2016 Infiniti QX80 Complaints

STRUCTURE — Filed 05/31/2026

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE West Department, Washington, DC 20590 SUBJECT: SAFETY COMPLAINT – STRUCTURAL PAINT DELAMINATION AND DEBRIS HAZARD • Vehicle: 2016 Infiniti QX80 • Paint Color: Pearl White (Paint Code: QAA) • Affected Area: Roof, hood, and upper body panels To Whom It May Concern, I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a severe manufacturing defect on my 2016 Infiniti QX80 featuring the factory Pearl White (QAA) paint finish. The factory paint and primer have experienced a complete adhesion failure, causing the paint to shear off in massive, thick chunks down to the bare, unprimed sheet metal. This issue is not a cosmetic concern; it is an active highway safety hazard. The paint layers are delaminating at highway speeds, causing hard, sharp chunks of paint debris to violently fly off my vehicle’s roof. This poses an immediate distraction and danger to trailing motorists who are forced to swerve or suffer windshield impacts from the flying debris. Furthermore, the rapid deterioration of the protective coating risks structural corrosion of the roof panel over time. This is a well-documented, widespread manufacturing defect concerning Nissan/Infiniti’s factory white paint formulations, where an improper chemical bond between the primer and the metal substrate causes a total delamination failure. I request that the NHTSA review this defect for a formal safety investigation, as the debris shedding from these large SUVs at high speeds presents an unaddressed risk to public roadway safety. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 06/01/2025

I live in a state where it is required to have both front and back plates. When I got my 2016 QX80 it did not have official front plate mounting so I bought a kit and installed the front license plate. Since then I have not had a working sensor. The front collision sensor states there’s an obstruction. I can no longer use cruise control or the front collision safety sensor because the front sensor was brilliantly placed where the plate needs to be installed. Poor design.

VISIBILITY — Filed 04/23/2025

The contact owns a 2016 Infiniti QX80. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH on the interstate, there was an abnormal booming sound coming from the sunroof, and the driver discovered that the sunroof glass had shattered. The contact called the Insurance Company for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the sunroof needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the dealer was in the process of ordering the part to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,448.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 12/31/2024

Vehicle will not shift pass 3rd gear. Valve body issue, diagnosed by dealership. Many of the same model have the same problem. Vehicles have very low mileage with a problem like this. Dealer refuses to replace part or compensate. Vehicle poses a potential safety issue on the road.

AIR BAGS — Filed 01/25/2025

Airbag light keeps coming on and we take it in to be serviced and they say hey it shows low voltage so we tighten down your battery and that fixed it. Then we drive 100 miles and it's back on. Took it to a different dealer and they said the same thing. Another few hundred miles airbag light is on again. Putting my families lives in danger. When we bought this vehicle from Carmax that the same issue and took over 6 weeks before we could pick it up.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE — Filed 07/14/2021

The contact owns a 2016 Infiniti QX80. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor inside the garage. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the Vin was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 11/01/2020

I PURCHASED A 2016 QX80 LAST WEEK. AFTER FILLING MY CAR WITH FUEL, WITHIN 10 MINUTES, MY GAS GAUGE WENT FROM FULL, TO DOWN 3/4 OF A TANK OF GAS. AFTER ONLY 50 MILES OF DRIVING, WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING ON, I'M AT 1/2 OF A TANK ACCORDING TO MY FUEL GAUGE. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT CAN BE CORRECT.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 10/03/2020

I HAD MY INFINITY 2016 QX 80 FOR 6 MONTHS AND THE BREAKS WENT OUT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ONLY GOING OVER A SPEED HUMP, LUCKILY. I PULLED OVER AND THE CALIPER WAS AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE RIM. I WAS TOLD THE PIN FELL OUT. VERY DANGEROUS!

STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 10/17/2019

WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH OUR VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES SINCE NOVEMBER 20, 2019. THE FIRST TIME WE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP, IT WAS DUE TO IT BOGGING DOWN. THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND IN BOTH THE CITY AND INTERSTATE. THE WORST TIME, WAS WHEN WE WERE ON THE INTERSTATE DRIVING AROUND 70 MILES AN HOUR AND WENT TO ACCELERATE TO PASS A VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BOGGED DOWN AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY UPDATED THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND WE WERE TOLD THIS SHOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE PICKED UP THE VEHICLE ON 9/23/19 AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO DEMONSTRATE THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 9/25/19. AT THIS TIME, MR. JUNOT RODE WITH A TECHNICIAN AND WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE REPINED THE ECM CONNECTOR AND CLEARED ALL THE CODES. WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE ON 10/3/19. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DRIVE SLUGGISH AND BOG DOWN. ON 10/15/19, THE CUSTOMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THE CITY, WHEN IT BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN AND THE STEERING AND BRAKES LOCKED UP. SHE WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND COAST INTO A PARKING LOT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED ON 10/16/19 AND WE WERE TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN ON 10/17/19. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND CALLED IN A DST SPECIALIST. WE WERE TOLD THAT HE WOULD NOT BE AT THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH. [XXX]. MET HIM AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT MORNING. HE TALKED TO THE DST AND REVIEWED ALL THE ISSUES WE HAVE HAD. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A CALL FROM THE DST AND RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM INFINITI STATING THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. MY HUSBAND HAD TO CALL TO GET THE DETAILS OF THE REPORT. WE WERE TOLD WE COULD PICK UP THE VEHICLE ON 10/21/19. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/28/2019

SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY BURST WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY OBJECTS THAT HIT THE SUNROOF. THE GLASS LOOKED AS THOUGH IT SHATTERED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. FORTUNATELY, THE SUNROOF COVER WAS CLOSED, OTHERWISE SHARDS OF GLASS WOULD'VE ENDED UP ALL OVER DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. INFINITI DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT COVER REPAIR. DEALERSHIP STATED THIS WAS A RARE THING, BUT UPON MENTIONING SEVERAL REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ONLINE, DEALERSHIP STATED ,' WE SEE ABOUT 1 A MONTH'.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/01/2017

THE INFINITI QX80 OFFERS A SOS SERVICE FOR THIS VEHICLE, HOWEVER THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET THIS SERVICE TO WORK ON MY VEHICLE.

ENGINE — Filed 04/29/2018

RETURNING HOME FROM A TRIP TO BIRMINGHAM, AL ON SUNDAY APR 29TH, 2018 AND NOTICED THE AIR WAS NO LONGER COOLING IN THE CAR. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH INFINITI TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO BE CHECKED OUT ON MONDAY APR 30. UPON GETTING CAR CHECKED OUT WAS TOLD THAT A ROCK ALLEGEDLY WENT THROUGH THE GRILL, SOME HOW MISSED ALL THE OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE CAR AND HIT THE CONDENSER/COOLANT LINE AND CAUSED ALL THE FREON TO RUN OUT OF THE CAR. MIND YOU THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS AND YOU CAN HEAR IF YOUR CAR IS IT BY A ROCK AND NONE OF THAT HAS HAPPENED. SOME FAMILY FRIENDS WITH THE SAME CAR HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR CAR AND WAS TOLD IT WAS HIT BY A ROCK ALSO. HOW LIKELY IS THAT TO HAPPEN, NEED TO INVESTIGATE INFINITI FOR POOR COOLANT LINES AND CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR ITEMS THAT SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY. WAS TOLD REPAIRS WILL COST $1200 AND CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH LESS THAN 21000 MILES. CALLED INFINITI TO COMPLAIN AS OTHERS HAVE AND WAS ONLY GIVEN A REFERENCE NUMBER AND TO WAIT FOR A CALLBACK. OTHERS HAVE BEEN MADE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS AND THIS IS HAPPENING WAY TOO OFTEN AND INFINITI NEEDS TO STEP UP AND OWN THEIR DEFECTIVE PART AND STOP PASSING THE EXPENSE ON TO CUSTOMERS. SHAME ON THEM. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS.

AIR BAGS — Filed 02/07/2017

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG OCCUPANT SENSOR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE OCCUPANTS CONSISTENTLY. IT WORKS FOR SOME OCCUPANTS SOMETIMES, AND AT OTHER TIMES IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE SAME OCCUPANTS. SHIFTING IN THE SEAT SOMETIMES HAS AN EFFECT AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T. IT HAS BEEN TO THE SELLING DEALER WITH THIS COMPLAINT BUT THE SELLING DEALER STATES IT IS WORKING CORRECTLY. I'VE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF MY 16YO DAUGHTER SITTING IN THE SEAT WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF. SHE MEETS THE WEIGHT LIMIT STATED BY THE DEALER THAT SHOULD TRIGGER THE AIRBAG TO BE ON. THIS HAPPENS NO MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR MOVING.

ENGINE — Filed 06/05/2016

WHILE IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY ON THE WAY TO OUR SUMMER VACATION, OUR BRAND NEW INFINITI QX80 STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WENT OUT. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP (AND GETTING A TAXI TO TAKE US TO A RENTAL CAR PLACE) WE WERE TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD COME FROM THE FACTORY WITH AN OIL COOLER WATER HOSE THAT WAS 2 INCHES LONGER THAN STANDARD, CAUSING THE HOSE TO RUB AGAINST THE COOLING FAN BLADE AND SEVERING IT CAUSING ALL COOLANT TO LEAK. INFINITI WILL NOT REIMBURSE US FOR RENTAL CAR COSTS, DESPITE THE CAUSE BEING FACTORY DEFECT. *TR

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 04/02/2016

THIS VEHICLE HAS A CRASH AVOIDANCE SYSTEM THAT HAS TO BE TURNED ON, I THINK IT SHOULD TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED LIKE FCA,GM,FORD AND THE BENDIX SYSTEM WE HAVE IN HD TRUCKS. THE DEALER IS NO HELP.