2013 INFINITI QX56 Complaints

LOUD WHISTLING/WHINING SOUND FROM THE MOTOR AT START UP. EXTREME LOSS OF POWER WHEN STARTING UP A GRADE OR TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE CAUSING FEAR OF REAR END COLLISION. IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT RESULTS IN A TIMING CHAIN OR CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPAIR, COSTING SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. IT APPEARS INFINITI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WON'T ISSUE A RECALL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. THIS VEHICLE IS NOW VIRTUALLY INOPERABLE AS IT IS NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD UNTIL IT IS FIXED.

THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THOUSAND OAKS INFINITI WHERE I REGULARLY HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A BANK 2 CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FAILURE. BASED ON MY RESEARCH, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME THAT THE OTHER CATALYTIC CONVERTOR WILL ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 INFINITI QX56. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS SAGGING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUSPENSION AIR BAG ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE EXPLODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

4/14/15 VEHICLE PURCHASED FROM CARMAX. PROBLEM: BRAKES DO NOT WORK WHEN PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR FIRST BRAKE FAILURE (4/15/15) TWO DAYS AFTER PURCHASE, BRAKES FAILED AT APPROX. 6PM UNDER CLEAR WEATHER/GOOD ROAD CONDITIONS, WHILE TRAVELING NORTH ON VERMONT AVE. IN GARDENA, CA AT APPROX. 10 MPH. THE QX56 HIT A DODGE STRATUS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE STRATUS DRIVER WAS INJURED AND SUBSEQUENTLY REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE QX56 WAS RETURNED TO CARMAX FOR REPAIR, BUT CARMAX SAID THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO INFINITI AND AN ENGINEER WAS SENT OUT TO PULL THE BLACK (RECORDER) BOX. TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE REPORT OF FINDINGS. INFINITI SAID THEY CHECKED THE BRAKES AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT BRAKE FAILURES (5/16/15) BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE TRAVELING WEST ON THE 10 FWY AND SOUTH ON THE 605 FWY FROM WEST COVINA TO CERRITOS, CA. IN TRAFFIC AT APPROX. 40-45 MPH UNDER CLEAR WEATHER/GOOD ROAD CONDITIONS AT 1:15P.M., 1:35 P.M., ETC. 4 ADULTS WERE IN THE CAR. IMPACT WAS AVOIDED WITH THE CAR IN FRONT BY PULLING THE INFINITI ONTO THE FREEWAY SHOULDER AFTER OCCURRENCE, THE QX56 WAS DRIVEN DIRECTLY TO INFINITI CERRITOS (11011 E. SOUTH STREET, CERRITOS, CA 90703). THE BRAKE CONDITION IS BEING ANALYZED. THE CONTACT PERSON IS [XXX] ANOTHER QX56 VEHICLE COMPLAINT FOR THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, MODEL, AND IDENTICAL BRAKE FAILURE PROBLEMS WAS REPORTED ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM AT CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/INFINITI/QX56/2013/BRAKES/BRAKE_PEDAL_GOES_ALL_THE_WAY_TO_THE_FLOOR.SHTM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITHIN TWO DAYS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, I WAS ALREADY AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN IT SUDDENLY COLLAPSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IN THE SECOND INSTANCE, AS SOON AS I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL COLLAPSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR, FOR FEAR IT WILL OCCUR AGAIN WHEN I AM NOT COMPLETELY STOPPED, AND I WILL HAVE NO BRAKING ABILITY. THE INFINITI DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE CAR, CLAIMS NOTHING IS WRONG, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALER FOR OVER A WEEK AWAITING AN INSPECTION BY A REPRESENTATIVE FROM INFINITI CONSUMER AFFAIRS. THE PROBLEM SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO A PROBLEM EXPERIENCED ON EARLIER MODEL YEARS, WHEN THE BOOSTER CYLINDER MALFUNCTIONED. CLEARLY, THERE IS SOME SORT OF PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE HYDRAULICS...

BACKING UP IN PARKING LOT SLOWLY (3MPH), UTILIZING ALL MIRRORS, GLANCING OVER BOTH SHOULDERS WHEN I BACKED INTO A VEHICLE'S BUMPER CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY BUMPER WHILE NONE TO THE OTHER CAR. THE INFINITI QX56 IS EQUIPPED WITH CAMERA AIDING CORNER SONAR AND MOD (MOVING OBJECT DETECTION). THE SONAR SYSTEM UTILIZES CAMERAS ON THE VEHICLE WHICH ARE DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY SCREEN AS WELL AS AUDIBLE TONES WHICH INCREASE IN INTERMITTENT FREQUENCY UP TO CONTINUOUSLY, THE CLOSER THE OBJECT BECOMES. THE CORNER SONAR IS ADJUSTABLE TO HIGHER OR LOWER SENSITIVITY AND IS SET TO THE HIGHEST SETTING WHICH SOUNDS A TONE TO INFORM THE DRIVER OF OBSTACLES NEAR THE BUMPER - PER THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE MOD SYSTEM INFORMS THE DRIVER OF MOVING OBJECTS SURROUNDING THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING OUT OF GARAGES, MANEUVERING INTO PARKING LOTS AND IN OTHER SUCH INSTANCES AND IS AUTOMATICALLY TURNED ON WHEN THE SELECTOR LEVER IS IN THE R (REVERSE) POSITION. HOWEVER, THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT WHILE THE SONAR IS BEEPING, THE MOD SYSTEM DOES NOT CHIME.THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS VEHICLE'S SAFETY FEATURES HAVE NOT PERFORMED IN REVERSE WITH NO SONAR TONES NOR MOD CHIMES SOUNDING AN ALERT. I REPORTED THIS ISSUE DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE TO ALERT WHICH RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THIS VEHICLE'S BUMPER BY CONTACT WITH A STATIONARY SIGN POLE IN A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED WITH NO MALFUNCTIONS FOUND AND I WAS ADVISED (PER INFINITI'S DISCLAIMER'S) TO NOT JUST USE THESE TOOLS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS, BUT TO USE THEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR, SIDE-VIEW MIRRORS, AND LOOKING AND CHECKING TO MAKE SURE IT IS SAFE TO MOVE. THESE ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURES WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE AS I WANT TO FEEL SAFE IN A VEHICLE AND KNOW THAT THE VEHICLE'S FEATURES/OPTIONS OPERATE AS INTENDED AND IS RELIABLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 INFINITI QX56. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. MAH UPDATED 06/26/2013 *JS