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Q45 Troubles

2

Comments

  • slingshot1slingshot1 Member Posts: 4
    I agree with you that maintenance is important. However many of the Q owners did state that they properly maintained their vehicles. It seems that the earlier models did have major problems that others cars typically don't have.

    My friend had a 90 Q45 for 18 months and never had a problem with it. I was reading him some of the problems last night over the phone and we began laughing uncontrollably because it just doesn't seem possible that these owners all experienced these major problems. At least they kept their sense of humor. However, it is very frustrating to pay big money for any product and not have it work right and then have to pay high repair bills.

    I checked this site because I was considering a used Q45. It seems 95 might be the best year, before it was downsized and still had a lot of power. Someone pointed out that apparently the 96 model had less hp and /or torque.
  • kennege63kennege63 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 93 Q45a from a dealer in 97 (off lease car, 38K miles on it) I went for the extended warranty primarily because of the active suspension. It has been my favorite of all the cars I have owned. It's been reliable. I replaced tires, brakes, battery, one injector (under warranty). I change the oil frequently and have it serviced at the dealer (service is superior). It now has over 100K miles and I am trading it in for a 97 Q45t (also off lease, 60K miles). The 60K is higher than I would have liked, but the car is clean and the price reflected the mileage. The 97 is a little slower and softer riding, but I like the interior (feels larger) and there are a couple of features not in my 93 (traction, heated seats). I was tempted to keep the 93 longer (bigger motor, active suspension, reputation to be better handling), but I was not comfortable going without a warranty on an expensive car despite my good experience to date.
  • jontyreesjontyrees Member Posts: 160
    I too loved the car - when it was working. We bought it used, (39,000miles), but in great shape. We even took it to the local Infiniti dealer for a full check up, which revealed a couple of problems, including slight compression loss in one cylinder. We had everything brought up to "as new", and split the cost with the seller. Unfortunately, one thing after another went wrong. A phantom front end clunk that no amount of strut replacement could fix, seat memory switches were hit or miss, the lighted vanity mirror gave up, the stereo started making horrible crackling noises when we changed the volume, then the entire dash lighting and headlights went out, ($500 please), various bits of interior trim just fell off. But the kicker was the brake warning light that came on and stayed on - I thought it was the dash acting up again, but no, it was the anti-lock brake control module leaking brake fluid. Very easy to replace, but a $2000 part! Could maybe find a used one for around $1000! And of course there were brake repairs, hideously expensive 60000 mile service etc.

    It was so unfortunate, since it was a killer car, but that amount of trouble in 31000 miles is just ridiculous. So we traded it in with just 70,000 miles on it for $5000 - I couldn't afford to keep it and eat too. Being a sucker for punishment, we got a 2 yr old '96 Taurus SHO - and, amazingly, no problems whatsoever. 31,000 trouble free miles, and this car rocks - I love it. Suppose I shouldn't tempt fate.........

    Jonty in Austin, TX
  • steinre1steinre1 Member Posts: 2
    i'm currently looking at purchasing a 97 q45, but was surprised to hear all of the complaints about the older q's (pre-97). how has the reliabilty been in the more recent years?
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Welcome to Town Hall.

    Have you been over to our Sedans conference yet? There are several topics underway discussing this vehicle, and they may have some very helpful information for you.

    I suggest you use the Topic Search feature on the left side of the page for Q45 and check out the topics listed under Sedans.

    The Smart Shopper conference is also a valuable resource for folks looking to purchase either a new or used vehicle - you might like to take a look at the topic list there to see what topics are underway that could be helpful to you.

    Good luck, and again welcome.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • bbng01bbng01 Member Posts: 6
    I have a question for you all. I've just purchased and picked my 2000 Q45ae, it has 100 miles on it, the question I have pertains to the heat that is generated by the engine or the car overall. I've notice that there is heat in the form of hot coming from under the car, even on ignition. In addition to that, I've notice that when driven with the AC off, I feel heat coming from the foot area, though the heat and AC functions are off. Is this heat generated by the Xeron headlights? Is this something that is usual for a new car? Any info. will be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
  • mac61mac61 Member Posts: 1
    I picked up my 2000 Q45 AE on August 2. After having driven 600 miles, have noticed no problems that you describe. The car drives like a dream. Suggest you take it back to the dealer.
  • jontejonte Member Posts: 1
    I've had my Q45 for three years and will be turning it in shortly. It has never given me any problems and I've never really thought about it until now. But my feet do get hot.!? There have been lots of times when I've had to take my shoes off and turn the air on floor level.
  • ericvbeardericvbeard Member Posts: 1
    I am about to purchase a 90 Q. I need to know the pros and cons of the car. It has 128,000 miles. Seems to be in good shape. Any thought would be helpful.
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    Eric,

    I see you visited the Sedans conference. Did you ask this question there: Infiniti Q45 ?

    Your host, Bruce
  • ringuette2ringuette2 Member Posts: 1
    Just looked at a 95 Q45 (not the touring version)
    with 50,000 miles for $15500. I currently own an 89 Maxima that has been good except for a more than average number of repairs. Advice?
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    I suggest you follow the link that our host Bruce provided in the post just before yours.

    The Sedans conference is the best place to look for buying advice. Our conference here focuses on maintenance and repair issues for the vehicles our members have already purchased.

    Good luck!

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • q45tsq45ts Member Posts: 1
    Not sure where you are located but try to get a car that hasn't seen salt from Northern winters. As far as maintenance, I've only had a few problems, all of which were covered under warrantee - driver doorlocks inoperable, water pump, and leaky tension rod. But this occurred when the car was 6 years old - so to be expected. If you enjoy spirited driving, try to find a Tour model. The rear sway bar makes a huge difference. BTW, get the extended warranty because major repairs are expensive although so far so good for me. I've used Warranty Gold with no problems
  • barnstormerbarnstormer Member Posts: 3
    On June 30th I bought a 2000 Q45 ae. For the people who are asking the price paid on new Qs, I paid $40,764 excluding delivery fee ($399), taxes and license. This was taking advantage of the $5,000 dealer incentive that the dealer passed on. He did not pass on the dealer holdback. The list on this car was $51,120.

    Overall I am very satisfied with my car and it drives extremely well. However, I want to ask about three minor problems and one question I have on this car to see if any one else is experiencing the same problems on their new Q's. I have noticed a shimmy in the steering wheel at about 50-60mph and again at 80-85mph. I have had it back to the dealer now twice. Each time they have said one of the tires was not quite balanced. However, I still have the problem and noticed it when I bought the car. At that time I signed and still have a "Special Conditions of Sale" form that indicates that if I am not satisfied I can swap out for another Q45. However, I am sure if I want to swap out for another one that it will be a major hassle if it will be done at all. I now have about 1800 miles on the car

    I also notice that at a certain speeds(40-50) I see and feel the gear shift handle moving forward and back slightly. I cannot feel anything in the driver's seat, but if I am in the passenger seat(which is not often) I feel a very very slight lurching or vibrating. It stops when the speed changes and the gearshift handle quits moving.

    One other thing that I notice is that at about 40-45mph, if I am cruising along and take my foot off the gas, as one would if the car in front of you slowed down, the transmission does a very noticeable, somewhat of a bump, downshift. The dealer has said this is a downshift from overdrive, is nothing and occurs on all Qs.

    Finally, I am 6'2", with long legs and have realized that I just cannot get back far enough to be comfortable in the seat. The car drove so great relative to what I was previously driving, I just didn't notice at the time I test drove it. Has anyone done anything to get the seat to go back further?

    These problems may seem minor to many, but when I buy a car with a list price of $51,000, I expect perfection.
  • trivestrives Member Posts: 2
    My '97 Q cuts off in a hard rain. Not all the way; just for a fraction of a second, repeatedly, lurching like a bucking bronco. Feels like you're hitting airpockets in a plane. It's got to be hard on the drive train and engine. The dealer says he's got to catch it while it's doing it to hook up a machine and tell what's going on. I don't live close to him, so it's next to impossible to do this. Anyone have a clue?
  • rindgerindge Member Posts: 9
    I had a similiar problem with my LS400. Brought it to the dealer several times. First couple of times they couldn't figure it out - frustrating, espeically since mine did cutoff in the middle of a busy intersection with wife and newborn in the car. Anyway, during my 60,000 mile service they played with some ignition wires (car was previosuyl in an accident). They went back and looked over the wires and "retaped" them. I am not an mechanic type so I can't give you more details than that. Nonetheless, haven't had the cutoff problem since.
  • msrankinmsrankin Member Posts: 3
    My 94 Q45 has been flawless since I've had it nearly 1 year. However, the trip odometer display screen has gone blank. It doesn't indicate "OK" when first started, no diagnostic warnings, no trip mile information, no nothing - it just went dead. Looked at fuses but didn't see any one fuse dedicated to this function. Any ideas??? msrankin@prodigy.net
  • carnut30carnut30 Member Posts: 51
    In the past many brands of cars had seat-track-extenders. Maybe you can get them for the Q45.
    You cannot expect perfection in a car with rear drive and only 45% of its weight on its drive wheels. The first time you are on snow or ice you will hate yourself for choosing this model.
    Other unrelated posts on Edmunds note short life of front brake rotors and oil leaks from the differential, as well as ignition cutoffs in rain.
  • n_d_tn_d_t Member Posts: 4
    Hi all,

    I have a 95 Q soon due for its 60,000 miles service which, I understand, is going to be quite costly. Does anyone have any insight as to how much bargaining is possible, and what I should consider a good price? Thanks.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    The first thing I'd do is get a list of what will be done to your car at the 60K. See if there are things you can do yourself. Next, you may want to shop around for the service. I don't think there is a law requiring you to do this at the dealer ;-) Some shops who specialize in Infiniti or Nissan will have their own 60K Service Idea. Check them out.

    Alot of people will say it's a waste of money. My thoughts are that the Q45 is a great car but expensive to maintain. By trying to save a few bucks, all that will happen is that you'll get burned with expensive repairs in the end. I'm sure you won't see it as a waste.
  • scott143scott143 Member Posts: 1
    Some scary stories here! We have a 94 q45 we bought used at 32K,now has 65K and 3 years,not one single problem with it,I don't consider brakes,etc to be problems,but maint.items. I did the 60k service myself for around a 100 bucks,biggest pain is the spark plugs,took 5 hours to install,but only cost 20 or less,air filter was 15,changed the brake fluid,tranny fluid,anti freeze,I did the brakes also,new front rotors were 75 each. only gets 18 or so on the highway with the wife driving,when I drive it it gets about 13,but its a blast to drive
  • barnstormerbarnstormer Member Posts: 3
    This is an update to my previous message #72 above. I took my Q back and they replaced the tires with Michelin pilots. There no longer is any shimmy.

    I have also found out about the jerk of a down shift and the pulsating feeling I encounter at 50-60mph. They say it is the torque converter. I am wondering if I am the only one experiencing this problem. The symptoms are: Just over 40mph I feel the car shift into overdrive. If I take my foot off the gas, the car jerks. The other is that at 50-60mph if I just cruise, neither accelerating nor decelerating, the transmission and car itself seem to pulsate, not always, but enough to bother me. IS anyone else experiencing this?

    As for the heat in the driver's side, I have not noticed it. However, I am in Florida and seldom have the AC turned off.
  • safdsafd Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed a lot of posters take their cars to dealers for servicing. This is one reason maintaining these cars tend to be costly. This is true of all car makes and particularly so for luxury marques like Lexus and Infiniti. I recently needed the 60K for my Lexus ES300, for which the local Toyota dealer quoted me $1400. He tried to sell me on the point that the Lexus dealer would charge me about $2000 for the same service. When I bought the car, the previous owner also cautioned me on expensive services, him also using dealership servicing.
    I finally found a Toyota/Nissan expert to service the car for me, for the total cost of $580, which also included a brake service and a front end alignment, which would have been extras at the dealerships also.
  • g8rmang8rman Member Posts: 2
    I had a 1990 q-45 and loved it. Dealer was very helpful and found a way to cover problems with warranty ect. When it was time to get a new car I bought and 1994 kia or at least that's what my new q has brought me. It had about 75K and I decided, for the $ I could not get a better car so I would put a little $ in it and drive it for a few more years. I did some work ($800) to the front end that I had been putting off and had some other nagging problems fixed. I told them when I took it in to check to see what was causing it to spit and sputter on occasion. They told me everything was ok, and that maybe I had bought some bad gas.

    Anyway after I got it back the spitting and sputtering continued and I took it back. They then determined that the injectors were leaking and had to be replaced ($2K+). Well I was already $800 into it and said go ahead. When I got it back about a week later, I noticed a burning oil smell. I took it back thinking it must be something with the injectors--but no, it was the head gasket on both sides. They swore they did not touch these during the injector repair> Another $800 later I'm ready to get out of the car for almost anything. The Infinity dealer changed hands and that could be part of the problem, but I just don't get the good feeling I had with my first Q
  • g8rmang8rman Member Posts: 2
    I had a 1990 q-45 and loved it. Dealer was very helpful and found a way to cover problems with warranty ect. When it was time to get a new car I bought and 1994 kia or at least that's what my new q has brought me. It had about 75K and I decided, for the $ I could not get a better car so I would put a little $ in it and drive it for a few more years. I did some work ($800) to the front end that I had been putting off and had some other nagging problems fixed. I told them when I took it in to check to see what was causing it to spit and sputter on occasion. They told me everything was ok, and that maybe I had bought some bad gas.

    Anyway after I got it back the spitting and sputtering continued and I took it back. They then determined that the injectors were leaking and had to be replaced ($2K+). Well I was already $800 into it and said go ahead. When I got it back about a week later, I noticed a burning oil smell. I took it back thinking it must be something with the injectors--but no, it was the head gasket on both sides. They swore they did not touch these during the injector repair> Another $800 later I'm ready to get out of the car for almost anything. The Infinity dealer changed hands and that could be part of the problem, but I just don't get the good feeling I had with my first Q
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    Generally all full size V8 [V12 about $4,000]imported lux cars cost about $3,000 each and every year to maintain properly [80% don't spent this much then just let it slowly rot] after the warranty expires..... just a fact of life and just because you don't spend it one year save it as the next will make it up. The LS400 saves maybe $500 year but you pay a much higher price up front....the Honda Civic is even less expensive.
    We repair about 2300 units [Lexus & Inf combined]annually at our unique dual independent shop.
  • sliles2sliles2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 94 q45 with 104k miles, and have begun noticing a hot smell under the hood recently. I took it to the Infiniti dealer and he said there was no record of the car getting a 60k mile checkup. I purchased the car at the 75k mark, and knew the former owner, who kept the car in excellent shape. I just assumed he had the 60k checkup done by someone else. The dealer also said the welch plugs were leaking and in order to replace them, they would have to pull the transmission, at a cost of about $2500. After doing some research on the subject, I have found a web site entitled infinitiexpert.com. He has recommended this type of repair may not be necessary. If the leaking is not severe, the plugs may seal themselves. The only side effect is that there will be a burning smell under the hood caused by the coolant coming into contact with the hot engine. Does this make sense? I see that others have had to replace "freeze plugs?" Is this the same thing? If this is an inherent problem with Q45s, maybe there is something that can be done as a group. I have never experienced this type of problem with any other vehicle. I would appreciate any comments. Thanks, sliles2
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    Dribling freeze plugs are common in cars that don't have regular coolant flush/changes ....another sign that besides no 60 k service your friend was less diligent.
    http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/infinitiownersclub
    10,000 posts on Q45 repairs and problems
  • rstallsrstalls Member Posts: 3
    To Sliles: You indicated that you contacted infinitiexpert.com in your January 9, 2001 message. However, I tried it and got a message that the web site had gone out of business. That seems awfully quick. Did I copy the info down wrong or was he short lived. Any help?
  • rstallsrstalls Member Posts: 3
    Does anyone have a problem in a 91 Q45 with the transmission shuddering from a standstill for the first few seconds until it gets to about 5 or 10 mph. I changed the fluid completely and it helped a lot but still get shuddering a little.
  • consequencerconsequencer Member Posts: 3
    if you want to hear a horror story listen to this. i bought a 1990 q45 for $5,575 in april 2000. i was happy with it. It have 130,000 miles on it. i was driving it for 3 months and the problems started occuring. I was driving from work and it suddenly just dies i was driving it for 10 minutes and on the road it just died. the altenater went bad. so i bought a new one that was a pretty penny. after the cash i spent on it i thought its time to get rid of it. just when i fixed that. i was driving one night and it was jerking really hard. when i stopped it it was shaking and idleing about 3000 rpm. it had no power i drove home. towed it to a shop and they said a vacum seal was leaking. i fixed that and i said that another pretty penny. after i though again all the troubles were over. a day when i got it all fixed it started doing it again. i drove home. and let it rest for the rest of the night. next morning i tried starting it,it wouldnt even start. i thought it was a battery it wasnt, the timing belt came off of it. to fix the it would be about 5-7 thousand dollars. i already spent a total of $6,000 on it so i sold it to a junk yard for $1,500. The first day i bought it people were telling me it was a bad idea i wish they would have told me sooner.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    The roughly $4,000-$5000 different in retail used price between a LS400 and a Q45 reflects the usual amount of work necessary to return the average 90-93Q to a satisfactory condition around the 120,000 mile mark if the previous owner did not stay on top of the maintenance and repairs. [They don't thus the price difference plus the Lexus has less power and performance thus less stress]. Many are just driven into the ground by previous 1st or 2nd owners then palmed off on some unsuspecting 3rd buyer who doesn't have a clue about the problems of older SPORT/Lux cars.
    Never buy an old expensive car without an expert checking everything even a Lexus and always expect at least $3,000 of rehab on any of them if the engine is perfect.
    I drive a 90Q with 212,000 miles bought new in 1990.
  • easoneason Member Posts: 4
    I have a 92 Q with 132K miles (runs like a damn race horse) and have been smelling the same thing for about a month now. NO leaks. NO nothing. Just an obvious hot, steaming anti-freeze smell. Never had a car do that, unless there was a lead and the car was running hot.
    My temp gauge is properly calibrated and it read okay.
    And to those of you who bash the Q, i.e. Consequencer, "Buyer Beware". Purchasing ragged out junk from someone who did not take care of it from day one has nothing to do with the brand. There again, you can get a lemon in anything. I own a Lexus, albeit an SUV, and my Q and there's no question that Toyota would be gone before my Nissan.
  • kerryk1kerryk1 Member Posts: 3
    I own a '96 Q45 with 59k miles. All has been ok until last week when, on a very cold day, my blower motor decided to stay stuck on high and WON'T TURN OFF! The only time my fan goes off is when I turn the car off. All other aspects of the automatic climate control seem to work ok. I suspect a relay problem somewhere. Any advice on this would be helpful. It's hard listenting to that nice sound system when the fan is blowing so loudly.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    AF burning Smells check for hose leaks under plenum, common on 9 year old Q which haven't had all hoses changed.
    The fan speed is controlled by an electronic module, fail safe is to run wide open...the fan speed module will need to be replaced ...behind glove box to the left of fan motor vertical quasi rectangular unit mounted in cooling unit.
  • kerryk1kerryk1 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the info, q45man. Any idea what I may be looking at in terms of parts and labor to have the fan speed module replaced? Is it worth doing myself in your opinion? Thanks.
  • jothomas63jothomas63 Member Posts: 8
    I have a 91 Q45 w/138K. Great car. Runs like a dream. I had the timing chain replaced at 90K at my choice. Not cheap. I have two problems I have put off repairing for over a year, and would like some iput. 1. The speedo registers incorrectly intermittently. You can be cruising at 80 mph and all of a sudden it will register 120 mph and then go back to 80. Doesn't appear to alter the mileage. Any suggestions. 2. My display for the climate control has stopped working, all functions seem to work, you just can't read the display. Have checked fuses and all seem fine. Are there other fuses to check or will the whole unit have to be replaced?. Any tips on used parts, I am in Tennessee and used parts are hard to come by.
  • trdq45trdq45 Member Posts: 2
    Hi Fellow Q45 suffers. I posted a problem with my fuel pump making a high pitch noise on the first listed posting sight. The title of the posting is "Fuel Pump Noise". If any of you are having a noisy fuel pump problem like mine, please offer suggestions to fix problem... other than buying a different car!

    I bought mine as an "off Lease" "Certified Pre-Owned" Infiniti 1998; its a 1995 sedan. It had 40K miles and all the service records so I felt like I was buying a properly maintained car. I have 114K miles on it now and I just replaced both the king pins due to a squeeking sound. $400 fixed the problem. I hope this is not like a government project that requires continuous injection of money to keep it running.

    Please let me know if you are getting a funny noise from your trunk area after a long trip and you are sitting still listening to your car run. I'm getting a high pitch whine.

    Thanks.

    I hope this
  • potcinske01potcinske01 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a '94 Q45 with 86k recently. The first owners provided all the maintenance records and took great care of the car. It runs great, but I've had a screwy electrical problem with the DC changer. There seems to be an electrical short - while driving, the sound cuts in and out and at times complete off. The next bump, and wall! - sound. The strange thing is that when I brake, sound comes from both sides, when I let off the brake, I get only right side sound. When I take off I lose all sound momentarily, then it picks up again. Any ideas?
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    The pump is a 3 speed motor which is supplied a varible voltage [the motor ground runs through what amounts to a engine computer transistorized varible resistor].

    Idle speed ,cruise speed, and WOT and 3 minute very cold warm up speed.

    As fine dirt from dirty gasoline wears the 8 brushes the current increases as the pump slows down changing the intensity and pitch of the unit, a frying sound listening in the trunk is a sign of extreme stress caused by not changing the fuel filter every 20,000 miles. Don't delay changing the pump every 70k or so as waiting too long will leave you stranded and burn out the speed controller [another $500].

    Whenever the pump is changed make sure the fuel level is 1/4 so you can see if dirt has accumulated inside tank, which must be removed or you will just trash a new pump quickly.

    Owners should always keep a 1/4 tank minimum to cool the fuel and pump plus this disperses the dirt so it doesn't constantly assault the pump.

    We get lots of 90-96Q flat bedded in with failed pumps because owners don't heed our warning hoping to squeeze a few more miles instead of spending $500 they end up with 2 days lost, a $100 tow bill and $1,000 in repairs. Two owners last year were so ignorant that they [to save money by towing the car in themselves] with rear wheels on the ground - blowing the transmission so they got a $4500 bill instead.

    http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/infinitiownersclub
  • baltoexecbaltoexec Member Posts: 2
    I've recently purchased a 91 Q45, with 61k miles. By all accounts it has been very well maintained with all the regular service, oil changes, blah blah blah backed up by records. My question is, especially after reading about how it doesn't take a heck of a lot to quickly find yourself with an expensive problem, whether I might do well to spend about $1,200 on a used car warranty good for 3 years/40k miles.

    You can look at in different ways I suppose...it has been recommended by many that if the chain guides haven't been replaced (they haven't) that they should be. If not, they can break, leading to bent/broken valves, and a resultant multi-thousand dollar engine rebuild. That chain guide job costs about $1600. For less, I could buy the warranty and if the worst happens, the repair would be covered by the warranty. Same goes for any potential transmission problems (not that these early Q's have any transmission problems or anything...),injector problems and any other major system problems. Thoughts?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think it depends a great deal on the "exclusions" of this extended warranty. As you probably know, these are not really "warranties"...they are insurance policies, much like health insurance. The insurance company is betting that you won't make a claim and you are hoping that you'll get a fatal disease and get your money's worth (lol). !

    But seriously, you MUST read carefully about the "exclusions", as this is the REAL value of your policy. Not all warranty policies are the same, and they can vary considerably. Also, it would be good to know who the backer of the warranty really is, and if they are a well-rated company or if they operate out of a tent.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    Based on our experience there is a 95% chance that you will much more than the $1400 cost of a service contract on this vehicle over the next 40,000 miles my guess is that the maintenance and repairs could be up to $6,000 Worst case without an engine guide failure.
    This of course depends upon how well the car was reconditioned for sale and previous maintenance standards. But age is the killer of rubber hoses and suspension components.....low mileage 10 year old cars are a concern because they may have only had fluid services once per year if owners mistakenly assumed they were in the abnormal Normal category [7500 mile oil changes].
    Maybe you'll be lucky and many of the know issues were changed under warranty.
  • q45kidq45kid Member Posts: 2
    I am in the market for an used Q, found one with 130,000mi for $8,000 everything seems fine, carfax, test drive, inspection. But are there any possible high cost repairs to watch out for? I thought they were reliable and didn't hold value which is why I picked this model. Can't get any warranty because over 100,000mi. Should I buy or not. Thanks
  • curiousqcuriousq Member Posts: 2
    Any responses today would be appreciated; tomorrow I am going to look at a '92 Q "Elite" w 99k miles. Second owner, has had it since 20k & has replaced tranny, recent brake job, has replaced motors for electric windows. New timing chain 3-99.
    Sounds like an ideal situation, has another Q, loves both, but family demands, trips to lake, etc., necessitated the inevitable minivan or suv purchase.
    Consumer Reports warns that the '92 are prone to brake & electrical problems & owner has addressed the brakes & some of the electrical issues.
    Any specific response to the above as well as info in general is most appreciated as this is my first luxury car after years of conservative wagons, sedans. Fuel economy? Expensive maintenance, high theft likelihood? Anything that pops into your head.
    Thanks,
    curiousQ
  • usedcarhellusedcarhell Member Posts: 3
    52k 1994q black/tan clean 13995 what you think?
  • drgpetdocdrgpetdoc Member Posts: 5
    98' Q 45. Passenger heated seat dosen't work, had dealer repair problem twice, they insist it's O.K., however still no heat.Anyone else have this problem.Driver seat heats up just fine.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Just remember that these cars are quite depressed on the used car market, so be sure you know the going rate for one and don't overpay...resale value is quite low on these cars, which makes them a bit of a bargain actually.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    The lower per year resale [$5,000] compared to others [LS,etc] in part is because the higher mileage units [after 70k warranty] tend to have some expensive issues that must be addressed. So you can pay more initially [plus interest] or pay less then pay as you go in repairs but economically the end result is a wash!

    Generally if the 90-93 chain guides have been replaced the next most expensive failure will be the tranny $3K-$4k for a rebuild, driveshaft replacement around 120k $1k, then the AC compressor/evaporator, then rubber hoses under plenum 70k-140k depending, then the rest of normal lux car accessories that fail..plus tires, shocks, brakes that wear faster due to weight and power.
    Do not assume that an $6,000-$13,000 90-94 Q will be inexpensive to maintain just cost less than a BMW 740 to buy, insure, and maintain.
    A bad buy [not having everything checked by an expert] could easily result in a maintenance and repair outlay over a few years exceeding the cost of the vehicle ......the highest 2 year cost on record was $11,000 worth of repairs and maintenance in a 90Q from 103,000 miles to 162,000 miles...this did not include an engine or transmission which had already been changed.....now the 94 and up models don't have nearly the expensive issues the earlier units did.
  • flavaflabflavaflab Member Posts: 1
    I have a factory installed Soy 10 ad changer that stopped working 3 weeks ago. I bought this car in Dec/00 with 78,000k on it. I called repair shop and they advised me to forget it. It was to old to repair. Does anyone out there know this to be true, or are they just trying to sell me a new one? Should I, dare say, take it to the dealer? thanks
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