Infiniti FX45 Infiniti FX35

teacherpet1968

I would like to know where you got your vehicle inspected for the smell of mold. I have the same problem with a 2005 Toyota Avalon and it has been back into the shop 4 times since May and they have basically removed the entire interior and replaced it. I am told that there were several drain plugs missing from the factory and were subsequently put in by the dealership. I have had them do everything possible and they finally put an ionizer in the vehicle and the smell is still there. I would like to ahve my car tested and see what Toyota will do then. I live in MA so justthe type of place would do so I can check it out here. Thank you

lirpa007

I'm not a big fan of leather seats, but I love my fx. Is it a good idea to put seat covers on the seats even the ones with opening for side airbags? :confuse:

jpiatchek

It has been many moons since I posted here. In the past, I had some lively discussions with you, Highender, myself and others. In Dec of 2006, coming home from a Christmas party a 14 year old unlicensed young girl pulled out of a side road in front of me going 65 mph and I had no time to brake and t-boned her at 65mph. The FX hit her so hard it traveled only an additional 10 feet and abruptly stopped 5 feet from a 15 foot embankment. We were stunned and shaken, but walked away with my wife only having severe bruises from the seatbelt and impact. Despite the impact, the front end did not even get into the front doors and they were fully operational. A real tribute to the FX. Most other vehicles would have flipped and turned, but the FX didn't veer more than 10 feet to the right. We were lucky to be alive and knew it. Wanting more room, we replaced the 2003 FX with a 2005 SRX. A great vehicle and value, but we could never warm up to it. We sold it in July and we are again looking for another vehicle. My wife is not a car person, but sometimes cries about the loss of her beloved Fx. Never once has she complained about stiff suspension and I sometimes noticed a smile from her face as she heard the unique FX sound during acceleration. We have driven nearly every Crossover SUV on the market and actually ordered a Buick Enclave. This week we came to our senses and cancelled the order. We
are actively pursuing the purchase of another FX. Even though the interior is somewhat cramped, we are ready to take the plunge. We should be new owner within the next 24 hours.
As we used to say Tidester, " I think it's your turn to buy the Krispy Kremes!!!

tidester

Hi, jp!

I am so happy to hear that you and your wife were able to walk away from that ordeal. The obvious question is why on Earth would the parents of that child allow her anywhere near a driver's seat? Mindboggling.

It's also a testament to Infiniti with great design and construction. Congratulations on your new one!

And to celebrate all that good news, Krispy Kremes are on me!

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

lazo

hi there, i am planning to place an enclave order by september, i am wating to have the 2nd row console available. My question is: is there any main reason that you cancelled your Enclave Order?
thanks

jpiatchek

Thanks for the reply. Actually the young lady was driving her Aunt's Mustang and I understand she did so without permission. Evidently her and her cousin were up to no good and she was not a very good driver. Hopefully, she won't be driving for many years as the state has brought charges against her.
On a better note, we went to St Louis this weekend for my wife's family reunion and wile we were there we bought a new 2007 Fx35 demonstrator with premium package, hands free, tech package & some other stuff. MSRP was $46,550 and I bought it for $39,000. I thought it was a fair deal. We had a great time driving it 200 miles home today. We forgot how much fun they were to drive.
Best thing ,Tides, we stayed at a Drury Inn that was next door to a White Castle Hamburger joint and a Krispy Kreme place. I guess that had to be an omen that the deal was right.

jpiatchek

Actually, we haven't cancelled the order yet, but probably will in the next couple of days. As noted in the previous post, we did purchase a new FX35 Friday. The Enclave is a wonderful car. I believe it has hit the mark and they are going to sell a ton of them.. I have driven all three of the Lambdas more than once. The Buick is the far better value, IMO. We really didn't need all that room, but it would have been nice to have with our new grandaughter. However, I took two more test drives in the last week and, frankly, I was bored to death. It wasn't fun to drive. The Enclave is luxurious, quiet, roomy, and classy. But there is not sport or fun driving it. We decided we would rather sacrifice some space and go for the sport. THe FX brings a smile to our face and the Enclave didn't do it. I have owned 189 cars and owned our 2003 FX35 longer than any car we had ever owned before it was totalled. We are 60 years old and my wife giggles everytime she gets in the FX and drives it and she is not a car person like me. Please don't go by my feelings, because I am a true car nut. We currently own a yellow 2005 Mustang 5 spd convertible and a spice red 2006 GTO 6 speed, along with some old Muscle cars. That may give you a better idea where I am coming from. The first few test drives we were excited. After several tests, it was obsious we needed more sport. If they come out with a V8 sport version, we may be players in the future. I hope this helps.

tidester

jp,

I'm glad to hear the young lady is getting a dose of reality!

Be sure to post those numbers in Infiniti FX45 / FX35: Prices Paid & Buying Experience. The price looks very right!

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

clpurnell

JP

I too was an orginal FX'er and my family has mourned the loss of the FX like no other vehicle. I own a 2006 Armada. I may keep it but I think I will be back in an FX or perhaps M35 soon as I truly miss that vehicle. I too have owned many cars none longer than the FX. It is truly a great vehicle.

crikey

Dude, when did you part ways with it? We still have ours and still loving every minute of it.

jpiatchek

I remember you and crikey both. We had some lively banter for several months. I wonder what happened to Highender and what he is driving now. I took the FX in for an oil change this week and they gave me a G35 4 door with 18" wheels to drive. It was real fast and a real hoot to drive. I have an 06 GTO with the LS2 engine and the G35 felt almost as strong, but not quite. A big improvement over the last G car I drove a couple of years ago. We owned an 05 SRX for 6 months after we totalled the FX and it was a real nice car and had the 3rd seat and all. I never could quite warm up to it and it just feels right to be back in the FX, even without the extra seat and room. We had a black/brick tech with 20" last time, but this time got the ivory with willow and tech and 18". Doesn't handle quite as nice as the sport package. I like that they put the seat adjusters back to where they belong on the newer models. The controller in the center of the dash is kind of interesting. I'm trying to decide if it is an improvement or just a novelty.

crikey

Lively banter, it was. Watch out, those lively discussions are about to heat up as Infiniti prepares the next-generation FX. Once more information surfaces, I'm sure there's gonna be much to talk about. Some folks are already making some noise about the possible 3rd-row configuration of the next FX, which seems to be inevitable given the upcoming release of the Infiniti EX. To me, it wouldn't make much business sense for Infiniti to have 2 5-seat crossovers that are marginally sized from each other. It would make one vehicle redundant. So, I'm thinking that a 3rd-row will be added to the FX, along with the G37 engine and a new V8. But I could be wrong...

crikey

jpiatchek

That is a pretty classy looking vehicle. I wonder what they will do to squeeze in the rear seat? I would think they would have to increase the size somewhat. Our only complaint about the FX is it's relative lack of luggage space compared to others. It's funny how some of the naysers in the early days of the FX said the style would date itself and in a couple of years it would be obsolete. Now, it seems as if most of the competition has somewhat copied the style of the FX. It seems to have weathered well. I do miss the 20" wheels on the new one. The handling is significantly reduced, IMO. We drove it on the back road twisties of the Ozark mountains in the last couple of days and it was fun, but did not exhibit the handling prowess of the 20 inchers.

crikey

FX vehicles with 20" rims register .89g of roadholding while vehicles with 18" rims register .80g. So, there is a marked diference in handling.

Sizewise, the EX is within spitting distance of the current FX. So, rear seat room shouldn't be anymore bigger/smaller than that of the FX. The FX will likely gron in size, given the EX's dimensions.

And yes, everyone copied the FX styling, no matter what anyone else claims. This is the style that started the crossover as we know it.

jpiatchek

Thanks for the info. The Buick Enclave I had ordered had a lot of things to offer in the way of size than the FX did. It had a similar shape and the 19" chrome wheels looked nice. It has almost as much room behind the second seat as the FX has behind the front seat. It has more interior volume than most of the full size SUV trucks. However, the last time I test drove it, it was soft as a marshmellow and it wallowed in the curves and bumps. The 6 speed transmission seemed to hunt between 5th & 6th gear on the highway It is very luxurious and quiet, but I really felt I would be bored to death driving after the newness wore off. We decided on the new FX instead and think we made the correct decision to cancel the order on the new Enclave. However, I think Buick did a nice job on creating a CUV with lots of space, style and good economy. The orders on them since June are 7 times more than they can produce and they have gone to a third shift to catch up with demand. I guess if we occasionally need extra space for a trip with family we can rent a minivan or use our Dakota pickup to haul stuff. It's hard to get the FX out of the system once you get used to driving one. Still like the 20 inchers better, though. I guess I could always upgrade.

srz948

Is anybody aware of any device that can protect the bulbous sides of my black FX 35. People are so rude in my town. I just got 3 dings removed last week by the Dentex guy and already have a new small one. I'm really stressing over this. There must be some product out there ( as silly looking as it might be) that you can put on the car when it is parked.

jpiatchek

There are body colored mouldings that attach to the sides of the car that can be purchased that look really nice. I THINK you can find them on ebay or Grubbs INFINITI.

jpiatchek

Is there any more substance to the Sport Package on an FX35 other than 20" wheels and some trim? The brochure says it also has "sport tuned suspension". I just bought a set of factory 20" takeoff tires and wheels to replace my 18's. Will this essentially handle as well as the sport package or am I missing suspension components also? I also bought of set of factory machined pedals. Can anyone help me? Thanks

texasfx35

Does anyone know what it take to get the battery compartment cover off the vehicle? Not the door, but the compartment itself. It is almost impossible to check water in the battery through the door opening.

crikey

I think the suspension bits are different, in addition to the larger wheels. It could be jarring, depending on the road surface. Putting the 20" factory wheels on the non-sport FX might be a better compromise, actually. But, it may not get the .89g that C&D got when they initially tested the FX.

IIRC, the interior two-tone color is also different from the non-sport FX.

fx45joe

good day to all. i am about to land a probable bombshell on all of you who come to this forum...in that i have a remarkable story of endurance and greatness that will probably surpass all of the stories posted here and for the forseeable future. i am the owner of a very, very early production model of FX45... a 2003 model year - that was made in mid 2002 actually from the build info. i have on it. i got it brand new in may 2003.. with 8 miles on it from the dealer. 5/12/03 to be exact. today is 10/10/07...and i now have 102,456 miles on it...and are you ready for this... i have had absolutely NO major problems with it...none... i'm going to give you a service history of what has been done to the car over the years and it will blow your mind..

1. i switched to mobil 1 syn. oil on day 2 of ownership... and used it ever since changed it every 5-6k miles like clockwork.

2. am only on my 3rd set of tires (incl. the orig. goodyears that lasted me about 48k).. right now i'm running on some cool pirelli's..

3. have never - i mean never had any brake rotor problems....and only have had pads added/changed twice on all 4 wheels..running on orig. rotors now.

4. have never had vibration problems that were not unsolved..meaning at times after rotations i'd get a little vie, but after re-balancing a tire/wheel here or there... problem solved. i've had this car up to 135 mph several times... in racing other cars.. blowing the doors off of several surprised drivers of other sports cars... i've blown away 8 porsche cayenes to date including one turbo powered one (i don't know how i did that!)...but at speeds over 100mph which i have been at for sustained periods of time - up to 2-3 minute spurts of crusing over 100mph.. this car ran smooth as silk and vibration free.

5. about 8 months into having the car new, the navigation systems dvd-rom player died..faulty circuit in it.. had it replaced with a new one... been fine ever since... all i've done is get a new dvd for it in updating it.

6. i have not had any kind of tune up (still orig. plugs)... only at 98k during an oil change did i change the air filter for the 1st time ever!

7. i just got a new battery for it... got the latest sears premium platinum diehard with a 4 year total free repl. deal on it... it has no acid in it at all! it's a militray spec battery used by the marines that just became available for consumer use. the cranking power is remarkble. i replaced the orig. battery on my own... as i had never put any water in it since i had the car... but it sounded a little sluggish on start up cranking, so i knew it was time for a new one... i highly recommend this new battery... and to get to the battery to take it out was not bad... you just have to take off all the molding from around the fron windshield by popping out the pins that hold it down and then it gives ya access to the battery area. (this is for some guy who wrote in here about how to get to the battery in another earlier post).

8. now one thing i have notice is that it does burn a little oil... in that i may have to add about a 1/2 quart every 1,500 miles or so to keep the oil levels up. been doing this since day one... but it's not been bad.

9. everything else on this is all original. everything...from the wheels to the roof racks... when i bought it - it was fully oaded with every option for the 2003 model year as an FX45.. except a trailer hitch... i mean every option... and every option still works like new... never replaced a headlight yet, tail light... nothing!

i took it back for a few recalls for things that i knew about - but other than this... this car has been a remarkable vehicle. i have a video production business of my own, so i haul a lot of my gear... and even then the back area holds all of it without letting the back seats down...

this is the extent of my "repairs" or problems with this car...in 102,000+ miles.... and it is still super strong off the line if i punch it on take off... on passing while crusing... no issues... never any trans. issues... no engines issues... no suspension issues.. no brake issues... no fuctionality issues of things inside the car... everything works as if brand new....and the bottom line.... it is still a fast [non-permissible content removed] car... it blows the doors off several other cars smaller and lighter than the FX... i mean sometimes the other cars that are lighter get me "off the line"... but i then "walk them" or in other words creep up... pass them and blow their doors off. other times.... i blow them away straight off the line and never look back. as you may can tell, i heaby in drag racing... as i used to do this on weekends professionally. right now i also have 2 z-28's one '69 with a 454 and a '94 going thru a restoration... i also have an '08 vette with the factory optional exhaust package giving it a 36 hp boost... and... one day my wife and i were racing... i was in the FX45.. she was in the '94 Z-28... and we were neck and neck off the line... i was so surprised the power this car (the FX) has... and this just happened (this race) at 100,000 miles.. kinda a milestone race for the car... it was fun!

anyway.. to all of those out there who have the FX45.... good luck to ya... and if you're having problems with yours... maybe you shouldn;t do so much to it in the way of maintenence!... just leave her alone and she'll be just fine like mine... or go get a 2003 model year FX... maybe they were made better back then.... who knows!

FX45 joe... is out...!

JBaumgart

fx45joe, Although I don't "push" my FX45 as much as you apparently have, my experience is similar on my '03 - it has been extremely reliable, since buying new. I now have about 78M miles on the odemeter. I also have used Mobil 1 since the first oil change. I do have to add some oil periodically, but it's not a big deal - usually a half quart or so between oil changes.

Not one thing has gone wrong since new, and I am completely satisfied with my ownership experience. A few recalls (first year model), but not one unexpected problem/repair (other than a flat tire - the original Goodyear's didn't last as long as they should have).

Overall, very impressive reliability, I would say! I don't think our very good experience is unusual for Infiniti - the whole line has had excellent reliability as far as what I can tell.

sddave

Hey,

I am looking at a 2006 FX35 and after reading this board for a while was wondering what if any things I should look out for in this model year?
Thanks!

clpurnell

You guys make me miss my 03 FX35. It's the best car i have ever owned. I sold it with a little over 60k on it about 15 months ago. I think I am going to get the redesigned 09 when it comes out. The FX is a great car and like you guys I had a loaded tech package car and when I traded it everything worked like the day I bought it. I had a cd changer die on me but that was about it for problems.

crikey

My CD changer died on me as well but I had it replaced under warranty. Other than that, the passenger-side door locks have been acting up, not sure what it is. Funny thing is, the passenger-side door lock seems to be tied into the rear cargo hatch. If the passenger-side door does not unlock, the rear cargo hatch will stay locked as well. Kind of a PITA when it's pouring rain and you had to load something.

No mechanical problems though. And I have not done the headlight/tail light recall. I rarely go to the dealership now since my buddy services the vehicle.

casolorz

I am planing on getting an 06 as well! What kind of pricing are you finding? I am hoping to stay below 33K for touring, handsfree and tech packages! hopefully I'll be able to find that deal...

quattroporte12

hi i know taking the fx offroad is kind of an oxymoron but i was wondering is anyone has ever either taken their fx on light offroad terrain (which means more than just a grass hill or gravel road) or through very deep snow, because i like to ski and i need to drive some roads that fit these descriptions and i would like to get a car that can handle these roads but is still fun to drive (such as the fx, hopefully).

quattroporte12

did you consider the audi q7 or maybe the new bmw x5?

crikey

Judging from this video, I think it can handle some light offroading.

casolorz

I am very close to buying an 06 with very few miles but the guy claims it has the tech package and not navigation, I thought those were bundled? am I wrong? how can I make sure, the car is like 4 hours away.

Also was the infiniti warranty 4 years back in 06?

Thanks,

panamapete

I had an iPod interface installed at the dealer on my 2008 FX35. It is not very user friendly. I had occasion this afternoon to use the interface in the 2008 G37. Wow, what a difference!!! The one in the G37 is intuitive and relatively easy to program for one's preferences. Am I missing something by not having an PIO interface?

lirpa007

I own an 07 fx35, 3400 miles, 6 months old ,yeah I don't drive much. My car has hesitated to start on several occasions and in some cases not at all. I here a clicking noise when trying to start and no lights come, so I got a jump start. I took it to the dealer thinking, bad battery, no problem. The dealer told me they couldn't find a problem with the battery or the intelligent key, and the car started with no problem for them.

Now a week later I have the same problem car won't start, got a jump. I'm taking it back to the dealer today. Has anyone experienced this before?

keithsea

Yes, exactly the same thing: 07 fx45, started noticing start up hesitations right around 3-5K miles / 6-9 months old. The one time it wouldn't start at all after 15 minutes and many attempts I called the emergency road service line, and they were starting process of arranging a jump start or tow. During that call, it finally started, then never happened again. It felt a lot like dead battery, or when cars used to get "flooded" if you pumped the accerator too much, but I didn't think that was possible anymore with electronic ignitions (esp. the type on these Infinitis).

I've had one or two semi-scares recently, noticing what sounded like hesitation to start. I haven't mentioned this to my dealer yet.

casolorz

I doubt this is related but I had a very similar problem on a nissan on 02. From about 6 months old it started doing it. They explained that the fuel pump didn't get the signal to start quick enough and putting the key on the on position for 5 seconds prior to starting would fix it, and it did, but seeing as how it was a new car I found that unacceptable, however my dealer refused to fix it and nissan refused to intervene, eventually the warranty ran out and then they said I could use a fuel pump change but that it wouldn't be covered.
Anyways, lots of people on several forums were experiencing the same problem, most of them had the fuel pump changed I think. I figure by now they probably have the problem fixed so its probably not the same issue.

lirpa007

Took it to the dealer and luckily the car didn't start, so they were able to see the problem for themselves. The service manager stated something is killing the battery and ordered an impd check or something like that dealing with the electrical computer system. He referred it to be serviced by his "Top Tech", ooh... I'll let you know what happens.

Got a nice loaner g35 loaner from the dealer!!!

ferrari99

Was a special order from Tire Rack. Took about 3 weeks.

They ride firm on my 2003 FX45. Much more aggressive tread then the 20 Inch Bridgestones (Duelers i believe) i usually have on. With the limited snow we have had so far i expect them to perform great and not be scary like the factory tires in snow. About $170 a tire at Tire Rack.

GL.

JBaumgart

I just put on my 18" Blizzaks that I also purchased from Tire Rack, this will be the 4th season on them but they have plenty of tread left. We're supposed to get 5-10 inches on Saturday.

skarie

Funny video...

meccanj98

ANYONE KNOW IF THEY EXIST OR WHERE TO GET THEM?

ferrari99

I have to tell you that after 2 months with these tires they are the best.

In Salt Lake we have had more snow then i have seen in the last 9 years. I have driven 60 miles an hour on the interstate when other cars were crawling along at 20 miles an hour. These tires TOTALLY transform the FX into a snow beast. The factory all seasons suck so bad and give you a poor impression of what this car is all about in snow or ice. TAKE MY ADVICE. If you live in snowy country and are afraid to take your FX out, go get BLIZZACKS. They are stable, track thru snow and slush, grab onto ice. Just switch them over when Spring comes to your all seasons. And with the 20inch variety you don't have to worry about rims (FX 45 owners). Good luck and have fun.

kenzspen

i have a 2003 fx35 i was going down the hwy and heard a gurgling noise and the car started to overheat took to a shop they replace the thermostat and thought everything was ok.now after driving for 20 minutes the heat goes away and it overheats again any help would be great.

cruzdave

Rarely and intermitently get no sound, clicking or anything when turning the ignition switch. Acts as if the security system keeps it from starting. If I unbuckle, get out, lock the car, unlock and get back in, it starts. Anyone had this problem and found a fix?

audreym

I had this happen once (go figure, one of my first outings with my newborn son, my husband AND my in-laws!)

It seemed like the car lost it's link with my husband's key FOB. We realized mine was fine, so it "fixed" itself.

You might have your dealer just reprogram your keys and see if it helps.

clegzane

Anyone got a flawless liquid Copper fx35 05/6/7 for off load ?
Thanks!

stever

There's an AutoTrader link on the Edmunds.com home page - try searching there. I guess you are watching eBay too?

kodiakid

I own a 2007 FX35 and have noticed that the speedometer seems to be reading fast, I have compared it to my 2007 Honda Minivan and 2005 Toyota Tundra. I recently bought a TomTom that has speed listed on the readout and the speedometer on my FX35 reads 6 to 7 miles faster and odometer is 6 tenths of mile more on a 11 mile round trip.

I took it my local Infiniti dealership and they replaced the speedometer system and told me that 10% error is within normal! I disagreed with this statement and then they said this is a reoccurning problem on the FX model.

My point them is if I get a 24,000 mile lease they should really say 21600 or 36,000 mile lease = 32,400.

I encourage fellow FX owners to verify accuracy of speed and odometer readings.

tjernigan

2005 fx35 61k with dash defects, looks like bubbles, According to dealerships this seems to happen after the 60k mile warranty. I have 61k miles and infiniti will not replace. It's not covered under my extended warranty, but when you pay $47000 for this kind of vehicle,you shouldn't have to worry about cheap craftmanship. There are numerous known cases dealing / same issue. There should be a recall /I'm reporting to BBB. contact me info on this issues. I want to start a petition asking them to do what is right, I really love my fx, but this just lowers my experience with inifniti and will not purchase another vehicle from them. I hope many fill follow

JBaumgart

Have nearly 85,000 on my 2003 FX45, have NEVER had a single problem, just routine maintainence only. The dash looks like brand new! Most reliable car I've ever owned, and at 59 I've owned a bunch.

snsn

I have a 2007 FX35 with 34,000 miles. I too noticed the "bubbling" on my dash. I took my car to the dealer and they will be replacing the dash, just waiting for the part to come in. Service advisor stated this is a known issue on the FX - defective glue. I caught mine early since the advisor mentioned mine was no where near what he has seen the past week when I took my car in. He has replaced 3 dashes already.