Looked at a FX45 today..

J

JST4FN

Member
Location
Tyler,TX
We're considering trading in our 07 G35 Sport Sedan for an FX. I happen to find a FX45 with all the options we want and we test drove it today. Here are the things that concerned me and I wanted to get fellow FX owners opinions.

1. 69,500 miles - This means the warranty is up in 500 miles. The dealership said they would throw in a warranty to cover it to 100,000 miles. However this is not a Nissan/Infiniti dealership. My main concern is the drivetrain because of the cost. The trans and motor both seemed great on the two test drives so I feel good about them.

2. Dash- Bubbling up it seems, but I read Nissan extended the warranty on this so we can get that fixed.

3. Vibration- The steering wheel had a pretty significant vibration at 65ish. I noticed after we got back all four tires were wore on the inside and needed to be replaced. Hopefully this will also fix the vibration as it seemed to be a balance issue.

4. TPMS- The light was on but this could've easily been tire pressure. I didn't have a guage with me to check it.

5. KEY FOB- They only have one key for it. It looks like you can get a KEY FOB on Ebay for 50-60 dollars. Can a locksmith cut the key AND marry it to your car or only the dealer?

The exterior was in really good shape. One ding on the entire car. A few scratches that I can easily remove with a compound/polish/wax treatment. The interior was average although the other owner didn't take car of the leather that well. I think if I keep it conditioned it from now on it will be okay though.

The price is right on the car. What do you think about the above mentioned issues? Anything to be concerned over or just normal used car stuff?

Thanks Mike
 
1) mileage - wouldn't worry about this..these things are built solid.

2) Dash - Wouldn't worry about it..recall/extended lifetime warranty to replace.

3) Vibration - Take it to a mechanic...there could be other issues hiding. Bearings/rods..etc can cause vibration, not just wheel balancing.

4) TPMS- could be low pressure...BUT with this lit AND wheel vibration..could be a sign of a more serious issue

5)Key Fob - Your getting one from the dealer? Does this car have the TECH PACKAGE? BIG DIFFERENCE!! You can get a kkey fob for only a couple bucks from ebay..but I think it was like $200-$250 to get the tech package reprogrammed from the dealer...and they are the only ones that can do it.

If this is a NON TECH PACKAGE yo can reprogram the key fob yourself -///2643

Vibration and TPMS being on concerns me...take it to a dealer before purchase and have it checked out and save you some headache. If the place your buying it from doesn't let you take it to a dealer or mechanic...WALK AWAY!
 
pmanliu said:
sorry i might have missed it, but what year is the car? and also what packages come with it?
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2006 FX45

It has the tech package as standard on this year I believe.
Thanks Mike

---------- Post added at 11:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 PM ----------
toy4x said:
1) mileage - wouldn't worry about this..these things are built solid.

2) Dash - Wouldn't worry about it..recall/extended lifetime warranty to replace.

3) Vibration - Take it to a mechanic...there could be other issues hiding. Bearings/rods..etc can cause vibration, not just wheel balancing.

4) TPMS- could be low pressure...BUT with this lit AND wheel vibration..could be a sign of a more serious issue

5)Key Fob - Your getting one from the dealer? Does this car have the TECH PACKAGE? BIG DIFFERENCE!! You can get a kkey fob for only a couple bucks from ebay..but I think it was like $200-$250 to get the tech package reprogrammed from the dealer...and they are the only ones that can do it.

If this is a NON TECH PACKAGE yo can reprogram the key fob yourself

Vibration and TPMS being on concerns me...take it to a dealer before purchase and have it checked out and save you some headache. If the place your buying it from doesn't let you take it to a dealer or mechanic...WALK AWAY!
Click to expand...

There's no local nissan dealer there and the car is over 100 miles away. If we make the deal now they'll just bring it to me. I doubt I'll get a second look at it.

As far as the vibration goes, there was no slack in the steering so I don't think it would be a tie rod. It could be a wheel bearing but there was no noise to go with it?? That would be my biggest worry really.
Thanks Mike
 
TPMS - You can cycle through the menus to see the TPMS pressure reading for each wheel (they were in order but are now probably in a random order). That'll give you a clue if the sensors/recieving unit is functional.

Tire wear is most likely an alignment issue. The camber is off...

The seats are going to be in average to less than average condition unless you are extra careful. Of course you know Infiniti leather/vinyl quality is something that is lacking.

Mileage isn't a concern. The 45 is a strong high miler motor. It may use some oil, but it'll last with proper maintenance. The rest of the drivetrain should be good providing it was serviced regularly.

Struts are probably shot, although it'll ride buttery smooth, you may notice that the rear sags a little (in comparison to the front) if they are indeed gone.

Servicing is very reasonable, as are parts, which you already know owning a G.
 
have you asked to look at it's repair history? if there are no serious suspension problems then a simple wheel balancing and an alignment should take care of the vibrating problem. get the IKEY from ebay and tell the dealership to program it for you out of courtesy since you're buying the car. infiniti leather seats are of average quality so you will need a lot of caring to keep it nice. GL on your purchase.
 
We decided to make an offer on it so we should know something tomorrow. After looking thru alot of threads on here and google, I think the issue's are common and can be fixed.

The car fax report was clean also.

Thanks Mike
 
For the vibration and wore tires I would advice for you to get new tires plus balanced them and get the FX a alignment.. That should take care of the vibration problem.. As you mentioned it can't be a wheel bearing cause there is no sound.. I used to have vibration and the cause of it was that I had wore tires and 2 of them had a nail in them letting water to get in the tires throwing the wheel balanced off causing the steering wheel to vibrate.. For the extended warranty make sure the dealership is giving you a legit Infiniti warranty extension. About the key fob.. You could get one on eBay but you will have to take it to the dealership to get it match to your FX locks and programmed.

Beside all that! Enjoy your FX!!
 
I'd double check the wheel vibration. Make sure the wheels aren't bent which may have effected the rods/alignment. the previous driver may have ran over a city t*tty real hard. all else sounds good. I bought my 03 FX45 at 59K miles and love it. burns a bit of oil, other than that it's awesome.
 
Well they are bringing it to me tomorrow so let the fun begin... We are basically giving close to $19,000 for it. It's a 2006 FX45 with the tech package (which I think was base on this year). I think the only option missing is the rear DVD.

Honestly if we were just buying it wouldn't have bothered me. However when you are letting go of a perfectly good vehicle it makes it tough.

Thanks Mike
 
Well I rec'd the FX today. It was hard for me to let go of the G sedan. It was one of the best cars I had owned. However the FX will definitely fit my current and future family needs which are more important.

It looks like the TPMS light was on because it is not working. All four tires show asteriks and the light blinks for a minute then stays on. It's not a big deal since it doesn't affect anything so I'll look into this later. Right now I'll just completely detail the interior and order up the new tires. One thing I was impressed with was the engine and transmission. At 69000 miles it feels smoother than the G's 3.5 at 41000. I'm sure I'll be asking questions in the future.
Thanks Mike
 
JST4FN said:
Well I rec'd the FX today. It was hard for me to let go of the G sedan. It was one of the best cars I had owned. However the FX will definitely fit my current and future family needs which are more important.

It looks like the TPMS light was on because it is not working. All four tires show asteriks and the light blinks for a minute then stays on. It's not a big deal since it doesn't affect anything so I'll look into this later. Right now I'll just completely detail the interior and order up the new tires. One thing I was impressed with was the engine and transmission. At 69000 miles it feels smoother than the G's 3.5 at 41000. I'm sure I'll be asking questions in the future.
Thanks Mike
Click to expand...

I had some trouble with my TPMS readings. They would read low pressures when it was cold. warning me that the tires were low or flat. i charged the tires with nitrogen and have not had a problem since.
Congrats on the car.
I've had mine for 2 months now and love it.
59,000 on mine and smooth as silk.
Already did the H&R springs. Rides much nicer. Looks more sleek.
 
SlightlyStoopid said:
I had some trouble with my TPMS readings. They would read low pressures when it was cold. warning me that the tires were low or flat. i charged the tires with nitrogen and have not had a problem since.
Congrats on the car.
I've had mine for 2 months now and love it.
59,000 on mine and smooth as silk.
Already did the H&R springs. Rides much nicer. Looks more sleek.
Click to expand...

I keep reading everyone saying the H&R's ride better than factory. Right now they are on the list, but I haven't checked to see if they will work with the V8 and AWD yet. Other than that spacers and chrome factory wheels will do it for the exterior. It should turn out nice.

Thanks Mike
 
JST4FN said:
I keep reading everyone saying the H&R's ride better than factory. Right now they are on the list, but I haven't checked to see if they will work with the V8 and AWD yet. Other than that spacers and chrome factory wheels will do it for the exterior. It should turn out nice.

Thanks Mike
Click to expand...

Do coilovers or eibachs. And they springs will fit with rwd or awd. No difference


Sent from my iPhone
 
JST4FN said:
I keep reading everyone saying the H&R's ride better than factory. Right now they are on the list, but I haven't checked to see if they will work with the V8 and AWD yet. Other than that spacers and chrome factory wheels will do it for the exterior. It should turn out nice.

Thanks Mike
Click to expand...

I have a 2003 FX45 AWD with H&R springs. As do most other FX45 owners. The rest have Eibachs. No problems with either. The choice is yours.
 
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