Most common 2003 Infiniti QX4 problems
Share of the 20 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Infiniti QX4 complaints by model year
Best QX4 years: 2000. Years to avoid: 2001, 1997. Compare all years →
2003 Infiniti QX4 recalls (3)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020.
Air bags
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Suspension › Front
Nissan is recalling certain model year 1996-2004 pathfinder and model year 1997-2003 Infiniti qx4 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode…
Remedy: Nissan will inspect the strut housing and repair the vehicles as necessary, free of charge. An interim notification letter was sent out in May 2011. The second notice was mailed on July 25, 2011.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2003 Infiniti QX4:
Frame/Body Structure Corrosion
In their Defect Information Report (DIR) of April 20, 2011, Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall of certain 1996-2004 Nissan Pathfinder and 1997-2003 Infinity QX4 vehicles to repair corrosion damage to the driver's side front strut tower.The vehicles included in the recall are those that were originally sold, or are currently registered in salt belt states…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2003 Infiniti QX4 owners say
Suspension
The control arm is completely rusted away as the pathfinders that they recalled and is doing exactly as they have done...but there is no recall on the Infiniti I was wondering why those and not the Infiniti as we live in massachusetts and the salt does the same on this car now we have the death womble on this car
This concern is involving the r1109 recall issued by Infiniti. The recall was performed six years ago, however rust, and holes in the metal are now visible. I was told that because the recall was already performed, there was nothing they could do to assist me. This vehicle will soon be unsafe to drive.
Body & structure
This concern is involving the r1109 recall issued by Infiniti. The recall was performed six years ago, however rust, and holes in the metal are now visible. I was told that because the recall was already performed, there was nothing they could do to assist me. This vehicle will soon be unsafe to drive.
Running boards are completely rusted, they will either fall off while driving and could cause an accident or an unsuspecting person could be relying on them to enter the SUV and hurt them selves. The SUV was well taken care of, 1 owner, and the frame rails and chassis are considerably rust free. How come these are in such bad condition? Why don't Infiniti have replacements for them alone and not the whole running board for over $1300 per side! That's insane and no one is going to pay that for a 11+ year old SUV!
Brakes
While driving at 35 MPH on a dry single lane paved road, I unavoidably ran my Infiniti QX4 SUV over a tree branch in the road. The tree branch briefly became entangled under the vehicle and then was expelled. Once the tree branch was released, my ABS light came on. I took my vehicle to my inifiniti dealer who put the vehicle on a lift. Examination showed no damage to the vehicle other than the wiring assembly to the front wheel sensor had its wire and electrical pin pulled from the electrical connector to the front wheel sensor. ABS for the vehicle was disabled.
There is a pulsing feel in the brakes. Have checked online and realized that it seems to be a common enough complaint by other owners. On hard stops the push back by the pedal is hard enough that the brakes lockup intermittently. This is different from the pulsing feel of the anti-lock system. It feels as though the rotors are warped. It is felt in the steering wheel also, and increasingly in the vehicle in normal driving without applying the brakes. It is not the tires which are fastidiously kept new omi. No incident yet but I believe there is a trend that needs to be investigated.
2003 Infiniti QX4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Infiniti QX4 a good car?
Based on 20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 QX4 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the QX4 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Infiniti QX4?
The suspension — 8 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front. Next are the body & structure (6) and brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2003 Infiniti QX4 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2003 Infiniti QX4, the most recent from January 9, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Infiniti QX4?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001 and 1997. See the full Infiniti QX4 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Infiniti QX4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 98,000 miles; 13% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.