PURCHASED NEW INFINITI Q50, DROVE THE CAR FOR 3 WEEKS FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 900 MILES. ONE DAY I STARTED THE ENGINE AN ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE OUT OF PARKING LOT, STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. A MESSAGE APPEARED ON DASHBOARD STATING "WARNING CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM ERROR - SEE OWNER'S MANUAL". THREE OTHER LIGHTS APPEARED ON DASH BOARD, ONE WITH A STEERING WHEEL AND EXCLAMATION POINT, ANOTHER WITH A TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT, AND A THIRD WITH A PICTURE OF A CAR WITH TIRE SKID MARKS. DROVE HOME SLOWLY CALLED INFINITI. THEY HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT CLAIMS ONLY 3 CARS THEY SOLD ARE AFFECTED. 2 DAYS LATER NEW SOFTWARE WAS RELEASED BY INFINITI AND THE UPDATE APPLIED TO MY CAR. TOOK CAR HOME. 6 DAYS LATER DROVE CAR TO WORK, ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE WORK, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED, NO POWER STEERING, SAME LIGHTS AND MESSAGES ON DASHBOARD APPEARED. DROVE CAR TO DEALER, WHILE ISSUE WAS PRESENT SO THEY COULD SEE IT FIRST HAND. WAS TOLD BY SAME SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT ISSUE IS NOT WIDESPREAD ONLY 3 CARS AFFECTED. TALKED TO INTERNET SALES MANAGER AT DEALER HE SAID HE GOT 5 CALLS FOR THE EXACT ISSUE THAT SAME DAY. BOTH DAYS ISSUE OCCURRED, AIR TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. DEALER ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE A BRAND NEW Q50 AS A TEMPORARY LOANER. SAME ISSUE OCCURRED WITH THAT VEHICLE BEFORE LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT. SPOKE WITH GENERAL MANAGER AT DEALERSHIP, HE INDICATED HE WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM
2014 Infiniti Q50 complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2014 record →
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INFINITI Q50. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SEIZE AND BECOME UNALIGNED. THE POWER STEERING AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE UNTIL AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AS THE STEERING SOFTWARE NEEDING AN UPDATE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V588000 (STEERING) IN WHICH SHE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT AS LISTED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 950.
DIRECT ADAPTIVE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF WHILE BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPOT AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT AT ZERO DEGREE TEMPERATURES. MULTIPLE RESTARTS DID NOT REMEDY THE SITUATION (CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM ERROR REMAINED ILLUMINATED). ENDED UP TOWING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP MENTIONED THERE WAS RECALL AND A SOFTWARE FIX YET I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION. STILL WAITING FOR CONTROL CABLE IN STEERING COLUMN THAT WAS BROKEN WHILE MANEUVERING CAR BACK INTO PARKING SPOT. *TR
WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY STIFF AND THE CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE DIRECTION. AFTER I PULLED BACK INTO THE SPACE, I NOTICED TWO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD: STEERING WHEEL WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK, AND THE CAR WITH THE WHEELS SLIPPING BEHIND IT. CAR HAD BEEN SITTING FOR ABOUT 75 MINUTES AND TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME WAS -5. ON THE PREVIOUS DRIVE, THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS AT TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 0 - -5 AND DIDN'T HAVE THE ISSUE. TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES, ALLOWING 1-2 MINUTES IN BETWEEN EACH RESTART AND COULD NOT GET THE WHEEL TO MOVE MORE THAN A FEW DEGREES EITHER DIRECTION. I BELIEVE THE BACKUP SYSTEM ALSO FAILED BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW HARD I TURNED THE WHEEL, THE CAR'S WHEELS WOULD NOT CHANGE DIRECTION WHILE I WAS TRYING TO BACK OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE. CAR ENDED UP BEING TOWED TO DEALER AND IS STILL THERE NOW WITH 704 MILES AND LESS THAN A MONTH OLD. THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALL AND SO FAR DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION. THIS INCIDENT IS SIMILAR TO RECALL NOTICE 13V588000, BUT MY CAR DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE INCLUDED. REGARDLESS OF THE REPAIR/OUTCOME I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR AS I DO NOT TRUST THE DIRECT ADAPTIVE STEERING SYSTEM AFTER THIS INCIDENT. A YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND MY DASH WHILE PARKED CAN BE SEEN HERE: HTTP://YOUTU.BE/Y7BIFK0_CMM. *TR
BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL NO MATTER HOW MUCH PRESSURE I EXERTED. COMPLETE CRITICAL MALFUNCTION OF THE STEERING. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED. NO CHANGE IN CONDITION. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, RESTARTED CAR AND STEERING APPEARED NORMAL. BROUGHT THE CAR TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF DEALER FROM WHERE I PURCHASED CAR. INITIALLY ADVISED BY SERVICE MANAGER THAT THERE IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THIS CONDITION. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR HE CAME TO ME TO ADVISE ME THAT THE SOFTWARE DIDN'T "TAKE" AND THAT THE CONTROL ARM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WHAT IF I LOST TOTAL STEERING CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INFINITI Q50. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE STEERING SYSTEM FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT IT CONTINUED TO DRIVE STRAIGHT. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE CONTACT SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK. THE WARNING LIGHTS ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER TOWED THE VEHICLE FROM A PARKING LOT; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1079.
MY BRAND NEW INFINITI Q50, WITH DIRECTIVE ADAPTIVE STEERING, HAD LESS THAN 200 MILES ON IT. STARTED IT UP (IN COLD WEATHER, PROBABLY AROUND 20) AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS DISABLED. WAITED A MINUTE OR TWO FOR IT TO WARM UP, AND THE CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL. TURNED OFF CAR, TURNED IT BACK ON AND POWER STEERING WAS WORKING. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY UPDATED THE STEERING SOFTWARE. GOT THE CAR BACK YESTERDAY, DROVE TO WORK TODAY, GOT IN THE CAR TO DRIVE HOME AND THE POWER STEERING AND CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AGAIN, WITH NO POWER STEERING. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THE POWER STEERING NEVER CAME BACK. AND FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, I HAD TO KEEP THE STEERING WHEEL AT ABOUT 45 DEGREES TO KEEP THE CAR MOVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. *TR
DIRECT ADAPTIVE STEERING SYSTEM FAILS AT STARTUP ALONG WITH COLLISION IMMINENT BRAKING SYSTEM (OR MAYBE VICE VERSA). FAILURE OCCURRED 2X, BUT NEVER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COLD. TURNING OFF ALL ACTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS AND THEN RESTARTING THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. RESTARTING ALONE WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND IS HAVING MULTIPLE CONTROL MODULES REPLACED. *TR
PLEASE REFER TO YOUR CAMPAIGN NUMBER I3V588000. IT APPEARS THAT MORE CARS ARE AFFECTED THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. MY CAR IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. SUPPOSEDLY, INFINITI RECALLED ALL 23 CARS THAT WERE AFFECTED. THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY MANY MORE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DAS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. *TR
IN COLD WEATHER (BELOW ZERO F) AFTER CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE AND THEN TURNED OFF FOR 30-40 MIN, I GOT IN THE CAR AND STARTED AS USUAL; BUT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION LIGHT WENT ON AND POWER STEERING WAS INOPERATIVE AND CAR WAS UNSTEERABLE. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF FOR ABOUT 10 MIN, I COULD RESTART AND IT WORKED FINE. THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN WITHIN AN HOUR. I STOPPED FOR GAS AND WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR IT WAS UNSTEERABLE AND A SYSTEM MALFUNCTION LIGHT WENT ON RELATED TO POWER STEERING. THE SAME THING OCCURRED A WEEK BEFORE. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT SPECIFY WHAT WAS WRONG THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO WAIT FOR A PART AND THAT IT WOULD BE 5-7 DAYS BEFORE IT CAME IN. *TR
SAME ISSUE AS A COMPLAINT PREVIOUSLY POSTED ON YOUR SITE RE: 2014 INFINITI Q50: STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM ERROR SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. WILL CONTACT DEALER FOR SERVICE WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 13V588000(STEERING); HOWEVER, THE DEFECT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME AS THE RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INFINITI Q50. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM ERROR SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND SHE SHOULD TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID NOT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 13V588000(STEERING); HOWEVER, THE DEFECT IS IDENTICAL TO THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3600.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INFINITI Q50. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V588000 (STEERING) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,950.
NO STEERING, STEERING LIGHT IN DASH IS LITE AND NO STEERING, UNABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INFINITI Q50. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IN REVERSE, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL FAILURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.
UPON STARTUP (IN COLD WEATHER, BUT ON A WARM CAR THAT HAD ONLY SAT FOR 20 MINUTES BETWEEN TRIPS), THE STEERING WAS EXTREMELY STIFF. HAD A STEERING INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT(S) ALSO SHOW ON THE DASH. RESTARTING THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES SHOWED THAT THE STEERING WOULD START OK (NORMAL RESISTANCE), BUT THAT TURNING THE WHEEL MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT WOULD RESULT IN A 'THUD' SOUND, THE ERROR LIGHTS ON THE DASH, AND THE STEERING GOING STIFF. AFTER REPEATED STARTS OF THE CAR, IT EVENTUALLY WORKED PROPERLY. THIS HAS SUBSEQUENTLY HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO THE CAR IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS. IT CAN TAKE 20+ CYCLES OF TURNING THE CAR BACK OFF AND ON AGAIN BEFORE THE STEERING FEEL RETURNS TO NORMAL. *TR
UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE; STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT "LOCKED", AS A CURRENT INFINITI RECALL IS ADDRESSING. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE TEMP ABOUT 27DEGREES, ABOUT 2 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO STEERING INPUTS, CAR WAS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT. AT SOME POINT, STEERING RESPONSE WAS RESTORED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE CAR HOME. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE LOCAL INFINITI DEALERSHIP AND ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *TR
AFTER PARKING MY CAR IN A PARKING LOT, I WANTED TO ADJUST IT TO BE MORE EVEN. SO I TURNED THE ENGINE ON AGAIN. BUT THEN I SUDDENLY COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL. THE WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP. WITH VERY FIRM FORCE, I MANAGED TO TURN THE WHEEL ABOUT 15 DEGREES - BUT THE ACTUAL TIRES THEMSELVES DID NOT TURN. THE CAR WAS IN "R" AND DID REVERSE, BUT AS I COULD NOT STEER IT DID NOT REVERSE IN THE DIRECTION I WANTED TO GO. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN AND THEN THERE WAS A WARNING ON THE DASH SAYING THAT "AFS IS OFF" AND "THE SYSTEM IS OFF." I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME, AND THEN EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND THE STEERING WAS WORKING FINE. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS ABOUT 46 DEGREES F. MY CAR'S SPECIFIC MODEL IS: 2014 Q50S WITH DELUXE TOURING AND TECHNOLOGY PACKAGES (INCLUDING DAS/DIRECT ADAPTIVE STEERING). *TR
AFTER FILLING UP CAR AT GAS STATION, STARTED CAR AND BEGAN TO DRIVE AWAY, AFTER SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND DAS DRIVE SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING CAUSING STEERING TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT. (WOULD COMPARE IT TO DRIVING A CAR WITH POWER STEERING THAT FAILED.) DROVE A COUPLE OF BLOCKS, PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. WAITED A MINUTE AND RE-STARTED THE CAR AND EVERYTHING WORKED, AND WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF. TODAY (11-18-2013) RETURNED THE CAR TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. THEY KEPT CAR AND WERE AWAITING A CALL FROM INFINITI SERVICE REP. I NOTED ONLINE THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED NOW IN A NUMBER OF CASES. *TR...UPDATED 12/29/15 *BF *TR
AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE, THE CAR BEGAN TO PULL TO THE LEFT VERY STRONGLY; STRONG ENOUGH TO PULL ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IF IT HAD NOT BEEN SO EARLY IN THE MORNING. I THOUGHT I HAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORS SAID THE PRESSURE WAS PROPER @ 36 PSI. THIS STRONG PULL LASTED ABOUT ANOTHER MILE AND THEN SUBSIDED. IT HAS OCCURRED 2 MORE TIMES SINCE THEN. DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS AND INDICATED THAT PERHAPS THE ROAD WAS UNEVEN OR IT WAS JUST SENSITIVE DRIVING AND I AM NOT USED TO IT. I KNOW WHAT A CAR PULLING TO ONE SIDE FEELS LIKE AND EACH TIME THIS FEELS LIKE A FLAT TIRE. IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN I WILL NOT ALLOW MY WIFE OR ANYONE ELSE DRIVE THE CAR; IT COULD CAUSES A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2014 Infiniti Q50 → · Every Q50 year → · How the figures are calculated →