AI Damage1998 Infiniti QX4: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Infiniti QX4 filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 34% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 21% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 17% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 17% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- Suspension: 10 complaints (34% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 6 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 5 complaints (17% of all).
- Structure: 5 complaints (17% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 5 complaints (17% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
A buck deer hit my 1998 infiniti qx4 I went off road n hit a tree cutting in half I was able to kick out windshield crawd out went to neighbors home she called for help morel to story I have a crack in skull under eye contusion and concussion with chronic pain up down my spine I have surgery on my orbital floor on…
While driving at any speed, applied the brakes and they went straight to the floorboard. Also, accelerator got stuck, causing the consumer to run into a garage.
Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration resulting in collision with multiple vehicles, no deployment of air bag during collision.
I brought my truck in for a recall with strut tower and chassy,they patched tbe chassy up,when I went to pick it up I didn't get 5 minutes up the road and it was pulling to the right hard and shaking ast 40to 50mph,it's a driving hazard,I brought it right back they did an alignment on it,called me and said it's still…
The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering wheel fractured due to corrosion and that the steering column and spring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,757.
The left front wheel well has rusted so that now the wheel well is starting to rest on the driveshaft.
The contact stated that the frame was rusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000. Updated 9/4/13
All I know is that it is pretty rusted on the strut areas since I checked if something was broken under the car. Low speeds around 30mph the car drives fine but higher speed its like, I have to keep accelerating to prevent the car from swerving in the rear.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the QX4 has 31 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 29, about average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Infiniti QX4?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, steering, fuel system. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (31%), knocking, grinding or other noise (10%), airbags did not deploy (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Infiniti QX4?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Infiniti QX4 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.