Infiniti QX56 Problems and Solutions

csholst03

I have a 2008 QX56 with intelligent key. This morning I can not start the vehicle. Has anybody had this problem? The remote will lock and unlock the doors, but the ignition switch will not rotate from the "lock" position and the dash light flashes the car and key symbol. It is Sunday and Infiniti roadside assistance says they will tow it tomorrow to my dealership because they need a dealership signature to drop off the car and nobody is there on Sunday.

lfriedelo

Has anyone else experienced this? I was traveling on the freeway in my QX56 with my 6yr old in the back, when an earsplitting explosion occurred...I could feel the pressure from it in my eardrums. My first thought was that an explosion (natural gas storage?) had occurred nearby, alongside the freeway...then I felt the shards of glass raining down inside. I thought at that point that perhaps we'd been shot at. Wind and glass are rushing into the vehicle, my daughter is screaming, and I am desperately trying to maintain control of the vehicle and comprehend what is happening to us at the same time. Luckily for us, no one was hurt, but this could have had a much more grisly outcome. I have photos showing that all the glass remaining around the edges of the sunroof is curved upward, as if there were an interior pressure that the glass could not withstand. The dealership said I had to pay for the repairs, (@$1000) though the vehicle was almost new and under warranty. I would like to hear from any owner of an Infiniti or Nissan who has had a similar experience. Thanks.

tidester

That sounds pretty scary! Though not related to Infiniti, you may be interested in reading about similar experiences others have had: Exploding Sunroofs!

For what it's worth, I don't see why it wouldn't be covered by warranty.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

theresau

Hello Tidester,
Yes, I just had the same problem with my brand new 2007 G35X. I too was driving on the highway traveling about 65mph when my sunroof exploded. Glass shattered and sunroof exploded up and out - very scary!! My car is currently at the dealership pending an explanation. This is ridiculous me and my passenger could have been killed had I not took control of the car. Infiniti is still trying to figure out what the problem was. Clearly a manufacturing defect. Has anyone else out there experienced this problem - please post.

Angel 10 in NY.

tidester

Thanks, Angel! Please let us know what you find out.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

rickqx56

This exact same thing just happened to my wife. This is on a 2008 qx56. I am taking it in tomorrow as it happened over the weekend. I can tell you one thing, if they tell me that I have to pay for the repairs, there will be a picket outside of the dealership. My car has 4K miles on it. Exactly what you explained here is what happened. I did a google search before I brought the vehicle in to see if this has happened before. Thanks for posting!

oldpendleton

Sorry about the Q's exploding sunroof! Other than that, would you say you are happy with the Q? I am considering purchasing one for my wife!

lykourinou

I've seen nothing but good reviews from owners and from sites that reviewed the QX. I see where people have talked about exploding sunroofs which is a serious problem, but these may just be a few isolated events. I hope. Anyhow I'm stuck between an Escalade and the new QX. I'm leaning towards the QX.

lykourinou

Does anyone know why Infiniti has not incorporated projectors into the QX HID set up? I love the beam pattern from Nissans/Infiniti models and I also adore GM's HID in the 07 Escalade which uses projectors. Why doesn't infiniti use them on the QX, you figure the beam pattern would go everywhere and not focus on the road correctly. Anyone know about this?

jerosado

I just got a brand new 4x4 QX56 out of the dealer yesterday. Today after driving 10 miles and parking, when I re-started the engine I noticed the the front A/C unit began to swtich on & off intermittently. A few minutes later the front fan and A/C unit stopped working. I noticed a faint "burned-circuit" smell inside the cabin at the time. I was not able to restart the A/C unit. The back unit seems to be working fine, yet not enough to keep us comfortable. Has anybody seen something like this? Any ideas? I checked the fuse boxes but there isn't a slot for the "front- A/C unit or blower" and the information in the manual is scarce. Thank you. -Julio :confuse:

suv_search

Whoa. That should not happen. We just purchased a brand new QX56 on the 12/31 and no problems at all thus far (except the salesperson was/is a jerk). I would definitely return the truck immediately for a new truck or to have it repaired immediately. Let us know what happens.

jerosado

Thank you for your solidarity It didn't take me long, I took the damaged unit back to the dealer for a new one. Sure enough, I got one in 30 min. Later I was told that this unit was taken back to the sales floor after 4 hrs at the repair shop. And that the malfunction was due to a couple blown-out fuses. I'm still thinking why did it happen? A voltage regulation problem, or a short circuit of some kind? Who will ever know? I honestly doubt the “fuse story" very much as I finally got a chance to check all the fuses, one by one, before turning the unit back in, and I couldn't find anything wrong with them. The salesperson that took care of our case was very supportive and helped us to get out of the problem without arguments very quickly (A+)! - Thank you, JR

keg97

^^^ So they essentially exchanged you a new QX with no issues? Wow...very impressive from your dealer. I would have gone in expecting a battle and been blown over with a feather when they did not buck me!!!

Congrats!

jerosado

Yep! No if ands or buts. JR

infqx56

Hello, I own 06' qx56 and also leasing a fx35 and was wondering if anyone else isn't satisfied with the ride quality on the qx56. I've been in a scion with better ride quality. I love my truck but the suspension isn't what I expect it from day 1. I had the dealer check my suspension and was told its fine (told me yeah thats air suspension). As i'm traveling on the highway doing 50-65mph going over bumps or imperfection on the road the car would jerk and rattle to one side. Is this normal??? What could be the problem??? Also recently as I go over a speed bump or if the car goes up a small bump or hill on the road and the front end slams down (with my windows open) I hear something crumpling, sounds like a 2 liter plastic bottle being steped on(crushed). Has anyone else experience this??? One more thing ... driving with your window down 2inches or so...does your window rattle as if it felt loose???

robert

I posted in the old thread, but thought I'd post here as more traffic. I have a 05 QX that the seats don't always return to postion. It never happened for the first 1-1 1/2 yrs and is increasing in frequency. I have thought about whether I hit seat adjust buttons when exiting or entering, but since it never happened in the beginning, I can't believe I'm hitting them that frequently now. Happens 3-4 times per week but of course never at the dealer.....thoughts???

benbo

I currently own a GMC Yukon and a Ford F-150. Both have day time running lights, came on Yukon, had installed on F-150. I own a 08 QX56 and wonder if running lights can be installed. I read , rather let me say, I scanned , the owners manual and I don't believe that QX56s sold in the U.S. come so equipped. Question is whether any readers had running lights installed after purchase.
I just turned 1200 miles and I really enjoy the car when my wife lets me get behind the wheel. Both my F-150 and Q56 are black which sort of led me to order the Zaino Kit, for $86.00 , to see if I get the POP! that readers speak of. I must now build up my courage, stamina, and what else I need muster up to attack a 6 hour task.

keg97

Do the Zaino....Do the Zaino....Do the Zaino

obyone

and what else I need muster up to attack a 6 hour task.

6 hours to Zaino? I did the dawn, clay, to z-5 on a Yukon Denali in little over an hour. Course if you're doing a 6 pack an hour I can understand why it would take you 6 hours.

6infs

I'm new to the forum, I'm just wondering did you buy a Q? I just traded in my 04 for an 08.

boscolau

I have a 2006; and you are right. QX in US does not come with DRL. Since I always want one, I went back to the dealer and ask for it. What they did was to put a DLR module which hooked up to the HID.

To further the discussion, I asked them why the HID. They explained to me that the QX in US does not come with the harness that allows DRL by simply switching a fuse (like my brothers BMW X3). They did that to the fog light in the past; but had a lot of complains about frequent replacement. HID on the other hand is more long lasting. Of course, I won't be able to tell until maybe 100,000 miles later. Theoretically, it should be the case.

It costed me about $400 to do it. Hope this helps!

crose454

My wife took our qx56 to the car wash and noticed the guy after cleaning out the inside pulling the liftgate down instead of using the button. Tonight I tried the button on the key fob and dash and could not get either of them to work. The liftgate opens fine manually. When I push the buttons there are no blinking lights, beeping or anything like it is trying to do the job. Just nothing! Any ideas if this is a mechanical problem or if it might be something simple.

djdj3

My 2005 qx56 had a dent repaired and the liftgate was slightly taken apart. After repair, all my lights, beeps, and electrical opening of my trunk were gone as well. Since that time, my car has been stalling while driving. It is a security issue of some kind. The SUV wants to re-start, but won't, as the fuel is cut off. Did you figure out your problem? I think mine are related.

ldr63

I have a 2008 Infiniti QX56 with approximately 18K miles. Whenever I drive on a rough road or go over a bump, I hear a rattling noise in my front wheels that sounds like marbles or ball bearings rattling around. Also, when I step on the brakes I hear a single clicking noise. I took it to the dealer to fix and they treated me like a fool. They said my license plate was loose. After leaving the dealer, I could still hear the noise.

ubarragan

can any one tell me why my 4x4 on my 2004 qx56 is not working the light comes on so it looks like it is working but its not the front tires are not spinning like i never turned it on .....

richj2

We just took our '08 QX56 to the shop today to have the suspesion inspected as the ride is bordering on unsafe at highway speeds if you encounter any bumps or small potholes. Upon hitting a small bump, the car veers off track and you need to recover to maintain control. The service dept found nothing wrong and sent my wife on her way dismissing the complaint as "normal performance". I'm not satisfied with this answer. Please reply if you have a possible answer and/or are having a similar experience.

sgw1

There is currently a recall on the AC

billythequid

I have a 2005 QX56. I've been the Ferrari service/restoration business for 30 years so if I can isolate the problem, I might be able to fix it. Twice now the car has run out of fuel with the fuel gauge reading just below half and the trip screen indicating it has around 100 + miles to empty.

Seems like a fuel level sender problem. Anyone else had this problem or clues on this and how hard it is to replace the unit ? Do you have to drop the fuel tank ?

I'd like any input.

thanks Bill

kechal12

I have a similar problem with my 2006 QX56. Has gotten stuck at 1/4 tank and caused me to run out of gas twice. Not sure that the issue is.

ventrone

I have the same exact problem. This car's suspension is a disaster. I think it's just a poor design, but do agree it feels unsafe.

gutfamily

We have an 2006 Qx56 with the same problems. It feels very unsafe when going over large potholes and poor pavement. The dealer (two different ones) have dismissed the problem. They did replace one of the front shocks but the problem is still there. One other issue is going over speed bumps it sound horrible squeaky. The window problem that was reported by another owner is also a problem we have.

Has anyone gotten the dealer to warranty any of these issues? I would love to hear about it.

doane123

This is a Warranty repair the dealer will perform for free. It appears to be common problem.

doane123

i had the same problem with the 2006 Q56....the U joint in the front drive shaft has gone bad and needs to be replaced.

This is a warranty item...dealer replaced mine. you will need the Front Drive Shaft Assembly and a Propellar Shaft. This repair and parts were covered under warranty

doane123

you need to have the dealer replace the front drive shaft assembly. The U joint has gone bad and deteriorated. They should do this work under warranty.

doane123

yes ....had same problem It is a warranty repair the dealer will do for free.....seems to be a common problem.

tdkeator

My 2009 QX56 does not appear to cool properly. Right now we are hitting highs of 100 degrees in TX. My QX56 only cools to about 60 degrees at the front center vent (I am measuring temps with a special A/C thermometer designed for this purpose). At the same time of day, my 2003 Yukon hits 45 degrees at the vent and my 2007 Volvo XC90 hits 40 degrees! I think the QX56 should hit similar numbers. Has anyone experienced a similar problem with the QX56 producing cool, but not cold, air? Is this a programatic issue? I took it to the dealer and they said everything was fine with the vehicle.

tidester

In addition to the temperature of the air conditioner's output, the other factor that matters is the flow rate (volume) of the output. For example, if your QX56 is putting out twice the volume at 60° as your XC90 puts out at 40° you may be just as comfortable in your QX56.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

zone4

Since your QX56 is larger it may not cool the cabin to 40 degrees because the cool air has a larger area to cool. And since your SUV is larger it also produces more heat (when driving) which in turn will cause it not to cool up as fast. Then again maybe the vehicle was built to cool only to only 60 degrees. While test driving two other new vehicles I noticed they only cooled to 60 degrees also. Cooling the vehicle to 45 degrees will probably affect the MPG (which is already bad) which is why it stops at 60. I hope this helps.

tdkeator

Thanks. So are you and Tidestar opining that perhaps 60 degrees is correct? The ambient temperature is comfortable in the cabin when outdoor temps are below 95. But above that, it is stuffy. I realize it is hot and A/Cs struggle to keep up, but even at 105 degrees, my Yukon and Volvo get the cabin cold. I think a $60,000 QX56 should be able to do the same, and that this is a design flaw with QX56's. I found a similar line of complaints for the 2005 Nissan Armada. See Nissan Service Bulletin ITB05-041B on the Nissanhelp.com website. Thanks for your responses.

tidester

But above that, it is stuffy.

What I wrote was only a suggestion. The proof is in the comfort of the passengers and you're saying that the overall cooling is inadequate. I've never driven a QX56 so I will certainly defer to your hands on experience.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

zone4

I think 60 degrees is correct. I saw a picture on the Mercedes-Benz website that an $87,000 Mercedes -Benz SUV only cools to 60 degrees. That's the lowest reading posted on the knob. Although some vehicles may cool to a lower temperature I think it depends on the vehicle itself as to how low it will cool. However, I agree with you in wishing that vehicles would cool below 60 degrees. I'm a heavy sweater and in Georgia the heat and humidity can become quite unpleasant during the summmer.

tdkeator

Actually, 60 on the nob is supposed to indicate the internal cabin temperature, not the temperature of the air at the vent. The air coming out of the vents needs to be much colder than 60 degrees to blend with warmer cabin air to produce a temperature of 60 degrees in the cabin. Industry standard is 38-48 degrees at the vent. Unfortunately, on hot days, the QX56 is no where close.

zone4

I already knew that 60 degrees on the knob represented the cabin temperature. However, I disagree with your statement that the air coming out of the vent needs to be much colder than 60 degrees to blend with the warm air. If the outside temperature is 20 below zero the temperature inside the cabin is not warm but cold. You can still turn the air conditioner on if you wanted too (even though that would not be a good idea) and it would not mix with warm air to produce a temperature of 60, 70, etc. degrees because the outside temperature is too cold. It has nothing to do with the air temperature inside the vehicle. The air conditioner will put out enough cold air to make the cabin the temperature you chose assuming the outside temperature is not too extreme.

tdkeator

The point is that the industry standard vent temperature, using a thermometer, is 38-48 degrees using recirc mode after 10-12 minutes. The nob temperature is irrelevant. The QX56, at a whopping 60 degrees, fails miserably. I took mine back and got a Yukon that blows 42 degrees while it is 100 degrees outdoors. I really wish I didn't have to make this choice. It is ridiculous to have to take back a $61,000 luxury vehicle because the A/C is insufficient. This is one of the dumbest flaws I've ever encountered. Its like building a beautiful new 50-story skyscraper but forgetting to install elevators. And I don't think it was just a problem with my vehicle - I test drove another brand new 2010 and it gave the exact same readings at the vent using my thermometer. Unfortunately with a wife and little kids I can't sacrifice A/C for the other bells and whistles the QX has to offer. If Infiniti fixes this flaw, I'll trade in the Yukon for the Infiniti in a heart beat.

zone4

I disagree with you again. If the knob temperature was irrelevant then there would be no need for automatic climate control where each passenger can set "their" air conditioner to their desired temperature. Although I still can't see why people choose this because if one passenger set their temperature at 60 degrees and another sets theirs at 75 degrees the air would still mix in the cabin and not give them their desired temperature. I know for a fact my vehicle's vents cannot cool to 38-48 degrees especially when it's hot outside. In fact when it's really hot I wonder if it's cooling at all(Yes, it has freon). Kudos for you for taking your QX56 back. I was thinking about purchasing one but now maybe I won't.

tdkeator

I meant that the lowest nob temperature isn't necessarily the lowest air temperature at the vent. There's a distinction. My 2003 Yukon, 2009 Yukon, and former Volvo XC90 all said the lowest they would go is 60 on the nob (or LCD). Yet, they all cooled air to 40-45 at the vent.

I would say buy a $5 A/C thermometer at Autozone and take it on all of your test drives. Drive a QX56 on a day above 90 and see if it cools the cabin air, but more importantly see how you feel inside. To me, it felt hot even after 20 minutes, and the thermometer (60) backed me up. The rear air (after traveling about 4 feet through the roof of the vehicle) actually came out hot - 71 degrees.

FYI - I drove a Sequoia as well and it didn't cool below 55, which was OK but not ideal. I don't know what kind of A/C equipment GMC uses, but as I've said again and again, my new Yukon will get down to about 42 after 5 minutes on the hottest Texas days. I will never overlook the A/C again when buying a new vehicle. Luckily I bought the QX56 in June when I could catch the flaw quickly. Had I bought last winter or spring, I would be sweating like a pig while cruising in syle.

zone4

If you put a thermometer at the vent the thermometer will only give the temperature coming out of the vent which is not the temperature of the cabin. That's why weather reporters don't take the outside temperature in direct sunlight. The sun will cause the thermometer to rise and will give a false reading. If you put a thermometer in the cabin and not directly at the vents it will tell you the cabin temperature. Some vehicles will give you the outside temperature and the inside temperature as well. If I ever test drive a QX56 I will be sure to bring a themometer to see how cool it gets the cabin.

lingenfelter

Here is a list of problems that I have had with a QX56. According to the internet most of these are common with the QX.
1. Brakes Fail with no explanation
2. Brake Rotors warp at 5,000 mile intervals
3. Automatic skid control actuates unexpectedly.
4. Transmission noise and shifting is irregular
5. Gas Mileage is horrible compared to its competitors
6. Dashboard button for rear hatch release repeatedly breaks.
7. Very harsh ride for a vehicle this price.
8. Dealership is clueless as to many of these problems.

Probably THE worst vehicle that I have ever owned.

johnl11

Try changing the cabin filter ? Maybe the cabin air is not circulating properly ?

johnl11

I have a 2004 QX with 26900 miles and am being told the AC lines that run to the rear have been corroded ! This is a $1000 repair that is not covered by my extended warranty ! I have called Corporate and will get back if they fix this ! You can't sell vehicles in the Mid Atlantic and blame road salt for doing this kind of damage ! This appears to be a design flaw .

desiking

Does anybody elso has the steering wheel shake on rough and bumpy road in awd qx56 2010?