Should I buy an Infiniti fx45

[blue5thgenbb]

Hello all,
I am new to this forum. I came here for advice from people who are unbiased and are knowledgable in the matter. I am looking to purchase a 2003 Infiniti FX45 with 58,000 miles. What are some thing I should check out or observe when I test drive? Are there any know issues with this platform? Are there any service bullitens or recalls? Any information would be helpful. I work for a part supplier, unfortunately not Infiniti, or I would run the VIN. If anyone has access to this sort of system, I would love for them to run the VIN so I can view the service history. Carfax is inconclusive from my experience. If anyone has any questions about it please ask. I will be test driving the vehicle around 7pmEST. Thanks

[Q45tech]

Make sure there is WRITTEN DOCUMENTED PROOF of 90 day oil changes or accept the consequences.

Low annual mile [below 10-12k per year] vehicles are scarey since owners may only do annual or semi annual oil changes.

Wear is way beyond what someone would expect for mileage.

[blue5thgenbb]

Thanks for the advice. So i test drove the vehicle last Thursday. It was nice, felt pretty solid. Until the CEL came on. The code was determined to be a random misfire. I quickly stepped back after learning this. The saleman suggested that it was from the engine compartment being cleaned. However, I am sure it was never cleaned. I read that the FX45 consumes oil; I have a feeling that this random misfire is related to oil consumption. Also, I found the service history- it was inconclusive.. You are 100% right about people skipping oil changes as well as other service milestones.. So it looks like the search will continue.

[Thorshammer]

Play it safe.
If you are going to buy a used FX45, Buy it from a Infiniti dealer get the extended warranty and forget about it.
Personally I would not own one without some type of warranty.
Electrical problems and suspension linkage will be the main problem with that car.

[seldomseen]

Make sure an extended warranty will cover a '03 model year regardless of the current mileage. For the FX you will want to keep an eye out for oil consumption and dash board cracking/bubbling. However, Infiniti has addressed this issue with a special warranty to owners. You also have to worry about wheel bearing issues, rocking driver's seat and the other common issues that affect Infiniti cars.

[Socaldiablo]

I own a 2004 FX45 and I've got the say, the car is pretty awesome. I've owned it for a year and I've never had one problem with it, except the dashboard bubbling which is just starting to appear in a few spots. The car has about 34,500 miles on it. It does consume a bit of oil but it's not all that much different from other vehicles I've owned. It doesn't leak a drop of anything. That's definitely not something that should disuade a buyer of the FX ...it's maybe 1 quart every 1K miles, so a few bucks in oil a month. Whoop-de-doo. I will say that the air filter is an absolute bear to change ...luckily I installed a K&N that doesn't need regular service so won't need to battle that again for 40K miles or so. But to the original poster (blue5th), you should continue to look at these vehicles. They are great, reliable, and powerful cars. Maybe look at an FX45 that is a year or 2 newer than the 03' as 2003 was the first year they were introduced and the advice is to typically stay away from the first model year of a vehicle.

I do have a question about the dash bubbling ...someone mentioned that Infiniti has a special warranty for this. How do I go about checking to see if mine can be replaced under this warranty? I am not the original owner but I am the second owner and have had it dealer serviced.
Thanks!

[cmesurf]

I do have a question about the dash bubbling ...someone mentioned that Infiniti has a special warranty for this. How do I go about checking to see if mine can be replaced under this warranty? I am not the original owner but I am the second owner and have had it dealer serviced.
Thanks!

Contact your local dealer or Infiniti Customer service 800-662-6200 , recall #WB/10-005, I sent you email with recall attached to the email.

Good lock

[Socaldiablo]

My local dealer (Glendale Infiniti) installed the new dash yesterday and it looks great. They had one in stock and said they could have installed it the same day I called for an appt. ...now that's service! They did, however, tell me that the rattling I've been hearing underneath the vehicle as I accelerate was a shot exhaust system, corroded and rusty from living most of its years in IL. And the car only has 34K miles on it ...what a shame. Parts alone were over $1100 ....I think I'll go with a stainless steel Stillen system (cat-back) for just under $1300. Well, there goes x-mas again this year. Sorry son ...it's gonna be a coloring book again this year. Daddy's got more car repairs to take care of. Maybe next year you can get that new bike

[seldomseen]

Enjoy your new dash! One member who had a new dash installed experience cracking in the replacement dash after a few months! lmao Keep your dash conditioned with Lexol Leather Conditioner