INFINITI Q45 · model year

1998 INFINITI Q45

16 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998INFINITIQ45 carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 1 fire, 8 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 Q45 is air bags:frontal with 3 filings, followed by air bags (2) and suspension (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 7 investigation files overlapping the 1998 Q45. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

16
Complaints
4
Crashes
1
Fires
8
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

16 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL3
AIR BAGS2
SUSPENSION1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM1
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
STEERING1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20141119AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 INFINITI Q45. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

20140929ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 INFINITI Q45. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SENSOR ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

20110426STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 INFINITI Q45. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHO ADVISED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS FRACTURED AND THE REPAIRS WOULD COST $2400. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

20050315CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE OWNER HIT A VEHICLE ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES, BUT DID NOT SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION. *AK *SC *JB THE IMPACT WAS SO GREAT THAT IT PUSHED BACK THE FRAME RAIL ONE INCH. THE CONSUMER IS QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT THE VEHICLE EVEN HAS AIR BAGS AND WANTS NISSAN TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. *NM

Mileage: 76,002

20050211CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE COLLIDED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SPINAL INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED CHEST AND BACK INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED TOTAL LOSS. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

Mileage: 76,000

20030426CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

FRONT SEAT PASSENGER - 5'9" SITTING ALL THE WAY BACK WITH SEAT BELT ON. LIFTED LEFT ARM UP JUST BEFORE FRONT END CRASH IMPACT AND SUFFERED A BAD FRACTURE REQUIRING SURGERY AND PIN PLACEMENT TO LEFT DISTAL RADIUS (FOREARM BONE NEAR WRIST ON THUMB SIDE). 1998 INFINITY Q45. *NLM

20030128SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELT RETRACTER ON DRIVER SEAT IS VERY WEEK AND MUST BE ASSITED TO RETACT

Mileage: 77,000

20020730ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE SHUTOFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. AS A RESULT, TO ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK

20020730ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE SHUTOFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. AS A RESULT, TO ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK

20020523FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

THE CAR WAS PARKED AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR APPROX 1.5 MILES AND AFTER ABOUT 15 20 MINUTES RESTAUARANT ATTENDANT INQUIRED WHO OWNS THAT CAR? AND INFORMED THAT THERE IS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE CAR. 911 WAS CALLED FOR FIRE DEPT HELP. FIRE FIGHTERS EXTINQUISHED THE FIRE.*AK

20020220AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT APPEARED ON DASHBOARD CONSTANTLY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

20011210SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILS TO ADEQUATELY STOP VEHICLE. LSO, VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY SURGE WHILE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, BUT CANNOT FIND A REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER FEELS THIS COULD BE RELATED TO BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE. *JB

20011210SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILS TO ADEQUATELY STOP VEHICLE. LSO, VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY SURGE WHILE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, BUT CANNOT FIND A REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER FEELS THIS COULD BE RELATED TO BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE. *JB

20001218VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STICKING WHILE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. TOOK EXTREME PRESSURE TO RELEASE STICKAGE AND VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD DUE TO PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IN TRAFFIC CREATED A HAZARD TO VEHICLES IN FRONT. *AK

19990930SUSPENSION

GEAR SHIFT VIBRATED ABOVE 30 MPH. YH

19990611CrashAIR BAGS

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG DURING COLLISION, FRONT OF VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED ENOUGH TO GIVE AIRBAG WARNING FOR DEPLOYMENT, HOWEVER THERE WERE MULTIPLE INJURIES. *YC

Compare 1998INFINITIQ45 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 INFINITI Q45 have?
The 1998 INFINITI Q45 has 16 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 1 fires, 8 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 INFINITI Q45?
The most-complained component for the 1998 INFINITI Q45 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and SUSPENSION.
Is the 1998 INFINITI Q45 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.