1997 Infiniti QX4 problems & reliability
45 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Infiniti QX4, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Infiniti QX4 vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension → | 20 | 44% |
| Steering → | 11 | 24% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 9% |
| Structure | 3 | 7% |
| Tires | 3 | 7% |
| Power Train | 2 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 17 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 21 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 135,000 miles (middle 50% between 101,000 and 172,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1997 Infiniti QX4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V244000 (Steering, Suspension). The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH and other various speeds over bumps in the roadway, the vehicle was shaking abnormally with the steering wheel becoming difficult to turn to the…”
Steering · filed May 5, 2023
“the rear end started to sway and shake ... made the car uncrontrlable, I reacted instantly and took my foot off the gas peddle and gripped the steering firmly like driving on snow...it came back under control as I was braking softly ....what a scary incident ...”
Suspension · filed Aug 11, 2021
“I had my car sitting in my driveway detailing it. I've always took exceptional care of my vehicles and one thing I've always done was made sure the undercoating was top-notch. As I proceeded to undercoat the inside of the front fender wells on my 97 qx4 I noticed some rust forming behind the strut tower. Some of it…”
Suspension · filed Jul 19, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Frame/Body Structure Corrosion
Preliminary Evaluation PE11004 · opened Jan 28, 2011 · closed Jun 30, 2011 · led to recall 11V244000
Technical service bulletins
93 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Infiniti QX4. The 10 most recent:
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB13-007H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB09-039J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB10-067C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
1997 QX4 GRILLE GUARDS, BRUSH GUARDS AND WINCHES This bulletin is no longer active. Please discard previous versions of ITB97-001.
ITB97-001A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
INFINITI; FRONT SONAR PARKING SENSOR SERVICE INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB16-006A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 24, 2021
EXTERIOR CLEANING INFORMATION SERVICE INFORMATION When cleaning the exterior of an Infiniti vehicle, damage may occur when using a cleaner with too high of an alkaline concentration. - Always refer to the Appearance and…
ITB19-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2019
PLASTIC INTERIOR TRIM PROTECTIVE COVERING REMOVAL SERVICE INFORMATION Vehicles are delivered with plastic interior trim protective covering on the front and rear seats, front and rear door panel finishers, steering…
ITB18-037 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 24, 2018
TRANSMISSION & ENGINE AUTOMATED DATA COLLECTION AND DIAGNOSTIC REPORTING SERVICE INFORMATION To support proper diagnosis and to promote Fixed-Right-First-Time ? Infiniti may review CONSULT-III plus (CIII plus) data…
ITB18-034 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 12, 2018
Infiniti USA Electronic Field Communication Subject: Retailed Vehicle Open Campaign Report Lists Updated The lists for each retailer?s Retailed Vehicle Open Campaign Report has been updated today in DBS. We made our…
Infiniti USA Ret · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 9, 2018
Infiniti USA Electronic Field Communication Subject: Takata Completion Objectives for Q3 INFINITI is continuing to ask its retailers to urgently help increase customer participation in the Takata recalls to help it…
Infiniti USA Tak · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 2, 2018
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Infiniti QX4 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Infiniti QX4?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 135,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.