Hi everyone.

I just bought a 2011 M37x with 22,000 miles. There are 10 more months left on the factory warranty. A few questions for those familiar with Infiniti and their dealers:

1) The oil looks clean but I don't know when it was last changed. Should I change it now?
2) There are no service records in the Carfax report. What's that mean? Can Infiniti void factory warranty because of that?
3) I usually change oil and do regular maintenance myself. Should I take it into the dealer now to get oil changed and ask them to do overall vehicle check for warranty issues?

Two minor issues I have noticed thus far and I don't know if they are normal:

1) Steering wheel can be moved up and down slightly - it's not solid. When I say "slightly" I mean slightly, so fractions of an inch. But I don't recall feeling this before in other vehicles.
2) When vehicle stops are red light, it shakes ever so slightly. After stopped for a couple of seconds, it settles down.

I'm a car guy and also have a 2000 BMW M5, 2001 Porsche Boxster S, 2005 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and 2005 GMC Envoy XL. I'm looking forward to many great years with this awesome vehicle.

Where did you buy the car from? maybe they can give you some details.

Bought it from a luxury used car dealer and they bought it from an auction. They don't know anything.

Welcome!

Let me tackle your first two questions.
1. For peace of mind, go ahead and change the oil. You can start your on log from that point.
2. Carfax reports are not used for factory warranty purposes. They're more hype than help. Only things like traffic accidents get put on them (not regular maintenance). In fact if it was involved in an unreported accident (police weren't notified), then that won't be listed either.

I could look up the auction if it was somewhat recent. The condition reports usually say whether or not they changed the oil.

Congratulations - I hope you enjoy the car as much as I've enjoyed mine. I bought mine with similar mileage from a private luxury car dealer. I took it into the local Infiniti dealership and they were able to bring up the full repair history and shared it with me. I've done much of my own maintenance (oil and filters, Brakemotive brake replacement, iPhone interface, LED upgrades) over the three years that I've owned it and taken it into the dealership for warranty items and other work that I wanted performed by them. They have been great to work with, always given me an excellent loaner. Hopefully your dealership is as good as mine - Infiniti of Tacoma (just south of Seattle). Also, GO SEAHAWKS!!

Rogue One wrote:Welcome!

Let me tackle your first two questions.
1. For peace of mind, go ahead and change the oil. You can start your on log from that point.
2. Carfax reports are not used for factory warranty purposes. They're more hype than help. Only things like traffic accidents get put on them (not regular maintenance). In fact if it was involved in an unreported accident (police weren't notified), then that won't be listed either.

Thanks. I thought services - especially at dealers - get on Carfax reports as I see a lot of them on Carfax reports.

shortys408 wrote:I could look up the auction if it was somewhat recent. The condition reports usually say whether or not they changed the oil.

Sure. What do you need? VIN?

yea I can look it up with the vin if the sale wasnt that long ago.

jemmie wrote: Thanks. I thought services - especially at dealers - get on Carfax reports as I see a lot of them on Carfax reports.

Well yes, but you do realize that regular maintenance can be done at a local shop, or by yourself, but that would not be reported. The Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act allows for regular scheduled maintenance to be done by a third party without voiding the warranty, as long as it's properly documented. The average shade tree mechanic isn't going to notify Carfax every time they work on their vehicle. There's no law, statue, rule, that I'm aware of mandating that Carfax be notified about anything. As stated previously, your local dealership can pull up the car's history, if there was any work done by a dealership, and that info would be free.

Rogue One wrote:

jemmie wrote: Thanks. I thought services - especially at dealers - get on Carfax reports as I see a lot of them on Carfax reports.

Well yes, but you do realize that regular maintenance can be done at a local shop, or by yourself, but that would not be reported. The Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act allows for regular scheduled maintenance to be done by a third party without voiding the warranty, as long as it's properly documented. The average shade tree mechanic isn't going to notify Carfax every time they work on their vehicle. There's no law, statue, rule, that I'm aware of mandating that Carfax be notified about anything. As stated previously, your local dealership can pull up the car's history, if there was any work done by a dealership, and that info would be free.

Therein lies my concern. If the dealer serviced the vehicle, it should be in Carfax. If it was serviced by a non-dealer, how would I ever get the records?

if serviced at non-dealer then you're out of luck. You could try to locate the original owner and ask him for this information.

jemmie wrote:Therein lies my concern. If the dealer serviced the vehicle, it should be in Carfax. If it was serviced by a non-dealer, how would I ever get the records?

While you have some valid concerns, I personally would put less effort into worrying about what work may or may not have been performed, and take the vehicle to a trusted mechanic for a complete once-over.

The FTC has an easy to understand guide to Buying a Used Car. It spells out your rights, and what the seller/manufacturer is and is not responsible for, warranty wise.

• Before You Buy a Used Car
• Payment Options
• Dealer Sales and the Buyers Guide
• Warranties
• Service Contracts
• Pre-Purchase Independent Inspection
• Private Sales
• If You Have Problems