2014 Infiniti Q50: pulls to one side

Filed Jan 31, 2017 · Transmission · 11,000 miles · CO · crash

This is an awd car purchased used 2 weeks prior to this incident. The car has only 11, 000 miles on it when this occurred. I was driving in bumper to bumper traffic in heavy snow conditions on an overpass bridge that merges onto a busy freeway. The vehicle's front wheels pulled the car to left 2-3 times at a speed of less than 5mph out of my lane but I was able to correct. While still on the overpass bridge I took my foot off brake to inch forward (still in bumper to bumper traffic) and still less than 5 miles per hr, hardly moving, the car again pulled hard to the left and pulled me into a guardrail. If there was no guardrail I would have plummeted to the freeway below. All this happened without ever pressing on the accelerator pedal as I was in very heavy traffic, so I was barely moving. I had my 17 year old daughter with me. We both said that the car acted all on its own and we both noticed that no other cars were slipping or spinning out at all. The snow had just began to fall so there wasn't too much on the road maybe 1-2 inches (estimated). There was damage to the drivers side bumper and quarter panel (which we have yet to get estimated). We took the car into the infiniti dealership, I had them run a diagnostics on the computer. They said there was a faulty "chassis control module" that determines the power applied to the wheels and which ones. The service advisors mechanic mentioned that this "most definitely could have caused the problem we experienced". He recommended I call infiniti's consumer affairs and file a claim. Infiniti asked the dealership to not work on the car, they sent their mechanic to investigate. The closed the case and said the car had no issues and replaced nothing and returned the car back after several weeks. The car is not safe and I am scared to drive it. Infiniti will not recognize this and won't pay for body damage or any repair.

Filed Aug 5, 2014 · Steering · 675 miles · AZ

The car began drastically pulling to the left and I had to turn the wheel to the right, just to have it drive straight. This continued for about 3 miles. I got home, turned the car off, waited approx 5 mins and turned it back on and the car continued pulling to the left. I attempted to drive it for an additional 6-7 miles in an effort to get it to the dealer and prior to getting to the dealer, it started driving properly. The dealer said that since an error did not appear, they cannot do anything. I took the car in anyway and an engineer looked at the car on 8/4/14 and the only thing in the logs was that the car had low voltage. We researched steering issues with the q50 and there are multiple instances documented where other consumers are having this same issue. I live in arizona and obviously this issue is not related to cold climates as initially indicated in the recall. This car was built in apr 2014, which is after the recall and similar steering issues are occurring.

Filed Jul 23, 2014 · Steering · 9,500 miles · CA

After merging onto the freeway, the car began pulling to the left. My first thought was a flat tire. Checking the tire pressures, the front left tire displayed -- while the three other tires were 35 or 36 lbs. Since have run flat tires, I continued driving. After approximately two miles, the pulling began to subside. After about another mile there was no pull at all and the tire pressure read 35lbs for the front left tire. I checked the front tire when I stopped and there was nothing wrong with it. I am guessing it was a problem with the electronic steering. I haven't had any issues since. I have an appointment with the dealer to have the car checked in two weeks when I take it in for routine service. *tr.....updated 12/03/15

Filed Jun 6, 2014 · Steering · 500 miles · CA

On several occasions this q50 sport suddenly begins pulling very strongly to the left, almost turning me into oncoming traffic in one instance. This issue has stopped and started again a few different times. No changes have been made to the vehicle and it happens while traveling on a level surface and usually lasts for a couple of hours then stops pulling but occurs again at seemingly random times. It is a profound and dangerous physical and "automatic" turn of the steering wheel while driving on a level, flat surface and the wheel must be held firmly to keep the vehicle operating in a straight line. It is easy to detect since it stops pulling as suddenly as it starts. The problem is not isolated to my case as there are other reports of the same issue online (some reports have it pulling right instead of left). The other reports are very similar in description and the level of resulting fear. I reported the issue to infiniti consumer affairs and also to the service department where I purchased the car. Surprisingly, infiniti did not instruct me to stop driving and seem to be taking the issue quite lightly. Their consumer affairs department said they would contact me in a few days with no additional instructions. For the second time (for this issue), I brought the car in to the dealer (6/6/14) and was told that they would "do what they can do" and if they can't repeat the problem there is likely nothing they can do. Huh? The first time, I was told I would get a call from an engineer which did not happen but I got a call from a service rep who told me to drive 30 MPH and allow it to "reset" but was not asked to leave the car. On 6/5/2014 at around 8 pm pt, when it happened again, I took it in to the dealer (the following morning) and insisted that they take a more serious look at this lethal issue before someone (or me) has a serious accident. I have video of the issue.

Filed Sep 20, 2013 · Steering, Tires · 500 miles · GA

After driving approximately 1/4 mile, the car began to pull to the left very strongly; strong enough to pull me into oncoming traffic if it had not been so early in the morning. I thought I had a flat tire but the tire pressure monitors said the pressure was proper @ 36 psi. This strong pull lasted about another mile and then subsided. It has occurred 2 more times since then. Dealer had the car for 2 days and indicated that perhaps the road was uneven or it was just sensitive driving and I am not used to it. I know what a car pulling to one side feels like and each time this feels like a flat tire. If it happens again I will not allow my wife or anyone else drive the car; it could causes a serious accident.