Electrical system, steering and powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Owners of high-end sedans want top-notch style and quality. That’s why many of them choose the 2019 Infiniti Q50. The automaker claims that the newest lineup provides “luxury that thrills.” However, customers have been complaining about thrills that they don’t want. These include trouble with the electrical system, faulty steering and a defective powertrain.
It isn’t just luxury cars that integrate sophisticated electrical systems these days. However, the luxury car owners expect more when compared to a budget model. Yet, they aren’t getting it with this Infiniti.
Here’s one NHTSA review to consider. “Driving on interstate at 70 mph with active cruise engaged. The instrumentation all went black, cruise control released but engine continued running and I used manual acceleration in order to maintain speed in the flow of traffic. After approximately 30 seconds, the system re-booted. Instrumentation came back on and I reset active cruise control and all appeared ok. After a few days, we were returning home and as described earlier, the same event occurred on the interstate. I took the car to the dealer, described the incident, they reported they had seen that before, checked the computer and saw no codes and said it must have been a system reboot.”
While that must have been a scary situation, there are even more serious concerns. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V654000 states that over a million vehicles can suffer from a back-up camera image that doesn’t display correctly. Whether the car is cruising on the interstate or attempting to back out of the driveway, it’s clear that the computer glitches put people’s lives in jeopardy. Talk about thrilling!
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Power Train | |
| Suspension | |
| Engine | |
| Steering | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Air Bags | |
| Exterior Lighting |
Thankfully, the above complaint didn’t involve trouble steering as well or that could have been a disaster. Still, steering issues are being reported.
Just look at this Edmunds review. “I took my car in the first month because of it drifting to the right constantly and was told its roadcrown but nothing ever inspected. Roadcrown is in the right lanes not every lane. The 4th month the run flat on front right blew out on the sidewall but was no potholes around and roadside assistance never came to tow my car. I had to buy 4 new tires. The 14th month new tire on front right has sidewall damage again with a crack on the inner lip of the rim. Rim was replaced but nothing else inspected. Potholes will throw a car way out of alignment. I went to pay for alignment and only spec out was the left front toe. Now in spec car drifts to the right even more. So if you want a self driving car lol that will go from the left lane to the far right lane in 2 to 3 seconds all by its self I guess its for you. If you want a car that will be a constant money pit, unsafe and warranty not covering this car is for you.”
Aside from the steering concerns, Infiniti has also addressed trouble with the tires and wheels. Service Bulletin #ITB20-003 states that the TPMS sensor could be leaking air in some vehicles. In the affected vehicles, it could be occurring continuously, causing a loss of air pressure that becomes dangerous. To repair the problem, technicians must replace both the valve stem washer and valve nut. So far, it’s clear that the advanced systems meant to keep everyone safe are simply just backfiring and causing more trouble after all.
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From the mechanical standpoint, the powertrain and transmission must be working correctly to provide a smooth ride. Yet, this is another source of complaint from owners.
One Edmunds review states, “Infiniti reprogrammed the transmission to shift into higher gears at slower speeds. The results are being in 5th gear at 30 MPH. I am sure this was in an attempt to maximize fuel economy but the result is lugging this great power plant to a pedestrian level. Tranny is also harsh on downshifts from 5th to 4th and 4th to 3rd.”
It turns out that Infiniti had so many problems with the transmission that a stop sale was issued on some vehicles. For that to occur, the automaker had to be concerned about something major related to the transmission torque converter, further proving how much of a disappointment this luxury car actually was. At this point, customers looking for a thrill might do better off sky-diving or bungee jumping instead.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Infiniti pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Im not sure how this manufacturer is mot being held responsible for their defects when it seems several consumers have complained and reported the issues