *jb the consumer stated the repairs were completed prior to him being aware of the recall.…
When you let off the gas peddle the rearend starts a violently shakeing back and forth and will cause you to drive over something or someone due to defective bushings!!!how can they sell us crap that can cost the lives of so many people and not honor a recall on rear bushings...I nearly shut down the interstate on my…
My husband and I were involved in an accident on january 24th 2010, while traveling n. On state hwy 87 going towards payson, az although there had been a lot of snow in the higher elevations the roads were clear and appeared dry. The incident began when I apparently encountered a patch of black ice as I began across a…
Steering 48 Read
The contact owns a 2003 infiniti qx4. The contact stated the steering wheel became unresponsive while changing lanes. As a result the vehicle was involved in a rollover crash. A police report was filed and all four passengers in the vehicle suffered minor injuries. One of the passengers also sustained a dislocated…
Steering locked up - gearbox or steering column failure
The contact owns a 1999 infiniti qx4. While driving approximately 30 mph, the contact lost control of the steering causing him to crash into a pole. The vehicle sustained damage to the front driver side. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an auto shop where the mechanic advised that the steering shaft…
Structure 31 Read
Severe corrosion on factory installed running boards on infinity qx4 which could collapse causing injury
Running boards are completely rusted, they will either fall off while driving and could cause an accident or an unsuspecting person could be relying on them to enter the SUV and hurt them selves. The SUV was well taken care of, 1 owner, and the frame rails and chassis are considerably rust free. How come these are in…
The contact owns a 2002 infiniti qx4. After the contact purchased the vehicle from an independent mechanic, he noticed rust forming on the passenger side frame rail below the passenger side control arm. The contact took the vehicle to another independent mechanic who informed him that they could reinforce the frame…
Fuel System 13 Read
My wife was driving our qx4 infiniti and while attempting to park the vehicle, it suddenly accelerated; she applied full pressure to the brakes; the car jumped over the curb and rammed into a concrete utility pole. Car was towed by infiniti back to montgomery, al. A full report was done by an infiniti rep; we have…
The contact owns a 2002 infiniti qx4. On september 14, 2007, while fueling the vehicle, the gas shot back out at least two feet from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the repair shop on september 19, 2007, where it currently remains. The contact was informed that the fuel tank would probably have to be replaced.…
Consumer requesting reimbursement for the recall repair on a 2001 infiniti. Consumer states that the problem was repaired before he received the recall and would now like reimbursement for the repair. *kb the consumer has since traded in the vehicle. Recall #07V435000
Engine And Engine Cooling 11 Read
Dt: the contact's vehicle was involved in an accident on 8-15-05 while going 40-45 mph. The vehicle rolled over. At first , hit a mail box. Then, the back of contact's vehicle hit another car. She ended up in a ditch, rolled over, and hit a tree head-on. Upon impact neither the front or side air bags deployed. The…
While parked with engine off vehicle caught on fire. Fire was extinguished by the fire department. Fire department determined that fire started in the engine with cause undetermined. Vehicle was not drivable
My 2002 infiniti qx4 has had three catalytic converters replaced due to a crack in the seam of the catalytic converter on both sides. My vehicle has 18,800 miles on it
Equipment 10 Read
Clarion/bose 6 cd changer has failed 2 times. Err2 is displayed. Clicking sound and cd is stuck in unit. Search find numerous incidents of this same problem across different years and nissan also with this clarion/bose unit
My bose 6 disc changer has the error code err2. Does not work
Cd player failure. Displays "err 2" message - will not play or eject the 5 cd in unit. Clicks each time car is started
Vehicle Speed Control 9 Read
2002 infiniti qx4 in a parking lot at about 5mph. Intending to park straight ahead against a concrete wall. One car length behind the parking space. Beginning to brake. Sudden acceleration propelled the car forward and hit the wall head-on, despite effort to brake. There was a surging power sound and the car was…
While backing out of driveway and when applying accelerator to go forward pedal went to floor and stuck, causing consumer to lose control of vehicle. Contacted dealer, and an investigator was sent out and stated nothing was wrong
We were on vacation in orange beach, alabama. While returning from a shopping trip to foley, alabama, we were pulling in to the parking space in front of our condo; my wife, judy, was driving our infiniti qx4 2001 SUV. As we came to a stop the car engine suddenly accelerated "wide open" and my wife put her right foot…
Power Train 9 Read
While driving with four wheel drive activated, vehicle jerks and system disengages. Vehicle idled extremely fast which resulted in a collision. Dealer stated these symptoms are all normal characteristics of vehicle. *ak consumer was informed that vehicle needed a new transmission, consumer was unhappy that a remanned…
There was a problem that I brought to the attention of my dealer. The 4-wd light continued to blink once I had traveled 20+ miles. This was never rectified. On the date of incident I was driving on a straight grooved highway and the right rear wheel axle broke, and the wheel came off, causing me to veer into the…
The contact owns a 2003 infiniti qx4. The contact stated while attempting a turn at 20 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact exited the vehicle and found the rear axle was extended three feet from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. The dealer advised there was not a recall for…
QX4 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 5 | — | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 7 | — | |
| 2000 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 1999 | Electrical System | 3 | 2 | |
| 1998 | Air Bags | 5 | — | |
| 1997 | Engine And Engine Cooling | 6 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 104 |
| Average complaints per series | 2.1 |
| Worst single series | 5 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 10.5 years |
A model average of 2.1 hides a worst series at 5. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the QX4?
By complaint volume, 2001, 1999, 1997 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which QX4 years are the cleanest?
2003, 2000, 1998 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Infiniti QX4 have?
223 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1997–2003. Of those, 28 describe a crash and 2 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.