Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 INFINITI QX4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Accelerating grinding sound in back chassis. Steering is harder than usual. Im not getting the power to accelerate properly all the time. Eventually the problem with salt cause im in Indiana too much salt on roads and i dont think things are sealed completely from manufacturers.
Unknown. Steering is rough. Sounds
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 INFINITI QX4. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V244000 (STEERING, SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT STRUT HOUSING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. *BF CONSUMER STATED INFINITY CONTACTED AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO OPEN CASE FOR HIS VEHICLE FOR MY VEHICLEAS THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN SERVICED IN 2008. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AND THEY REPAIRED IT COMPLETELY WITH A BRACKET AND FIBERGLASS REPAIR KIT.*JB
JUST BOUGHT THE CAR USED 5 MONTHS AGO AND IT'S NOT WORKING DUE TO STRUT HOUSING AND FUEL FILLER TUBE RECALLS. I'M DISABLED AND HOMELESS CURRENTLY AND WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE.
ON NOV. 4TH, 2013, I WAS DRIVING MY CHILD TO SCHOOL. I BEGAN TO TURN LEFT & THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED US TO THE LEFT & THEN WENT OUT OF CONTROL. AS WE WERE JERKED TO THE LEFT, I FELT THE STEERING WHEEL JERK AND THEN IT STARTED SPINNING LIKE A TOP. THERE WAS NO WAY TO CONTROL THE STEERING. WE SLAMMED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AND MY 7 YR OLD DAUGHTER HIT HER HEAD. ONCE WE GOT HOME, I CONTACTED A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A RECALL SO I CONTACTED NISSAN. THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON "SOME" OF THE 1999 NISSAN INFINITIS, BUT HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING IF MINE WAS ONE OF THEM. I CONTACTED THE MECHANIC WHO SAID TO GIVE NISSAN MY VIN AND THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE ME MORE INFO. CALLED NISSAN BACK AND THEY WERE EXTREMELY RUDE AND SAID THEY HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS WITH ME THE PREVIOUS DAY. I TOLD THEM THAT A MECHANIC HAD TOLD ME TO CALL BACK & GIVE THEM MY VIN, SO I DID. SHE STILL WOULD NOT HELP. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER AND SHE SAID THAT I WAS NOT A "CASE" SO I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO ONE & SHE WOULD NOT GIVE ME A NAME. I STATED THAT WE WERE IN ACCIDENT, & JUST BECAUSE WE LIVED THROUGH IT, DID NOT MEAN THAT WE DID NOT DESERVE ANSWERS. ONCE SHE HEARD THAT THERE WAS ACCIDENT, SHE SAID THAT THEY HANDLE THAT DIFFERENTLY & HAVE TO ASSIGN A CASE NUMBER TO IT THEN. THEY TOOK MY INFO AND THE PROCESS BEGAN. I DID NOT RECEIVE A RENTAL FROM THEM UNTIL THE END OF NOV, SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. I HAD PICTURES OF MY OWN, & THE STEERING COLUMN IS BROKE IN HALF, WHICH I PROVIDED THEM AS WELL. A CLEAN BREAK ALL THE WAY THROUGH. ON DEC 4TH I RECEIVED AN OFFER LETTER TELLING ME THAT I HAD 7 DAYS TO ACCEPT, OR THEY WOULD TAKE MY RENTAL AND I WOULD HAVE TO CLAIM MY CAR, WHICH HAD BEEN DEEMED UN-DRIVABLE AND UN-INSURABLE. BASICALLY TAKE THIS RIDICULOUS OFFER, WHICH WAS LOW, OR YOU GET NOTHING & HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR RENTAL, HAVE NO CAR AND AN INJURED DAUGHTER. *TR
THE IGNITION KEY, AT TIMES, WOULD NOT ROTATE SO AS TO ALLOW THE DRIVER TO START THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INFINITI DEALER WHO COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE IGNITION KEY OR ASSEMBLY, OR WHY THE PART FAILED. AS A SAFETY ISSUE I ASKED INFINITI USA TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND THEY PRETTY MUCH GAVE ME THE "BRUSH-OFF" WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION. I SEE THIS A A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE CONSIDERING A PERSON(S) COULD BE STRANDED IN ANY WEATHER CONDITIONS IF THE IGNITION DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO START THE VEHICLE. IF IN A REMOTE AREA A PERSON COULD EASILY FREEZE TO DEATH WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. I DON'T BELIEVE THE PART SHOULD HAVE FAILED CONSIDERING THE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL PART THAT A PERSON COULD HAVE MAINTAINED TO HAVE IN A WORKING CONDITION, IT IS SUBJECT TO FAILURE AT ANY GIVEN TIME BASED ON WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD. THIS IS NOT YOUR NORMAL ITEM SUBJECT TO WEAR AND TEAR, IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. *TR
1999 INFINITI QX4. CONSUMER STATES RAPID RUST OF VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED ONE YEAR AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, SHE NOTICED RUSTING AROUND THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR. SHORTLY AFTER, IT BEGAN TO RUST ON BOTH FENDERS. IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUST OUT RAPIDLY. BOTH FENDERS, THE REAR HATCH, RUNNERS, SIDE MIRRORS, GAS TANK, GAS TANK COVER, GAS TANK NECK AND PIPES ALL HAD RUST OUT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS POORLY DESIGNED, BECAUSE THE FENDER WELDS HELD LEAVES, DIRT AND WATER FROM THE HOOD. ALSO, IN THE WINTER WHEN THERE WAS SNOW AND ICE ON THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PLACED IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE OR IT WOULD SLIDE OUT OF CONTROL. THE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO REPLACED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, BECAUSE IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN AND THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT WAS MAKING A NOISE. *JB
TL* 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 HAD FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,000. UPDATED 06/14/2012 *JS
I WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED WHEN I FELT AND HEARD A NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND BRAKE PEDAL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I SAW THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT TOWER HAD BROKEN LOOSE FROM THE WELDS ON THE FRAME CAUSING THE TOWER TO BECOME DISLODGED FROM THE FRAME ITSELF.
I BROUGHT MY 1999 INFINITI QX4 TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY STRUT TOWER WAS SEPARATED AND IT NEEDED TO GO TO A BODY SHOP. THE BODY SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE METAL ALONG STRUT TOWER WELDS WAS ROTTED, POSING A DANGER OF COLLAPSE ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THEIR CHECK OF THE PASSENGER SIDE FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH IT'S LESS SEVERE. I HAVE PHOTOS AND VIDEO. THEY WANTED OVER $6,000 TO FIX IT. INSURANCE WOULDN'T COVER IT SO I TOOK IT BACK TO INFINITI. THEY BROUGHT IT TO A BODY SHOP THEY USE AND FIXED THE DRIVER'S SIDE FOR $1800. THEY SAID THE PASSENGER SIDE WASN'T A PROBLEM TO WORRY ABOUT. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE QX4 AND SUGGESTED I COMPLAIN TO THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. CORPORATE WOULDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE ROTTING AROUND WELDS AND SAID THERE'D BE NO COMPENSATION BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY. I SAVED THE PARTS. I BELIEVE INFINITI SHOULD PAY FOR THE FIX OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND REIMBURSE MY $1800. THEIR MECHANICS AND DEALERS KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT CORPORATE WILL RISK CUSTOMERS LIVES FOR PROFIT.
COMPONENT 1 - STRUT TOWER RUSTED IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS, COMPONENT 2 - RUNNING BOARDS RUSTED OUT AND WERE REPAIRED. I UNDERSTAND THERE MAYBE BE A RECALL FOR THE STRUT TOWER. MY CURRENT CONDITION WILL NEED TO BE REPAIRED FOR PA INSPECTION. THE LAST RECALL I HAD TO DO W/THE GAS TANK, NHTSA CAMPAIGN #07V435000, WHICH I ALREADY HAD REPLACED BEFORE THE RECALL. JUST TRYING TO SAVE HAVING SOMETHING DONE TWICE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED FOR SAFETY. I HAVE PICTURES THAT CAN BE SENT, SHOULD YOU REQUEST. THANK YOU. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER HER VEHICLE QUALIFIED FOR THE RECALL. HOWEVER, INFINITI HAD NOT MADE A DECISION ON HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION AND THE STEERING HAS A SHIMMY. UPDATED 06/15/11
I HAVE A 1999 INFINITI QX4, WHICH OVERALL HAS BEEN A STURDY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE REPLACED BOTH FRONT STRUT TOWERS & ASSOCIATED PARTS, LAST YEAR HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN & JUST HAD IN THE SHOP FOR ENGINE RELATED ISSUES. IT'S GOING BACK IN THE SHOP TOMORROW AS IT SEEMS IT NOW HAS TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE STRUT & STEERING COLUMN REPAIRS WERE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS EACH. *LN
STEERING LOCKED UP - GEARBOX OR STEERING COLUMN FAILURE. *AK
STEERING WHEEL SHOOK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALER 9 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, COULD NOT SOLVE PROBLEM. DEALER HAS DONE WHEEL ALIGNMENT/REPLACED TIRES AND RACK AND PINION. BUT, THIS DID NOT IMPROVE CONDITION. FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE STATED ONCE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED AND MOST CONSUMERS WERE SATISFIED.*AK*TT
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .