As a potential buyer, I have some questions

[Eiriksmal]

I've been (trying) to research the Q45 as best I can before making a final decision on one and you guys have been a tremendous help.

I did notice, however, that it seems the FYG33s don't have as much coverage on here, as far as fixing them and the like. Is that because they are more reliable than the G50s, or simply that there are fewer members with them?

I found a 1999 Q45 Touring that seems to be standard equipped with black on gray/creamish. It has 161K miles and the asking price is $4995 at a small dealer in southern Indiana.

This is probably a stupid question, but how much money would be required to bring it back to fully functioning condition? The pictures show the car to be in excellent condition, inside and out, but I have not had a chance to see it in person yet. My goal is to buy a nice, safe car that will last at least another four years, preferably with few maintenances required. I can hardly find any data on the Q45s' reliability, beyond Edmunds giving it a perfect score and other sites chiming in on the quality of the beast. Consumer reviews online had one guy mention he needed knock and O2 sensors replaced and spent a ton of money $3K+ for the repairs. I understand that these are easily replaced on your own, however.

Are ball joints and water pumps more expensive on these? Aftermarket parts are cheaper or more expensive than OEM? Will it need new coils and sensors, presumably? Would it not have lasted this long without them? What sort of life can be expected of the transmission if it was well-kept with regular fluid changes and an old person driving it? Is $5K for a Q45 with so many miles too much?

Any thoughts on these questions would be greatly appreciated!

[maxnix]

Read the sticky above about how to buy a Q45.

Once you can review the maintenance history, then an educated guess can be made on resotration costs.

Coilpacks seem to be the only weak link once an auxiliary ATF cooler is added. All rubber wears just like on any other car.

[natedeezy]

If i could find a good shape 99 for that money around me it would already be in the garage.

[loystock]

Welcome to NICO.

Have a Carfax report as a starting point but you have to do your own inspection. To get a better idea about pricing, refer to Yahoos! Autos, Edmunds and KBB.

As suggested by Brian, review the maintenance history. At that mileage, suspension components should have been replaced at least once and transmission fluid flushed multiple times.

Check the body/paint for signs of collision repair. Check the condition of the leather (expensive to repair/replace) and make sure all accessories/features are working (AC, stereo, powered seat/windows/sunroof, central locking, remote control, etc.). You must get 2 sets of keys and fobs. Check engine compartment and fluid condition for signs of neglect/abuse.

In CA, passing the Smog check is a requirement before a car can be sold. But just to make sure, check CEL/SES (Service Engine Soon) comes on when Ignition is turned ON and goes off once engine is running. Some people disable the CEL/SES to hide problems with the car (which may be expensive to repair). Have an OBD II scan from the dealership or free scan from Autozone and get a printout. A problem with the Knock Sensor will not turn on the SES but will store a fault code (P0325). If you are not a DIY, KS replacement may be expensive. (instructions available from this forum).

Test drive the car on city streets and listen for unusual noise - squeal/whine/rattle/clunking/grinding sound (problem with pulley/bearing/suspension/engine mount/exhaust/etc). Take it to the highway and check basic alignment and listen for excessive wind noise. Drive at various speeds, ensure smooth shifting and watch out for vibration (wheel balancing or engine/transmission problem) Listen for rattle when accelerating and do high-speed braking (>45 MPH) SAFELY and check for vibration (warped rotor) or brake fade (contaminated fluid or bad brake components).

It would be better if you could have all the fluid replaced, ATF especially, as part of the deal or have discounted pricing.

Compared to other luxury cars, the Q45 is reliable. In my 97Q, I still have original coils. In addition to suspension components and hoses/tubes, the tension rods, alternator, hood struts and one O2 sensor have been replaced.

Due to limited production, very few aftermarket parts are available. But for OEM parts, our NICO sponsor, IoS (Infiniti of Scottsdale) - infinitipartsUSA.com a.k.a. "everythinginfiniti.com" is the best with @ 25% off MSRP. And 'til the end of this month, they have free shipping for orders above $75 (coupon code LUCKYSHIP), except for some bulky body parts.

[NightRiderQ45]

To answer the OP question, the 97-01 FGY33 are the most reliable out of all 3 generations hands down. That's why you don't see a lot of issuse with these cars which is a good thing. The main issues that seems to happen with our models are the coilpacks which cause misses...but I haven't had that on my car yet. I actually read more of those issues with the 99-01 models for some reason. I personally wouldn't pay close to $6k with taxes for a car with that amount of mileage.

[elwesso]

For me if you have a good cosmetic example, the mechanical stuff isnt too bad... The only thing is when you look at the vehicle with 161k miles, which really isnt high miles, its something where the previous owner had a lot of time to NOT do maintenance..

If you change the fluids regularly, not many other things fail that render the car dead.

[NightRiderQ45]

For me if you have a good cosmetic example, the mechanical stuff isnt too bad... The only thing is when you look at the vehicle with 161k miles, which really isnt high miles, its something where the previous owner had a lot of time to NOT do maintenance..

If you change the fluids regularly, not many other things fail that render the car dead.

Understandable...but would you really pay $6k for a car with 161k miles?

[Q45tech]

10 year old cars sell for 10 cents on the brand new MSRP dollar [without tax and tiltle]. A $50k brand new is worth $5,000 max.

Same thing applies with mileage, a 100k car is worth only 10% and every mile beyond gets a deduction of ~ 4 cents per mile.

Study how Edmunds deducts for everything including each mile over 12k per year.

The problem is a used car lot must make a profit or $1500 per car to stay in business, just to pay finance charges and keep lights on.

[oldmako]

I think that you have been given some good info, but one thing is missing for sure. DON"T buy a touring q.

Just my opinion mind you....

It costs a small fortune to rehab the suspension on a plain Jane Q let alone a touring model. Like, 220 PER shock. By the time you get done with the shocks (or inserts), mounts, tension rods, rubber, tie rod ends etc and some new tires you are well into the kids inheritance. Now, add to that the significantly greater complexity of the touring suspension and you are in deep.

Buy a Q buy all means. I LOVE mine. But, stick to a regular old one and don't pay that kind of money. Unless that thing has had significant recent rehab with all the paperwork to prove it than I think it's too expensive.

Find some wealthy old guy who took his in for regular service and start haggling.

[maxnix]

A t or ae model FGY33 should only cost and additional $400 in parts for the electronically valved shocks and struts. Labor and other parts is the same.

[paranoidjack]

A t or ae model FGY33 should only cost and additional $400 in parts for the electronically valved shocks and struts. Labor and other parts is the same.

I was going to say the same. It's really not that much of a difference. You'll do this once, maybe twice on this car, so it's an $800 investment over the time you own it.

Personally, I keep my AE model on sport mode all the time. Q's to me without sport mode feel like Grand Marquis, minus rear end swagger. Waaaaay too mushy up front.

Rear shocks are the same between T and non-T models, only the fronts are electronically controlled.

NOW, one other cost to take into consideration, is whether you are able to remove the ABS sensor from the old shock assembly. If not (as I wasn't), add two of them at $100 each also - up to $600 difference.

[BadQ45t]

I would look for one with fewer miles, however, if you can get the service history on the car and post it, then we can help you figure it out.

The bottom line it could have 3-4k in defered work that needs to be done or maybe just 1k.

These cars are VERY reliable, my 97 has 93k on it and I have never had one issue with the car under the hood. Not one. I do preventative maintaince like crazy, flush my transmission, radiator, all fluids are sythetic and I baby it.

Post up with has been done to the car, if they don't have that walk away. BTW, you will find nearly no aftermarket parts for the car, you need to buy OEM for the most part due to the limited number available aftermarket. That is not a bad thing, Nissan genuine OEM are the way to go anyways.