I have been reading posts on this site for about a week while researching a new car. You guys have an amazing wealth of knowledge!
I have an 88 acura legend which has been a great car and very fun to drive, but I am looking for something new and I fell in love with the Q45s. I am looking at several Qs for sale and I was hoping you all might provide some advice for me.
Now I am looking at a 94 Q with 91064 miles they are asking $5995 for it.
I have done a history check and it came up clean
I am worried about the continuing maintenance costs because of some of the posts I've read...
I don't know how well the car has been maintained.
This car is being sold through a non-infiniti dealer.
I want to do everything I can to avoid buying a car that will require twice what I pay for it in repairs!
Any advice is appreciated, I am most interested in 94-95 Qs with less than 100K on them. Thanks in advance.
1994 Q45
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natsoundup
- Posts: 669
- Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2002 4:27 am
the key indicator will be service records
If you can't obtain them....you better have a good mechanic go over the car....and look at all the posts of what should have been replaced (maintaned) by now. On the surface, not a bad price for the mileage....but it's what you can't see could be the problem
Plus you have to accept some DIY work, otherwise you could get hurt badly
If you can't obtain them....you better have a good mechanic go over the car....and look at all the posts of what should have been replaced (maintaned) by now. On the surface, not a bad price for the mileage....but it's what you can't see could be the problem
Plus you have to accept some DIY work, otherwise you could get hurt badly
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Jeff Williams
- Posts: 3394
- Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2002 4:17 am
- Car: 1994 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti I30t
2004 Infiniti M45
71, 72, 73, 82 & 2000 Corvettes - Contact:
Welcome to NICO! We're a bunch a kooks for the Q!:dogpile
Give the VIN number and $20 to the local infiniti dealership, to see if the servcie manager can find any records of the car. You might have to go to the dealership where it was frist sold, or call them. This might help a lot.
The only thing I would be cautious about in the '94 is the transmission. You will spend some money on brakes, shocks, and misc tune-ups. You will spend more than you did on the Acura, in servcie. Find a GOOD Infiniti service man, who knows the '94 models. He will be invaluable.
Give the VIN number and $20 to the local infiniti dealership, to see if the servcie manager can find any records of the car. You might have to go to the dealership where it was frist sold, or call them. This might help a lot.
The only thing I would be cautious about in the '94 is the transmission. You will spend some money on brakes, shocks, and misc tune-ups. You will spend more than you did on the Acura, in servcie. Find a GOOD Infiniti service man, who knows the '94 models. He will be invaluable.
Thanks for your quick responses!I have seen several posts that say you should budget $2000 + per year in maintenance for a Q, why is that figure so high? I think I've spent about that much in the last 4 years on my acura! I realize that the Q is a much more expensive car in general but I'm curious as to what that 2k a year is spent on...
Jeff,are the transmissions rough on 94s or on Qs or you just mean 10 year+ cars in general?
Thanks again!
Jeff,are the transmissions rough on 94s or on Qs or you just mean 10 year+ cars in general?
Thanks again!
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autotech43
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:14 pm
You can give the VIN number to any Infiniti dealership, they will pull a history check and let you know where the vehicle was sold, any maintenance that has been performed at any Infiniti dealer, regardless of location, you can also get the info printed out for you if requested. That is one thing I like about the Infininet (network), you can have an oil change done in Atlanta today, next month be in Texas and that maintenance will show up on there system as well. Very seldom I have seen any trouble with the info.
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Jeff Williams
- Posts: 3394
- Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2002 4:17 am
- Car: 1994 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti I30t
2004 Infiniti M45
71, 72, 73, 82 & 2000 Corvettes - Contact:
Most people don't service the transmission (myself included), until there is a problem. My Q, I got for $2,300.00 with a trashed transmission. I paid less than $2000.00 for a rebuild (I have heard this is a low price). The car is so heavy, and you tend to drive it hard, because you can. Most people on here say 100K to 160K for a transmission's life (depending on service).
I don't spend that much per year for service, but I do a lot of DIY projects, that save money. There are very few places that have the equipment to properly servcie the Q, so the dealership is where most people get work done, and that raises the cost.
The car eats brakes, tires, and gas. Keep everything clean, greased, and oiled, and it will last you.
The Acura is a cheap car to maintain, unless you start eating axles. My partner puts 2 axles a year in his '91 Acura. He has done nothing to the car's engine for the last 280,000 miles. The car smokes, so he puts the stop smoke stuff from Jiffy Lube in it (THIS STUFF WORKS!). But other than the axles, and CV joints, the car has lasted well.
The Q is more like a BMW or Mercedes, when it comes to upkeep.
I didn't mean to scare you, I just was relating what I found on my car. I have only owned it for 15 months, and put 59,000 miles on it. This is like 3 years, to most Q owners, and I have only done the following:
Car: $2,300.00Tranny: $1,900.0017" rims: $ 400.00Tires: $ 900.00Brakes: $ 200.00FSTB: $ 25.00K&N POP: $ 75.00Mats: $ 35.00Bulbs: $ 50.00Stickers: $ 15.00Tension Rods: $ 30.00Alignments: $ 150.00Service: $ 150.00Paint Bumpers: $ 125.00Plugs: $ 50.00Cleaning Sup: $ 200.00
Gas: $4,500.00Oil: $ 300.00
Need:Rotors: $ 250.00Brakes: $ 100.00Tires: $ 500.00Struts: $ 300.00Upper Links: $ 50.00CD Changer: $ 150.00
Want:ECU Upgrade: $ 500.00Exhaust: $ 500.00DVD Nav: $2,000.00
I am sure there is more, but I am getting tired of typing.
I don't spend that much per year for service, but I do a lot of DIY projects, that save money. There are very few places that have the equipment to properly servcie the Q, so the dealership is where most people get work done, and that raises the cost.
The car eats brakes, tires, and gas. Keep everything clean, greased, and oiled, and it will last you.
The Acura is a cheap car to maintain, unless you start eating axles. My partner puts 2 axles a year in his '91 Acura. He has done nothing to the car's engine for the last 280,000 miles. The car smokes, so he puts the stop smoke stuff from Jiffy Lube in it (THIS STUFF WORKS!). But other than the axles, and CV joints, the car has lasted well.
The Q is more like a BMW or Mercedes, when it comes to upkeep.
I didn't mean to scare you, I just was relating what I found on my car. I have only owned it for 15 months, and put 59,000 miles on it. This is like 3 years, to most Q owners, and I have only done the following:
Car: $2,300.00Tranny: $1,900.0017" rims: $ 400.00Tires: $ 900.00Brakes: $ 200.00FSTB: $ 25.00K&N POP: $ 75.00Mats: $ 35.00Bulbs: $ 50.00Stickers: $ 15.00Tension Rods: $ 30.00Alignments: $ 150.00Service: $ 150.00Paint Bumpers: $ 125.00Plugs: $ 50.00Cleaning Sup: $ 200.00
Gas: $4,500.00Oil: $ 300.00
Need:Rotors: $ 250.00Brakes: $ 100.00Tires: $ 500.00Struts: $ 300.00Upper Links: $ 50.00CD Changer: $ 150.00
Want:ECU Upgrade: $ 500.00Exhaust: $ 500.00DVD Nav: $2,000.00
I am sure there is more, but I am getting tired of typing.
A few weeks back I wrote on this board about my terminal disappointment with my 94 Q, 85k miles. I bought it for about $6, spent another $6 shortly on everything, and still it's a dog dog dog. Sluggish, bouncy, lurching, tired, never shifting when it "should", using lotsa gas ... that's the Q. And the dealer, after lotsa expensive service, says its fine!
Giving up on it, I just got a BMW 740i and wow, this is a real automobile. It shifts when it should, it pulls like crazy, the suspension knows what it's doing, the car works like a piece of jewelry. In contrast, the Q acts like a luxo barge designed by a committee that could not agree on anything, a steroided buick that can't decide if its a golf mobile or a big corvette (it's much more of the former)! In the fracas the committee forgot about suspension damping, directional stability, transmission shift point tuning, and all the details that make a performance car perform. To top it off, the car is so complex it is unmaintainable, and parts are astronomical. This remark comes from one who owns 5 BMW's, inlcuding some older ones, all cheap to maintian by comparison!
The low prices on used Q's, and the poor sales of new ones, are for a reason. The car just does not compete in performance and reliability.
Giving up on it, I just got a BMW 740i and wow, this is a real automobile. It shifts when it should, it pulls like crazy, the suspension knows what it's doing, the car works like a piece of jewelry. In contrast, the Q acts like a luxo barge designed by a committee that could not agree on anything, a steroided buick that can't decide if its a golf mobile or a big corvette (it's much more of the former)! In the fracas the committee forgot about suspension damping, directional stability, transmission shift point tuning, and all the details that make a performance car perform. To top it off, the car is so complex it is unmaintainable, and parts are astronomical. This remark comes from one who owns 5 BMW's, inlcuding some older ones, all cheap to maintian by comparison!
The low prices on used Q's, and the poor sales of new ones, are for a reason. The car just does not compete in performance and reliability.
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Jeff Williams
- Posts: 3394
- Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2002 4:17 am
- Car: 1994 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti I30t
2004 Infiniti M45
71, 72, 73, 82 & 2000 Corvettes - Contact:
wow, posting to this site reminds me of the first day I rode a motorcycle, there is an incredible sense of community here!Thank you all for your posts!
Wes,Thanks for your em, I'm right near you on north side of Indy, but the car is in Chicago, I'll send you an email with it.
Jeff,I would get tired of typing too! Thanks for the very detailed list. Yeah I love my acura, but I'm ready for something new, and I'm almost convinced that I need a Q... Thanks for all your posts on the Infininet, I'll contact the dealer near me ASAP for the records.
Wes,Thanks for your em, I'm right near you on north side of Indy, but the car is in Chicago, I'll send you an email with it.
Jeff,I would get tired of typing too! Thanks for the very detailed list. Yeah I love my acura, but I'm ready for something new, and I'm almost convinced that I need a Q... Thanks for all your posts on the Infininet, I'll contact the dealer near me ASAP for the records.
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SOCAL91Q45a
- Posts: 403
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 2:28 pm
- Contact:
"Giving up on it, I just got a BMW 740i and wow, this is a real automobile. It shifts when it should, it pulls like crazy, the suspension knows what it's doing, the car works like a piece of jewelry."
NWillard ..... Ive driven 740's and a fast 91 Active Q and raced several other high end euro/german makes on the freeway - like a Colorado emmissioned BMW 850 6 speed manual trans - with a competent driver - the old tired Q45 NEVER left more than a foot between the two all the way to 140 before the BMW driver haired out.
Sorry you had a bad Q experience - you and your car are the "EXCEPTION" NOT the rule -take you and your friend with the M3 back over to the sourKraut boards
your 740 is a sea cucumber, and a functioning active GEN 1 Q - smokes that roach - period end of report.
Spreichen Ze NISSSAN?
NWillard ..... Ive driven 740's and a fast 91 Active Q and raced several other high end euro/german makes on the freeway - like a Colorado emmissioned BMW 850 6 speed manual trans - with a competent driver - the old tired Q45 NEVER left more than a foot between the two all the way to 140 before the BMW driver haired out.
Sorry you had a bad Q experience - you and your car are the "EXCEPTION" NOT the rule -take you and your friend with the M3 back over to the sourKraut boards
your 740 is a sea cucumber, and a functioning active GEN 1 Q - smokes that roach - period end of report.
Spreichen Ze NISSSAN?
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AZhitman
- Administrator
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- Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
- Location: Surprise, Arizona
- Contact:
Jeff Williams wrote:NWilner, the next time you are in Alabama, bring the 740, we'll race for pinks.
Back off, Jeff - I got dibs on that deal!
LOL @ "cheap to maintain by comparison". That's because nothing is being done to them!
p.s. Was in a pretty pissy mood this morning, and decided to take it out on a late-model Z3 on a long, sweeping onramp onto I-17. Driver almost s*** when my "Buick on steroids" passed him ON THE INSIDE!
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christopher-infiniti
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2003 11:27 am
- Contact:
Let me know if you want to sell the Acura.. I know someone who is looking.. send pics [email protected]
wrichey11 - I think one of the big reasons that the maintenance costs seem so high is the fact that alot of itmes are getting to be 10 years old. Anything rubber or "petrol based" is going to need to be replaced. Some will effect the handling, some will effect the "running", some will not be seem to matter at all, but NOT doing these things will matter.
I myself came from a "Honda" product and maint costs were much lower, but I've taken to comparing the maint costs not at a per mile as some do, but look at them as a % of the original cost of the car. Once you do that, the Q doesn't look bad at all.
To quote one of my favorite lines "all the cheap miles are gone".
I myself came from a "Honda" product and maint costs were much lower, but I've taken to comparing the maint costs not at a per mile as some do, but look at them as a % of the original cost of the car. Once you do that, the Q doesn't look bad at all.
To quote one of my favorite lines "all the cheap miles are gone".
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christopher-infiniti
- Posts: 47
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- Contact:
http://www.vigils.net/users/christopher/acura.html
just sold it.. and I miss it allready.. the dumb new owner keeps calling and asking questions.. now I am dealing with an active q.. geez..Christopher
just sold it.. and I miss it allready.. the dumb new owner keeps calling and asking questions.. now I am dealing with an active q.. geez..Christopher
Ok I talked to 2 infiniti dealers, 1 near me and the 1 that did the last service on the car and they said the last owner brought it in for 90,000 mile service but declined to get these things fixed:replace both upper links, new belts, knock sensors, fuel filter, PS hoses, front tension rods, trans fluid, vavle cover gaskets, and spark plugsThey said the guy just did a 15,000 service rather than the 90,000 that it needed.They said that this car doesn't have a long record but it doesn't look like it was driven all that much, last guy I talked to said it looked like it was putting aout 8000 miles a year on it. Also it has had the #1,2,5 fuel injectors replaced and the #5 has been replaced a couple of times. He said looks like you've got an unlucky #5...Other than that just some bulbs replaced and antenna mast.
This seems to not be a good sign as far as getting a car that has been well maintained...I'm still interested in checking the car out though, I will take the car to the infiniti dealer near where it is being sold and have them do an inspection on it, is there anything I should ask them to specifically check out?Also the dealers wouldn't give me a printout of the records since I don't own the car...If the car needs all that done to it (and probably more) how much do you all think it is worth? again it is a 94 Q45 with 91,064 miles and seems to be in good shape cosmetics wise. He is asking $5995 for it.
This seems to not be a good sign as far as getting a car that has been well maintained...I'm still interested in checking the car out though, I will take the car to the infiniti dealer near where it is being sold and have them do an inspection on it, is there anything I should ask them to specifically check out?Also the dealers wouldn't give me a printout of the records since I don't own the car...If the car needs all that done to it (and probably more) how much do you all think it is worth? again it is a 94 Q45 with 91,064 miles and seems to be in good shape cosmetics wise. He is asking $5995 for it.
wrichey11 wrote:
This seems to not be a good sign as far as getting a car that has been well maintained...I'm still interested in checking the car out though, I will take the car to the infiniti dealer near where it is being sold and have them do an inspection on it, is there anything I should ask them to specifically check out?Also the dealers wouldn't give me a printout of the records since I don't own the car...If the car needs all that done to it (and probably more) how much do you all think it is worth? again it is a 94 Q45 with 91,064 miles and seems to be in good shape cosmetics wise. He is asking $5995 for it.
You could use the info obtained & let the seller know you are aware of the work he neglected to do. This could be a bargaining chip if you could get the work done yourself.
Where are you located in Indiana? You could order parts from Scottsdale & I know a pretty decent shop in Indiana that could do the work.
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Q45tech
- Moderator
- Posts: 14296
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- Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl
The work you mentioned that was declined would be just under $4,000 at a dealer depending on which PS hoses.
They are always up for sale when informed the cost of the things they let go. Hopeing to find a sucker to unload their abuse on!
Sure the dealer skipped a few thousand in needed replacements to get the car to as nearly new status.
The dealer probably only offered $3,000 if that.
They are always up for sale when informed the cost of the things they let go. Hopeing to find a sucker to unload their abuse on!
Sure the dealer skipped a few thousand in needed replacements to get the car to as nearly new status.
The dealer probably only offered $3,000 if that.
Q45tech,
reason for coming to this site was to avoid becoming the next sucker...
The service manager I spoke with at the Infiniti dealer said a rough estimate was around 2-2500 for the whole job, I'm waiting on a call back from him now as he was going to look something up for a more accurate estimate...With so many things neglected, is it worth buying and fixing up? or would I be just as well off to continue looking for a more well maintained Q?
reason for coming to this site was to avoid becoming the next sucker...
The service manager I spoke with at the Infiniti dealer said a rough estimate was around 2-2500 for the whole job, I'm waiting on a call back from him now as he was going to look something up for a more accurate estimate...With so many things neglected, is it worth buying and fixing up? or would I be just as well off to continue looking for a more well maintained Q?
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SOCAL91Q45a
- Posts: 403
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 2:28 pm
- Contact:
Likely no matter what Q you buy - you will have a substantial after purchase cost to overcome the years of neglect, to bring the car to a point wher NORMAL maint will be acceptable.
Once you come to grips with that, then you have to buy THE car right. Buying that car for $5900 or anywhere near $5000 is NOT buying it right IMO. $2500-$3800 range - again - just IMHO.
Once you come to grips with that, then you have to buy THE car right. Buying that car for $5900 or anywhere near $5000 is NOT buying it right IMO. $2500-$3800 range - again - just IMHO.
Socal91Q45a,the high end of your range is pretty much what I was thinking of offering, I guess my question is, is a Q that has been repaired (if I have all this work done) worth while?That is should I look for one that has maybe 120-150k on it but has been much better taken care of?I realize there will be significant after purchase costs, I'm just trying to minimize them as much as possible 