2014 Infiniti Q50 HYBRID: complaints, problems and recalls

ON JANUARY 8, 2014, I WAS SCHEDULED TO BRING MY Q50 FOR SERVICE FOR VARIOUS ISSUES AND PICK UP A LOANER. THAT AM IT WAS ABOUT 3 DEGREES F IN CHICAGO. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, I SAW A SERIES OF WARNING LIGHTS, INCLUDING DYNAMIC CONTROL, SEAT BELT LIGHT (MY SEAT BELT WAS ON), MASTER WARNING LIGHT, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT, BRAKE WARNING LIGHT, DIRECT RESPONSE HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT AND ONE UNIDENTIFIED LIGHT. I LIVE 3 MILES FROM THE SERVICE CENTER AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HEAD TO THE DEALER TO DROP OFF THE CAR AND PICK UP MY LOANER. THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,348 miles reported. Look up ODI 10562427 at NHTSA ↗

EVEN AFTER DAS REPROGRAM (ITB14-006) PER CAMPAIGN END OF JANUARY '14, DAS FAILED AT COLD TEMP AT START UP. AFTER DRIVING 10 MIN, I PARKED THE CAR OUTSIDE FOR 30 MIN AT 0 DEGREE F. WHEN RESTARTED, ENGINE WAS ON BUT MULTIPLE WARNINGS APPEARED (SAME AS REPORTED ON 1/11/14). THIS HAPPENED 2 TIMES AT COLD TEMP BEFORE REPROGRAMMING, AND PREVIOUSLY, I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN TIRES AT ALL BECAUSE STEERING WAS JUST TOO HEAVY. HOWEVER, THIS TIME (#3), I WAS ABLE TO TURN TIRES EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STILL HEAVIER THAN USUAL. THE BACKUP MECHANICAL STEER MUST HAVE…

Owner-reported narrative. 950 miles reported. Look up ODI 10563627 at NHTSA ↗

MULTIPLE NAVIGATION / INTOUCH CRASHES, MALFUNCTION, RADIO FREEZES, HEAD PROXY UNIT FAILURE,. ISSUES OCCUR UPON STARTUP AND YOU ARE FORCED TO STOP, WAIT 5 MINUTES, RESTART VEHICLE. BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE, REPLACED DIRECT CONTROL UNIT,UPDATED FIRMWARE. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY ISSUES APPROX. 2 - 3 TIMES PER WEEK APPROX. 15 - 25 MINUTES INTO COMMUTE. FORCED TO PULL OFF ROAD, STOP, WAIT, RESTART. SCHEDULED VISIT WITH INFINITI DEALER TECH SPECIALIST TO REVIEW VEHICLE. INFINITI ENGINEERING STATES 2 - 3 FAILURES PER WEEK NORMAL BEHAVIOR. VEH…

Owner-reported narrative. 150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10578837 at NHTSA ↗

THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR SYSTEM WILL INTERMITTENTLY ACTIVATE WHEN MY WIFE (SMALL STATURE ADULT) IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ABOUT HALF THE TIME THE SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE WHEN SHE GETS IN THE CAR AND ABOUT HALF THE TIME IT STAYS OFF. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPORT THE SYSTEM IS OPERATING WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. I CONTACTED INFINITI BUT MY DISCUSSIONS WERE EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. THEY DENY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THEY STATE THAT IT IS DUE TO THE OCCUPANT NOT SITTING CORRECTLY. THEY CA…

Owner-reported narrative. 20 miles reported. Look up ODI 10630441 at NHTSA ↗

SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, SLIGHTLY OVER A YEAR, WHEN DECELERATING GENERALLY WHEN COMING OFF A HIGHWAY ON AN EXIT RAMP TO A STOP, WHILE BRAKING THE CAR WILL BEGIN TO NORMALLY SLOW BUT THEN SUDDENLY "JUMP FORWARD" OR FEEL LIKE IT IS ACCELERATING THEN CONTINUE BRAKING. IT FEELS LIKE IT IS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. EVERY TIME I HAVE HAD THIS INTO THE DEALER I HAVE COMPLAINED AND THEY CLAIM THE ISSUE CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. FINALLY, THEY HAVE BEGUN TO TELL ME IT IS "NORMAL" WITH THIS HYBRID CAR. THIS IS NO "NORMAL" EVENT. THIS CAR IS A MENACE. *…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10641482 at NHTSA ↗

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, PRESSED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN CAR BECAUSE OF ANOTHER CAR IN THE FAST LANE. THE BRAKES THROBBED AND DID NOT SLOW DOWN THE CAR. MOVED OVER TO THE MIDDLE LANE AND PRESSED BRAKES AGAIN, BRAKES THROBBED BUT DID NOT SLOW DOWN CAR. PULLED INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, BRAKES THROBBED SLOWED DOWN CAR UNTIL STOP. RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE BRAKES THEN BRING TO WORK PROPERLY. THIS HAS HAPPEN ABOUT 5 TIMES AND INFINITI HAS NOT CORRECTED OR FOUND ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10672358 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INFINITI Q50 HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, WHILE GOING INTO A RIGHT CURVE THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO THE LEFT WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND ACTIVE LANE CONTROL SYSTEMS WERE ACTIVATED AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE ROADS WERE TREATED DUE TO THE INCLIMATE WEATHER, WHICH HE FELT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTUR…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10693363 at NHTSA ↗

DURING WINTER 2014, I STARTED GETTING AWD / CHASSIS CONTROL ERRORS CONSTANTLY. THE ERROR WOULD SHOW UP AT VARIOUS TIMES, INCLUDING WITHIN 3-5 MIN FROM A COLD START, 10-15 MIN AFTER ENGINE REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE, WHILE DRIVING AFTER 20-30 MIN. SOMETIME THE ERROR IS FOLLOWED BY A SURGE IN POWER. EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS, THE AWD SYSTEM GOES OFFLINE AND THE CAR WORKS IN REAR WHEEL DRIVE ONLY. IN SNOW OR RAIN THE CAR BECOMES DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THIS PAST WINTER, I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE CAR UP MY DRIVEWAY. AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR, THE ERRO…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10748500 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-09-22 (September 22, 2014)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 hybrid vehicles manufactured December 10, 2012, to June 25, 2014, and Infiniti Q70 hybrid vehicles manufactured November 7, 2013, to May 7, 2014. Due to a software error, the electric motor may stop working while the vehicle is being driven using the electric motor only.

Consequence: The stall-like condition that occurs when the electric motor stops working may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the motor inverter software, free of charge. The recall began on November1, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2014-09-22 (September 22, 2014)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 hybrid vehicles manufactured October 16, 2013, to January 27, 2014, and Infiniti Q70 hybrid vehicles manufactured November 7, 2013, to December 10, 2013. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with transmissions whose housings were damaged during their manufacturing.

Consequence: The damaged housings could crack and fracture, creating road debris and disabling the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission assembly and replace it if cracks are found, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1- 800-647-7261.

Reported: 2014-09-22 (September 22, 2014)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Infiniti M35 hybrid vehicles manufactured April 7, 2012, to September 9, 2013, 2014 Infiniti Q50 hybrid vehicles manufactured December 10, 2012, to July 15, 2014, and 2014-2015 Infiniti Q70 hybrid vehicles manufactured April 9, 2010, to May 7, 2014. Due to a software error, In the affected vehicles, if the signal is lost from one of the two throttle position sensors (TPS), the engine control module (ECM) will go into a fail-safe mode, partially closing the throttle chamber. Should the lost signal be restored, the throttle chamber may open, regardless of the position signal from the TPS.

Consequence: The vehicle may gradually accelerate due to the throttle chamber reopening. This unexpected acceleration may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2016-04-26 (April 26, 2016)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Reported: 2016-06-13 (June 13, 2016)

Nissan North America, Inc.'s (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Infiniti Q50 vehicles manufactured December 26, 2012, to December 11, 2015, and Infiniti Q50 Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 10, 2012, to December 17, 2015. The Direct Adaptive Steering system may experience an error at vehicle start up altering the vehicle's steering responsiveness and turning radius.

Consequence: If the vehicle does not steer as the driver anticipates, there is an increased the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Direct Adaptive Steering ECU software, free of charge. The recall began on August 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.