Hi NICOclub,

I am doing some research for my girlfriend who is in the market for a budget SUV. I stumbled upon a QX4 today on craigslist. 2nd owner. Appears to be well maintained with abundant service records. I've spent the last several hours reading up on common issues and complaints. I'm aware of the major model-specific issues such as the rust and loose trailing arms. I will make sure to physically inspect these areas. I feel pretty confident about this QX4 due to the service records. It has been primarily serviced at the dealership for the last 15 years. I'm assuming any major recalls would have been identified by the service department by now. I'm set to go look at the car this Saturday.

I have really high hopes for this vehicle, but after I looked over the carfax again, the frequency of the transmission fluid flush caught my attention. I'm not sure if it was done prior, but according to the carfax records, the transmission was flushed on 05/10/17 at 154k miles. Then it was flushed again about 2 years later on 02/18/19 at 163k miles. Is this something I should be concerned about? The flush interval seems rather short at 10k miles/2 years. I am worried the current owner had an issue with the transmission, thus requesting the flushes. I read in one of the FAQs that flushing the transmission for the first time with a high mileage transmission may actually ruin it. I'm trying to understand why the owner flushed it this frequently. My hypothesis is that maybe they sensed an issue with the transmission at 154k miles and decided to do a flush. The problem may have persisted and they decided to flush it again 2 years later at 163k miles?? I guess my question is - Since the transmission was flushed at 154k, and it did not fail within that 2 year/10k mile period, can I safely assume it will be free of catastrophic failure in the upcoming years?

Here is the carfax if anyone wants to view it - https://www.gooffood.com/CFReports-ran/ ... 18672.html

Thanks for any info!

I decided to include seller's ad. He mentions other repairs he has made that may provide insight on other possible issues I might encounter. Any advice on what to look out for is greatly appreciated!

["Second owner. Purchased from Carmax in December 2004 with roughly 43,500 miles. Garage kept for most of its life. Clean title in hand. No accidents. Non-smoker.

Well maintained with service records, emissions tests, and safety inspections dating back to 2006. This QX4 was regularly serviced at Passport Infiniti of Alexandria and Cardinal Plaza Shell in Springfield. The 3.5L V6 engine starts, idles, and runs with no problems.

The most recent service performed in February 2019 included a new fuel filter, coolant flush, new transmission fluid, and new transfer case fluid. Most recent oil change was at 163,079 miles. Most recent brake fluid flush was at 154k miles (July 2017). Vehicle developed a small leak last year due to a worn oil pan gasket. That gasket was replaced and there are no other leaks. The 4WD system works flawlessly when needed. Otherwise, the car is kept in 2WD mode.

The interior is in very good condition for its age. Driver's seat has some signs of wear, but the leather has no tears, rips, or stains. The power sunroof works with no problems, as does the Bose sound system and 6-disc CD player.

Overall, the exterior is in good condition, but there are a few imperfections. There is a scuff on right-front bumper from scraping a concrete column in a parking garage. The vehicle has door dings, light scratches, and rock chips. The paint on the original wheels is cracking. The brackets for the running boards are loose. The headlights have developed some hazing. It's all cosmetic. The major mechanical and electrical systems are all in great shape.

I am selling because I bought a Subaru, and I would rather see the QX4 go to someone who will enjoy it rather than sit in my driveway. Mileage may go up just to run it to the store and back."]

I hope I'm not just talking to myself here, but I transcribed the carfax report onto an excel spreadsheet to breakdown the fluid change intervals. I realized the engine oil and filter were replaced at an alarming rate. From 2015-2017 the oil and filter were replaced at roughly 3800miles/6mos, which I understand is completely normal. However, from 2017 onwards, the oil and filter were replaced every 1000-2000 miles. The seller disclosed that there was an oil pan gasket leak that was fixed, but subsequent oil and filter changes were still conducted every 1000 miles. Thus, I am concerned that there is still an issue with an oil leak or oil consumption. I reached out to the seller and I'm waiting for their reply.

I figured I'd share here in case anyone with more experience is seeing this as a bigger red flag than I am. Or perhaps there is a logical explanation for it.

First of all I am not an expert. All I like to say is how reliable QX4 is.

I bought my 2002 QX4 AWD new, and performed oil changes regularly and other dealer maintenance in the first few years. As time went on, I started skipping the costly maintenance, only did regular oil changes, plus one time transmission fluid change at a forgotten mileage. It's been almost 17 years. Only one O-ring (forgot where but very cheap item) replaced, one time fuel filter replaced. Retractable antenna replaced by myself. Rear tailgate and glass door support replaced by my self. Two exhaust pipes nearby engine got leaks and welded to pass the smog check.

Everything else are original, but not the windshield wipers and some LED bulbs I put in. HID is also original.

I have 100% confidence I can start and drive it every time. I can almost "abuse" it. I should have given it regular maintenance but just wanted to save money ...

Forgot to say mine has got about 120k miles.

erichomie wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:22 am

from 2017 onwards, the oil and filter were replaced every 1000-2000 miles. The seller disclosed that there was an oil pan gasket leak that was fixed, but subsequent oil and filter changes were still conducted every 1000 miles. Thus, I am concerned that there is still an issue with an oil leak or oil consumption. I reached out to the seller and I'm waiting for their reply.

I must admit it is odd and wasteful to change the oil and filter every 1000-2000 miles but not necessarily indicative of an oil leak or oil consumption issue when all you have to do is add oil.

QX4ME wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:42 am

Only one O-ring (forgot where but very cheap item) replaced

You are probably referring to the oil cooler o-ring, yes that is a cheap and fairly easy repair.

While it's odd, keep in mind, there's high likelihood it could've been part of one of those expensive and unnecessary "packages" at the dealership.

I changed the trans fluid on my QX4 doing about 8 quarts of drains and refills straight out of the pan. The PO had done a flush at about 65k mile and I change out the fluid around 165k miles. I'm currently just shy of 185k miles with no problems.

If they are well maintained, these are excellent vehicles and your girlfriend will be happy with it. I've done at least 2 drives totaling 2,000 miles each and no problems. I commute about 100 miles each day and its been a very reliable and comfortable vehicle.

My only complaint is gas mileage....

04pathse wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 8:07 am

QX4ME wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:42 am

Only one O-ring (forgot where but very cheap item) replaced

You are probably referring to the oil cooler o-ring, yes that is a cheap and fairly easy repair.

Yes and thank you for reminding me. Recalled it was not leaking badly at the time. I was doing oil change at a shop so I might as well replace the O-ring.

Thank you all for the informative replies. This forum has been an invaluable resource so far.

The seller replied and I feel a bit reassured. They were confident that the frequent oil changes prior to the oil pan gasket replacement in 2018 were due to the leak. It has been one year since the gasket was replaced and it has only acquired an additional 4500 miles, thus the oil and filter have been changed twice in the last 12 months. Furthermore, the seller states that they have been using a non-synthetic high mileage oil, which explains the shorter OCIs. Everything is starting to make a little more sense. We're excited to check it out tomorrow! Hoping we don't run into any other issues.

I just wanted to quickly mention the price. The car is advertised for $2600. I found out that the KBB value ranged from $1500-$2800. For obvious reasons, I would like to negotiate a bit lower. Perhaps offering $2100 and then agreeing to his counteroffer (assuming he counters between $2300-2400). I'm justifying the lower offer due to the fact that, aside from fluids, he hasn't really completed any high mileage preventative maintenance that I am aware of, such as replacing the spark plugs/coil packs, water pump, radiator, etc. Am I correct in assuming that these components are near the end of their life cycle and will require replacing in the near future? Any information to help justify the price, or lowering of the price, is greatly appreciated!

It seems that the car had been maintained well. Regarding the oil changes at 1K, if there was a significant oil leak going on it would be illogical to drain and refill plus change filter - you'd simply add oil as needed. Some people get it in their heads that changing the oil and filter at extremely short intervals under normal driving conditions is some kind of magic bullet. It's not, it's just a waste of money.
The main thing I would look for is areas of significant rust. It's an east coast vehicle and the strut towers have already been identified as a weak point. Finally, you have to consider what kind of vehicle are you expecting to get for less than $3K? If you can get if for slightly more than $2K, then set aside at least $1K for further repairs over the next 6-12 mos. No matter how great the maintenance history was, at that age, you will be replacing some items. If they haven't already been replaced recently you should be prepared to address a list of of components that have a high likelihood of failure well after 100K. That could include alternator, starter, fuel pump, radiator, AC compressor, power steering pump and brake vacuum booster.

I'm excited to announce that we are both Infiniti owners now!

We went to look at the car on Saturday. Did the typical visual inspection and took it for a test drive. The car seemed to be in excellent shape for being an '01, so we brought it to a mechanic to have it PPI'd on a lift as well as a road test. He found out that there was an oil leak in two areas - valve cover gasket & timing chain cover. I'm not sure if this was related to the frequent oil changes listed on the carfax, but there is indeed an oil leak. Maybe the records were just topping-off rather than a change, who knows.. It also needed new brakes and rotors as well as rear sway bar links. All together, the mechanic quoted ~$3000 in repairs. Luckily we have a friend who is a car mechanic and can complete the work for half the cost.

We offered the seller $1300 on Sunday morning and he accepted the offer yesterday evening. Just need to pick it up this weekend. Thank you to everyone that helped us make our decision on this purchase!

I'm excited to announce that we are both Infiniti owners now!

We went to look at the car on Saturday. Did the typical visual inspection and took it for a test drive. The car seemed to be in excellent shape for being an '01, so we brought it to a mechanic to have it PPI'd on a lift as well as a road test. He found out that there was an oil leak in two areas - valve cover gasket & timing chain cover. I'm not sure if this was related to the frequent oil changes listed on the carfax, but there is indeed an oil leak. Maybe the records were just topping-off rather than a change, who knows.. It also needed new brakes and rotors as well as rear sway bar links. All together, the mechanic quoted ~$3000 in repairs. Luckily we have a friend who is a car mechanic and can complete the work for half the cost.

We offered the seller $1300 on Sunday morning and he accepted the offer yesterday evening. Just need to pick it up this weekend. Thank you to everyone that helped us make our decision on this purchase!

I'm excited to announce that we are both Infiniti owners now!

We went to look at the car on Saturday. Did the typical visual inspection and took it for a test drive. The car seemed to be in excellent shape for being an '01, so we brought it to a mechanic to have it PPI'd on a lift as well as a road test. He found out that there was an oil leak in two areas - valve cover gasket & timing chain cover. I'm not sure if this was related to the frequent oil changes listed on the carfax, but there is indeed an oil leak. Maybe the records were just topping-off rather than a change, who knows.. It also needed new brakes and rotors as well as rear sway bar links. All together, the mechanic quoted ~$3000 in repairs. Luckily we have a friend who is a car mechanic and can complete the work for half the cost.

We offered the seller $1300 on Sunday morning and he accepted the offer yesterday evening. Just need to pick it up this weekend. Thank you to everyone that helped us make our decision on this purchase!

I'm excited to announce that we are both Infiniti owners now!

We went to look at the car on Saturday. Did the typical visual inspection and took it for a test drive. The car seemed to be in excellent shape for being an '01, so we brought it to a mechanic to have it PPI'd on a lift as well as a road test. He found out that there was an oil leak in two areas - valve cover gasket & timing chain cover. I'm not sure if this was related to the frequent oil changes listed on the carfax, but there is indeed an oil leak. Maybe the records were just topping-off rather than a change, who knows.. It also needed new brakes and rotors as well as rear sway bar links. All together, the mechanic quoted ~$3000 in repairs. Luckily we have a friend who is a car mechanic and can complete the work for half the cost.

We offered the seller $1300 on Sunday morning and he accepted the offer yesterday evening. Just need to pick it up this weekend. Thank you to everyone that helped us make our decision on this purchase!

I'm excited to announce that we are both Infiniti owners now!

We went to look at the car on Saturday. Did the typical visual inspection and took it for a test drive. The car seemed to be in excellent shape for being an '01, so we brought it to a mechanic to have it PPI'd on a lift as well as a road test. He found out that there was an oil leak in two areas - valve cover gasket & timing chain cover. I'm not sure if this was related to the frequent oil changes listed on the carfax, but there is indeed an oil leak. Maybe the records were just topping-off rather than a change, who knows.. It also needed new brakes and rotors as well as rear sway bar links. All together, the mechanic quoted ~$3000 in repairs. Luckily we have a friend who is a car mechanic and can complete the work for half the cost.

We offered the seller $1300 on Sunday morning and he accepted the offer yesterday evening. Just need to pick it up this weekend. Thank you to everyone that helped us make our decision on this purchase!

wow you got a hell of a deal on that!! I wouldnt have hesitated at buying that Q with that mileage for 2500 bucks. so 1300 is nuts!